James Brown

On his marriage to Matilda Shirley in April 1872, James moved to Frogit Heath, now known as Newchapel. The marriage certificate actually shows him as living in Newchapel at the date of marriage, (so he may have moved there earlier) and he is shown  as living at  Frogwood Heath, Horne at time of 1881 Census. Neighbours house was "Lowlands" occupied by "Arnolds" and "Streeters". He worked as an Agricultural Labourer. During the later period of his life he worked as a roadman called a "Roader" as well as managing a little smallholding (cow, pig, horse and chickens). A lot of wine (Plum/potato/Fruit) was made (and drunk). James Brown could not write as marriage certificate was marked with a cross.

It is thought that James & Matilda lived intially in Cherry Tree Farm Cottage in Frogit Heath, Newchapel and later (c1880) moved to Lowland Cottages nearby. The family stayed at Lowlands until 1936. The timing is a bit unclear as Mary Brunt and her two sons occupied the Cherry Tree Farm cottage in 1871 and Mary Fillery and her family had moved into the cottage by 1891(source-Extracts from “Clayton's Ancient Enclosure on Froggit Heath” http://www.felbridge.org.uk/index.php?p=2_96). However James's Marriage certificate only show location as Newchapel and Elsie's Birth certificate only shows location as Froggatt Heath as does the 1881 census for James.

Lowlands alias Lowlands Cottages

Lowlands, now known as Little Brook Cottage, off East Park Lane, is situated in the parish of Horne and falls slightly outside of the Felbridge boundaries.  There were in fact two cottages making up Lowlands, each of two bedrooms, living room and scullery. In addition there was a thatched annex with two rooms and there was also a dairy attached. In 2000 Peter Gray, in his book, Horne, a history for the Millennium, descripbed Little Brook Cottage is as a "Brick and tile-hung cottage with outshot; central hallway and end chimneys on the ground floor only.  Similar though smaller to Kingswood Farmhouse [the neighbouring property to the south] with originally fewer hearths suggesting a somewhat lower status dwelling and earlier date".

There is some evidence for this property having been a Beer Shop coming from the documented memories of Les Oliver, former resident of the Newchapel area, written from the mid 1930’s.  In his notes on The Lowlands he writes:
About 1860 this [Little Brook Farm] was a Beer-Shop known as Lowlands.  Traces of the Beer-Shop are still to be found in the bars of the windows and the beams which have holes in them, which indicate a game called “Kicking Jenny” used to be played [there]. [There were] 2 cottages: Jenny Brown in one, Mr and Mrs Noble then [the] Smiths, [with] Streeter, [the] far side.  A Smith married a Brown’s daughter.(PB note: there are timing inconsistencies here). Mr Brown of Lowlands used to carry the children through the mud to the bottom of the lane [East Park Lane] so they could get to Sunday School at the Public Room.  The roads were originally footpaths between adjoining houses and plots of land and each [footpath] would not cross his neighbours or his own cultivated lands.  Consequently they went around and the paths were longer and not straight. (source- Extracts from “Eating and Drinking Establishments of Felbridge - Part 4” http://www.felbridge.org.uk/index.php?p=2_95)

In January 1885 William Brown, father of James died at Lowlands. It is not clear whether whether he was living there or visiting James who lived there. (in 1881 William was living at Langham Lodge, Tandridge lane). In 1901 James is shown on the census as occupying one of the cottages, Abraham Streeter another and also Bradford family probably occupying the annex. In 1911 James is shown on the census as occupying one of the cottages but in 1912 when his daughter Elsie returned home she is thought to have occupied the annex. Elsie's daughter remembers Elsie's parents lived in one cottage until their deaths (father died in 1924 and mother in 1936) and from 1926 Elsie, her husband John Smith and the children lived in the other cottage. Up to then, Elsie lived in the annex but  the children actually slept in the parents cottage. At this time Matilda’s sister Polly Noble & husband David had lived in the other cottage up to about 1925. After 1926 the annex was not used for sleeping in. Matilda died at Lowlands in 1936.

Alfred Palmer was the son of George Palmer, of Huntley and Palmer fame, the biscuit manufacturers of Reading. Sometime around 1869, George Palmer had bought West Park, along the north side of West Park Road, and in 1869 had the large residence known as West Park House built as a ‘shooting lodge’. Alfred Palmer inherited West Park on the death of his father, extending the property in 1898. At the time of purchase in 1869, West Park amounted to 220 acres but during the ownership of the Palmers they amassed an estate of 2,239 acres, Lowlands Farm being one of their acquisitions (including Lowlands cottages). On 20th May 1936, Alfred Palmer died, having been pre-deceased by both his wife Alice Maria and son Eustance Exall Palmer. On 17th September 1936, the West Park estate was put up for auction, Lowlands Farm forming Lot 2.

See also map of Frogit Heath

Matilda Brown

The forename ‘Naomi’ of  Naomi Matilda Shirley does not seem to appear elsewhere except on her birth certificate and gravestone- otherwise she was always known as Matilda.
Her parents had paid one old pence a week for someone to teach her so she could read and write. She was well brought up and her family went to church in top hats (James Brown's family wore smocks). In 1871 she was working in Kentish Town, St Pancras, London as a servant for Christopher R Solomon and family.
Matilda is remembered as a straight laced person, who was pleasant, but seldom laughed. She had a good reputation for dealing with illnesses and looking after ill people. She was known to be knowledgeable (presumably from her education).
After her husbands death she remained in black clothes until her own death.