This poster is one of many documents concerning the property in Redlingfield now known as Mill Cottage which came to the present owners, Emma and Ben, when they bought the cottage on Occold Corner. They were kind enough to let me look at them. This is a very brief summary of the information held in these fascinating papers.

1801 – Edmund Furnish bought the building then called Godfreys and Mansers “lately erected” and ten acres of land from Samuel Fuller “late of Stonham” but then of Cookley. This is the oldest document in the set so we can say that the building goes back to at least that year.

1814 - Oliver Howes, local blacksmith, paid £130 for “two tenements known as Godfreys and Mansers” plus ten acres of land to Mr. Edmund Furnish, Yeoman of Worlingworth.

1818 - Richard Rodwell purchased the building from Oliver Howes for £90 to be paid at £4. 10s per year! By 1841 it seems that £82 had been paid. In 1861 George Howes, son of Oliver, finalised the sale with Richard Rodwell’s executors on payment of the outstanding balance.

1868 - At the auction advertised by the poster the cottage in two tenements was bought by Edgar Chenery, solicitor and landed proprietor, of Eye for £68 from the executors of Richard Rodwell of Debenham.

1886 - After the death of Rebecca Ann Chenery, widow of Edgar, the property which was still known as Godfreys and Mansers, was sold to William Muttick (so spelled).

1929 - William died intestate and in 1931 his wife Harriet also died leaving John Armstrong, solicitor and E.A. Onyons as executors. It seems that both gentlemen died before completing the administration of the estate.

1976 - Declaration of Gladys Mitson, daughter of William Muttock regarding ownership and boundaries of the property and Letters of Administration granted to her. In November Caroline and Peter Bailey bought the property now referred to as Mill House.

1981 - Declaration by William Muttock’s son that his father was the person referred to as William Muttick in 1886 and that the property had been owned by his family from 1886 to 1976.

1983 - Sale of what is referred to as Mill Cottage by the Baileys to Dennis and Margaret Smith.

1984 - Plans for an extension were approved.

2011 - Sale particulars were drawn up by Clarke & Simpson.

Linda Hudson (Published in Athelington, Horham & Redlingfield News Spring 2020 issue No 49).