Bottle Hall Cottages, Repps Road, Martham

On the east side of what was once the Star Inn (now 24 Repps Road) is a small loke with three cottages end on to Repps Road. These cottages are now numbered 18, 20 and 22 Repps Road but for at least forty years, roughly between 1871 and 1911, they were known as Bottle Hall Cottages.

The 1842 Martham Tithe Award map shows a building in the same place as the cottages on plot No 47. The Award list says that plot No47 was owned by James Wright and consisted of a house and garden measuring one rod.  Later census returns make it clear that James Wright was a master bricklayer and beer house keeper at the Victoria Inn. The 1842 Tithe Award map is shown below. The Star Inn had not been built in 1842 so the building at the back of plot No47 overlooked open fields.

Plot 47 includes buildings that have since become Bottle Hall Cottages.

The map shows that plot No47 had a rather irregular outline and in addition to the pub facing Repps Road there is another building at the back of the plot in exactly the same position that Bottle Hall Cottages are today. However, the cottages are not thought to be as old as 1842. So, when were they built?

The photograph below shows a brick which is at No22 inscribed with the words: Martha Youngs April 6th 1871.

Martha Youngs, nee Yallop, was the wife of Edward Youngs who held the licence of the Victoria Inn from 1868 to 1875. Edward was listed in the Post Office Directory of 1869 as a beer retailer and builder. He was also listed in the 1871 census as a bricklayer and publican. It seems that Edward built the cottages and on 6th April 1871 as he was approaching roof level he decided to dedicate a brick to his wife. He was obviously using his bricklaying skills at the same time as being the publican. It was quite common at that time for beer house keepers to have two jobs. The building at the rear of the plot may have come into use as a bottle store but Edward demolished the old store or converted it into the terrace of three cottages. Did they then become known as Bottle Hall Cottages after their original use? We will probably never know unless someone comes up with a set of deeds that link the two.

Edward came from Moulton and Martha was born in Repps. They retired to Rollesby Road where Edward had a smallholding. They are buried together at St Mary the Virgin.

It was not until 1891 that the cottages were actually named as Bottle Hall on the census return of that year as shown below. They are listed after the Star Inn

1891 census showing the Star Inn followed by Bottle Hall Cottages.

Working back ten years from the 1891 census it is possible to identify the same terrace of three in the 1881 census even though they are not named Bottle Hall. They are not in the 1871 census because they had not been completed at the time of the April census. The 1901 and 1911 censuses also clearly name the cottages. The following people occupied the cottages from 1881 to 1911. Children have not been listed.

Bottle Hall Cottages, Repps Road, Martham (No1 nearest the road)
YearNo1No2No3
1881William (b1845) & Ellen (b1844) SAUNDERS. William & *James Saunders were brothers.VacantMaria SAUNDERS (b1850). Her husband *James  (b1846) was a fisherman at sea
1891Robert (b1862) & Emily (b1865) DOVE.Ellen Emily JONES (b1864). Her husband was a fisherman at sea.*James (b1846) & Maria (b1850) SAUNDERS.
1901James (b1819) & Mary (1825) JEARY.Harriet HARBORD (b1879). Wife of James (b1871) who was a fisherman at sea.Same as 1891 above
1911Charles (b1835) & Mary (b1834) SHREEVE.  James William (b1871) & Harriett (b1879) HARBORD. James was the son of Maria at No3Maria (b1850) SAUNDERS -widow of James. (Mother of James at No2)

It is advisable to read the pages on the Star Inn and Victoria Inn in association with this page.

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