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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: Westozi on Sunday 05 January 14 10:23 GMT (UK)
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Hi all
I have a letter written in 1927 and sent to my grandfather, who was living in Victoria, Australia at the time. The letter, written by Lady Kennedy, is embossed with the address "Burnthouse, Cuckfield, Sussex". I am curious about this house and have tried - unsuccessfully - to find a picture of it. Does anyone know where or what it is and hopefully let me know where I can find a photograph of the house?
Thanks for any help
Ann
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Hi - I've had a quick look,& there are a lot of Google entries for Burnt House Farm, Cuckfield, which
you've probably seen. The National Archives has an entry saying ...."messuage, buildings & lands
called Burnt House or Lower Ridges adjoining Upper Moonhill Farm in Cuckfield."
Regards
Everlea.
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Just seen another entry saying Burnt House, Copyfold Lane.
Everlea.
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If you contact Cuckfield Museum - www.cuckfieldmuseum.org - they may have a photograph and will certainly have local directories which may mention the residents at that time. It is next to what used to be the Hilton Hotel and is now (and used to be years ago) Stafford House.
Copyhold Lane.
http://www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/haywardsheath.htm
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Thank you everlea and sillgen for your replies. Yes, I had previously found those few bits of information with a Google search - so at least I knew it existed! Loved the Cuckfield Museum site which I explored and enjoyed. I will definitely email them with my query when they re-open in February.
Thanks again,
Ann
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Did you manage to get a picture? If not, I went past it today and was able to take a photo from the public footpath that runs by it.
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There is no mention of Burnt House in the 1785 Land Tax Records for Cuckfield. However, Lower Ridges and Upper Moonhill are owned by James Burtenshaw.
I cannot see any references to it in the 1851/59/71/78 Post Office Directories.
Kelly's Directories have the following living at Burnt House:
- 1890 No mention but John Lawrence is a farmer at Moonhill & Ridges Farm.
- 1899 No Mentions
- 1905 Walter Richard Lloyd living at Moon Hill (Could this be the original name of Burnt House?)
- 1911 Charles E Shuttleworth
- 1915 David C Monro
Regards
Sean
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Moonhill still exists but out on the Burgess Hill Rd. Burnt House is on Tyler's Green between Cuckfield and Haywards Heath. They may be close as the crow flies but not by road. It does exist on the 1851 census. In the 1938 Kelly's directory Frank Knight was at Burnt House Farm
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Thanks to all who have taken the effort to search for this house and replied. So kind of everyone. Jill on the A272 I'm going to have a go at sending you a PM.
Ann from WA
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Hi Jill,
You can add images to posts on RootsChat if you wanted to add :)
Sarah
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Thanks Sarah, I've sent Ann a higher resolution photo, this is the back of the house Burnt House Farm taken from the footpath, the front is also visible from the footpath but as there was a lady on a sunbed I didn't take that view.
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Hello Ann
I know this is a year on, but I've only just seen your search. My family lived at Burnt House from 1962-2007.
It is not the house in the picture above. This is Burnt House Farm, which is located across the field from the main house. There used to be a tree lined track which connected the farm to the main house and I guess it used to be connected in the original estate, along with the gate house at the top of the drive.
My father knows more about the people who had the house before us, infact someone came to visit it some years ago, as they'd been a young girl there and they were now elderly. He will know more and I will ask him about it when I see him. Please let me know if you read this. All the best, M
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Hello there
Yes, I'm still interested in finding out about Burnt House and would love more information from you if your father knows any more about the people, especially Lady Kennedy, who lived in that house. I wonder if those people who came to visit him were related to Lady Kennedy?
Thanks,
Ann
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Hi Ann
I will find out more when i can. I know that my grandparents bought the house in 1962 and then tranformed it into Hilton Park Hotel. It was previously called Burnt House ( because part of it had burnt down) and the lodge and farm named accordinly. It was known as Stafford House before this.
There was a Lady living there before my grandparents and I will try to find out more, I think it was a couple and their son.
I know the house inside out so please ask whatever you like, Michelle
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As I said earlier, Cuckfield Museum have a lot of local directories so I will look when I am next there. Did you ever contact them?
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Oops, no. Forgot all about it!! I did look it up on the internet, that was all
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Cuckfield Museum records show Lady Evelyn Kennedy at Burnt House in directories for 1927 and in the 30s.
They had obviously lived there a long time.
Captain Archibald Edward Kennedy 2nd Battalion Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) killed in action 26th August 1914 aged 35 years; son of Sir John Gordon Kennedy K.C.M.G. and Evelyn Adela Kennedy of Burnthouse Cuckfield Sussex.
Census records show she was born c1851. She died 28th November 1939 in Chichester.
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This thread has been renamed Burnt House Farm - just to clarify, I had asked for my photo to be renamed NOT the thread.
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My grandfather fought on the western front during the First World War. On 1st May 1918 his company had the gruesome task of burying some Allied soldiers. Pop says in his diary, “Today being a little foggy I along with two mates put in the morning burying English Tommies who have been lying dead in front of our trench for several days”. One of the English soldiers was Lady Kennedy's son Captain John Kennedy. Pop took a watch from the Captain and when in England handed it to Lady Kennedy, telling her where her son was buried - she did not know until then where he had been buried. She had already lost two sons in the war (she had 4 sons and only 1 survived the war). She was grateful to my grandfather and gave him a silver trinket box engraved with her thanks. They seemed to have corresponded for a time and she wrote to him from Burnt House, the letter I've mentioned before
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There's a beautiful memorial to the three Kennedy sons in Cuckfield church (various photos on the internet), I was there the other day, though it's very high on the wall and in dark area under the bell tower so not easy to appreciate.
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Thank you for telling me about the memorial, Jill. I found it on the internet and it is indeed beautiful. I shall show it to my father, he will be so interested
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Lady Kennedy is buried in Cuckfield Churchyard. The museum has at least two different postcard views of Stafford House. They will email copies for a donation.
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Hello again
I have asked my Dad if he remembers any info re Burnt House. He doesn't know anything from this far back I'm afraid, but he does know that it was used as a Guest House before the 2nd World War and during the war it was used by Canadian officers whilst their troops were billeted at Cuckfield hospital prior to the Normandy landings, along with many other places in the South of England. Sir John and Lady Woods were living at Burnt House with their family (he was Permanent secretary to the Board of trade) until he died and Lady Woods decided the house would be too big for her on her own. They had a son but he tragically died in a car crash whilst driving his father's Bentley.
I have plenty of photos of the house from the time we had it, but I have just moved so need to find them amongst all the boxes.
I can send you some if you want?
Michelle
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I'd be thrilled to bits if you could send me some photos of the house, Michelle, when you've had time to find them. Thank you. And thanks for asking your Dad what he remembered
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I realize this is an old thread but I stumbled across it when I was looking for a newer photo of Stafford House/Hilton Park Hotel. I lived there for several months when I was a little girl when I first moved to England in 1985 and remember the house and grounds (and the lovely owners and staff) very well.
I will look for some photos for you if you are still interested. Just let me know!
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Hello Pandora259
Always interested in photos so if you have any you'd like to share, please do so. Love to see them
Regards
Ann
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I regularly work in Burnt House Farmhouse, in fact I was there on Friday fixing the heating. It is not the same building as what was the Hilton Park Hotel which is next door but does share the same drive. It's a beautiful old house with many original features. For a change the original old beams haven't been painted black. the stone roof is stunning and I often wonder how much it must weigh. The house is rented out and is owned now by Sir Richard Kleinwort and forms part of the Heaselands country estate. Next time I go I will try and get some photographs.
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Hello Pandora and Granty, a huge welcome to RootsChat :)
Westozi is still following this thread but has not signed in for some time. Westozi if you have forgotten your password you can request a new one from the sign in section.
Regards
Sarah
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Hello Granty56 - sorry for the delay in responding to you. My dear Mum passed away after some months of illness and it has been a distressing time as you can imagine. Any photos you care to take would be most welcome. Thank you so much for the description and offer of photos
Regards
Ann