Chequers Lane

A History of Preston

in Hertfordshire

Chequers Lane, Preston 1913.

Reproduction of a 1898 map showing the buildings along Chequers Lane.

There is a map of Chequers Lane dated 1816 which is similar to the map drawn above. This indicates that this landscape was unchanged for more than a century. The tumbledown cottages were demolished shortly after 1910 with the exception of the cluster of historic buildings at the junction of Chequers lane and Hitchin Road - Sadleirs End, The Chequers and Spindle Cottage. (Link: There is a separate page featuring the Chequers Inn.)

Sadleirs End, Chequers Lane built 1719

Spindle Cottage, Hitchin Road built 1717

Thomas Sharp, a woodman, was living at Spindle Cottage in 1881 -1891. Then, after her husband David’s death, Hannah Frost moved from Castle Farm Lodge to Spindle Cottage where she is recorded as keeping the village post office in 1901 and 1910.

The hay dealer, Frank Brown lived at Sadleirs End from the 1870s until the early twentieth century. Frank Brown’s brother, John (a wheelwright) lived in the adjoining cottage 7 in 1881. Then, in 1884 Mary Merritt ran a grocery shop from these premises. William Jeeves had moved from The Chequers Inn to Castle Farm Lodge by 1901.

It is relatively easy to research those who lived in the cottages on the north side of Chequers Lane and on the Hitchin Road in the nineteenth century and they are listed below. Assigning them to specific cottages is more difficult. My grand parents, Alfred and Emily Wray, were living at cottage 4 in 1901 and 1910.

1841

BROWN, James

BROWN, William

FARR, William

HARVEY, Thomas

JENKINS, Richard

JOYNER, William

MORGAN, David

PALMER, Thomas

SHARP, James

GILBERT, George

1851

BOSTON, Thomas

BROWN, William

DAY, William

JENKINS, Richard

JOYNER, William

MORGAN, James

PALMER, Thomas

PALMER, William

SHARP, James

SWAIN, Priscilla

1861

BOSTON, Thomas

BROWN, John

BROWN, William

CREWE, William

DAY,William

JENKINS, John

JOYNER, Thomas

PALMER, William

SHARP, James

SMITH, Thomas

SWAIN, Priscilla

TITMUS, Thomas

1871

BROWN, Frank

BROWN, John

DAY, William

JENKINS, John

SHARP, George

SHARP, James

SHARP, John

SHARP, Thomas

SLIGHT, William

SMITH, Thomas

SWAIN, Priscilla

SMITH,

1881

BROWN, Frank

BROWN, John

DAY, William

FROST, David

JENKINS, John

READ, George

SHARP, George

SHARP, James

SHARP, John

1891

AYRES, Arthur

BROWN, Frank

BURTON, Joseph

EWINGTON, William

FROST, David

JENKINS, Job

JENKINS, John

JENKINS, William

MERRITT, Mary

SHARP, James

Rms

1901

AYRES, Arthur

BROWN, Frank

EWINGTON, William

JEEVES, William

MERRITT, Mary

SAUNDERS, Edward

THRUSSELL, William

WRAY, Alfred

1910

AYRES, Arthur

EWINGTON, William

HARRIS, Leonard

JEEVES, William

JENKINS, Herbert

WRAY, Alfred

Ctg

Chequers Lane

Inhabitants of cottages on the north side of Chequers Lane and the Hitchin road