Rose Lea

Although the enlargement is rather indistinct, it is possible to recognise Rose Lea as the house on the right of Marie Clare albeit the proportions of the windows have changed.

The engraving was published in the late 1800’s. However, it is apparent that these properties were constructed at an earlier date than 1861 in which year the adjacent village school was opened for we see some such buildings on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1853 at a time when the school site is shown as undeveloped land.

The Land Tax Valuation of 1910 reveals that both Marie Claire and Rose Lea were, at that date, owned by Margaret Ashton who was recorded as occupying Marie Claire whilst Rose Lea was said to be occupied by one “Dawson”. The 1910 Valuation describes Rose Lea as consisting of

“Old stone b. house Plaster Cast Front contains 2 Front R. Kitchen, Pantry, Washhouse & Coal Place 3 Bedrooms
Stable for 1 horse Trap House & Garden
Let at £14 per ann. High Rent”
Compare this with the description of Marie Claire . . . ”Old Stone Built Cottage 1 Living Room & 1 Bedroom”.

Notice also the reference to “High Rent” for Rose Lea and yet the valuer’s own assessment of the rental value was  £11.5.0d which, multiplied by his factor of 16 caused him to value the Copyhold property at £180 gross.

The census of 1911 shows Mrs Ashton (a widow) as still in occupation of Marie Claire  but Rose Lea is now occupied by Rowland Barker, a butcher, and his wife Eliza and daughters Ethel May (10) and Lucy Grace (1).

The early history of ownership will not be established until a search is made of the Copyhold Rolls for the Manor of Knaresborough but we do know that before 1934 the property was owned by Sarah Haw the licensee of the Joiner’s Arms public house. The census returns for 1901 show Mrs Haw as the manageress of the Inn and residing there with her husband and children.
Miss Haw died in 1934 and her executors sold the property and the adjoining cottage

“Mavis(sic) Clare” on the 10th May that year to James Clough, a farmer, of Hampsthwaite. The total price was £420. The conveyance noted that one or other of the buildings had formerly been known as “Green View”. James Clough held the property until his death in 1960 when it passed to his widow Kathleen Mabel. She resided there until its sale in 1965 to the present occupiers Mr and Mrs Edinger.

Rowland Barker (see above) was not the only butcher to reside and work at Rose Lea as was recalled in Book One (“Villagers Reminiscences”) by the late Bernard Wilson who wrote “There were three butchers over the years, the last being a Mr Jackson, who had his business down by the school in the house where the Edingers live. Then, he used the front room as a shop: now I don’t think that ‘the powers that be’ would allow such a practice.”