9 Ickwell Road March 2010

In 1910 a thorough rating valuation was carried out across England as part of David Lloyd-George’s pioneering 1909 budget. The survey was so thorough it was known colloquially as the Domesday Survey. The results show that all the older buildings in Northill were owned by John Edmund Audley Harvey, who, though he lived in London, was Lord of the Manor of Northill as well as Lord of the Manor of Ickwell and owner of Ickwell Bury. This building may have been built by a former Lord of the Manor or bought by the Manor at a later stage – detailed research of the Harvey [HY] archive would be needed to try to establish this in each case, unless the current owners still have the deeds to the properties concerned and so can research the history for themselves.

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county’s historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the Heritage Gateway website. The entry for 9 Ickwell Road [HER 2430] notes that the structure was built in the 19th century and is a timber framed building, which rendered with roughcast. It has a slate roof and two storeys.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Northill was assessed in 1927 and the valuer visiting 9 Ickwell Road [DV1/C42/99] found it owned and occupied by Alice Margaret Marsom as the village Post Office.

The property stood in over half an acre and accommodation comprised the shop, two living rooms and a kitchen with four bedrooms and a box room above.  A coal house and earth closet stood outside.

Directories were not issued every year but Kelly’s for Bedfordshire first lists Alice Margaret Marsom as postmistress in 1920 and last lists her in 1940, the last Kelly’s published for the county. Previous postmasters and mistresses are listed at the following dates:

• Annie Elizabeth Marsom: 1898, 1903, 1906, 1910, 1914;
• Sarah Bone, grocer: 1894;
• Charles Bone, grocer: 1877, 1885, 1890;
• Arthur Giddings, grocer and draper: 1869;
• Julia Waples, draper and grocer: 1861, 1862, 1864;
• John Waples, grocer, draper, ironmonger, oil and colourman, dealer in British wines and agent for Globe Fire and Life Assurance Society: 1853, 1854;
• Cornelius Kemp, draper and grocer: 1847