Little Conghurst

Hello Doreen,

Lovely to see your message. I know of my family connection with little Conghurst going back to around mid 1800s - My grandoparents lived there as did my father - born 1898 Reginald William Blackford - earlier connection may have been through my Grandmother - but I don't have much info or family tree. My fathers brother Harold Blackford lived in Nightingale Cottage just above Little Conghurst by the Oast houses. My best email -
[email protected] - I am 82 and live on the Isle of Wight.

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Going rather further back, my forebears Joseph Osborn and wife Elizabeth Relf b. Whartling 1795 produced all their children at Little Conghurst in the early 1800's.

Dene

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I lived in conghurst lane for 20 years my parents Bert and Betty Jones worked on conghurst farm for the pipers when I was a little boy I knew the blackfords I think every body new him as nob by and Mabel always filled my bottle of water with squash when mum was working near by

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I sent you two messages to your email with photos. But in case they haven't come through my email is beth.[email protected]
ElizaBeth

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I'd need your email address to send photos. Mine is
[email protected]
Still can't think of a Dennis in the family
David

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Yes please! I will send some of when we were there too. Although I am not sure if Conghurst Cottages and Little Conghurst Cottages are the same! A mystery the postman never clarified while we were there. But Dennis new the people at Nighingale Cottages too!

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PS - My Aunt and Uncle Harold and Mabel Blackford lived at nightingale cottage up the road from Little Conghurst, by the oast houses.
David

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I'm trying to orient myself Elizabeth.

I was a young lad in the 1940's when I used to stay with my grandparents Luke and Ellen Blackford and my 2 aunts Daisy and Edie at Little Conghurst (I'm 79 now)The house belonged to the Pipers at Conghurst farm and when I first went there they had a thunderbox toilet at the bottom of the garden, no electricity and no mains water - but later there were the mains services and a loo just oposite the front door. The oasthouses up the road were still oast houses and the barn was still a barn. I cannot think who the "Dennis" was that you met.

I have a few old photos but I don't think I can attch them to this reply. My email is
[email protected]
if you would like me to email them to you.

Best wishes,
David

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I lived in Little Conghurst Cottages, between barn and oast house up until a yesar ago! no. 2 at the rear! Up until recently owned by local farmer Mr Piper / family. Is this the same place? The old shepards cottages? Now being knocked into one house! When we lived there I met a man in his 70's whose aunt and uncle lived there could have been Blackford's??? His name is Dennis (would have to ask my parents his last name). He visited us there with my parents and told us about the doors being originally at the bottom of the stairs and other events surrounding the property. We loved it there but were forced to move by the sale... lovely place/lane area...

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My grandparents Ellen and Luke Blackford lived at Little Conghurst - now called Conghurst cottages I believe. I have very fond memories of staying there during WW2 - and still often visit - via Google Earth street view.

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