Thatcher’s Cottage

The ledger recording the Waldegrave tenants in  1740  shows that Widow Blannon  lived in the Town  tithing. The map she lived near the church  and Batch Cottage, it may have been on Lower Street.  The site may have later been a farm but Widow Blannon lived there with her sister, Martha. There are several variations of the spelling of the family name.

It is possible she was the Mary Blandon listed in 1696 but she may have lived in what was later called Weaver’s cottage. Alternatively, the Widow Blannon  of 1740 may have been one of the Arabellas  mentioned in the 18th century churchwarden accounts and poor-law records.

The 1794 map is not clear about the precise location of the buildings but Blannon’s cottage was no longer standing in 1839 when the plot was given the number 542. There were then three buildings on the site which was occupied by Mark Thatcher. He may have been related to the John Thatcher who lived in Nicholas’ Cottage.