Rosedene

The cottage was built on Plot 29 of the settlement, and was bought by William Hodgkin. He paid £120 as a “bonus” (deposit discounting future ground rents) to secure the property, and another £130 to buy out the property from ground rent when the National Land Company was dissolved. This is the largest amount paid for a plot in a Chartist village. The original building had two bedrooms, a living room, dairy, store, back hall with well and pump, plus an adjoining piggery, coal house and privy. Alterations were made to the cottage. A stable was added before 1889, to help carry market garden produce (strawberries, pears and plums) to market in Birmingham. The piggery was converted to a laundry…