The names of the common fields are “Down Field” and “Hale Field.”
The above were closed on the 5th April, and open on the 12th August for grazing of horses and cows belonging to the resident parishioners in Tottenham. Before the cattle went on they were all branded by the Pound Keeper. The marshes belonged to a great many different owners, who had small wooden land marks with their initials on each. In the case of the New River Co. their’s were iron. Some left their grass and made hay; others did not seem to care for it.
All the marshes on the East side of the River Lea have been sold to the East London Water Works, and those on the West to the Urban District Council.
The Rifle Butts were built about the year 1860, and have been twice burnt down. Mr. Delano, who lived at Asplin’s Farm close by, built himself a nice cottage with garden all round on his land on the Marshes for his own use and called it “Butts Farm.”
This side of the Lea is not so very much altered. The old Blue House was pulled down, and a new one erected where Mr. Page’s son lived and managed the locks. There was a beautiful wild garden on the right hand side, made by Mr. Page’s father, just beyond the boat yard, and had taken a very great number of years to cultivate. There was a quantity of high trees, and all sorts of wild flowers, and it ended with a stile on to the banks of the Lea. Unfortunately, during a very heavy succession of storms, some few years ago, this was all swept away. The forget-me-nots were especially beautiful large flowers; it seemed very sad they should be swept away after all the trouble and expense incurred.
TOTTENHAM HIGH CROSS.
In 1809 a subscription was raised to repair the Cross, which was then in a very dilapidated state. The shape was not in any way altered, but it was covered with cement, and at the same time various architectural embellishment were introduced. On each face of the octagon is a shield containing one of the letters composing the word Totenham in the old characters. The Cross was then surrounded with a curb and iron railings, which were removed a good many years ago.
At the back of the Cross there were the three shops still standing, a stationer’s, draper’s, and butcher’s; by the side there was a green planted with beautiful elm trees, only three of which remain now. At the back of this stood two pretty old houses, in occupation of Mr. Thomas Corney and Rev. James Baird. This was originally one house and was occupied by Dean Wood, who about the year 1600 had the present cross erected, which in 1809 was repaired and altered to its present appearance.
Next to Mr. Baird’s there was a blacksmith’s shop, where the old skeleton horse stood over the gateway. This horse belonged to Mr. Charles Tuck, who kept the butcher’s shop at the corner, which is now a chemists, and was such a willing animal that one day it fell down dead, drawing a load which was too much for him. I remember him well, and used often to feed him with bread.