The map of William Crosse's estate includes a fourth building in addition to his house at Hurst and the two at Watts Farm. Close by the north-east corner of the junction of Blanchard's Hill and Clay Lane, and adjacent to what was later called Jacobs Well field, the map depicts a building which we shall refer to as the "Old House" from the way in which it is drawn and the fact that we do not know its name.. Two smaller buildings at the roadside were probably farm buildings.
(sketch based on SHC ref G2/1/1)

John Neale. Perhaps the Old House provided a home for some of William Crosse's family or farm hands. It is shown on John Roque's map of 1754, the Greenwoods' map of 1823 and the Tithe Map of 1841 but no other information about it has been found earlier than the Tithe Apportionment in which it is described as "Cottages and gardens" in an area of about one quarter of an acre, all owned and occupied by John Neale. Perhaps the 1686 drawing was misleading or, more probably, the house was later subdivided into "tenements" in the same way, and for the same reasons, as several others. The farm buildings across the road were no longer part of this property. An entry in the Minute Book of the Manor of Burgham on 28th October 1840 states that "John Neale now holds lands formerly Copses and afterwards Leaves which John Trigg held" but we cannot be certain that this refers to this property. It may be relevant that Agnes, daughter of William of Burfam, the patriarch of the Crosse family, had married a Henry Trigge in 1609.

In the census returns for 1841 no less than five households are listed under "Jacobs Wells" (sic) giving a total of 18 people, aged between 7 months and 75 years, apparently sharing the only two dwellings at this location.

John Neale was the head of one household of eight so we can be fairly certain that they, at least, occupied the Old House, but at this date we cannot confidently locate the other households headed by Thomas Downs, Osburn Jackman, Ann Simmonds and James Hammond.

By 1851 only the households of John Neale and Thomas Downes remained but they had been joined by William Heather and his family. One building was said to be "Uninhabited" so these three families, totalling 13 adults and 6 children, presumably shared the Old House.

James Stillwell. Within the household of John Neale there had been an interesting development. In the previous census, when all ages were only approximate, the household had included three youngsters all described as aged 15. These were William and Charlotte Hetherington - no doubt brother and sister - and James Stilwell. Ten years later, when ages were given more accurately, the household included James Stillaway and his wife Charlotte, both aged 28, and their three children aged 8, 3 and 1 year. In subsequent census returns the family name reverts to Stilwell, so the Enumerator of 1851 probably misheard or misspelt it; it also seems quite probable that Charlotte's maiden name was Hetherington.

By the 1861 census there has apparently been quite a change round in the inhabitants of Jacobs Wells. Thomas and Elizabeth Downes remain, as do James and Charlotte Stillwell, who now have two more children. But John and Hannah Neale, who by this time would both have been aged nearly 80, are no longer mentioned, and William Heather and family have departed. However another Hetherington has moved in, namely John with his wife Sarah and two small children.

William Hetherington. More importantly William Hetherington now reappears, having acquired during his absence a wife, Caroline, and five children. The eldest of these was William, aged 14. Elsewhere we have found confirmation that the Old House was occupied for many years by William Etherington and his wife - later widow - Caroline, and subsequently by his son William.

The Stillwells and John Etherington's family also remained at this address for many years, although John Etherington had gone by 1891, when the building is referred to as Old Cottages for the first time. William Hetherington, junior, moved to Stoughton Lane, where he was a shoemaker. He sold the property to William Sullings of Wimbledon Park in 1899 but it is not known exactly when the Old House was demolished and replaced by Burpham Cottages, no occupancy of which is on record earlier than 1915.

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