This property is another of those which were left blank on the 1686 map of William Crosse's estate. However the date of construction of the house is judged to be late 17th Century, so we can reasonably assume the existence of a farm at the time when the map was drawn. It shares the distinction with Hurst of being specifically named in the archives both earlier and more frequently than other buildings, although the spelling seems to have caused problems for the authors of many documents and maps. The house is shown on John Rocque's map of Surrey, published in 1754, but he made no pretence of delineating true property boundaries.
The name Queen Hithe appears for the first time in the records of the Land Tax which, from about 1692 until 1832, was levied by county authorities on ownership of land at the rate of 4/- in the pound. For some reason Queen Hithe is one of only three properties actually named in the records of the Burgham tything between 1780 and 1796 - the others being the Green Man inn and the paper mills at Bowers lock.
During this period the owner was John Smallpeice and the occupant was William Wells, who had been the tenant of Great Hurst until 1762. After 1796 Queen Hithe is no longer named but its ownership appears to have passed to Thomas Bicknell, who had a succession of tenants until 1831.
In 1841 "Queen Hive Farm" (sic) is named on the Tithe Map and is described in the Apportionment as "House and garden", once again owned by a John Smallpiece but now occupied by James Peters. The property includes four plots totalling some 9 acres. One of these plots was called The Pond Field, indicating that the larger pond on the present village green may have existed at that time - although it was not actually marked on the map. This property occupied only part of the area which had been left blank on the Crosse estate map. The remainder of the adjacent blank area also belonged to John Smallpiece, but as part of the extended Hurst Farm, with our old friend George Burt as the tenant farmer.
James Peters is described in the 1841 Census as a shop-keeper aged 65. When he died three years later his widow, Sarah, moved to Woking and their place was apparently taken by their son, John, who had been farming at Chertsey. In 1851 and 1861 he is recorded as the occupant of Queen Hythe Farm but by 1871 (aged 66) he was described as a Market Gardener with only 2 acres. Although his lodger, John Taylor, was a farmer of 70 acres, employing 3 men and a boy, there is no way of telling where the latter was farming or whether Queen Hythe Farm had yet been acquired by Sir William Bovill.
At the Auction of the latter's properties in April 1877 Queenhithe Farm contained nearly 47 acres and the house was described as a small farm house built of Brick and tile with "Sitting Room, Kitchen, Scullery, Dairy, Wash House." The homestead comprised "a Barn, Corn Room, Cow House for 3 Cows, Stable for 2 Horses, all Timber and Thatch; an Open Shed, and a Tool House,Timber and Tile, Farm Yard, and large Garden." (This is the only mention of a thatched roof which we have discovered in the area.)
No-one was prepared to bid the reserve price of £2,000 but William Burt acquired the property in October of the same year, and towards the end of the century he was living there, said to be farming 56 acres. Perhaps this additional acreage included the 10 acres of Queen Ann Farm just across the road which he may have been managing on behalf of the new owner, Emily Greening.
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