Opposite Copers Cope Farm was Foxgrove Farm extending from the Churchyard to Beckenham Place. When the land was wanted by the Railway Company, my father Michael Mathew, took Stone Farm in Wickham Road opposite Hayes Lane, where there is now a garage.
The source of the illustration says Kent House area, but another source for Matthew's Farm states Copers Cope Road area.
Mr Walter Mathew, of 109 Mackenzie Road, Beckenham tells his personal account of the railway crash in 1866 in which as a telegraph clerk he crawled under the wreckage.
I was born on January 10th, 1850, at Copers Cope House which still stands at the corner of Southend Road and Copers Cope Road, and have lived in Beckenham all the time exept while at boarding school at Bromley, and a year or two at Keston. My father leased the farm from John Cator, and the farm lands ran along the north west side of Southend Road to Stumps Wood Hill, and at the back joined Kent House Farm and Sydenham.
Opposite Copers Cope Farm was Foxgrove Farm extending from the Churchyard to Beckenham Place. When the land was wanted by the Railway Company, my father Michael Mathew, took Stone Farm in Wickham Road opposite Hayes Lane, where there is now a garage.
I am in contact with one of Mathew’s great granddaughters if that will help. But for now I hope Borrowman can help.
Borrowman page 240.
Copers Cope Farm, now known as Copers Cope, at the corner of Copers Cope is still one the most picturesque houses in Beckenham. In 1783 it was acquired by John Cator. Up to the year 1866 a footpath led across the fields from Copers Cope farm to Sydenham, but in the same year an order was made to close the path.
The farm for many years was in the occupation of Walter Mathew, who at one time also rented Stone Farm. At that period the farm carried with it 252 acres of land, and included the sites of Brackley Road, Park Road, Copers Cope, Aldersmead part of Kingshall Road and Worsley Bridge Road. It is interesting to note in laying out the Cator Estate in this part of Beckenham the names of the roads are from the old meadows. On a plan attached to the lease granted to Mathew, these meadows with the names by which they were known clearly appear.
I had to ask Pat Manning about that one, here is the answer....
Beckenham Junction station was opened in 1857. There is an agreement between Peter Cator and the the South East Railway Company to do with Sunday traffic dated 23 Feb 1856.The Hayes line from Elmers End opened in 1882. The church of St Paul in Brackley Rd was built in 1864 with the houses in Copers Cope Rd already there.
The most likely bridge over a river is the one at Clockhouse over the Chaffinch. It is the well documented and written about at least from 1820. The land at Clockhouse was owned by the Cators and sold to the railway company around 1850s but I'm speaking from memory and not sure of the date.
There are a large number of boxes of Cator records at the Bromley Local Studies library in accession 989. Box 12 has a map of the entire estate in 1833 with a key to the field names in Box 13. Box 13 also has a later map of 1868 and a book with the occupancy. It was Thomas Mathew's father Michael who first leased Copers Cope Farm from John Barwell Cator.
Mcleanmuir and to others interested in the Mathews.
I just stumbled upon the post about Copers Cope. I wonder which of the great granddaughters you are referring to. Possibly my cousin Carolyn Morgan? Michael is my 2xgreat grandfather by way of his second marriage to Mary Ann Stewart and their only son Walter Mathew. There were quite a lot of kids from his marriage to Elizabeth Hubbard. Three of which I have been in touch with via Genes Reunited but we would all like to link up eventually .
For instance I reached a long lost cousin in South Africa whom the Red Cross traced when he was heir to an elderly relative in Australia. He has a Bible belonging to Michael's father John Mathew b circa 1737 which is dated 1800. I am always looking for any male descendants who still have the Mathew name as on our line after the sons of the guy in SA die there will be no more male Mathew heirs.
The oldest Mathew in our line is Pat whose mum was Elsie Mathew. Pat is sharp , active and bright and is the fount of all knowledge of our Mathew line. She will turn 90 with a party in Essex on August 16 if any far flung cousins want to send a card or even come, that would make her day!Get in touch and I will supply the details.
Just a postscript......another distant cousin inquired on Beckenham site recently about pre 1800 Mathews. It was sent on to me. I had the flash of insight to check wills at documents online at National Archives and found 4! She transcribed the key one brilliantly and the children beneficiaries confirmed her suspicions from research of old parish records fiches at Bromley library several years ago that John Mathew b 1737 had indeed had two wives and two sets of kids. She also has records back to his grandfather Mark who married in 1705. Michael Mathew b 1788 eventually farmed at Copers Cope and married twice also. She descends from his first marriage whereas I am the great grand daughter of Walter his only child by his second marriage. More details and photos of the Mathews have been forwarded on to be posted eventually on the Beckenham history site. Judy
