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Wealden House historical revelation
Added: (Mon Jan 05 2004)
Wealden House historical research reveals a connection with
former East Grinstead Town Mayor, Cllr David Heasman
Extensive research into the history of Wealden House has
revealed that an ancestor of the former Town Mayor, David
Heasman, lived there around 1911-16. Cllr Heasman is almost
certain that this was his great uncle, T.H. Heasman.
According to the 1881 census, there certainly was a T.H.
Heasman living in the East Grinstead area in 1881. Wealden
House, then called Cuttens, had an out-house, probably lived
in by the
staff, called Cuttens Stables. T.H. Heasman is recorded as
one of the residents of Cuttens Stables between 1911 and
1916.
Records show that between 1887 and 1942, other former
residents of Cuttens and Cuttens Stables include:
Mrs Buckley, William Friend, Dr Jamesdells, Andrew Devitt,
H. Mitchell, Mrs Lambert, W. Penfold, J. Ruddle, J.
Buckingham, A.W. Hayler, I. Fraser, H. Coomber, Mrs R.
Inglis, Lady Mable Cayzer, C. Wildish, Charles Norman and
William Barnes.
If anyone has any knowledge of the above mentioned people,
could they please get in touch to help further the on-going
research into the history of the house.
Meanwhile, a more detailed picture is emerging about the use
of the house over the last 133 years. Built around 1870,
unfortunately no information is available about who built it
nor its first owner and resident. It was almost certainly
built, however, as a result of the development of the
railway link to East Grinstead allowing businessmen to
commute to London. Up until 1942, it had been lived in by a
series of individuals. During the Second World War, the
house is believed to have been occupied by Canadian Forces.
Then it became an annexe to East Grinstead's isolation
hospital specifically for evacuee children with Scarlet
Fever and
other contagious diseases. (The main isolation hospital was
located in Imberhorne Lane where the amenity site is today).
For a
short time after the war, the house became a nursery school
and
then in 1952, it was purchased by the Central Electricity
Authority.
The Central Electricity Authority decided to move its
control centres out from London in the 1950s because the
threat of nuclear war was in the air at that time. So all
seven control centres were moved out to rural locations in
case they were destroyed by a bombing attack on London.
Wealden House then became the control centre for south east
England.
The first thing that the Central Electricity Authority did
upon their arrival was to build a bomb-proof control room as
an annex to the original house. This still stands today and
is part of EDF Energy's existing offices.
The original part of Wealden House is currently undergoing a
thorough refurbishment programme to restore it to its former
Victorian splendour.
For more information, please contact:
0777 152 0001 or 01342 326130
Wealden House
Lewes Road
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 3TB