before 1825 is supposed to have rebuilt the lodge, occupied it until his
death in 1834.
As a refreshment place we first find some advertising literature
in which Edward Bartholomew announced improvements in his
arrangements for the reception of Sunday School and other excursion
parties during the summer months. From members of the Marsh
family still living various accounts of the founding of the business
have been received which agree in a number of respects. Apparently a
Mr. Marsh, great-grandfather to the present descendants from whom
these accounts have been received, was fond of walking in the forest
and came upon the buildings in a dilapidated condition, with sheep
wandering in the grounds and in the house. This statement about
sheep would seem to throw some doubt upon the accounts in that
sheep are not commonable animals on the forest; and if the house and
grounds were as dilapidated as described it seems more than likely
that the animals would have escaped on to the forest and been speedily
rounded up. We are told that Marsh could not discover who was the
owner of the property, but it is supposed that nevertheless he settled
there and it was some time before the owner eventually claimed the
rent. It seems somewhat unlikely that any owner would passively
accept such "squatting" on his property and then accept the squatter
as a tenant.
Several versions of the family story give the same account which
was probably passed down verbally and accepted without question.
Marsh was a master-baker, and upon his death it was suggested that
his son, Israel, should take over the tenancy; but as he was not
interested a friend of his father — Edward Bartholomew, a master-
baker and also a pastry-cook — took over the lodge. At all events by
1853 Edward Bartholomew was established at Fairmead Lodge and he
opened the premises as a guest house catering also for Sunday School
parties. We are told that eventually Bartholomew's daughter, Eliza
Ann, married Israel Marsh despite the disapproval and opposition of
her parents.
Certainly the lodge was used as a catering establishment, and
when, after their success in the legal battle between the Corporation
of the City of London and the lords of the forest manors, the members
of the Common Council made a formal inspection of the forest in
October, 1875, they and their guests numbering several hundreds were
furnished with a meal at Fairmead Lodge. At the time it was
probably the only place in the forest area sufficiently well equipped
and organised to cope with so large a number.
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