Q. I wonder if anyone in your society could help me.
I am trying to trace my family history. My grandmother was born in Chislehurst in 1884. I’ve just found her birth certificate and the address where she was born was Furzefield Cottage.
I know her father was Head Gardener at a large house, and that they lived in an estate cottage. I think there was a large house in Chislehurst called Furzefield House, so I am presuming that this was where he worked as a gardener. The period would be about 1880 until he retired in about 1915/18.
My grandmother was a pupil teacher at the Girl’s Primary school in Chislehurst. She then went on to train as a proper teacher, qualifying in 1906.
I would be really grateful if anyone could shed any light on the whereabouts of Furzefield House and if it still remains today. Thank you in anticipation. Yours John H Brown

According to Webb’s History of Chislehurst, Furzefield was a house on Heathfield Lane, the second house after Mead Road. It apparently stood on the site of a school ‘which was kept in 1825 by Mr Mace, and afterwards, in succession, by Mr Mr Wyburn and Mr Battersbee. The latter gentleman was churchwarden of the parish, and was much esteemed by [Canon Murray].’ The house was rebuilt in the middle 19thC. We can find no reference to a separate residence called Furzefield Cottage.

There is a small modern development on Willow Grove called Furzefield Close, but we can find no indication that this is named after a house of the same name.