Vintage postcard featuring the cottage of Henry Hawkins

Henry Hawkins cottage at Little Coxwell This vintage postcard features a photograph of the cottage of Henry Hawkins at Little Coxwell adjacent to the village pump. The postcard was produced by Tomkins & Barrett, Swindon, and is postmarked 1918.

It was sent by Lily Elizabeth Hazel (1891), a grandchild of Henry HAWKINS (1845) and Emma KENT (1849). The cross identifies her grandparents' house. (See also the "village pump" postcard.)

The houses in the photograph were rented and repairs were the responsibility of the landlord. However note the number of missing chimney pots. The absence of these, and the flashing around them, would have made the walls quite damp. Missing chimney pots are also visible on other postcards.

This helps to explain why Council housing became so popular in the 1930s - the rents were similar but the Council had a statutory duty to keep property in good repair.