Memories of Dorothy (nee Deveraux) and Brian Smith,
recorded by Christine Murton, 30 August 2016
Following our visit with Dorothy and Brian Smith on the 30th 0f August 2016,I confirm Dorothy grew up in the house on Stone Lane, at the time they simply referred to it as the Deveraux House Stone Lane, Fersfield. The family moved there in 1945 from South Lopham. She lived there with her Parents Violet and Fred Deveraux and her brother Tommy until she married Brian Smith in the early1960s. Both Dorothy and Tommy went to Bressingham School. Fred Deveraux was a river dredger based at East Harling, and a regular at Bressingham Bowls Club. Dorothy’s mother remained in the house with Tommy after the death of Fred until around 1974, as a widow. The then owner, Gerald Worby charged no rent. Dorothy states he always treated the family well and speaks very fondly of her time living at the house. In 1974 Violet and Tommy moved to Olsens farm (now Holdsworthfarm, Fersfield), where Tommy became a farmhand.
Prior to Dorothy’s family living at Stone Lane two other families named the Ruddocks lived there.
Gerald Worby lived in Stone Lane farmhouse opposite {possibly Poplar Tree framhouse}, which heinherited from his late father Sam Worby. He bought the Deveraux house and barn in the 1960s,along with two other nearby properties, from three brothers who lived nearby (near the present mushroom farm) known as the Newstead brothers.
The Newstead brothers used to leave their cattle in the small yard at the back of the house and Dorothy can remember them licking the window to the pantry. At that time the Stone Lane house had several meadows attached to it, going away from the moat, these were eventually bought and integrated into the Aves farm. At one point during the war the meadows were covered in Nissan Huts. Dorothy also remembers the old war hospital, the remains of which lie in the woods opposite and which were attached to Fersfield airfield.
Dorothy can remember the large chimney breast and the fact it had a fire each side in two of the downstairs rooms, as well as one in the upstairs bedroom. She also pointed out to us where the well was, just outside the back door.
Inside the house we found a few pictures which we have left with Dorothy, one of them she thought might have been her uncle, another might have been a painting her mum did.
After Violet and Tommy left the Stone Lane house, Gerald Worby allowed it to fall slowly into a dilapidated state. It seems that for some reason, all three Worby brothers allowed this to happen to several farmhouses in the area.
Philip (Murton, jnr), along with many other local people have always known about the house and many have wished there was something they could do to prevent its further deterioration.