Originally Merrydown was two cottages of the "Two Up and Two
Down" type and, still, at the beginning of the 20th Century had beaten earth
floors.
The picture on the front cover of our book "Frieth a Chiltern
Village" shows an elderly lady named "Mrs Brown" sitting in one of
these cottages
beside a table with a Bible on it. She used to say the Bible was there "In
case parson calls". Maybe her eyesight was too poor or perhaps she was
unable to read. Many children had no schooling until after 1870 when
school attendance was compulsory.
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