After an interesting conversation with Michael Rooney this morning, I started to investigate using Griffith’s valuation, and sure enough, there’s the cottage, in plot 38, back in 1863, looking remarkably similar in shape to the way it does today. Even the little shed behind us is there. It was then inhabited by an Alexander Spears, a tenant; and owned by John S. Crawford, who seems to have owned a lot of land about the place.
Our very old photograph is purported to be of a Spears (or Speers – it varies), but I’m not sure it can be this old. The search continues…