13 Council Reports Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731) & his connection with Myland You may have noticed, if travelling along Mill Road recently, a blue plaque has appeared at the entrance to Tubswick Mews, opposite the Myland School. This is to commemorate both the historical site of Tubswick and its links with Daniel Defoe. Probably best known as the author of Robinson Crusoe, and perhaps a little less well known, as author of Moll Flanders, Daniel Defoe has connections with north Colchester. Indeed, if you read the early pages of the latter you will see that Moll, while living in Colchester, names Mile End as a place she visits. Those of us who have been native to Mile End for a few years, will remember the old farmhouse that stood in Mill Road opposite the School. It stood a little way back from the road but was clearly visible across a 0.35-hectare plot as an attractive house of its time. This was Tubswick, a Grade II listed house dating to C 1752. It had replaced an earlier structure which, it is thought, dated to the early medieval period. Defoe leased the property (a farm with house) in 1722 and, after some rebuilding, it was occupied by his daughter Hannah Defoe. The farm and house were included as part of the Kingswood Heath, or Severalls estate, along with Brinkley Farm, all of which was leased by Colchester Corporation to Defoe on 6th August 1722 for £120 per annum for a period of 99 years. Sadly, Tubswick was destroyed by fire during renovation work in 2009, but a brick was recovered with the inscription ‘HDF/1752’, thought to be referring to Hannah Defoe during work on the house. It was suggested, therefore, that brick-framed entrance to what is now Tubswick Mews should hold a ‘blue plaque’ to commemorate the Tubswick/Mile End connections with the Defoe family. The photograph shows the plaque which reads; “Site of Tubswick a farmstead first recorded in 1296. In 1722 leased to Daniel Defoe author of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and lived in by his daughter Hannah. Destroyed by fire during renovation work in 2009.”
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