Mulleys, Building Contractors, New Road / Cooks Road



Mulleys, building contractors

Find other references to the Mulley family.

There seem to be more than one firm of builders named Mulley – perhaps not surprising in view of the extent of this family in the 19th and 20th centuries. We would welcome more information…

Mulley Brothers (Herbert and George?)

George Russell: Builders: Mulley Bros., Cooks Road were the largest builders in the village; they were also Funeral Directors. They employed about 15 men and Walter Parr was the carter, driving a four-wheeled ven pulled by a piebald horse.
Hawk End Lane: The first cottage of the second pair was home to Albert (Totty) Scase who worked for Mulley Bros. Builders.
No.3 was the home of Harry Parr who worked for Mulley Bros Builders, as a carter, delivering materials by horse drawn van to the various building sites
No.13 was the home of Elijah Wright, who worked for Pyes and 14. by Albert (Totty) Scase who worked for Mulley Bros.
Prior to public telephone, telegrams were sent or the few people with private phones might let you use their phone – e.g. Mulley Bros.
Undertaker: Mulley Bros. in Cooks Road, where all the coffins were made from oak
(Scout ceremony) it was more like a military parade and was held on Mulley’s meadow.

The firm was at this house on the New Road/Cooks Road corner

Ella Kinsey: Herbert Mulley had a wife and large family, and the property along Cooks Road to the bowling green, including the pond [in the glade]
There were piles of floorboards, stacks of bricks, where the front garden is.

Ray Eyres: Walter Gould used to work as a bricklayer for the Herbert Mulley (who lived in The Willows); he built every one of the bungalows in Prescott Drive, Baker’s house (Millstones); he did quite a lot of building for Baker.
A J Mulley

[Full size] “Nelson Villa” and “Homewood” (on Cross Street, almost opposite the junction with Cooks Road) under construction by “A J Mulley, Builder & Contractor” in the early 1900’s.

The owner, Arthur Woods Mulley stands at the bottom of the ladder which he made himself- he was evidently, a jack of all trades. James Mulley, (Arthur’ son, now aged 91) names the others in the picture: far right on the roof is Ambrose Wretham and next to him Herbert Brand, brother of the village schoolmistress Jessie Brand. Other employees of A J Mulley included Mr Pryke, Mr Self, Mr Sparrow, Buck Armstrong, Bunker Farrow, Tay Armstrong, Jack Mulley and the owner’s grandfather James Wood Mulley (“Chips”).

Rosalie Summons (née Rice) tells us that a Mr Tweed rented Nelson Villa from Mr Mulley until 1936 when her father, Frederick Rice bought it for his family – including herself as the youngest, Algy and Gerald. He lived there almost until his death in 1989. All three ‘children’ are still resident in the village. [Article appeared in the Newsletter of October 1996. Picture loaned by Edwin Phillips]