History
The house is an original fisherman’s cottage, built Circa 1850, of two feet thick (60 Centimeter) granite walls and old ships' oak timbers. At the time Ealing House was built, the outer harbour at Porthleven had been completed some 25 years previous but the pier and inner harbour protection was still under construction Clearly the port was beginning to flourish and fishermen began to construct their homes near and around the port but just sufficiently away to avoid the vagaries of the winter weather. Little history of the property is known; Title Deeds do not now detail previous ownership, although we are investigating. What we do know is that the lower floor was used for hanging the fishing nets and the upper floor housed the living quarters. Also what is known as a 'coffin drop' was installed upstairs so those that had sadly passed away could be easily lowered down to the ground floor.
Although little history is known about the property, in a conveyance dated 28th July 1926, John Peverell Rogers (the then Squire of Penrose) sold land and property to the recently wed (Q3 1925 at Helston), Thomas James Hocking and his wife Emily Jane nee Turner, for £230. This property comprised what is now Ealing House plus two cottages that are now combined as Kyldenna (until recently formerly named Homleigh) and cellars to the rear.
The land upon which Jersey Cottage stands is shown as property owned by the Squire and the building the other side of Ealing House is described as a Fish Cellar occupied by Fox & Co, behind which is a garden and land that must now be Elfin Cottage. The plans are definitely inaccurate as they show the properties, yards and lands stretching as far as The Gue (incorrectly spelt Gew) and both Elfin Cottage and cottages in Church Lane, that must predate 1926, are not shown. The plans are very arguable as there is much property situate between Kyldenna and The Gue and the buildings are out of proportion with the described land area. Prospect Place is an unnamed road and the path leading to Kyldenna (Church Lane) is also unnamed.
What is particularly interesting however is that Ealing House is described as a shop and dwellinghouse late in possession of Harriet Kitto (sister of Richard Kitto who famously owned the boatyard).
On the 1861 census, Harriet Kitto was said to be a 22 year old Grocer's assistant and in the 1871 census she was an unmarried Grocer. By the 1881 census she was then the shopkeeper, still unmarried, with her assistant niece Elizabeth Kitto who was married to a Mariner. Harriett probably remained a spinster.
So Ealing House was almost certainly being used as a shop from the 1880's through to 1926 and maybe it was still a grocers run by the elderly Harriet. What the cellars are to the rear of Kyldenna is unknown. However it is known that the two cottages comprising the now named Kyldenna were sold by the Hockings' to the Orchards' in 1930 for the princely sum of £150; Ealing House therefore having cost the Hockings' £80. Kyldenna stayed in the Orchard family for 66 years.
We are aware that Ealing House
was a sweet shop and tobacconist during the late 40’s and 50’s. At which time the front conservatory and balcony
did not exist and the entrance was from steep steps up through the double doors.
When the front conservatory was built the entrance became easier to negotiate but due to
the lay of the land you now step down into the house.
Ealing House was given its name by Emily Hocking who hailed from Ealing (West London). We coincidentally at one time lived in Ealing and we have therefore retained the name.
In view of its age, Ealing House is in excellent condition and it has been tastefully modernised in keeping with its heritage.