Good morning Ken, on page 53, under Urban Details of Richard Harris's book it says "Perhaps the most obvious feature was the use of oversailing uppers storeys (known as jetties), which were extremely common in fifteenth-and sixteenth-century town buildings but only sporadically used in the country side." So I would like to say that Richard is actually right on with the dates you mentioned - 1347 just short of the 15th century and 1507 smack in the 16th century. Is R Harris known to be wrong on occasion?
Tim
I think that the discourse on jetties by Richard Harris in his 1978 book "Discovering Timber-Framed Buildings" is generally good and in keeping with our previous "pre dendro" understanding of building dating criteria.
I have re read Richard's pages on this topic and note that there is one major ommission i.e. that of internal jetties. These were present in many open hall timber framed buildings to help provide the occupants of the open hall with some respite from falling soot smuts with the jettying taking place over an inserted cross frame present only on the ground floor. Oft times these internal jetties are seen and interpreted as cross passages rather than as internal jetties and worse if the ground floor room divider frame has been removed then the evidence for the internal jetty may well completely disappear.
The significance of the impact of the black death on market demand and construction of new buildings should not be underestimated. There is a huge difference between 1347 and 1349 and quantified (dendro dated) evidence is now only slowly emerging that will allow us to truly quantify the impact that the black death had on same. 1349 and 1340 (see below) is a bit far short of the 15th century.
It is no longer clear whether or not the Wealden jettied house form was a "town" come to "country" design or vice versa. There is a Wealden in the next village to me at Sherbourne St John built in 1441 and there is an early Town Wealden at No 35, High St. Winchester dating from 1340 but the numbers of these buildings found to date is so low that it is probably not really possible to establish with any great degree of confidence just how widespread the building of early jettied houses was in practice. I mention this because a similar factor might well be at work in New England where early population levels amongst the Colony communities was relatively low and thus the significance of any building pattern practice has to be seen in the light and numbers of other contemporary building practices of the day also taking into account the mortality of building forms (fire, demolition, alteration, etc.).
It is becoming clear from discussions on this forum that the scope for significant (quantified) research work in New England and elsewhere is emerging and I am much heartened that this growing interest might well lead towards finding a solution to save all of those buildings currently meeting their fate at the hands of the wrecking ball or dozer blade.
Today, I received in the mail from America a number of building recording reports made in New England which make it abundantly clear that commendable and very capable talent exists within the ranks of the regular posters on this forum. Combining this research outcomes with the recent TFGWiki illustrated glossary initiative bodes well for helping us all to develop a much better understanding than might currently prevail.
The challenge then (Tim, Don, Jim, Richard et all) is to research, compile, analyse and inform us all of the factual basis for the development, retention and loss of the various building practices that exist in New England and beyond. We here back in the olde country can try to fit your information alongside our own and collectively a more informed picture might well emerge.
Regards
Ken Hume
