Page 10 - Froghall Drive Our Story

08 August 1921
J T Sydenham was last seen alive on this date and was found dead on 22/August/1921 at

Easthamstead Wood, Easthampstead.

06 March 1922

Frog Hall was purchased by Vaughan Adrian Stokes, a Captain in the Army, who was a local farmer.
It is rumoured that he drowned himself in the pond!

26 July 1927

James Rolt purchased Frog Hall from V A Stokes.

01 October 1930

Charles Etwell had a yearly tenancy from James Rolt. Etwell was a farmer who ran cattle and grew

hay in the fields east and west of the drive. He also ran the local milk delivery business.

James Rolt was a Kings Councilor and made Frog Hall his retirement home.

He and his wife Grace had a large establishment with as many as eight servants in the house and a

large force of groundsmen. The head gardener lived in the lodge at the top of the drive (now No 2)

whilst his second gardener lived in a cottage on the opposite side of London Road. He had
previously been the coachman for the Rolts but when they moved to Wokingham they employed a

chauffeur who lived with his wife and two sons in the Cottage (now No. 40). For many years two
landaus were kept in the garages although never used.

During this time the grounds were well kept. The drive up to London Road was gravel flanked by
grassy banks and a profusion of rhododendrons.

The chauffeur's name was Lane and much of this section of information has been supplied by his
younger son Frank.
30 December 1937

Town Planning Agreement between Richard Lowndes, Charles Medway, Frederick Charles Ihlee and

Berkshire County Council.

1938 - 39

First Grace and then James Rolt died and are buried in All Saints churchyard - on the left inside the
gate entrance from London Road.

1937

We know at this time that Richard Crabtree was living at Waterloo Lodge.

14 September 1939

Harmar Ltd bought the property and 53 acres for £5500.

7 March 1940

Permission was granted to W Timothy Donovan to use Frog Hall as a nursing home.

22 April 1940
Harmer Ltd sold Frog Hall and about 10 acres of land to James Cooper Budge and Alice Budge with a

right of way from London Road, for £2500. They got a mortgage of £1,650. At that time the grounds