Lemsford House, St. John the Evangelist's first vicarage
Lemsford House, on Brocket Road, was built in 1859 as the vicarage for the church of St. John the Evangelist, Lemsford. It was designed, as was the church, by the architect David Brandon (1813-1897). The Revd. F. E. Coggin, vicar from 1892-1905, found the house too small and enlarged it. However the Revd. A. E. Ward, vicar from 1905-1920, found it too large and expensive to run so a second vicarage, now known as 'Church End' was built further down Brocket Road. The Brocket Estate, who owned the property, rented out Lemsford House to wealthy tenants, the rental income being used to augment the vicar's stipend.
When Brocket Hall became a Maternity Hospital during WW2 some unmarried mothers whose babies were to be put for adoption stayed in Lemsford House until the adoption went through. Between October 17th 1940 and February 15th 1948 the baptism of 133 babies born to single mothers giving their address as Lemsford House are recorded in the parish baptism register. The church has no other information about the inhabitants of Lemsford House.
Lemsford House closed when Brocket Hall ceased to be a Maternity Hospital in 1949 and the house was divided into five self contained flats. It was sold in 1976 for about £25,000. It has since become a single residence.
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