1651 Lawrence Grainger and his son Robert Grainger agreed a 2000 year lease for two cottages from the landowners Sir Hugh Chumley and his son William Chumley
The lease was purchased for £20 and 4d a year rent agreed.

September 1651 Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated the English Royalist forces of King Charles II at the Battle of Worcester.
Date Unclear John Grainger, a fisherman, inherits the cottage.


1768  Hannah ( m Lancelot Robson ) daughter of John Grainger has inherited.
August 1768 Captain James Cook departs from England on his first voyage on board the Endeavour. After Charting the the East Coast of New Holland he claimed the Territory for Great Britain. The continent was formally named Australia much later around 1828.

****     Mary ( m Richard Tindall), Rebecca ( m Thomas Bedlington), Lydia ( m Thos Bedlington yngr) & Hannah ( Tindall widow), daughters of Hannah inherit.

1780  Lydia 1731-1814 & Thomas Bedlington master mariner ( m 1774 four children) buy outright, £30 for three quarters share from her sisters.

1814   Elizabeth   & Hannah (m William Granger ) daughters of Lydia Bedlingtons first marriage 1757 to John Hodgson inherit.

1833     Elizabeth 1758-1838  (m 1785 Isaac Storm 1758-1824 fisherman , eight children ) buys outright  £25 for half share.
1838  John Storm   1789-1864    fisherman    (m 1812 Mary Anderson 1788-1850 seven children)   son  of Elizabeth Storm inherits.
June 1838 The Coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey, London.

1841     Census:   John Storm 50, Mary Storm 50,  Betsy 25, Isaac 18 fisherman, Mary 16, Martha 10 and Mary Bedlington 69.

1843   Elizabeth (Betsy) m 1843 William Cooper  (master mariner)  daughter of John & Mary also in residence during this period.

1851  Census:  Betsy Cooper 39 and William Cooper 2.    John Storm now living with daughter Martha nearby.

1861   Census:  William Cooper 43, Betsey Cooper 47,  William Cooper 12, Mary Cooper 9.   
John now living alone nearby.

1862  Mathew Storm 1816-1890 master mariner and ship owner ( m 1840 Mercy Storm 1816-1890 daughter of James Storm and Damaris Harrison )  and living in the dutch gabled  cottage in front, buys outright £80.
 
Mathew Storm was the nephew of John Storm and cousin to Elizabeth & William Cooper living here at this time. The 3 large cottages in front were bequeathed by James Storm 1790-1854 ship owner, to his daughters Mercy, Rebecca 1831-1908 (m William Bedlington ) and Francis 1822-1904 (m 1844 William Harrison Steel). By 1871 the now considerably wealthy and extended Storm family owned and lived in houses to all sides of Sunny place as it was now called. Mathew and his brothers in law formed the shipping company Mathew Storm & Co. that owned in 1865 seven ships totalling 1400 tons and valued at over £9000.
 
1871   Census:   Elizabeth Cooper 58,  Mary Cooper 19.

1881  Census:   William Cooper 64,  Elizabeth Cooper  66.  With Mathew and Mercy still living infront.

1890   Damaris Harrison Harrison (niece of Mathew Storm) & Rebecca Bedlington (sister in law) inherit after the death of Mercy.William Peacock in residence.

1892   William Cornforth ( cartwright) buys outright at auction £53 + 1 guinea. The original kitchen to the South is sold to William Bedlington & Rebecca Mercy Storm Bedlington. The  new wash house extension is built. The present main staircase is built.

1914     Now ‘ Fenay Cottage’ rented cottage with attendance Katy Simpson. The name came from the S.S. Fenay Bridge.
June 1914 The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, Leads to the declaration of war resulting in the First World War.

1917 April 16th 1917 Resident Mr William Noble died aged 84 years The death was announced in the Whitby Gazette on Friday 20th April

1
925   Mcneil  Cornforth (joiner) & William Cornforth ( licensee Ye Abbey Inn Whitby ) sons of  William Cornforth inherit. Around this time the present dormer windows are built and the girls school behind is demolished. Thomas Brewster in residence.
 
1929   Mary and Nora Hogget buy outright £100
 
1938   Margaret Emma Newton (of the Sunny place bakery currently ) buys £200 (used as tearooms).


September 1939 Germany, under the command of Adolf Hitler, invades Poland initiating the second World War

1951 Richard Bell Brockbank (artist) buys £1000  ( known as Bell house ).
 
1960 Mildred Lavinia Yetton   (name reverts to Fenay Cottage)
 
1966 Robin & Pamela Woodsend (holiday cottage)
 
1988 Neil Murray Metcalfe (holiday cottage)
 
1997 David & Janet White (holiday cottage)
 
2016 Mandy & David Wood (holiday cottage)

Grateful Thanks to David White who unearthed much of this history