
The spectacular view of Deadwood Plain and Flagstaff from inside Ebony Restaurant at Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena.
Lally Brown | PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Original article & photos as published in Breeze e-magazine January 2016, plus updated photos.
Historic pictures supplied.
When Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the island of St Helena October 1815 to begin his exile, he was accompanied by an entourage of twenty-four people, including Count Henri-Gatien Bertrand, his wife Fanny and their three children.

Count Henri-Gatien Bertrand, his wife Countess Francoise-Elisabeth (Fanny) Bertrand. Pictures supplied.
Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena.
After some initial confusion it was decided to house Napoleon and his ‘companions in exile’ in the summer home of the Lieutenant Governor of St Helena, Colonel Skelton, at Longwood. However, Countess Bertrand flatly refused to move her family into Longwood House with Napoleon and so it was agreed that a separate residence should be built for her family, but in close proximity to Longwood House.
The History Of Bertrand’s Cottage
When it was completed in 1816 Countess Bertrand described the cottage as ‘very pleasing, with good views across the Camp and Deadwood Plain, where the horse-racing and parades take place’. She planted out the garden with fruit trees and brought camellia and rose bushes from the property they had rented at Hutt’s Gate. On 17th January 1817, shortly after moving in, Countess Bertrand gave birth to her fourth child, Arthur, at the cottage.
Napoleon was a frequent visitor. It was only a short walk through the gardens of Longwood House to Bertrand’s Cottage. He brought pastries and sweets for the children and enjoyed watching the horse racing. In fact in late 1817 when Longwood House was undergoing renovation it was proposed that Napoleon should move into Bertrand’s Cottage until the work was completed, a suggestion Countess Bertrand was very quick to oppose!

Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, pictured in 2000.
Picture: Lally Brown.
After the death of Napoleon in May 1821 the Bertrand family left St Helena, having lived in the cottage for almost five years.
The property later became known as Longwood Farm House and between 1900 and 1949 was owned by the Deason family. The farm provided the Union Castle Line cruise ships that visited St Helena with eggs, milk, butter and vegetables. It was a busy and prosperous farm. There was a tennis court, horse riding and polo, and a great many parties (‘particularly Bridge’ according to Lydia Benjamin, the last live-in domestic at the Farm House).
During the Second World War, Major Moss, who was Sheriff of St Helena, was billeted here and had his room in the attic. Throughout the war the property beside Longwood Farm House (originally built in 1821 for Napoleon as his ‘new’ Longwood House home, though never occupied by him) was used by the St Helena Regiment but later fell into disrepair and was demolished and re-built in 1949 as a dairy complex for the farm. Thirteen Ayrshire cows in calf and one bull were imported to stock the new Dairy, but sadly the business collapsed around 1956 because, according to the late Eric Mercury who worked at the Dairy, the fresh milk (at five pence a bottle) was more expensive than imported canned milk and was not selling.
Longwood Farm House was sold to Mr and Mrs Tatum and became a private home. The stairs to the attic and the attic floor were removed around 1960. The Tatum’s remained living here until 1983 when the property changed hands again and was taken over by the Government of St Helena as accommodation for contract personnel working on the island, primarily as the residence of the Chief Engineer.

Nails from Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena. Artefacts c. 1800.
Picture: Lally Brown.

Original 1816 roofing timbers from Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, found in 2001 to be badly damaged by white ants or termites.
Picture: Lally Brown.

Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, original 1816 roofing slate.
Picture: Lally Brown.

The rear of Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, pre-2001 with a tin roof.
Picture: Lally Brown.

External view of Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, at the end of 2015, before refurbishment.

External views of Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, at the end of 2015, before refurbishment.
When Bertrand’s Cottage was built in 1816 the roof was slate but this was later replaced with galvanised tin. By 1990 the tin had become pitted and rusty with age and the roof leaked so badly that tarpaulins had to be stretched beneath the ceiling of the entrance hall to collect the rainwater.
The decision was made to replace the roof with galvanised troughing, but after vigorous opposition from the French Consul (who was himself re-roofing Longwood House with slate) it was agreed to replicate the original 1816 cottage roof.
In 1995 the slates required arrived on island and the entrance hall was immediately re-roofed. However, the rest of the cottage was left with rusty leaking tin until 2001, when the work was re-commenced and the main part of the cottage was finally re-roofed. But the kitchen area was put on hold and the slates were stored at PWD in Jamestown.

Re-opening ceremony of Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, on 20 October, 2016.
In 2001, when the tin was taken off and the original 1816 timbers exposed, it could be seen that the white ant (a termite originally brought to St Helena in the 1850s in the timbers of a captured slave-trading vessel) had eaten through the centres of the six-inch square pitch pine. Approximately 75% of the timber had gone, creating a wide channel of fresh air through the middle of the beams leaving the timbers hollow. They had become structurally unsafe without any obvious outward signs. All these timbers had to be replaced, including the attic windows, before the work of placing the slates could begin. It was a much bigger job than at first anticipated.
In 2016 the long-awaited airport becomes a reality for St Helena, and two hundred years after it was built for Count Bertrand the cottage is about to enter a new and exciting phase. Under the auspices of Enterprise St Helena there are plans to transform Bertrand’s Cottage into a ‘Restaurant with Rooms,’ open to the public and used by the hospitality sector of St Helena as a venue for trainees.
When this exciting and ambitious new project has been completed it will be a valuable asset to Longwood, to the island of St Helena, and to visiting tourists.
If you are planning a visit to St Helena (and Napoleon’s Longwood House), do make sure you stop for refreshments (or if you are very lucky, stay) at Bertrand’s Cottage!
WTSDN note: As Lally indicated in the original article, the Cottage did re-open in October 2016, as shown in these updated pictures.

External view of newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, in January 2017.

External rear view of newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, in January 2017.

Today’s new, Ebony Restaurant in Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, in Longwood.

The new restaurant kitchen in Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena, on 20 October, 2016.

Interiors at the newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena in Longwood.

Interiors at the newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena in Longwood.

Guest room interiors at the newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena in Longwood.

Interiors at the newly refurbished Bertrand’s Cottage, St Helena in Longwood.
My father (George Barrett) was the chief engineer who lived in the house in the mid 60’s, while planning and overseeing the building of the aerials on Deadwood and Prosperous Plain for the DWS .We lived there for 2 years and I have many fond memories of the island and the house.
Wow – thanks for sharing that little bit of history. The aerials have long been dismantled and there are wind turbines on Deadwood now. It must be great for you to see the photos of the house restored to its former glory. 🙂
With regard to Longwood Farm, when James Deason died his wife Jessie continued to run a successful business there until the government felt it “was not women’s job)!! The government took over and failed. Jessie retired to England
How wonderful to ‘meet’ a Deason … when I lived in the Cottage a frequent visitor was Lydia Benjamin. She would tell me stories about ‘the old days’ when she lived with your family, the lively atmosphere, the bridge parties, the tennis, so much fun!. Her room was in the attic and she only moved out when she married George and was expecting their first child in 1942.
I’ve devoted a chapter to the history of the cottage (or Longwood Farmhouse as it was known until recently) in my book ‘The Countess, Napoleon and St. Helena’ based on the memories of both Lydia and Eric Mercury.
I think if you were able to make a return visit now you’d see an amazing transformation from the 2010 condition!
kindest regards,
Lally
Thank you for this information, I look forward to buying the book. I think I have a photograph of Lydia Benjamin sat with the family on the steps given to me by Joan Thomas.
You brought back some great memories for me … Joan Thomas, Elvina Mercury (and Huggy Bear!), Lydia and Rose .. and many more Longwood residents, such lovely people! Thank you Brenda, and thank you Sharon and Darrin for such superb pics of renovated Bertrand’s Cottage/Longwood Farmhouse.
This is amazing to see these photographs. Thomas and Mary Deason who farmed here were my ancestors. I travelled from England in 2010 to walk in their footsteps and had the opportunity to see the interior of Longwood farm house. What a transformation.
Absolutely love..love having tea there.. they have insanely good shortbread biscuits and mince pies…the location also rocks ( for the time being it is our hidden secret 🙂 )
It always was a very special house, so thrilled my old home is now such a super place!
Hope you’ve managed to read my book ‘The Countess, Napoleon and St. Helena’ about Fanny Bertrand’s life at the cottage alongside her infamous neighbour!
Only available on kindle at present but paperback coming out in a few weeks time!
For the link (and try before you buy…!) click here http://amzn.to/1WKvx6Q
Wish I could join you for a meal …!
kind regards, Lally.
Thanks for sharing great pictures and presentation of history of this wonderful building keep up the good work.
Thanks Lawson – it’s great to learn these stories that makes up our history.
Looks magnificent Lawson. Best wishes, and hope to meet again.
Impressive. Hope to see it in person soon!
It’s a lovely setting to enjoy a meal.
So pleased to see your stunning pictures of the renovated Bertrand’s Cottage and delighted it has a new and exciting future as a Guest House and Restaurant. I’ll never forget this lovely historic Cottage built for Count and Countess Bertrand in 1816 – and my own home for two years when I was resident on St Helena!
Must have been awe-inspiring to call such a house your home Lally. Thanks for guest writing this wonderful article giving us an insight into the time of Napoleon – Fanny Bertrand sounded like a lady not to be reckoned with! 🙂
IKEA has reached the middle of the South Atlantic!! 🙂
🙂
Wow .. so pretty !!!
It’s a beautiful location with such amazing views.