Admin/biog history
This very complex set of deeds was deposited by the Society who had it on loan from R.F.W.Watkin after he sold the business and moved to the Isle of Skye. The deeds were in 7 packets with contents greatly mixed up. This mixing up of the documents must make any reconstruction of original order very difficult since title of twenty five pieces of land (see (a)-(y) below) is involved.
Bearing this in mind 10 pieces of land (X758/13/1-9 and 11) have been identified as having separate title though other pieces of land are also identifiable; the following list gives all the land identified, with references; it should be borne in mind that a piece of land may have a number of descriptions during the history of its title:
(a) 20.25 poles of arable in Biggleswade Town Field - X758/13/1/1-2 (1806); then with three workshops built thereon - X758/13/1/3-4 (1812); then messuage lately built on arable land in Biggleswade Town Field on east side of Shortmead Street with outbuildings, garden and premises adjoining abutting north on cottage of William Brunt, south on way leading to Methodist Chapel - X758/13/1/5-15 (1816-1840); then dwelling house, grocer's shop, outbuildings, gardens and premises in Shortmead Street, Biggleswade bounded north by cottage once in occupation of William Brunt (l) and south by way leading to dwellinghouses - X758/13/1/16 (1873)
(b) cottage, lately divided in two, in Shortmead Street, Biggleswade in a place called Cow Fair, with half an acre in Biggleswade common fields abutting - X758/13/1/1-4 (1806-1812);
(c) half an acre known as Cow Fair Land adjoining garden of Anthony Hide west, Great North Road east, land of Susanna Kendall south and land of Christopher Newton north - X758/13/1/1-8 (1806-1817);
(d) cottage with two other cottages, two barns, yard and garden in Shortmead Street containing on west, fronting the street, 77 feet and extending eastwards 154 feet, formerly part of estate of Edward Albone, then Edis Albone, his son, to which John Foster was admitted tenent on 28 Apr 1813 on surrender of John Lawrence, Martha Newton and Christopher Newton - X758/13/2/1-13 and 23 (1812-1907);
(e) dwellinghouse and baker's shop with bakehouse, yard, harness room with loft over, timber built cart shed with onion loft over, pigsty, stable, garden etc. in Shortmead Street bounded part north and east by property late of John West then John King, part north by, part east by property of Henry Jackson, south by public passage to Cowfairlands from Shortmead Street, with frontage of 155 yards to passage way and 32 feet to Shortmead Street - X758/13/4/17-19, 22 and 25 (1890); X758/13/2/14-22, 24-33 (1890-1953);
(f) two thatched cottages with garden in Shortmead Street bounded north by (h), south partly by property of Mrs.Edwards partly by property of Richard Walker; east by (g); west by Shortmead Street - X758/13/3/14, 16 and 23 (1880-1926);
(g) cottage with garden, yard and outbuildings in Cowfairlands bounded east by public thoroughfare, south by property formerly of William Alexander Edwards, now Richard Walker; west by (f); north by property of Wormsley - X758/13/3/5, 12, 14, 16 and 23 (1872-1926);
(h) cottage since divided in two in Shortmead Street with garden ground at rear extending from Shortmead Street to Crab Lane bounded north by premises of Richard Larman and others, south by premises of William Chapman and others - X758/13/3/1-4 (1824-1871); then cottage, afterwards divided into three, recently pulled down by Samuel Woodall and replaced by a dwellinghouse, blacksmith's shop and premises and adjoining messuage on east side of Shortmead Street - X758/13/3/6-11, 13-30 (1872-1947);
(i) two dwellinghouses, yard, two barns and garden ground in Shortmead Street with frontage to street to west of 25 feet 3 inches with right of way of 10 feet width through gateway from street over part of adjoining land (j) - X758/13/4/1-6, 9-16, 21-21, 23-24, 26-36 (1870-1933);
(j) dwellinghouse and shop in Shortmead Street with covered gateway leading from street to yard and buildings at rear with paved yard, timber built shed, stable with loft over, outbuildings etc. bounded: N by prpperty of Lydia Tasker, east and part south by property of John West, then John King, part south by property of John West then John King (i) subject to right of joint user with (i) of pump of water and well and right of way from Shortmead Street - X758/13/4/1, 7-8, 17-19, 22, 25-37 (1870-1953);
(k) plot of garden with buildings erected thereon in rear of John Desborough's house, shop and yard in Shortmead Street (j), bounded south by lane running from Shortmead Street to Chapel Fields, north by property of John Desborough (j) - X758/13/2/29 (1928);
(l) piece of ground in Shortmead End, Biggleswade measuring 51 feet east to west at front and 50 feet at back, 85 feet north to south being part of ground belonging to cottages formerly of Martha Newton bounded: east by remaining part of garden ground; south by footway over Cow Fair Lands; north by property formerly of John Carrington, then John Malden; west by garden of John Malden; with four cottages erected theron in occupation of Daniel Leach, William Wells, Fanny Pepper and John Huckle (later Arthur Wooley, Hannah Mager, William Burnage and Edward Cox), with right of way at east end - X758/13/5/1-3 (1870-1949); then 3, 4, 5, 6 Cowfairlands - X758/13/4/35 (1950); then 3, 4, 5, 6 Mount Pleasant Cottages - X758/13/11/15-16 (1958)
(m) cottage with walled yard, outbuildings and premises on east side of Shortmead Street formerly in occupation of Richard Dalton, then his widow Jane Dalton abutting south on messuage in occupation of Montfort Docwra, north on messuage formerly in occupation of Elizabeth Pettifort then Joseph Holmes - X758/13/5/1 (1870);
(n) two messuages with outbuildings, yard, gardens and premises in occupation of John Swepstone and John Seers bounded north by property of Mr.Kendall, east by right of way leading to street, south by property of Mr.Rudd, west by property of Mr.Stoten - X758/13/6/1-3 (1871-1874); then land in Cowfairlands bounded north by property of Samuel Woodall (h), south by land of L.H.Rudd (u), east by roadway from Chapelfields Path to Shortmead Street, west by property of Mary Ann Edwards; in occupation of Isaac Stoten, with two cottages at rear on east part occupied by Charles Barker and John Owen with house, stable, seed warehouse, lofts and premises sometime erected by Richard Walker - X758/13/6/4-10 (1885-1912); then land in Cowfairlands bounded north by property of Arthur William watkin, south by property of Arthur William Stileman (t), east by roadway from Chapel Fields Path to Shortmead Street, west by property of Mary Ann Edwards with, on east part, house, stables, shed, warehouse, lofts and premises - X758/13/6/11-14 (1912-1915); then 49 and 47 Cowfairlands - X758/13/6/19-21 (1930-1956);
(o) small slip of land adjoining (n) in which cottages, lately burned down, had stood on death of Mary Edwards, who had been devised it in will of William Edwards of 11 Jun 1846, later described as piece of ground whereon formerly some cottages stood, sometime since burned down, together with barns and car sheds abutting on west, bounded north by right of way, east by footpath to Chapel Field, south by property of William Conquest, west by premises sold by William Edwards alias Hall to Samuel Benson, now belonging to Montfort Docwra - X758/13/6/1 (1871)
(p) cottage in Shortmead End, Biggleswade with garden and orchard behind known as Blue Ball ale or public house in occupatiuon of Wells & Company - X758/13/6/15 (1918);
(q) close of arable of 6a 2r 0p called Chapel Piece or Field in Biggleswade partly occupied by Mrs.E.Woods and partly (11 poles) by Great Northern Railway Company and made into a road - X758/13/6/15 (1918);
(r) arable land in Biggleswade Town Field abutting on hanger Field containing 6a 0r 20p in occupation of executors of Samuel Cocking, deceased - X758/13/6/15 (1918);
(s) 2 roods of arable in Biggleswade, part of a larger piece in Cowfair Lands, partly inclosed by Giles Smith and partly open land used by John Malden on which he lay timber, then all in occupation of Mrs.Edwards - X758/13/6/15 (1918);
(t) piece of arable in Biggleswade known as Stone Lane of 4 acres in occupation of executors of Samuel Cocking, deceased - X758/13/6/15 (1918);
(u) 20 poles in Cowfairlands bounded south by Brunts Lane, north by land of Arthur Charles Debney (n) - X758/13/6/16-18 (1918); then garden to south of 49 and 47 Cowfairlands - X758/13/6/19-21 (1930-1956) [it is possible that this land is identical to (a)];
(v) parcel of land with cottage thereon in Biggleswade bounded north by land retained by Primitive Methodist Society in Biggleswade, east and south by property of John Malden, west by Shortmead Street with frontage of 24 feet and depth of 112 feet, formerly in occupation of John Wright, then John Carrington, baker, then John Carrington junior, then Robert Hodges and Thomas Samuel, then Robert Hodges and Daniel Leach, then John Seers and Primitive Methodists, to which Primitive Methodists had been admitted on 28 Apr 1854 - X758/13/7/1-5 (1873-1875), then with two cottages erected by Thomas William Tasker - X758/13/7/6-17 (1878-1893) ad X758/13/4/26-29 (1906-1907);
(w) cottages, yard, barn and well in Shortmead Street in occupation Mrs.Gray and Mrs.Pepper bounded north by property of John Edwards, east by property of Hannah Walker, south by property of Frederick Perkins, west by Shortmead Street - X758/12/8/1-4;
(x) 114, 116 and 118 Shortmead Street, Biggleswade - X758/13/9/1-11 (1932-1959);
(y) 124-126 Shortmead Street, Biggleswade - X758/13/11/1 (1949)