Title
New site in present Ford End Road - Land formerly belonging to Hawes charity, which received 6a. 2 r. 8 p. in Prebend Field under the Enclosure Award of 1797 in exchange for its original holding in Trumpington Meadow. By this transaction the original deed of Hawes' charity became the property of the Bedford Gas Light Company.
Covenant to levy a fine: £150.
(i) Brooke Bridges of the Inner Temple, esq. & w. Mary. (ii) Matt. Gilliflower of Westminster, bookseller, & w. Martha. (iii) Thos. Christie, esq., Wm. Manley, gent., Ralph Smith, gent., mayor, John Hawes, gent., Robt. Bell, gent., Wm. Becket, alderman, & s. & h. John, Thos. Battison, alderman, & s. & h. Thos., Wm. Faldo, draper, Robert Paradine, B.A., Hen. White, tanner, all of Bedford. 24½ ac. of meadow in Trumpington meadow in St. Paul's parish, abtg. N. on the Prebend's lands, S. on the Ouse, E. on a close in the occ. of John Higgs, and W. on a ditch lately made with a row of willows lately planted on its bank; as follows :- 7 ac. next the ditch & willows, bounded E. by a ditch agreed to be made, to (iii); who are to use 2/3 of the profits to buy bread for the poor of St. Paul's parish on the day of St. Thomas the Apostle, and 1/3 likewise for those of St. Mary's parish. When 8 trustees are dead the survivors are to convey to 8 other inhabitants of Bedford. 17½ ac. to (ii) who have agreed to bear the whole of the fee-farm rent of 40s. to the king with which the property is charged. If they do not pay it the trustees of (iii) may take possession. The ditch which is to be made between the two properties is to be scoured and cleansed at their joint expense. [Recites: 25 July 1688 Thos. Hawes of Bedford, gent. to Wm.Manley & Thos.Christie. £150 deposited by Thos. Hawes with above is to be invested in land for supplying bread, 2/3 to St. Paul's parish and 1/3 to St. Mary's. One copy of the deed is to be kept in St. Paul's vestry, the other in St. Mary's vestry, or in the evidence-house of the corporation of Bedford. The other trustees are those listed above, except that Thos. Underwood appears instead of Ralph Smith. Recites also that Wm. Manley and Thos. Christie, with the approval of the major part of the chiefer sort of Inhabitants of St. Paul's and St. Mary's they have bought 7 ac. as above; also that, Thos. Underwood having absented himself from Bedford, they have chosen Ralph Smith in his place.] Witn. Wm. Aspin, Tho. Sampson, Alex. Bolton, F. Brace, Hen. Lowen. See X67/163 for counterpart of this.