Scope and Content
(I) Copy admission at Ampthill Manor court of 4 May 1751of Daniel Wright and Isaac Coote:
- presenting surrender out of court on 26 Apr 1744 of Charles Copperwheat of Ampthill, maltster to use of his will;
- death of Charles Copperwheat on 11 Dec 1750 seized of messuage in Mill Street or Sluts End, Ampthill, formerly one tenement, now divided into three;
- will of Charles Copperwheat of 1 Mar 1748 charging certain real estate with an annuity of 12 to his wife Judith and devising his properties in Mill Street, Ampthill, in occupation of James King to Daniel Wright and Isaac Coote in trust to receive rents during his wife's life, after her death to be devised to his brother John Copperwheat of Toddington
(II) Surrender out of court on 31 Dec 1765 by John Copperwheat of Toddington, labourer, John Copperwheat, Charles Copperwheat, Ann Copperwheat, spinster and Thomas Litchfield and Martha his wife (nee Copperwheat) to use of Daniel Wright of Ampthill, innholder of two cottages with barns, stables, outhouses etc. in Ampthill in occupation of William Jones and Robert Manfield
(III) Copy admision of 25 Oct 1766 of William Jones
- presenting surrender out of court of Daniel Wright to use of William Jones of Ampthill, cutler
(IV) Copy surrender of 3 Sep 1770 of William Jones to use of his will
(V) Will of 20 Jul 1778 of William Jones:
- devising an estate at Silsoe to his wife Sarah;
- devising tenement in Mill Street, Ampthill in his own occupation to his wife;
- leaving residue of real and personal estate to his wife
(VI) Proof of will of William Jones on 19 Oct 1785 in Archdeaconry Court of Bedford
(VII) undated admission of Sarah Jones
(VIII) Copy surrender of 21 May 1788 by William Willis of Ampthill, carpenter and Sarah his wife (late Sarah Jones, widow) of two cottages in Ampthill in occupations of James Vigures and William Flowers to their own use; with admission of William and Sarah Willis
(IX) Deed poll of 26 Apr 1800 in which Samuel Davis of Ampthill, gentleman, steward of manor deputed Bartholomew Churchill of Staples Inn, London as his deputy steward to take surrender of William and Sarah Willis to use of Joseph Pulley of Ampthill, surgeon and apothecary
(X) Admission of 1 Nov 1800 of Joseph Pulley on surrender of William and Sarah Willis
(XI) Surrender out of court of 20 Aug 1808 by way of mortgage for 400 by Joseph Pulley and Frances Letitia his wife to use of Rev.Thomas Martyn of Pertenhall of (a) two cottages in Ampthill late in occupation of James Vigures and William Bowden, then of Joseph Pulley and John Marshall; (b) allotment at inclosure to Joseph Pulley of 2a 2r 32p on Ampthill Warren bounded: N by allotment to Samuel Batchelor; E by private road; S by allotment to Thomas Wheeler; W by public drain
(XII) Deed poll of 10 Feb 1813 in which Joseph Pulley, late of Ampthill, surgeon and apothecary, then of Hatton Wall, Hatton Garden [London] appointing Ezra Eagles his attorney to surrender his copyhold lands in Ampthill to use of John Northwood of Maulden, mealman and Vincent Wallis of Bedford, yeoman upon trust for sale
(XIII) Surrender out of court of 23 Feb 1813 by Joseph Pulley and Frances Letitia his wife to use of John Northwood and Vincent Wallis in trust for sale
(XIV) Acknowledgement of 2 Jul 1813 of satisfaction of Rev.Thomas Martyn of repayment of mortgage at (XI) above
(XV) Admission of 3 Jul 1813 of John Northwood and Vincent Wallis and immediate surrender to use of William Stonbridge of Pulloxhill, dealer in straw plait, for 730
(XVI) Surrender out of court by way of mortgage for 400 of 18 Nov 1813 by William Stonbridge late of Pulloxhill, now of Ampthill, dealer in straw plait and Elizabeth his wife to use of James Redman of Ridgmont, yeoman of (a) two cottage in Mill Street, Ampthill, now called Woburn Street, Ampthill, in occupation of William Stonbridge and William Moody; (b) 2a 2r 32p of land on Ampthill Warren bounded as in (XI)
(XVII) Deed of covenant of 18 Nov 1813 regarding mortgage
(XVIII) Will of 16 Mar 1816 of William Stonbridge leaving to his executors Elizabeth Stonbridge, Samuel May and J.C.Boddington all his real and personal estate for benefit of his wife and children
(XIX) Proof of will of William Stonbridge on 25 Sep 1816
(XX) opinion as follows: "I have presented this Abstract and although generally speaking a Copyhold Estate before the late Act passed under a Surrender to the use of a Will and the Will was considered in the nature of a Declaration of the Use of the Surrender, yet I think it extremely doubtful whether a sufficient Interest is vested in the Executors by Mr.Stonbridge's Will to empower them exclusively to make a valid Surrender to a Purchaser as there is no Declaration contained therein that their receipt shall be a good discharge for the Purchaser's Money. It will therefore, I conceive, be unsafe for Mr.Beech to accept a Surrender of the Premises without the Children either join therein or execute a Release as to the Purchase Money neither of which they can do until they come of Age. If Mr.Eagles can give Greene satisfaction in this respect he will be happy to receive it" - William Greene, 21 Dec 1818
(XXI) opinion as follows: "The Will being so very strangely worded I thought it best, some time ago, to take the Opinion of Mr.Humphreys Whether the Will was sufficient with the Surrender to pass the Copyhold estate to the Executors with power to sell the same and make a Title to a Purchaser and his Opinion may be more satisfactory to you than any observations I may make on the point. I think it best to send you a Copy, which you have underneath". E.Eagles 22 Dec 1818
(XXII) Copy opinion as follows: "Although a Surrender to the use of Testators Will is not necessary to pass Copyhold Estate since 55 Geo.3 c.192 yet where the disposition is in general Terms the Circumstance of the Copyhold having been surrendered to the use of the will, is indicative of the Testators intent to devise it and for this reason and as Mr.Stonbridge appears to have had no other real estate, I conceive the Estate in Ampthill passed by the Will to the Executors for the benefit of the wife and children 1 ves 227 also Attorney General v.Vigor 8 ves Jun 256. And they take the fee by the word "property" as well as from the purpose expressed viz "to be disposed of" or see Roe v.Pattison 16 east 221. I conceive therefore the Executors are competent to Sell the Estate and as the purchase money is distributable at their discretion they are consequently Qualified to receive and give a discharge for it. They will afterwards apply it as they may deem most advisable for the objects of the Will". J.Humphries, Lincolns Inn, 14 Apr 1817