Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X758/14/2/3
  • Title
    [Photocopy] Abstract of title of William Edwards (alias Hall) to copyhold cottages or tenements in Shortmead Street in a certain place called Cowfair with half an acre of land abutting and half an acre of land commonly known as Cowfair land, Biggleswade. (Recital I) At Manor Court of Biggleswade Oct 1721: - John Atterton of Caldecote, Northill, Beds, yeoman surrendered (a-b) and Nicholas Pope of Biggleswade, labourer was admitted: (a) Cottage or tenement at Shortmead Street in a certain place called Cowfair late in the occupation of William Kills then Nicholas Pope. (b) Half an acre of arable land adjoining (a) with a cottage or tenement then of Joseph Livitt lying towards the South. (Recital II) At Manor Court of Biggleswade May 1731: - Death of Nicholas Pope was presented before the court on the 27th August 1730 and he duly surrendered (a-b) to the use of his wife Mary Pope in accordance with his last will and Mary Pope was admitted. (Recital III) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 1756:- Mary Pope died seized of (a-b). The coheirs by inheritance Sarah wife of William Edwards and Vaill wife of William Sheffield were admitted. (Recital IV) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 19th & 20th Oct 1756: - William Edwards and wife Sarah (after examination) surrendered an undivided moiety of (a-b) and William Sheffield was duly admitted. (Recital V) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 11th & 12th May 1756: - Vaill wife of William Sheffield was admitted to the other undivided moiety of (a-b) in fee. (Recital VI) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 1st & 2nd May 1759: - William Sheffield and wife Vaill surrendered their undivided moieties of (a-b) and John Taylor of Biggleswade, tallow chandler was duly admitted. (Note: Recital VII relate to land of half an acre (where a cottage was formerly standing) adjoining (a-b) which is afterwards surrendered by John Taylor along with (a-b). (Recital VII) At Manor Court of Biggleswade April 1758: - Thomas Single of Girtford, Sandy, Beds, carpenter (customary tenant of the said manor) in consideration of his marriage to Elizabeth Layton surrendered (c) to the use of himself for the term of his natural life and then to the use of his wife for her natural life: (c) Cottage or tenement with ground belonging then in the occupation of George Onion and John Layton containing half an acre to which Thomas Single was admitted at the said court on the 16th & 17th Sep 1742 on the surrender of Thomas Barrett, esquire. (Recital VIII) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 26th Oct 1763: - Thomas Single was declared dead and his wife Elizabeth Single was admitted to (c). (Recital IX) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 24th Oct 1764: - John Single of Eaton, Beds, carpenter was presented as eldest son and heir of said Thomas Single deceased and was admitted to the reversion of (c) on the death or marriage of said Elizabeth Single. (Recital X) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 24th Oct 1764: - John and Elizabeth Single surrendered (c) and John Taylor of Biggleswade, grocer and chandler was admitted. (Note: Now (a-b) at recitals I-VI formerly the property of the Pope family has been brought together with (c) at recitals VII-X formerly the property of the Single family). (Recital XI) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 1772: - It was presented at the same court on the 24th Feb 1772 that John Taylor had surrendered (a-c) and Thomas Gaff of Margaret Street, City of London, Middlesex, gentleman was admitted: (a-c) Same as property previously recited but with slightly different descriptions: (a) Cottage or tenement lately divided into two tenements at Shortmead Street in a certain place called Cowfair before in the several occupation or tenure of Thomas Bonnett and Mary Pope deceased and then William Sheffield and George Wicks and then William Edwards and Nathaniel Seagrave. (b) Half an acre in the common fields abutting (a) previously in the occupation of Mary Pope deceased, then William Sheffield and then Edward Rudd. (John Taylor was admitted tenant to this property on the surrender of William Sheffield and his wife Vaill at Recital VI) (c) Half an acre of arable land in common fields commonly known as Cowfair land previously in the occupation of Edward Albone then Edwards Rudd. (Recital XII) Will of Thomas Gaff proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury whereby he surrendered (a-c) to the use of his will which devised all his copyhold land and tenements at Biggleswade unto his wife's brother William Edwards. (Recital XIII) At Manor Court of Biggleswade (date missing): - Thomas Gaff died and William Edwards was admitted to (a-c), (Recital XIV) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 1786: - It was presented that (a-c) stood mortgaged by virtue of two conditional surrenders dated the 17th Nov 1784 & 29th July 1785 whereby Elizabeth Shaw of Baldock, Hertfordshire borrowed William Edwards £35 and he conditionally surrendered (a-c) as security for repayments. It was then presented that on the 18th Jan 1786 William Edwards surrendered out of court (a-c) unto his son William Edwards the younger of Biggleswade, yeoman in consideration of his son paying off the mortgage debt. William Edwards the younger was duly admitted to (a-c) subject to conditions of repayment. (Recital XV) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 1776: - Edward Rudd of Biggleswade, gentleman surrenders land lying on the Cowfair Leys and William Edwards the younger is admitted. (Please note: this page of the abstract is missing so only these minimal descriptions can be given). (Recital XVI) At Manor Court of Biggleswade 23rd & 24th Oct 1764: - William Edwards the younger surrenders all his copyhold cottages and land held from the Manor of Biggleswade (including a-c) to the use of his will which devised all to his son William Edwards (alias Hall) who is now an apprentice to John Steward of Biggleswade, carpenter. It was thenpresented that William Edwards the younger had died and his son William Edwards (alias Hall) was admitted to (a-c) according to the custom of the manor.
  • Date free text
    1806
  • Production date
    From: 1721 To: 1806
  • Level of description
    item
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