R6/63/28/39

Letter from David Willis, Leighton Buzzard to John Gotobed, Norfolk Street, Strand, London: "I duly received yours and yesterday was at Woburn and saw Mr.Farey who is well satisfied that the Estate purchased by the Duke late five messuages are now eight Tenements and I do believe I shall be able to satisfy you also of the same. The Admission of Sarah Mackfarland in 1742 only says 4 Messuages in the Admission of herself and Husband on her own Surrender in 1751 they are called 5 Messes and so continued to be called to this Time. The Facts are, these Buildings were erected soon after the great Fire nearly or quite a century ago and at first were 4 Tenements and Stables Mr.Mackfarland between the years 1742 and 1751 converts part of the Stables into another Tenement and then were called 5 Messes and he sometime after converted other part of them into two other Tenements but in his two subsequent Admissions in 1764 and 1783 and in Mr.Broughton's Admission in 1792 it was unnoticed by the Steward and Mr.Broughton since converted the remainder of those Buildings into another Tenement and now made the Number of 8 and they are as follows in Back LaneNo.3 Tenant Widow Jay No.4 Samuel Turney No.5 Mary Darling Widow No.6 Richard Darling, in the yard or Queens Court behind them but all adjoining are four more Tenements No.1 Tenant Hannah White Widow No.2 John Beddall No.3 Richard Wright and No.4 William Riseley. I also saw Mr.Davis and Mr.Shaw at Woburn with them I had an Interview and the former thinks if you correct the minutes of his Court Roll and say late 5 messuages and now converted into 8 Tenements or Dwellings will set all Right. Mr.Shaw informed me the Name of Queen's Court is recent and it originated in a curious way a most notorious shrew a Widow Gray lived in one of the back Tenements who was frequently in Brawls and Quarrels and always came off victorious through which she got the Name of Queen the Yard then got the Name of Court and that he assures me is the original of Queen's Court but in addition he says it is well known by the Name in the new Plan of Woburn and he thinks it right to say late 5 Messuages now 8 Tenements in back Lane and in Queen's Court [a Catherine Gray, widow, was buried in Woburn on 1 Feb 1797]. The 3 Things following you state are certainly Facts you purchased to pay on the 10th of Oct did not receive Abstract before the 20th of Oct and the Court was not before the 28th of Dec. that there was an Omission by the Trustees. I received Copies on Tuesday the 16th of Oct and on Friday the 19th sent Abstract by Coach to you, when informed I was to be admitted as Attorney for the Trustees I had the court held so soon I could (except from Tuesday to Friday which was done to accommodate me) and immediately after sent Admissions & co to Mr.Wallis".

26 Jan 1799

From: 1729 To: 1799

item

Willis, David,
Gotobed, John,
Farey, J.,
Russell, Francis (5th Duke of Bedford),
Mackfarland, Sarah,
Cox, Sarah,
Mackfarland, Patrick,
Broughton, Henry,
Jay,
Turney, Samuel,
Darling, Mary,
Darling, Richard,
White, Hannah,
Beddall, John,
Wright, Richard,
Riseley, William,
Davis, Samuel,
Shaw, Thomas,
Gray, Catherine

Woburn Nags Head, Woburn Abbotts Manor, David Willis, John Gotobed, fire brigade incidents, Samuel Davis, steward, widow, court rolls, burial, WOBURN, Woburn Back Lane, Woburn Queens Court