AD3346

'A particular of Mr. Welles his Estate in the parish of Laighton'

After 1665

From: 1665

(you will heare of Mr. Welles at Mr. Spicer's, a silkeman, at the signe of the Unicorne in Paternoster Rowe): mansion-house with 7 lower rooms, also cellar, 2 butteries, 2 studies, 2 kitchens, wainscotted hall, 2 wainscotted parlours; 10 chambers; 3 stables, coachouse and barns; orchard; 2 gardens; 22 closes; 58 acres meadow in the common fields; 315 acres arable in the common fields ('a great part lie together and are enclosed'); chapel; almshouse; £150 worth of wood; at present let to 8 tenants (Mr. Vaux; Richard Winch and William Chad; Benjamin Sayre; Edward Martin; William Chad; Richard Dudley; John Randall; John Felce) for rents totalling £225 p.a. Enclosure would add value - '2 townes near this place have been by consent of the inhabitants lately inclosed,' (Note in an unidentified modern hand alleges that this particular was made out of Henry Brandreth who, however,'failed to buy.' Note by Mr. Gurney: 'I think the anicent house opppsite Heath church - the chapel is probably Heath church.' The document does appear to refer to Heath: the will of John Wells of Heath, 1544 (reg. 1, f.IId;) the will of another John wells of Heath, gent., is 1597/27 and refers to son Francis and his son John; brass in Leighton to Francis Wells, 1636; monument ditto to John Welles of Heath, 1645; Hearth tax, 1671, shows house of 11 hearths occupied by Mr. Vaux. Charity Commision's Report does not list almshouse in the usual sense, but 2 small cottages, source unknown, 'occupied by poor persons of the township put in by the overseas.')

item

Welles,
Spicer,
Vaux,
Winch, Richard,
Chad, William,
Dudley, Richard,
Randall, John,
Felce, John,
Brandreth, Henry,
Wells, John,
Wells, Francis,
Wells, John

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, City of London Paternoster Row, Inclosure, ENCLOSURE, Heath