Admin/biog history
The Manor House
In 1717, when the Manor House was conveyed by William Leach to Thomas Orlebar, it was occupied by Jane Barber, widow of Abraham Barber, yeoman (AL592; ABP/W1690-6). The Barber family had farmed in 1614, and ten years later Thomas Barber held a capital messuage called Meltons Farm in Felmersham, 'having a mansion house with homestall and orchard... in Churchend.' (CRT110-34) The abuttals show that this house with its home closes was the same (or occupied the same site) as the manor house. A note states that he held a lease for 21 years from 1637, so the Manor House would seem to have been used as a farm house during the seventeenth century and probably earlier. It is not shown as an important residence on Jefferey's map, and the deed of partition of 1772 (AL598, lot B) describes it as a farm house with a home close (als. Marriott's als. Manor Close). Harvey, in Willey Hundred mentions that 'Mr. Thomas Pain purchased a third of the manor together with the manor house and farm of Mr. John Cooper.' The watercolour attributed to Fisher, of Felmersham Manor House... the residence of the Rev. T.O. Marsh' cannot in fact be the manor house, but for reasons stated below must be John Marsh's house which occupied the site of Felmersham Grange. By 1854 the farmhouse had become three cottages (AL695), which are shown on the sketch map from the Felmersham Parish Memoranda Book in Marriott's close near a pond at the rear of the Six Ringers public house. Maltby in his Felmersham Church and Parish states:
'The old Felmersham Manor House stood in the field near the Six Ringers Inn. The last occupants were... of the names of Turner... Rust... and 'Tommy Box'... It had been the intention of the owner to restore the house, and the work of restoration had already been started when a fire broke out and the house was destroyed. The work was then given up, and the house went to rack and ruin; not a stone of it remains.' Robert Turner, in his reminiscences of Felmersham, Says that his mother used to live in the old manor house, and confirms both the location and the fact that it was burnt down. This happened in March 1881; the account in the Bedfordshire Mercury states that two cottages, the property of Mrs. Tucker, and ' undergoing a course of restoration' had been burnt down.
Felmersham Grange
The 1772 deed of partition (lot A) refers to the 'cottage formerly called the Bell' which became the property of John Marsh. In spite of this description, it was of sufficient importance to be included in Jefferey's map, and the watercolour of the 'manor house' shows a road running past the wall of the house, fitting the situation of the Marsh house. According to his memorial in Felmersham church, T.O. Marsh lived in Felmersham House', and Harvey states: 'The house... in which Mr Thomas Orlebar resided and which was included in his purchase, was standing in 1833, at which date it was described as a decent farm house... it was pulled down... before 1836.' T.O. Marsh died in 1831, and his widow in 1832; in 1834 the property was sold, at which time it was described as a ' capital messuage' with 9 acres of land (AL708). It must have been purchased by the Green family who pulled it down and building in the modern style of architecture.' (it is illustrated in Harvey). It remained the home of the Green family untill it was sold to S.R. Wells M.P., in 1922.
The Vicarage House
AL 765 refers to a 'cottage situate near the church and schools formerly called the Rector's old cottage.' This is the 'tenement' referred to in the 1607 terrier as a cottage with a little orchard and garden lying between Harvest Yard south and the Town House north, the Lord St. John west and the Church gate on the east, consisting of one
bay walled with stone and covered with straw, and having three glazed windows. A 1625 terrier (CRTFelmersham130-) describes the vicarage as being a message of two rooms, standing on the right hand coming from the church gate, and the terriers of 1708 and 1822 give similar details. This cottage is illustrated in Harvey, and is referred
to in the Felmersham Memoranda Book as a labourer's cottage near the school, which also describes the process by which the present vicarage came to occupy the former Rectory farmhouse.
Daniel Berry's house
The other house in Felmersham on Jeffries map is the dwelling house of Daniel Berry, which seems to have occupied a site on or near Warner's Close, part of Harrowden Farm (AL786-7) Harvey, though mistaken in the date of the conveyance to George Stow, states that the house, which 'had a court and pond in front, was pulled down
at the beginning of the (19th) century.'
Separation of Pavenham and Felmersham livings
The Felmersham Church Memorada Book states that Pavenham was held with Felmersham untill 1858, 'when Joseph Tucker, Esq., having purchased Pavenham Bury, obtained from the College (Trinity College,Cambridge) on certain conditions (of endowing and building a Vicarage etc.) the advowson of Pavenham. It was arranged that, as a compensation to the Vicar of Felmersham, he should give 14 acres of land (on the Carlton road).' (Stonepit Close and Fire Devils - see X 1-18-2)
For further details of this, and the Trinity College exchange see CRTFelmersham130
On the sale of the Alexander estate in Felmersham, Harrowden farm was bought by Benjamin Cook, and Manor farm was taken over by J.D.Hensman. (Robt. Turner)