X668/203

Lease: (i) John Polhill, Howbery Hall, esquire (ii) John Underhill, St Marylebone, Middlesex, gentleman. (i) demises to (ii) messuage or farmhouse etc, pieces of land (250 acres). Said farm is called Birchfields, in Great Barford, now in occupation of John Robinson. Term 6 years. Rent £250 per annum. £10 per acre of meadow and pasture converted into tillage (except close of new laid pasture called Fifteen Acres Close which is to be broken up and relaid to pasture), £10 per acre arable which is sown with any sort of grain or pulse more than 2 years together without fallowing for one whole summer or sowing with turnips, tares or clover with the breach crop in preceding year. Such turnips etc to be eaten on the premises. Many other conditions [Details given] Signatures of both. Witnesses: S Lloyd, 23 Harley Street, Edward Lampert, 26 Northumberland Street

20 Jul 1815

From: 1815 To: 1815

Details of other conditions: Excepting all timber and trees, with free liberty for (i) to enter premises to fell, grub up or carry away the same. Also excepting mines and stone quarries, with liberty to (i) to work same. Also excepting game rights, and right to view premises. Also (i) agrees with (ii) to keep buildings and 'going geers' on the pump in good repair, also fences, ditches, bridges etc. Also (i) will, before Spring 1820, lay down to grass or pasture the following pieces of arable: -- Forty Acre Close (30 acres 1 rood 16 perches) -- Ten Acre Close (11 acres 34 perches) -- Twenty Acres Close (16 acres 3 roods 1 perch) Also he will, before Spring aforesaid, plough up: -- piece of new laid pasture called Fifteen Acres Close (14 acres 7 perches) and relay same to grass or pasture. Not to be reploughed. Also (ii) will new make and bank up 50 rods of ditching and banking every year in such places as (i) or his steward shall direct. Also (i) will find for (ii) one wagon load of good trussed wheat straw yearly to be delivered to the stables at Howbury Hall. Also (i) will yearly if required find one wagon load of good trussed wheat straw for thatching the cottages of (i) and deliver to Goldington or Renhold. To be paid 20s per load of straw delivered. No straw, hay or corn grown on premises to be sold without consent of (i) in writing. Dung, compost and manure to be spread on the land. Arable land to be divided into 3 equal shifts. One third part left for fallow summerland or wheat season. (ii) yearly shall make smooth 5 acres of Banky pasture as (i) shall appoint. Also all new anthills and molehills to be levelled. Various other covenants as to good husbandry and maintenance of the land, and its condition at end of lease. (ii), at request of (i), will find and provide a wagon and 4 horses and an able bodied man 2 days in every year to fetch and carry coal and other materials from any place within 10 miles of Howbury Hall and to deliver to (i) without being paid anything for the same. (ii) will not destroy game, but will preserve it for sole use of (i) and will prosecute trespassers in search of game. (ii) will reside on premises and not elsewhere. Power to remove (ii) if certain situations apply before end of term. Hay etc made on premises in summer before expiry of term be left for benefit of (i) or next tenant. (i) to pay value of hay left to (ii). Buildings to be insured against fire.

item

Polhill, John,
Underhill, John,
Robinson, John,
Lloyd, S,
Lampert, Edward

agricultural leases, gentleman, Great Barford Birchfield Farm, field names, timber, quarries, ditching, straw, hay, RENHOLD, Renhold Howbury Hall, St Marylebone, Great Barford, St.Marylebone Harley Street, London Northumberland Street, GOLDINGTON