Scope and Content
Abstract of Title of John Staines
(I) R6/5/14/1-2. Q “How does it appear that these are the premises contracted for, has the House been pulled down?” A. “This is now the property of Mr. Staines and the three pieces of ground contracted for are part of the gardens belonging thereto and till lately rented and occupied therewith”.
(II) Will of 26 April 1708 of Henry Lowen devising all his real estate to his wife Mary for her life and after her death to their son Henry and daughter Elizabeth Horton as tenants in common in shares determined by his wife in her will, in default of any will then all was to devise to Henry Lowen alone subject to payment of an annuity of £30 per annum to Elizabeth Horton “His Grace has the probate of this Will” [see R6/5/12/18]
(III) Deed to the Uses of a Fine of 14 March 1708 [1709]
Parties:
(i) Margaret Lowen of Bedford, widow of Henry Lowen of Bedford, vintner; Henry Lowen of Bedford, gentleman, son of Henry Lowen, deceased; James Horton, citizen and grocer of London and Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of Henry Lowen, deceased
(ii) Thomas Perrin of Bedford, woollen draper; William Staines of Bromham, yeoman
Reciting:
- James Horton owed Henry Lowen, deceased £440 at 6% interest on a mortgage of 10 April 1707;
- R6/5/12/18;
- the powers of Margaret Lowen as executrix were doubtful regarding the division of the estate between her son and daughter who were in disagreement;
- to end all future disputes friends had moderated between the parties to agree that Margaret Lowen should hold all real estate until her death when it should devise to Henry her son who would then pay (ii) £40 per annum in trust for the use of Elizabeth Horton as well as cancelling James Horton’s debt of £440
Operative Part:
- (ii) paid 5/- each to Margaret Lowen, Henry Lowen and James Horton;
- (i) covenanted to levy a fine sur conizance de droit come ceo etc to (ii) of (a)-(i) to the use of Margaret Lowen for her life, remainder to the use of Henry Lowen with (ii) taking a £40 rent charge for Elizabeth Horton
Property:
(a) messuage in Bedford, Saint Paul formerly in the occupation of John Hancock, deceased, now John Goodall and Richard Freeborne abutting on: the Castle Ground E; the High Street W; messuage formerly in the occupation of Thomas now Mary Pancost, widow N; messuage formerly in the occupation of William Bayley deceased, now Richard Yarnton S;
(b) White Swan Inn in Bedford, Saint Paul, formerly in the occupation of Henry Lowen, deceased now Margaret Lowen;
(c) Castle Hill or Bowling Green;
(d) close of pasture where Bedford Castle once stood called Castle Close adjoining (c) and containing four acres formerly in the occupation of Henry Lowen, now Margaret Lowen lying between the River Great Ouse and Castle Lane and the Bowling Green
(e) messuage in Kempston and Bromham formerly in the occupation of Thomas Freeman, now William Staines and John Fowler;
(f) orchard adjoining (e);
(g) two closes of pasture called Bushey Closes in Kempston containing together fourteen acres;
(h) five roods and one swath of meadow in Box Meadow, Kempston anciently used with (e);
(i) sixty acres of arable “in three severall Seasons” near The Box, Kempston and Bridge End, Kempston
“His Grace has this deed” [see R6/5/12/19]
(IV) Will of Henry Lowen of 3 August 1717 confirming the jointure to his wife Elizabeth;
- devising the Rose Inn, Bedford in the occupation of Richard Boston to his wife to increase her jointure;
- bequeathing £10 to his wife for mourning;
- devising and bequeathing the residue of his real and personal estate to his father-in-law Robert Bell and his friend William Staines, innkeeper in trust for the child with which his wife might be pregnant at his death, if she was not pregnant then in trust for his sister Elizabeth Horton, widow;
- appointing Elizabeth Horton sole executrix and appointing that she should pay Elizabeth Lowen an annuity of £25 during the joint lives of Elizabeth Lowen and Margaret Lowen (as provided for in the marriage settlement) giving security as approved by William Staines and Robert Bell when they conveyed the real estate to her. “His Grace has a copy of this Will” Q. “Is this the House mentioned in the preceding deeds?” A. “This refers to another estate, viz the Rose Inn purchased by the late Duke of Bedford” [see R6/5/2]
(V) Settlement by lease and release of 15 and 16 October 1717
Parties:
(i) Robert Bell of Bedford, esquire; William Staines of Bedford, vintner, devisees in the will of Henry Lowen of Bedford, gentleman, deceased;
(ii) Elizabeth Lowen of Bedford, widow of Henry Lowen;
(iii) Elizabeth Horton of Bedford, widow;
(iv) John Horton of Kettering [Northamptonshire], gentleman; Francis Brace of Bedford, gentleman
Reciting:
- Lease and Release by way of marriage settlement of 26-27 April 1716, the release between (1)Robert Bell and Mary, his wife; Elizabeth Bell, spinster (2) Henry Lowen; (3) William Aspin and William Edwards in which Elizabeth Bell and Henry Lowen were to be married and (1) and (2) released (a)-(u) to (3) in trust – (a)-(p) to the use of Robert Bell before the wedding then to the use of Henry and Elizabeth Lowen for the life of the longest lived, then to the use of their heirs and in default to the use of the heirs of Henry Lowen; (q)-(u) to the use of Henry Lowen before the wedding then to the use of Henry and Elizabeth Lowen for the life of the longest lived, then the use of the heirs of Henry Lowen;
- the marriage took place and Henry Lowen is since dead without issue;
- R6/5/12/21;
- Elizabeth Lowen was not pregnant so Elizabeth Horton became entitled to (a)-(u) subject to payment of the annuity of £25 per annum to Elizabeth Lowen, her jointure and life interest in the Rose Inn, Bedford;
- “diverse disputes have arisen” between Elizabeth Lowen and Elizabeth Horton concerning payment of the debts of Henry Lowen and their respective rights to his real estate and an agreement of 15 October 1717 between the two women stated that Elizabeth Lowen was to have (a)-(p) in fee along with the half year’s rent due at Michaelmas last as her jointure in return she would release her right to all other real estate of Henry Lowen and (i) would join her in conveying the Bromham, Kempston and Bedford land to Elizabeth Horton
Operative Part:
- (iv) gave 5/- each to (i), (ii) and (iii);
- (i), by direction of (ii) and (iii) released and (ii) and (iii) released (a)-(u) to (iv)
Property:
(a) capital messuage formerly in the occupation of Thomas Palmer in Keysoe;
(b) 36½ acres of land in Keysoe;
(c) pightle of pasture of one acre called Hollowayes Grove in Bolnhurst;
(d) 11½ acres of arable in Keysoe as described in a terrier affixed to an indenture of 23 March 1641 [1642] between (1) Walter Richards and Thomas Kent and Elizabeth, his wife and (2) Thomas Palmer;
(e) two closes of pasture called South Batemans containing 12 acres in Pertenhall, Wood End Field E, Batemans Groves W, Batemans Close N;
(f) close of pasture called West Batemans in Pertenhall of three acres;
(g) Batemans Groves in Pertenhall of six acres;
(h) North Batemans in Pertenhall containing twelve acres lying next to Batemans;
(a)-(h) purchased by Robert Bell, father of Robert Bell from Edward Palmer, citizen and skinner of London;
(i) four acres of arable in Wood End, Bolnhurst purchased by Robert Bell senior from Samuel Pryor of Keysoe and described in an indenture of 23 July 1678;
(j) cottage in Keysoe Row with King’s Highway N and between tenements of John Sheard and Peter Alcock;
(k) close of pasture adjoining (j) containing one acre;
(l) seven acres of arable in Keysoe;
(m) one acre of meadow in Hardwick Meadow, Keysoe
(j)-(m) purchased by Robert Bell senior from Stephen Wagstaffe;
(n) pightle of pasture called Lawn Pightle in Keysoe containing two acres formerly in the occupation of Richard Hall and purchased by Mary Bell, mother of Robert Bell from Richard Hall and Joan, his wife;
(o) one acre of arable in Keysoe in Lawn Field abutting on Little Field W, land late of William Coales E and Lawn Closes N; formerly in the occupation of Thomas Biscoe, clerk and purchased by Mary Bell from Thomas Biscoe;
(p) 11½ acres of arable in Keysoe purchased by Mary Bell from John Peacock and described in an indenture of 24 December 1688;
(a)-(p) in the occupation of Nathaniel Alcock and John Bull
(q) messuage in Kempston and Bromham formerly in the occupation of Thomas Green then [blank] Staines and John Fowler with the orchard adjoining;
(r) close of pasture lying near (q) called Home Close;
(s) two closes of pasture called Bushey Closes in Kempston and containing fourteen acres;
(t) five roods and one swarth of meadow in Box Mead, Kempston anciently used with (q);
(u) sixty acres of arable in the several seasons in or near The Box in Kempston and Bridge End, Kempston
Habendum
- (a)-(p) to (iv) to the use of (ii) for ever;
- (q)-(u) to (iv) to the use of (iii) for ever
“This settlement did not comprise the premises in Bedford but Lowen to indemnify the settled premises from any annuity payable out of them, the Swan Inn in Bedford (but not the premises in this Abstract) to Trustees for 99 years”
“The premises in this Abstract are not property mentioned in this deed but if Lowen was seized of them at his death it is apprehended that all his real estate passed by the General Words description”.
“His Grace has the Release. The Lease for a year is wanting” [see R6/5/12/22]
“N. B. Elizabeth Horton died ,any years since intestate and upon her death all her real estate descended unto Henry Horton as her only son and heir at law, which said Henry Horton died without issue and intestate upon whose decease all his real estate descended unto William Staines of Biddenham, gentleman, her cousin and heir at law”
(VI) Will of William Staines of 22 February 1772
- devising an annuity of £15 to his daughter Mary, wife of Robert Savill issuing out of his real estate in Wootton;
- devising an annuity of £10 per annum to John Freeman of Woburn, Thomas Gurney of Kempston and Richard Lovesey of Bedford during the life of his sister Margaret Whitworth for her sole use arising from his real estate in Wootton;
- devising his real estate in Bromham and Kempston to his son Henry apart from those parts settled with the jointure for Henry’s wife, for his life remainder to the testator’s grandson William;
- remitting all rent money owed to him by his son Henry on the real estate in Kempston and Bromham;
- devising an annuity of £60 per annum to his wife Mary arising from his real estate in Kempston and Bedford;
- bequeathing all household goods and farm stock to his wife Mary;
- bequeathing £50 to his wife Mary;
- bequeathing £200 to his daughter Mary Savill;
- bequeathing £1,000 to his daughter Elizabeth Staines;
- bequeathing £500 to his daughter Edith, wife of James Hallowell;
- bequeathing £500 to his daughter Dinah, wife of William Whitworth;
- bequeathing £1,000 to his daughter Sophie Staines to be paid when she became 21 or when she married, whichever came first, meanwhile paying interest to her at the rate of 4% per annum;
- bequeathing £100 to his grandson William Staines when he became 21;
- bequeathing £500 to his grandson Henry Staines when he became 21;
- bequeathing £300 each to his granddaughters Elizabeth and Mary Staines when they became 21;
- bequeathing £50 to Sarah, daughter of Thomas Partridge when she became 21;
- devising all his real estate in Bedford, Kempston (not devised above) and Wootton to his son John;
- devising the residue of his real estate in Bromham, Biddenham and Bletsoe ho his son John;
- if John Staines died before he became 21 and without issue the real estate was to devise to the testator’s grandsons William and Henry equally as tenants in common;
- bequeathing the residue of his personal estate to his son John; if he died before the age of 21 without issue the personal estate was to be bequeathed equally between the testator’s children and grandchildren;
- appointing his son John and John Freeman, Thomas Gurney and Richard Lovesey as executors;
- bequeathing 10 guineas each to John Freeman, Thomas Gurney and Richard Lovesey and charging them with management of the estate devised to John Staines until he became 21;
- witnesses: Benjamin King; William Thomas; James Clarke;
- codicil of 1 November 1772 bequeathing to his five daughters Mary Savill, Elizabeth Staines, Edith Hallowell, Dinah Whitworth and Sophia Staines £200 each over and above the bequests in his will;
- bequeathing £500 to his grandson Henry Staines over and above the bequest in his will;
- bequeathing to his two granddaughters Elizabeth and Mary Staines £200 each over and above the bequests in his will;
- bequeathing £200 each to his grandsons William Hallowell and William Whitworth;
- remitting all arrears of rent owed to him by his daughter-in-law Elizabeth Staines if she paid the arrears among her four children;
- if two disinterested reputable farmers valued the farming stock at Biddenham at less than £1,000 then he bequeathed the difference between the shortfall and £1,000 to his wife;
- revoking the appointment of John Staines as an executor
“His Grace has a copy of this Will” [see R6/5/12/23] Q. “are there any incumbrances affecting the premises” Q. “Is Mr. Staines married and if he is are the premises in settlement” “N.B. The wife of testator is dead and the premises in Bedford were charged with no other annuity than the annuity to his wife”