Scope and Content
Parties:
(i) Jane Hart, late of Warfield [Berkshire], now of Wimpole Street [Middlesex], widow of Thomas, late of Warfield, esquire and a daughter, coheir and devisee of Sir John Cotton late of Stratton, Biggleswade, baronet, deceased by Dame Jane Cotton his widow;
(ii) John Hart Cotton of Saint James, Westminster [Middlesex], esquire, only son of (i) and Thomas Hart and devisee in the will of Robert Pulleyn, late of Saint Neots [Huntingdonshire], esquire, deceased;
(iii) Sir Robert Burdett of Foremark [Derbyshire], baronet; Charles Jennens of Copshall [Leicestershire], esquire
Reciting:
(I) Agreement of 28 May 1764
Parties:
(1) Jane Hart;
(2) John Hart Cotton
Reciting:
- (1) was entitled to a house, pictures and furniture in Hill Street, Berkeley Square [Middlesex] in the possession of Lord Shelburne [William Petty alias FitzMaurice, 3rd Earl of Shelburne] [(ba) below] and a house, pictures, furniture and land in Warfield [(ae)-(az) below], in the possession of Humphrey Bellamy subject to a mortgage made to a man named Prade for securing £5,000;
- (1) was entitled to several manors in Steeple Gidding [(bb)-(bj) and (bm)-(bt) below], Stilton [(bl) below], Sawtree [(bk) below], Denton [(bu) below] and Folksworth [(bw) below] [all Huntingdonshire] and Feering [Essex] [(bx)-(bz) below] of which she was partly in possession as a daughter and co-heir of Sir John Cotton and partly expectant on the death of her mother subject to several annuities;
- (1) was entitled to an estate in Ireland of annual value £150
Operative Part:
- (1) conveyed her estates to (2) and permitted him to take the rents as income as well as to take a quarter of the purchase money for the estate of Stratton, Biggleswade sold to Charles Barnett, esquire [R6/6/2]
(II) (i) by her marriage settlement was entitled to a yearly rent charge of £800 arising out of a plantation estate in Saint Christopher [now Saint Kitts in the West Indies] belonging to (ii) ((a)-(c) below) and (ii) assured a further £600 per annum to (i) out of the same estate with a proviso that it should arise from other estates in Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire if the Saint Christopher estate was not sufficient
(III) (i) undertook: to redeem the mortgage to Prade; to pay the £1,500 per annum paid by (i) to Thomas Holles of Lutterworth [Leicestershire] and to discharge a quarter of the annuities given by his father
(IV) (i) undertook to convey to (ii) her estates in Middlesex, Berkshire, Huntingdonshire, Essex, Ireland and purchase money from the Stratton estate
(V) (ii) redeemed the mortgage to Prade and paid £1,500 to Holles
(V) (i) and (ii) had conveyed the Irish estate away
(VI) (ii) had received a quarter of the purchase money for Stratton from Barnett
(VII) (i) and (ii) agreed to convey the estates to the use of (ii) in return for a rent charge of £600 per annum
Operative Part:
- (i) conveyed to (ii)subject to an annual rent charges of £800 and £600
Property:
(a) land in Basseterre, Saint Christopher containing 4,440 square feet bounded: N by Fort Street 44 feet; E land of Giles Mardenborough junior 111 feet; S the sea shore 40 feet; E land of Richard Holmes esquire, deceased 111 feet [no W mentioned no doubt one of the two E abuttals is an error for a W abuttal];
(b) plantation in Basseterre containing 200 acres bounded: N by the common path from the house late of Colonel McDowall to the Fountain River and separated from it by the “Surplusage of the said Plantation” and from lands of Dame Frances Stapleton and by a “Line which separates the Mountain part of the said Plantation from the other part of its Surplusage”; W by part of the River path; NW by a Crop Path leading to the Fountain Path “towards the River and Divides it from Land now or late in the Possession of Mr. Augustus Boyd”; S partly by the “Cutt running round the foot of Monkeyhill” [due north of Basseterre and west of Conaree Village] and partly by land of John Douglas and the surplusage of his plantation; E by land of William McDowell and the surplusage of the plantation;
(c) plantation at “Frigget Bay”, Basseterre of 70 acres bounded : W by land of Peter Thomas; NW by land of William Woodley senior and partly of John Africa; NE by the Half Moon Pond [not a [pond but a section of the sea north-east of Frigate Bay]; SE by land of John Douglas
(a)-(c) with all: “Negro Slaves, Houses, Edifices, Buildings, Horses, Stock, Cattle, Cattle pens and Sheep Penns, Coppers, Stills, Utensils, Sugar Pots, lands, tenements, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas, Woods, Underwoods, Ways, Paths, Streams, Ponds, Watercourses”;
(d) Manor of Hartford alias Hertford [Huntingdonshire] with: a farmhouse; several pieces of arable land in the open fields of Hartford containing 360 acres; Church Meadow and East Meadow totalling 28 acres; four closes of pasture called Home Closes totalling 14 acres; all in the occupation of Leonard Waller;
(e) orchard in Hartford in the occupation of Manning;
(f) cottage in Hartford with liberty of fishing in the River Great Ouse in the occupation of John Bird and William Merry;
(g) farmhouse and Home Close of 1.5 acres in Hartford with: 180 acres of arable; 14 acres of meadow called Church Meadow and East Meadow; a pightle of half an acre; a close of pasture called Sapley Close adjoining Hartford Heath containing 2 acres – all in the occupation of Thomas Stanley, innholder;
(h) pightle now used as an orchard in the occupation of Manning;
(d)-(h) devised to (ii) by the will Robert Pulleyn
(i) capital messuage in Saint Neots in the occupation of James Forster;
(j) adjoining close of pasture in the occupation of James Forster;
(k) cottage adjoining (i) in the occupation of William Kitchen;
(l) the Poorhouse in Saint Neots in the occupation of the overseers of the poor;
(m) cottage in Saint Neots;
(n) messuage in Duck Lane, Saint Neots in the occupation of William Richards;
(o) six cottages in Cambridge Street, Saint Neots in the occupation of John King, , Henry Richardson, William Hall, Richard Roycroft, Oliver Pickering and Thomas Atwood;
(p) osier bed in Saint Neots adjoining the River Great Ouse in the occupation of Henry Richardson;
(q) Trap Close of four acres in Saint Neots;
(r) Farm Close with dovehouse containing 2 acres;
(s) pightle of land in Saint Neots of 3 roods;
(t) 2 acres of arable in Saint Neots of which one acre was at a place called Sports Sands and the other was at a place called Whinnalls
(q)-(t) in the occupation of John Rawlings
(u) 3 roods in Saint Neots Meadow in the occupation of Thomas Nickles
(i)-(u) devised to (ii) by the will of Robert Pulleyn
(v) two cottages in Little Paxton [Huntingdonshire] in the occupation of William Walker, Robert Linford and Widow Malden;
(w) a close of three roods adjoining (v) formerly in the occupation of Ilsey, now William Knott;
(x) two closes in Little Paxton called Wood Closes of 7.5 acres in the occupation of William Pamplin;
(v)-(x) devised to (ii) in the will of Robert Pulleyn
(y) two cottages in Upton [Huntingdonshire] in the occupation of Robert Yearnes and John Buck;
(z) Pearsons Piece of pasture in Weston Field, Upton containing 10 acres in the occupation of John Freem;
(aa) several pieces of pasture in Upton containing 35 acres in the occupation of John Freeman;
(ab) Quinces Close in Upton of 6 acres ;
(ac) meadow called Pound Close of 4 acres in Upton in the occupation of John Freeman
(y)-(ac) devised to (ii) in the will of Robert Pulleyn
(ad) pieces of pasture called Pulleyns Pastures of 40 acres in Crandon [Huntingdonshire] in the occupation of John Brown – devised to (ii) in the will of Robert Pulleyn
(ae) mansion house and gardens “as far as the canal” in Warfield of 6 acres; with pine house and greenhouse;
(af) Great and Little Butterstakes containing 10 acres;
(ag) Little Hogwells of 1.5 acres in Warfield;
(ah) Little Hogwells in Binfield [Berkshire] of 1.5 acres;
(ai) Great Hogwells near the Porticos in Binfield of 5 acres;
(aj) ground adjoining the Great Pond in Binfield of 4 acres;
(ak) ground either side of the serpentine river in Binfield of 12 acres;
(al) ground adjoining Dunce Lane, Warfield of 4 acres;
(am) The Orangery or The Woodlands of 2 acres in Warfield;
(an) The Cascade, Binfield of 2 acres;
(ao) the two ponds, serpentine river and canal in Warfield of 6 acres of water;
(ap) land of 28 acres called The Ridings, Waits Ground, Goars Ground and Gutter Grate;
(aq) Hodgson’s Land, Warfield, of 16.5 acres including the Holme Closes and Tylers Grate;
(ar) 5 acres in Warfield called Fennell’s or Milton’s Land including Corner Close, Gason Meadow and The Piddle;
(as) Smith’s Piddle in Warfield adjoining (ae) and containing 3 acres;
(at) Miller’s Meadow, Warfield of 2 acres;
(au) messuage called the Bottle House, Warfield in the occupation of George Searle;
(av) cottage called The Castle, Binfield in the occupation of S. Fish;
(aw) 3.5 acres of arable in Church Field, Warfield with a copse of 2 acres called Pidwell Copse in the occupation of John Milton;
(ax) farmhouse opposite (ae) in the occupation of John Kentin;
(ay) Scotland House, Warfield in the occupation of William Grace and Elizabeth Gough;
(az) land in the occupation of William Boyer of Warfield - 2 acres of arable in West Croft, 2.5 acres of arable in West Croft, 4 acres of arable and 1 acre of meadow in Church Field;
(ba) messuage in Hill Street, Berkeley Square formerly in the occupation of Jane Hart, now the Earl of Shelburne;
(bb) a quarter of the Manor and advowson of Gidding Abbotts alias Steeple Gidding [Huntingdonshire];
(bc) 5 pieces of land called Fourteen Acres, Leys Little Hills, Upper Walk, Nether Walk or Lower Walk and Ploughed Field of 141 acres formerly in the occupation of William Chambers;
(bd) messuage and two pieces of pasture called Stump Field and Stump Field Meadow of 36 acres in the occupation of Thomas Brown;
(be) 2 pieces of pasture called Ashwell Leys and Great Meadow of 57 acres in the occupation of John Gray senior;
(bf) messuage and five pieces land called Allpitts, Allpitts Great Meadow, Allpitts Little Meadow, Simpsons Close and Mitchells containing 161 acres formerly in the occupation of Thomas Mathew;
(bg) messuage and 7 pieces of land called Home Close, Barn Close, Stuckmore Hole, Shepherds Bush, Great Ploughed Field, Little Ploughed Field and The Grove containing 162 acres formerly in the occupation of John Memby;
(bh) three pieces of pasture called Throlowe, Tholowe Great Meadow and Throwloe Little Meadow of 63 acres in the occupation of Thomas Wells;
(bi) three pieces of arable called Bricklin Meadow, Little Piece and Ploughed Field containing 35 acres in the occupation of William Spriggs;
(bj) pasture called Millers Close of 6 acres in the occupation of Edward Orson;
(bb)-(bj) were held by Sir John Cotton
(bk) cottage and 120 acres of land purchased by Sir Thomas Cotton, deceased of John Bevil in Sawtree Beam and Sawtree Moines formerly in the occupation of James Fisher junior;
(bl) Manor of Hemmington in Stilton with lands formerly in the occupation of Thornhill, John King, John Langley, Thomas Rhodes, Joseph Palmer, Esther Wise and John Rhodes
(bm) messuage and three pieces of land called Home Close, Wakelin and Wakelin Meadow containing 82 acres in the occupation of William Chambers in Steeple Gidding;
(bn) two pieces of land called Hall Yards and Ley or Ley Close formerly divided into five closes called The Yards, Dovecote Close, two Cow Closes and Six Acres containing 44 acres in the occupation of Thomas Browten
(bo) messuage and five pieces of land called Home Close, Great Cow Pasture, Little Cow Pasture, Little Meadow or Ashwell Leys Meadow and Town of Common Field containing 143 acres in the occupation of John Gray senior;
(bp) piece of pasture called Gregory’s Close or Long Close of 6 acres in the occupation of John Quemby;
(bq) piece of pasture called Townsend Close of 42 acres in the occupation of Thomas Wells;
(br) three pieces of pasture called Hanghill Great Meadow and Hanghill Little Meadow containing 71 acres in the occupation of John Knighton;
(bs) two pieces of pasture called Berry Pond Close (formerly Church Close) and Round Meadow containing 4 acres in the occupation of Francis Ladds;
(bt) piece of pasture called Parsonage Close or Tebbs’ Close, formerly called Drewell’s Close containing 4 acres in the occupation of Everard Penn;
(bm)-(bt) all in Steeple Gidding and Hamerton [Huntingdonshire]
(bu) a quarter of the Manor and advowson of Denton and lands formerly in the occupation of Robert Newborne, Edward Wallis, Mary Lee, widow, William Slade, Francis Abbott, Robert Bird, Thomas Francis, Samuel Cauless, Robert Quincey and Edward Norwood and now in the occupation of Thomas Sanderson, Samuel Hooper, Rowland Ward, Widow Yerdsey, Richard Butler, Henry Gregory, the late John Walpole, Thomas Coe, Widow Forster, Widow Towell, Edward Dawkin and Joseph Carter;
(bv) pasture in Caldecote [Huntingdonshire] of 48 acres in the occupation of Thomas Sanderson;
(bw) messuage in Folksworth in the occupation of William Sanderson;
(bx) messuage in Feering called Cockerill’s or Cockerall’s Farm of 80 acres including Upper Birds Lane abutting Langley Hall N Lower Birds Lane abutting Old House SE, Cross Field abutting Cole Lane NW and Mill Lane SE, High Meadow abutting Cole Lane NE and Home Field in the occupation of Jeremiah Raven;
(by) site of the Manor of Feering and the Parsonage of Feering with all tithes ;
(bz) watermill called Feering Mill
(bx)-(bz) as described in lease granted by the Bishop of London to Dame Jane Cotton of Denbigh and George Gibson of Biggleswade
Habendum
- (a)-(ad) to (iii) to allow (i) an annuity of £600, to the use of (iii) for 100 years, in trust for (ii), to the use of (ii) for ever;
- (ae)-(bz) to (iii) in trust for (ii). to the use of (ii) for ever