Reference
RO27
Title
Houghton Park Estate and residue of term of years in part of Honour of Ampthill purchased by John Earl of Upper Ossory in 1804
Date free text
1659-1842
Production date
From: 1659 To: 1842
Scope and Content
This purchase consists of two separate properties purchased by separate conveyances (both of the same date) and each conveying the respective properties from the Duke of Bedford to the Earl of Upper Ossory
i) Manors of Dame Ellins and How End with Houghton Park Estate, formerly the Property of the Bruces and purchased by the Duke of Bedford from them in 1738
The principal deeds are RO27/18-19 which convey, for a consideration of £22,635 the manors of Dame Ellins and How End [the latter was in fact a spurious manor, see note in introduction to section RO2] and various lands around Houghton House. This was formerly the property of the Bruces and was conveyed by them to the Duke of Bedford in 1738
[see Register 1 page 273 ff.].This conveyance contains a good map showing the estate straddling the common boundary of the parishes of Ampthill and Houghton Conquest. This property was freehold and was conveyed to Ossory absolutely; most of the deeds in the section [numbers RO27/1-21] relate to it
ii)Part of the Honour of Ampthill (including the manors and advowsons of Ampthill and Millbrook) held of the Crown, for life of the Duke of Bedford
The deed RO27/22 conveys, for a consideration of £4,000 part of the Honour of Ampthill consisting of the manors and advowsons of Ampthill and Millbrook, Ampthill warren, the Market House and stalls in the market and profits arising from the market together with various other rights and payments and a number of houses in the town itself. These premises had been granted by the King by Letters Patent in 1756 to the Duke of Bedford for the life of himself, Lady Caroline Russell (later Duchess of Marlborough) and Francis Marquis of Tavistock. Letters Patent dated 1771 granted the above premises to John Duke of Bedford for the lives of Francis marquis of Tavistock (son of the aforesaid Marquis of Tavistock who was then dead) and the reversion on the deaths of certain persons during whose lives the said Duke was to hold the premises. The premises were granted by Letters Patent 1773 to Gertrude Duchess of Bedford, Caroline Duchess of Marlborough and Robert Palmer subject to trusts mentioned in the will of John Duke of Bedford during the life of John (subsequently 6th Duke of Bedford) in reversion on the death of several persons for whose lives the premises were to be held under the above mentioned Letters Patent [see Register 1 pages 313-325]. This property was conveyed to Lord Ossory to hold during the residue of the term for which the Duke held the premises from the Crown.
(Lord Holland purchased this estate from the Crown in 1820 for £14,561..17..1 although the Crown reserved to itself the advowsons and an annual rent charge of £50. The 1820 conveyance contains maps showing the premises concerned in Ampthill and Millbrook [see RH1]
iii) Drafts and Papers relating to Exchange 1804
a) Drafts etc. concerning freehold premises exchanged 1804
b) Drafts etc. concerning leasehold premises exchanged 1804
c) Other drafts and letters concerning exchange 1804
At the same time as Lord Ossory acquired the above premises from the Duke of Bedford, he conveyed to him a large portion of his own estate, chiefly in Lidlington, of 1,184 acres. For this conveyance see Register Volume III page 470, bundle 5, no.71
These two properties acquired by Lord Ossory together constituted a considerable block of property in Ampthill and Houghton Conquest which served to consolidate his estate. Similarly the acquisition of property in Lidlington was advantageous to the Duke, whose estate at this date lay chiefly in the west of the county
Reference
Level of description
sub-fonds