HT1/11

Deeds to Property in Angel Street, Bedford, acquired by deed of exchange by the trustees of the Bedford Charity from John Sugars and Jenny Johnson, 1829

1669 - 1829

From: 1669 To: 1829

Note There is an apparent gap in the title between the conveyance of the property to Benjamin Coulson [HT1/11/10 & 11], and the next deed in the bundle in which John Berry of Bedford, schoolmaster, and John Berry of Wood Street, London, cordwainer, appear to each own a moiety of the property [HT1/11/12]. This gap may be partially explained by complex family relationships of the Colson, Elson and Berry families which are shown in pedigree from in CRT 190/236. This CRT also includes abstracts of the wills cited below by which the property in Angel Street passed from Benjamin Coulson to Mary Berry. Benjamin Co(u)lson retained the property in Angel Street from 1702 until his death in May 1715. ln his will [ABP/W1715/1] he devised all his real estate to his wife Ann for life, and then to his nephew Thomas Coleson of Ringstead, Northamptonshire. He excepted from this, however, his house in Angel Street and lands in the parish of St. Mary, Bedford, which had previously been settled in trust for the use of Benjamin and Ann Colson and their heirs. The house in Angel Street, therefore, became the property of Ann Colson under the terms of the tryst established by HT1/11/9. She died in October 1718, and in her will [ABP/W1719/23] she devised her "cottage or tenement in the occupation of Mrs. Katherine Cobb in the parish of St. Paul, Bedford" to her brother John Elson or Nelson, and the endorsement on HT1/11/2 confirms that this is the property with which we are concerned. John Elson died in November 1719, and devised this property, among other, to his nephew Richard Berry of Bedford, carpenter [ABP/W1719/69]. The house thus became the property of the Berry family, and in a deed of 1722 it is described as the messuage of Richard Berry [HF1/4/4]. Richard Berry died in 1726 and left all his real and personal estate to his widow, Mary Berry [ABP/W1726/24]. Mary seems to have died intestate in about 1738, and although the exact descent of the property cannot be given, it is clear that the property remained in the ownership of the Berry family until that date. From the deeds which follow, [HT1/11/12 onwards] it seems that John Berry, schoolmaster, (son of Richard and Mary Berry) and John Berry of Wood Street, London, cordwainer, (son of Thomas Berry and nephew of Richard and Mary) had become entitled to half shares of the property by 1739/40. John Berry, cordwainer, sold his moiety to John Sugars of Bedford following the marriage of John Berry, schoolmaster, and Ruth Sugars (daughter of John Sugars), and Anthony Berry (brother and heir of John Berry, schoolmaster) sold the other moiety to John Sugars after the death of John Berry, schoolmaster in 1741/2.

series

Bedford Charity,
Sugars, John,
Johnson, Jenny

title deeds, Bedford Charity, buildings and land use, BEDFORD, Bedford Angel Street