Scope and Content
(1) Indentures of feoffment dated 10 April 1660
Parties:
(i) Thomas Paley of Saint Mary in Bedford, apothecary, and Ann his wife
(ii) Felix Boulstead of Bedford, mercer
Operative part: (i) conveyed to (ii) for £92
Property:
(a) messuage with appurtenances wherein Katherine Paley, widow, then dwelt (not on lease from the rector of the parsonage or church of St Mary) on Bridge Street being next to the inn known as the White Hart [note in margin: 'since pulled down']
Covenant to levy fine
(2) Lease and release dated 12/13 August 1691
Parties:
(i) John Bolton of Felmersham, clerk, and Catherine his wife, daughter and heir of the late Felix Boulstead of Bedford, mercer
(ii) Robert Franklin of Bedford, tanner, and Elizabeth his wife and Mary Burridge of Bedford, widow, and Robert Bouskill of Bedford, cordwainer
Operative part: (i) conveyed to Robert Franklin for £107 3s
Property: as in (1)
Habendum: to be held unto Robert and Elizabeth Franklin for life and the remainder to the rest of (ii)
(3) Indentures of fine dated Michealmas 1691
Parties:
(i) Robert Franklin and John Chaulton, plaintiffs
(ii) John Bolton and Catherine his wife, James Alson, William Harding and Elizabeth his wife and William Bolton and Mary his wife, deforciants
Property:
(a) one messuage, two cottages, 3 orchards, 4 acres of land, 4 acres of pasture with appurtenances in Bedford and at Sharnbrook, Wootton and Houghton
(4) Bond from John Bolton to perform covenants dated 23 August 1691
(5) Abstract of will of John Favell of Gloucester, Excise Officer, dated 17 July 1749
- to son Walter Favell of Hope under Dinmore in Hereford, writing master: unspecified sum of mone, wearing apparel etc and all his real estate
- to wife Elizabeth Favell: £100 as per his security with John Hayward, mercer, and Samuel Hayward, barber, both of the same city, and all his personal effects
- Elizabeth Favell appointed executrix and Peter Cox, gentleman, and Henry Waith, malster, both of the same city, to be trustees
[note in margin: 'Immaterial. It does not appear that Testator had any estate he could devise']
(6) Lease and release dated 7/8 December 1758
Parties:
(i) Walter Favell of Kingston in Hereford, schoolmaster and eldest son and heir of the late Mary Favell (formerly Mary Franklin) and the late John Favell formerly of Bedford but since of Gloucester, excise officer, and Esther wife of the said Walter Favell
(ii) John Christmas of Bedford, joiner, and William Richardson of Clophill, inn holder, nominated in trust for John Christmas
Operative part: (i) conveyed to (ii) for £118
Property [written on reverse]:
(a) all that messuage divided into two dwellings in the parish of St Mary in Bedford on Bridge Street formerly in the occupation of Catherine Paley, widow, but then in the occupation of John Sweepson and Joseph Ireland and lying next to the White Hart; that part of the said messuage then in the occupation of John Sweepson being then known by the name of the Royal Oak
Covenant to levy fine
(7) Indentures of fine dated Hilary Term 1759
Parties:
(i) John Christmas and William Richardson
(ii) Walter Favell and Esther his wife
Property: two messuages, 1 barn, 1 stable, 1 shop, 1 garden, 1 orchard in the parish of St Mary, Bedford
(8) Lease and release dated 1/2 May 1759
Parties:
(i) John Christmas and Ann his wife and William Richardson
(ii) William Bailey of Cardington, waggoner, and Martha his wife
Reciting: (6), the £118 paid by (i) to Walter Favell in the above lease and release were the proper monies of (ii) and were only intended to be made use of trust for (ii)
Operative part: (i) conveyed to (ii)
Property: as in (6)
Covenant to levy fine
(9) Deed to lead to uses of a fine (mortgage) dated 29 May 1766
Parties:
(i) William Bailey and Martha his wife
(ii) William Staines of Biddenham, gentleman
Operative part: (i) to secure £300 from (ii) with interest at £4 10s per cent per annum
Property:
(a) two newly erected brick messuages being Bridge Street in the parish of St Mary, Bedford, in the occupation of Lawrence Willis, grocer, and Thomas Cox, gentleman, lying next to the White Hart inn
(10) Extract of will of William Staines dated 22 February 1772 [on reverse of previous page]
- to son John Staines: all his messuages, lands etc. in Bedford, Wootton and Kempston not already devised subject to payment of annuities and additional property in Bromham, Biddenham and Bletsoe
- in event of John Staines dying before the age of 21 then properties to pass to his grandsons William and Henry Staines as tenants in common
- John Staines, Richard Gurney and Richard Lovesey to be executors
- codicil dated 21 November 1772 revoking appointment of John Staines as executor
- [note at bottom of page that John Staines married and died without issue]
(11)-(13) Three receipts for monies received by Richard Lovesey in satisfaction of the mortgage dated 29 October 1773, 2 August 1777 and 5 January 1778
(14) Mortgage dated 30 January 1781
Parties:
(i) Martha Bailey of Bedford, widow of William Bailey of Cardington, deceased
(ii) Thomas Bushby and Francis Bushby, both of Ampthill and both tailors
Operative part: (i) to borrow £200 from (ii) with interest at £5 per cent per annum
Property: as above
Covenant to reduce interest to £4 10s on punctual payment
[notes in margin concerning proof of death of William Staines, deceased]
(15) Abstract of will of John Staines of Biddenham, gentleman, dated 30 January 1796 [on reverse of previous page]
- to wife Sarah Staines: all freehold and copyhold estates
- Sarah Staines to be executrix
(16) Indenture endorsed on (14) dated 13 June 1788
Parties:
(i) Thomas Bushby of Flitwick, yeoman, and Judith Walduck late of Ampthill but then of Maulden, widow, she being the only acting executrix under the will of Thomas Bushby the elder, deceased, both of whom were assigned the above mortgage under the said will
(ii) Thomas Green of Ampthill, gentleman
Reciting:
- default of payment of mortgage in (14) and the properties assigned to Thomas Bushby the elder and Francis Bushby became absolute
- death of Francis Bushby in May 1785 [note in margin re burial at Flitwick]
- indenture dated 30 July 1785 whereby Thomas Bushby the elder granted to (ii) all his real and personal estate, reserving to himself an annuity of £100
- death of Thomas Bushby the elder in November 1785 and left a will dated 20 June 1785 appointing (i) and George Boorlasse of Ampthill, surgeon, his executors
- (i) are now entitled to equal shares of the principal sum of £200 and interest still owing and wish to make an equal division of the mortgages and property owing
Operative part: (i) transferred (ii) for 10s in trust
Property: as in (14)
Habendum: (ii) to hold in trust for Thomas Bushby the younger and subject to redemption of mortgage by Martha Bailey
(17) Indenture endosed on (14) dated 14 June 1788
Parties:
(i) Thomas Green
(ii) Thomas Bushby
Operative part: (i) transferred to (ii) for 10s
Property: as in (14)
(18) Probate of the will of Martha Bailey dated 28 December 1781
- to Mary Cox of Bedford, niece: all real and personal estates
- to Martha Richardson, daughter of Laurence Richardson: her watch
- to Hannah Hallett and Martha the wife of William Hill: a mourning ring each
- residue to Mary Cox
- proved in Bedford by Mary Partridge, formerly Mary Cox
(19) Assignment of mortgage of 5 February 1800
Parties:
(i) Thomas Bushby
(ii) Mary Partridge, widow, formerly Mary Cox
(iii) Robert Whitworth of Cold Brayfield in Buckinghamshire, yeoman
Reciting:
- (12) and (15)
- since the making of the said will Martha Cox had married Thomas Partridge of Bedford, gentleman, now deceased
- (13) and another indenture dated 20 June 1788
- (ii) paid the interest on the mortgage and £200 was still owing
- (iii) agreed to lend unto (ii) the sum of £400, £200 of which was to go towards paying the debt to (i)
Operative Part: (iii) paid £200 to (i) and £200 to (ii) with interest at 5% per annum
Property: as above
[notes in margin re proof of marriage and death of Thomas Partridge, organist and alderman, in February 1789]
(20) Probate of the will of Mary Partridge of 10 October 1822
- to John Savill and William Manning, her nephews: two messuages in the parish of St Marys in Bedford now in her own occupation in trust to sell and divide the proceeds equally between themselves, Robert Savill of Elstow, yeoman, her nephew and her niece Mary Ann Newcom