L30/11/301/54

Letter from Charles H Ware, Gray's Inn, to Amabel, Baroness Lucas. [Typed transcript available]

10 Sep 1800

From: 1800 To: 1800

'Madam, Your Ladyship will receive inclosed Mr Hutchins's receipt for the two first installments of income duty upon your Ladyship's last return. The installments of stock upon the land tax contracts transferrable before the 1st of August last were transferred in due time by virtue of a power of attorney to Messrs Hoares and an order which your Ladyship signed before you left London. Mr Whatley who receives your Ladyship's small rents in Wiltshire was here yesterday. The lands held by Mr Adamson have been sold in lots and the purchasers express an inclination to introduce their own lives. I told Mr Whatley, as your Ladyship had authorised me to inform Mr Adamson's agent before the sale, that the purchasers might have the accommodation they desire upon reasonable terms, and I have desired each purchaser to send up a description of the life to be substituted and the particulars of his own lot. I expect the terms will be ready for settling on your Ladyship's return to London. The son of old Benjamin Musson of Burbage having other business in town has called here. He says his Father's health is far from good and he hopes to be permitted to succeed him if anything should happen to remove him, He says the wheat crops in that country are considerably below ye average crops but the barley and oats are abundant. A scheme is on foot to erect a steam mill at Hinckley (the next town to Burbage) the water mill seems to have been given up. I propose to go to Colchester about the end of this month, and shall probably be back about the time of your Ladyship's arrival. I have the honour to be, Madam, your Ladyship's obliged and faithful humble servant, Chas. H Ware. P.S. An application has been made to me by Lord Sandwich's agent. Your Ladyship's estates in Bedfordshire are subject to the payment of fee farm rents to his Lordship viz £65 0s 1 3/4d Manor of Clophill £32 6s 8d Canoe £3 0s 0d Water Mill Clophill His Lordship has discovered that these fee farm rents were granted by the Crown to his family by K. Charles ye 2nd before the Acts were passed which subject other fee farm rents to the full land tax; and therefoe instead of allowing at the rate of 4s in the pound out of the above rents he contends that he is not obliged to allow land tax beyond the actual amount or rate of land tax in the places where the Estates lie out of which the rents issue. As the land tax is high in Bedfordshire it will not make a material difference to your Ladyship; but Lord Sandwich's rents are so numerous (amounting to about £3,000 p. ann) that the difference in the whole to him will I am informed be not less than £300 or £400 p. ann. I have not yet had an opportunity of investigating the question.'

item

Ware, Charles H,
Lucas, Amabel, Baroness,
Hoare's Bank,
Hutchins,
Whatley,
Adamson,
Musson, Benjamin,
Montagu, John, 5th Earl of Sandwich

estates correspondence, general taxation, Land Tax, Wiltshire, Burbage, Hinckley, wheat, barley, oats, MILLS, water mills, Colchester, Cainhoe, Clophill Manor, CLOPHILL, Clophill Mill, fee farm rents