Scope and Content
Austin of Shefford
paper, 11 pp.
abstracting as follows:-
i) Indentures of Lease and Release by way of conveyance from John Phipps to William Lucas the younger and Joseph Lucas, both of Hitchin (Hertfordshire), brewers, in consideration of £1,250 (of which £700 had been apportioned as the price of the freeholds), of (inter alia freehold, and certain copyhold, hereditaments) 2 cottages or tenements in Shefford formerly in the occupation of George Hunnibun and Thomas Fisher and then of Elizabeth Hughes and John Franks 15/16 Jul 1813
Habendum: one undivided moiety to William Lucas and his assigns for life, remainder to Joseph Lucas, his executors etc. during the life of William Lucas in trust for him and his assigns, remainder to William Lucas in fee simple; the other undivided moiety to Joseph Lucas and his assigns for life, remainder to William Lucas, his executors etc. during the life of Joseph Lucas in trust for him and his assigns, remainder to Joseph Lucas in fee simple
Covenant by John Phipps that the land is free from incumbrances except chief rents to the Lord of the Fee
ii) Will of Joseph Lucas, 24 May 1828, in which, after devising certain estates whereof he was solely seised upon trust for sale, he devised his moiety of divers freehold estates which by his father’s will were left to his brother William and himself as tenants in common and the freehold estates which his brother and he had purchased as co-partners (e.g. see i)) to William Brown of Hitchin (Hertfordshire), baker, William Exton of Grove Mill, Hitchin, banker and Joseph Sharples of the same, gentleman, their heirs and assigns upon trust to sell and dispose thereof unto his brother William Lucas
Probate in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 7 Feb 1833
iii) Indentures of Lease and Release, 2/3 Oct 1834, by way of conveyance, between William Lucas of the first part, William Brown, William Exton and Joseph Sharples of the second part, Joseph Lucas of Hitchin (Hertfordshire), brewer, of the third part, Elizabeth Mary Clarke of Shefford, spinster, of the fourth part, and Joseph Jordan of Redbourne (Hertfordshire) of the fifth
Reciting i) and ii), and more particularly the devise in the latter of the testator’s moiety of the estates purchased by himself and his brother William as co-partners; that the testator died without having altered his will leaving Joseph Lucas (the third party) his eldest son and heir at law; that the 2 tenements below were, on 27 June 1834, offered for sale by public auction at the George Inn, Shefford by order of William Lucas and the devisees in trust at which sale Elizabeth Mary Clarke became the purchaser for £256; and that the said Joseph Lucas agreed to join in the conveyance
Conveyance, in consideration of £128 paid to William Lucas and £128 paid to William Brown etc. (the devisees in trust) and 10s paid to Joseph Lucas by Elizabeth Mary Clarke, from William Brown etc. (so far as concerned the estate limited to Joseph Lucas, deceased, in trust for William Lucas, and at the request of William Lucas), Joseph Lucas (heir at law, at the request of William Brown etc. and William Lucas, so far as concerned the moiety late of Joseph Lucas, deceased, only), William Lucas (as to the moiety limited or assured to uses in favour of him in trust for him) and William Brown etc. (devisees in trust, so far as respected the moiety devised to them, and with the concurrence of William Lucas) to Elizabeth Mary Clarke and her heirs in fee simple of 2 tenements in the occupation of Thomas Odell and William Odell as undertenant to William Clark
covenant by Joseph Jordan as purchaser at the auction of hereditaments of greater value and therefore the holder of Indentures as in i) to produce the same to Elizabeth Mary Clarke
iv) Certificate of contract: for redemption by Elizabeth Mary Clarke of 10s..4d Land Tax charged on the said premises 10 Jan 1835
receipt for £17..3s..4½d consideration endorsed
v) Certificate of Registry and exoneration to accompany iv), signed by William Garnett, registrar 16 Feb 1835
vi) Bargain and sale from Elizabeth Mary Clarke to the Reverend Charles Threlfall of Shefford, Roman Catholic priest, and Robert Oliver, late of 34 Coleshill Street, Pimlico (Middlesex), but now of Silsoe, surveyor, for the term of 12 months to vest possession under the Statute of Uses and give effect to vii) 17 May 1838
vii) Conveyance by way of Marriage Settlement as recited in X753/2 18 May 1838
Abstract here also records that the Indenture recited that Elizabeth Mary Clarke was possessed of divers freehold estates at Shefford and was entitled to an annuity of £20 payable by the Bank for Savings ‘established at the Town of Bedford’ and that upon the treaty for the marriage it was agreed that her estate should be settled to her separate use during their joint lives with the reversion/remainder in fee to the survivor; the parcels as follows:-
a) 2 cottages etc. as in X753/2
b) a messuage lately erected by Elizabeth Mary Clarke on part of the garden belonging to or held with a)
and that power of sale and exchange during their joint lives was included but such power was never exercised as was power for the appointment of new trustees which also was not acted upon
viii) That the marriage took place at the Roman Catholic Chapel in Shefford, ‘A Registered Building under the Modern Marriage Act’ 1838
ix) That Elizabeth Mary Clarke died leaving Brian Larney (see X753/2) surviving her 9 Jul 1839
x) Instrument of conveyance as in X753/2 11 Apr 1842
xi) Probate of the will of James Parrott of Shefford, butcher and victualler, in which after bequeathing a legacy, gave all the residue of his personalty and all his real estate to his wife Lucy Parrott, her heirs, executors etc. (according to the respective qualities thereof) and appointed her executor of the will 3 Sep 1843
xii) Codicil whereby James Parrott gave certain directions in respect of the legacy but not in anywise affecting the realty; and confirmed the will and in particular, to pass his real estate purchased since the execution thereof. 17 Feb 1844
Probate in the Archdeaconry Court of Bedford 14 Jul 1845
xiii) Probate of the will of Lucy Parrott of Shefford, widow, in which she appointed her nephew William Gilbert (son of her late sister Elizabeth Gilbert) and her friend George Crouch of Campton, gentleman, to be her executors and after giving certain legacies and directing that the residue of her personalty be converted into money, gave to her executors all her real estate upon trust during the life of her sister Hannah Driver to let the realty and out of the clear rents and profits thereof and the income (if any) from her residuary personalty to pay Hannah Driver £15 per annum half yearly commencing from Lucy Parrott’s decease and to invest the residue that the same might accrue during her life and at her (i.e. Hannah Driver's) decease, upon trust to sell all the executrix’s real estate and apply the proceeds as therein mentioned (and to facilitate such sale, Lucy Parrott authorised the same to be effected by auction or privately, together or in lots as the trustee(s) might think fit, etc.) 18 Oct 1846
xiv) Codicil in which Lucy Parrott directed her trustees to pay, out of the rents, profits, and income of the trust estate and funds, £15 per annum to her sister Emma Aires commencing from Lucy Parrott’s decease; and directed that the sale of her real estate and division of the trust funds should be deferred until the deaths of Hannah and Emma; and that the property should be let in the meantime and the surplus of the rents etc. (after satisfying the annuities) accumulated during their lives and the life of the survivor and should then be applicable as directed in her will 17 Nov 1846
xv) Further codicil revoking a bequest in her will of £50 in favour of her sister Emma 30 Oct 1847
xvi) Death of the testatrix 2 Apr 1848
xvii) Probate of her will and codicils by George Crouch and William Gilbert in the Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford 3 Nov 1848
xviii) Statutory declaration [?draft prepared shortly after deaths of annuitants; see, and note date of, X753/7 and, in respect of xix), X753/8], before a Commissioner to administer oaths in Chancery, by George Crouch (executor and devisee in trust under Lucy Parrott’s will) setting forth that he was well acquainted with Hannah Driver, late of [ ] in [ ], sister of the executrix and annuitant in her will; that the annuity of £15 per annum made payable in the will was paid from Lucy Parrott’s decease for the residue of Hannah Driver’s life; that Hannah Driver died at [ ] in [ ] on [ ] and the annuity thereupon ceased and expired 1856
xix) Similar statutory declaration (u.s) [?unsigned] by William Gilbert of Bedford, cordwainer (executor and devisee in trust under Lucy Parrott’s will) in respect of Emma Aires, widow, of ‘St ...’s’ in the county town of Bedford declaring due payment of the annuity for the life of Emma Aires who is now deceased [details of date of death etc. again omitted; see note in square brackets against xviii)]
Dorse: note in pencil recording ‘Old cottages pulled down and a new Dwelling house erected by the late Mr Parrott [cf.X753/2 (a)) with X753/3 (b) and X753/5]. Bakehouse and other buildings since added by Mr Baron. Insured at £300’