Scope and Content
Thomas Wells, Shefford, farmer
James Humberstone, Upper Gravenhurst, farmer
John Fossey, White Hill, Luton, farmer
William Long, Upper Stondon, farmer
John Pope, Latimers, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, farmer
William Fossey, Houghton Regis, farmer
(arbitrators)
reciting Articles of Agreement of 1 July 1778 between
i) Reverend Laurence Smyth, Southill, Bedfordshire, clerk
ii) Thomas Smyth, Quickswood, Clothall, Hertfordshire, gentleman
iii) Isaac Eeles, Amersham, Buckinghamshire esquire
Jane Church, Hoxton, Middlesex, widow
Rebecca Page, Beccles, Suffolk, widow
which in turn recited that i), ii) and iii), as tenants in common, stood seized in estates in the three open and common fields called West Field, East Field and Middle Field in Sharpenhoe in Streatley, and that for improving their property they desired exchanges to put their land together, subject to Laurence Smyth's right to rectorial tithes, and various mutual covenants as to arbitrators, costs and baulks;
and that all grounds to be surveyed have been surveyed by Richard Davis a surveyor, and that it appears that some small pieces of land in the East Field belong to people not parties to the Articles of Agreement, but that the arbitrators have allotted land to them in the hope that they will accept it in lieu of their old land, and reciting that iii) are entitled to their property in these proportions, i.e. Isaac Eeles a full undivided third part; Jane Church a moiety of another undivided third part; Rebecca Page a full undivided third part and the other moiety of the other third part
Award of Arbitrators
East Field
... to the rector of the parish of Barton and the future trustees of Barton Charity Lands now occupied by Mr Luke Brasier:
1 rood 10 perches in East part of Hill House Shott adjoining Barton Field
... to Mrs Elizabeth Carter:
1 acre 1 rood 19 perches next to above
... to Samuel Brasier of Barton, gentleman:
3 acres 1 rood 21 perches adjoining above
... to Robert Howard, Kensworth, Hertfordshire, gentleman:
1 acre 18 perches adjoining above
and arbitrators recommend that these lands in the East Field be held as common field lands in the proper season subject to the same tenures etc. as they were respectively held;
... to Thomas Smyth:
14 acres 33 perches bounded by the remaining part of the Hill House Shott shooting to the Riddy, North, the road leading from Barton to Streatley and to Town Hole, South, reaching as far as the top of the piece called Coach Acre
... to Laurence Smyth:
9 acres 1 rood 36 perches called Cacraft, Coach Acre, South, Riddy, North
... to Thomas Smyth:
7 acres 2 roods 24 perches beginning with Coach Acre and shooting on a Cow Common by the side of the Riddy to the West, and East on the hill
... to Lawrence Smyth
4 acres 1 rood 6 perches adjoining above
... to Isaac Eeles, Jane Church and Rebecca, in their respective shares:
20 acres 28 perches adjoining above, and now called Dripping Pan Hole, Henlers and Briddy Mead Piece, shooting on the Hill, East and West, and parted by the Riddy in the middle (in which there is 1 acre 2 roods 21 perches belonging to Mrs Goldsmith of Luton)
... to Thomas Smyth:
Cow Hole 5 acres 1 rood 17 perches and Water Gutter Hole 4 acres 1 rood 27 perches adjoining the above
Middle Field
... to Laurence Smyth:
Smithcome Upper Shott adjoining East Field, together with 16 perches of land, part of Thomas Smyth's lands between the balks, and 26 perches of ground from the tops of lands shooting through the joint way from the Lower Shott, containing in all 7 acre 3 roods 13 perches abutting on the Hill, West, and on Lower Shott of Smithcome, East
... to Thomas Smyth:
Plot called Lower Smithcome Shott adjoining East Field and extending to Horshoe Hole, together with Horshoe Hole Piece and a piece between the balks, 17 acres 2 roods 2 perches, abutting West on Smithcome Upper Shott and East on Briddy Mead and Briddy Mead Acre and highway
... to Isaac Eeles, Jane Church and Rebecca Page:
7 acres 2 roods 26 perches adjoining above, abutting West on the Hill, on the highway that parts the above, and on Rood Shott
... to Thomas Smyth:
10 acres 38 perches adjoining last, part of Readycome Shott
... to Isaac Eeeles, Jane Church and Rebecca Page:
8 acres 6 perches adjoining above, also part of Readycome Shott
... to Laurence Smyth:
1 acre 3 roods 7 perches adjoining above, being part of two shotts called Readycome Shott and Rood Shott, adjoining land of said Laurence Smyth called Field Gate Piece, and shooting through the road and joint way
... to Thomas Smyth:
7 acres 2 roods 12 perches shooting West on road and Readycome Shott and East on enclosures called Hazles
... to Laurence Smyth:
10 acres 2 roods 20 perches adjoining above, part of Rood Shott, shooting West on Ready Come Shott and East on the Hazles and Box Mead (in which allotment lies intermixed 1 rood 7 perches land belonging to Samuel Brasier)
Box Mead is to remain to the same persons who are now owners or proprietors
... to Thomas Smyth:
a Cross Shott containing 1 acre 1 rood 14 perches adjoining East his own land called Seven Acre Piece
The lands in the Riddy, also piece called Three Acres over the Riddy and Briddy Mead belonging to Thomas Smyth; Briddy Mead Acre and Field Gate Piece belonging to Laurence Smyth; the two inclosures called Grass Hazles containing 7 acres 1 rood 21 perches, and Ploughed Hazles containing 8 acres 2 roods 19 perches shall remain to the same persons who are now the owners and proprietors
West Field
... to Thomas Smyth:
12 acres 3 roods 32 perches called Church Hole lying next to Broad Piece, as the same is now bounded by the road to Streatley and the Hill on the East and West
... to Laurence Smyth:
Plot being the ends of lands, part of Church Hole furlong, shooting over the road, together with other lands as far as West Hole, containing in all 4 acres 1 rood 36 perches, abutting on Sundon balk, North, and the Hill, South
... to Thomas Smyth:
10 acres 1 rood 22 perches beginning at that part of the field next to Sharpenhoe and ending at a balk in which a spring rises abutting on Crabb Tree Mead, North, and the road and Sundon Balk, South
... to Isaac Eeles, Jane Church and Rebecca Page:
17 acres 2 roods 7 perches abutting on Sundon Balk, South, and Crabb Tree Mead, Great Horse Mead and Abbots Piece, North
... to Thomas Smyth:
Plot adjoining last mentioned containing 14 acres 13 perches commonly called Markham Hole, shooting on the Hill, East, and part on the springs and part on the Hill, West
... to Laurence Smyth:
40 acres 37 perches part of Redside including the said Laurence Smyth's Twelve Acres Piece, Ten Acres Piece, Black Acre and Abbots Piece, abutting on Great Munt, North, on Little Horse Mead and the Brook, West, on Great Horse Mead, South, and on lands of Thomas Smyth, East
... to Thomas Smyth:
Plot in same field, the rest of Redside, containing 10 acres 3 roods 1 perch, abutting on lands of Laurence Smyth, North and West, on lands of Isaac Eeles, Jane Church and Rebecca Page, South, on Cow Common adjoining Crabb Tree Close, East
The mead called Great Horse Mead containing 6 acres 1 rood 35 perches, Little Horse Mead containing 3 acres 1 rood 3 perches belonging to Laurence Smyth, Crabb Tree Mead containing 4 acres 36 perches belonging to Thomas Smyth, and Broad Piece containing 5 acres 2 roods 1 perch, belonging to Isaac Eeeles, Jane Church and Rebecca Page, are all enclosed lands but lie according to the seasons with other Common Field lands, and shall remain to the same persons who are now the owners
All highways, roads, joint ways, drift ways and other ways, paths and passages for passing with horses, carts etc. over the three fields shall continue and remain as usual
Nothing in the Award shall make the separate allotments several, but they shall continue as Common Field Lands and be kept in proper and customary seasons
No compensation is allowed to Laurence Smyth for tithes great or small due to him as rector impropriate of the hamlet, but these tithes shall continue to be paid
Expenses to be one third by each party
Parties to make out titles and conveyances to each other
Expenses amount to £89..5s
Arbitrators seals and signatures 18 Dec 1778
witnesses: Richard Davis, Lawrence Times