Ownership of Old Hall Farm: 18th Century


The Vere family seem to have acquired land around Brandon from several sources around 1800.By 1850 James Vere's estate in Brandon included the Old Hall, the shepherd's cottage (Toad/Berry Cottage) and Falcon Yard (the pasture around Old Hall Cottages).  Also several fields to the north west and south west of Brandon and the fields to the east of the Brant.


We're not clear yet how these came into the Garnar/Eggington/Vere family.  Land may have been exchanged with William Robinson, but that's not certain as the Robinson family seemed to have farmed the land but not necessarily owned it.  The previous ownership of some of the land was as follows:


a) Land bought from Ann Turner


1737   William Julian of Market Overton died, leaving land at Brandon (& elsewhere) to daughters  Catherine &  Elizabeth.


1738   Catherine Julian married John Turner of Garthorp, clerk.

           She owned Moore Close (4 acres) in Brandon & tithes from Hough rectory but made indenture in  favour of William Taylor of London.


1743  Elizabeth Julian married Thomas Wingfield of Market Overton, clerk.

           ½ of their rent from lands in Brandon owed to John Turner & Wm Turner (Taylor?).

1781 John Turner made a will leaving 3 closes in Brandon to his nephew John Chrichloe Turner.

1799 Ann Turner of Uppingham (widow) Sir John Chrichloe Turner of Marylebone & John Turner of the Middle Temple, plus Rev. Baptist Noel  Turner of Denton (witness?) leased 3 closes in Brandon [about ½ mile southwest of village] to William Robinson of Brandon, grazier: Long close (13 acres), How Moor Heads (16a. 3r.), Moor close alias Withy close alias Rickets close (4a).


b) Land bought from Ann & John Coddington


1766  John Coddington of Grantham, glover, willed his estate to his wife Ann, including a Close in Gelston known as  Gavelstone, occupied by  William Robinson.
                                                                  

1769  Ann Coddington of Grantham, widow, agreed to pay income from Moor Close (15 acres) in Hough, Gelston & Brandon, to Hazeldine  Crabtree  of Grantham, innholder & his wife Deborah (nee Coddington).  The other signatory is William Crabtree of Grantham, innholder.


1769   'Left hand indenture of a fine' between William Crabtree (plaintiff) v Ann Coddington &  Hasledine Crabtree & wife, defendents, re 5 acres of  land and 20 acres of pasture and common in Hough, Gelston & Brandon.


1769  Reversion of premises to John Coddington following death of Deborah Crabtree.

1785  Lease from Ann Coddington & John Coddington to Francis Robinson of Brandon, grazier, Close as above, occupied by Robinson..


c) Land bought from Cornelius Neep


1740  Priest Close (18 acres) in Gelston leased? by John Calcraft of Grantham, gentleman to John Whitehead of Fenton, grazier.


1743  John Whitehead died, leaving his wife Penelope land in Stubton and  Moor Close (8 acres) in Gelston.


1789  Priest Close, alias Moor Close, leased by Cornelius Neep of Westminster (nephew & heir of Penelope Whitehead) to Francis Robinson of  Brandon, farmer.

d) Land bought from Dr John Storer


1773  Agreement between Thomas Hall of Westborough, clerk and:Robert Waring Darwin of Elston, Esq;  John Darwin of Carlton Scroop (Lincs),  clerk; Elizabeth. Darwin of Elston, widow; William Alvey Darwin of Holborn, Middlesex, gentleman; Ann & Susanna Darwin of  Elston,  spinsters; Erasmus Darwin of the Close, Litchfield, doctor of Physic.
Relating to land including close at Hough on the Hill occupied by Thomas Gilbert and close at Temple Hill occupied by William Heward,  whereby Thomas Hall paid annual sum to Elizabeth Darwin.

1773  Will of Thomas Hall. (1775 Probate). Some of estate to eldest son Thomas, held in trust by his brother Rev. Robert Hall of Hawton until Thomas aged 24.
 £2000 to trustees for youngest son William.
 £4000 to daughter Elizabeth; she releasing all right to estate at Claythorpe to trustees for William.

           To trustees for William, land including Pasture Holmes, Hough.


1774  Codicil: close at Hough on the Hill (4a. 3r. 16p.) not to go to William, but appropriated to Westborough  Vicarage, on condition of receiving  Queen Anne's Bounty augmentation.

1780  Agreement between William Hall of Derby, gentleman, Roger Vaughton of Hansworth (Staffs), Esq &  wife Elizabeth, Rev. Thomas Hall of  Westborough, clerk and Erasmus Darwin, jun, of The Close, Litchfield (Staffs), gentlman.  Covenant to levy a fine on premises at Hough for  use of William Hall.


1781  Fine.  Erasmus Darwin, jun, gent, plaintiff
 William Hall, gentleman, Roger Vaughton, Esq & wife Eliz., & Thomas Hall, Clerk, defendants
 6 messuages, 4 cottages, 8 barns, 12 stables, 2 dove houses, 10 gardens, 10 orchards, 80a. Land, 50 acres meadow, 100 acres pasture in  Westborough, Bassingham, Norton- Disney, Claypole, Doddington, Hough & Sleaford.

1781  Marriage settlement between William Hall of Grantham, gentleman, Elizabeth Middlemore of Nottingham, spinster (under age) and her mother  Mary, wife of John Storer of Nottingham, doctor in physic.  John Storer & Job Charlton Brough of Lincolns Inn,  trustees.
 Estate includes 3 closes (9a. 3r. 33p.) at Hough on the Hill.


1794  Abstract of Wm. Hall's title to estate in the parish of Hough

1794  Elizabeth Darwin of New Sleaford, widow and Elizabeth Hall of Southwell, widow, lease to Francis Robinson of Brandon, yeoman, 3 closes  (9a. 3r. 33p.) in occupation of Thos. Dilbat & Jonathan Giley in Hough.   Trustees: John Storer & Job Charlton Brough; Geo. Hutton of Carlton  on Trent, gentleman.
 

1833   Indenture.  William Hutton of Carlton on Trent, gent to William Robinson of Brandon, farmer & grazier.


e) Estate at Gelston & Hough purchased from Nicholas Pilkinton


1768   Will of Thomas Sturtevant of Norwell, gentleman
 All real estate in Gelston & Hough on the Hill to nephews John & Edmund Hawkins, they paying £200 each to nieces Jane (wife of Francis  Raymond) and Mary Irevy, widow & Anne (wife of Thomas  Brown).

1791  Will of Edmund Hawkins of Wandon, Kings Walden (Herts), farmer

          All real estate at Gelston & Hough on the Hill to wife Mary for life, then to nephew William Raymond of  Potters Heath (Herts), farmer; charged  with payment of £4 p.a. to E.H's sister Ann Brown of Whitwell (Herts).

1792  Lease.  John Hawkins of E. Barkhamstead (Herts), farmer,& wife Sarah, by direction of Nicholas Pilkington of Grantham.  Joseph Benjamin  Smith of Newark, gentleman, trustee.

           ½ of a messuage & of Little Gate close (3a), Five Acre close (5a), Pudding Pork close (8a), Four Acre  close (4a), Nine Acres close (9a),  Hovel close (30a), Allen close (4a), Wheat close (30a), Weaving  close (5a), Hill close (12a), Seven Acre close (7a), Slipe close (2a), Drake Y ard close (3a), Overfields close (44a) all in occupation of William Machinder in Gelston.


1792  Extract of fine as in King's Silver Office, Michaelmas 1792
 J.B. Smith, plaintiff; John Hawkins & wife Sarah, defendants
 ½ of 2 messuages, 2 cottages, 3 barns, 4 stables, 2 curtilages, 2 gardens, 2 orchards, 300a. land, 300a. meadow, 300a. pasture & common of  pasture in Gelston.


1795  Ann Brown of Whitwell (Herts), widow to Mary Hawkins, widow.  Wm. Rayment (Raymond?) of Potters  Heath (Herts), farmer. Quitclaim of £4  p.a. charged on premises at Gelston & Hough on the Hill.

1795   Lease.  Mary Hawkins of Saundridge (Herts), widow.  Wm. Raymond, by direction of Nicholas Pilkinton  Thos. Jackson of Stamford (Lincs),  gent, trustee. ½ of all premises above


1795   Nicholas Pilkinton lease to William Robinson of Brandon, grazier.
 Little Gate close (3a), Five Acre close (5a), Pudding Pork close (8a), Four Acre close (4a) in occ. of Wm. Mackinder, all in Gelston.

 1795  Covenant.  Elizabeth Lunn of Hough, widow, to produce to William Robinson title deeds to above premises.

f) Estate at Caythorpe bought from Richard Asworth & others.


 1739  James Harryman & Andrew Lappis plaintiffs
 William Cappe & wife Hannah, Ruth Fletcher, widow, Turner Fletcher, William Elliott & wife Elizabeth, William Makinder & wife Mary,  deforceants.   3 messuages, 2 cottages, 20a. land, 6a. meadow, 82a. pasture, 32a. heath, 1/4 of 4a. pasture in Caythorpe, New Sleaford,  Leasingham, Osbornby & Gelston

g) Estate at Caythorpe purchased from Mr. Mackenes


1788   Thomas Mackenness of Lincoln, gentleman lease to Francis Robinson of Brandon (Lincs), grazier.  2 Branthill closes (20 acres) in occupation of F Robinson



The story continues in the 19th Century here.