Summary of  Family Properties as at 1455

 

It is rather difficult to ascertain the true extent of the families property holdings,  as I have already mentioned  a great number of  families did not state the full extent of their estate in official documents, and even though our ancestors were in a position of authority, I don't see why they should be any different from the rest of the population,

 

 As rough estimate I have estimated that their total holdings would have been in excess of  more six hundred acres in properties that  they did declare,  with probably another three hundred which they probably didn't being in apposition to fiddle the books.

 

 On top of the above should added probably a considerable amount of land which they did not actually own. But was granted to them during the recipients, lifetime for which he could collect  rents. Although these lands were usually passed on their heirs and successors for a period of numerous generations,  on payment of a peppercorn rent.

 

 One such transaction was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Dorset Henry V. 1413. in a transcript of  a somewhat convoluted document, an agreement by William Chaldecott and Robert Rempston agreeing that they would pay to a Walter Dernford a Brian Jerrad. The price of 40 marks of silver, and thereafter a rent of one pound of pepper per year.

 

 This was for a twenty acre meadow and various other pieces of land at Langton and Swanage. This rent to be paid to Walter and Brian and their heirs and successors forever.                         

 

 Land which was declared in official documents

Kimmeridge area

 

1. A large house with fields and Mooreland grazing rights in excess of approximately 120 acres this was over the years referred to as Chaldecotts,   

 

2 .East Creech a house and lands of approximately  50  acres or more, 

 

3. East and West Orchard  house and land probably about 130 acres,

0ther. 

 

 Quarleston  near Winterborne Stickland a large farm house with approximately50acres

 

Elsewhere in Dorset                                                                                                                                                    

 

  A house and  farmland in Wareham  known as North Hungerhill  With land of an area of  about  50 acres.

 

On top of these listed above they also owned land  and properties in Shaftesbury  and Dorchester  Also  Hilton, Buckland Newton  and  Sherborn also land and properties in Somerset  some of  these were  initially held under grant.

 

 After this period when William and Richard became of age these holdings would be divided and then over the next few generations. Each of these heirs descendents would add to these over a period, but  after the early 1600,s  family holdings would dwindle as the days of vast land acquisition faded.   The main reason for this was that the largest proportion  of descendants of  one particular branch of the family were female. therefore a  great deal, of this property went to them and their husbands,    

and would disappear from the family ownership forever.

     

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