Frome Deeds
The following information has been kindly provided by David Smart and Hilda Massey.
Information from estate papers relating to KING, POBJOY, ROSSITER, STEVENS and other families in the archives at Longleat. These were granted by the THYNNE family, Viscounts of Weymouth and later Marquesses of Bath.
Leases like this were commonly granted for 99 years provided three named persons ('lives') lived that long. Tenants often made their younger children 'lives'. When one 'life' died, a lease with a new life could usually be had by paying a premium. Earlier leases include feudal obligations to the lord of the manor, such as raising a dog, providing a heifer or labouring on the lord's land every year, but these were later converted into cash. A 'heriot' was payable when an heir took over the tenancy.
Lease dated 23 Jul 1691 | |
Reference: | Box 54H, Page 4 |
Lessee: | James DRUCE, Clothworker of Frome |
Property: | Plot of ground 30 ft long and 14 ft broad in Frome West Woodlands adjoining a piece of ground late in the possession of one Clements, with a stable, well, and well house erected on the same |
Former tenants: | - |
Term: | 99 years |
Lives: | Said James DRUCE, Matthew DRUCE Senior and Matthew DRUCE Junior |
Rent: | 2/6 p.a. |
Heriot: | 2/6 |
Signed: | James DRUCE |
Witnesses: | Henry DAMPIER, A. WARD |
Note: | In hand Midsummer 1753. Leased to Mary SINGER 25 Mar 1756 |
Lease dated 25 Mar 1756 | |
Lessee: | Mary SINGER |
Property: | Plot of ground 30 ft long and 14 ft broad in Frome West Woodlands with a stable, well, and well house erected on the same |
Former tenants: | James DRUCE |
Comments: | Mentioned in lease to James DRUCE dated 23 Jul 1691 on lives of James DRUCE, Matthew DRUCE Snr and Matthew DRUCE Jnr |
Lease dated 30 Mar 1631 | |
Lessor: | Edmond LEVERSEDGE of Vallis in Frome Sellwood and his son Robert |
Lessee: | Mathew DRUCE the younger, husbandman, & his wife Anne, and Anne their daughter |
Property: | Tenement, orchard, garden, and waste ground adjoining at Biddox Lake in East Woodlands, together with the waste land going up to the corner of William NORFOLK's close. Also common of pasture in the Lord's Common, which premises were in possession formerly of Thomas WRITTE |
Former Tenant: | Thomas WRITTE |
Lives: | Mathew DRUCE and Anne his wife and Anne their daughter. |
Premium: | 20/- |
Rent: | 3/4 and one fat hen |
Heriot: | 6/8 |
Attorneys: | William ANDROS, John BYSS |
Lease dated 17 Jun 1756 | |
Reference: | Longleat File 55H No. 37 Page 21 |
Lessee: | William POPE, Felt Maker of Frome |
Property: | 1) 6 ac. close of pasture or arable called Great Badcox, 2) 3 ac. pasture adjoining (1) called Little Badcox 3) 1 ac. arable in Frome West Field above Gt Badcox
|
Former tenants: | William IVYLEAFF, then James DRUCE, now William POPE |
Term: | Lives |
Lives: | William POPE, son of the lessee, John KNIGHT and Walter SHEPPARD, son of William SHEPPARD, Clothier of Frome |
Premium: | £60 and cancellation of a lease dated 8 Jul 1737 to the said William POPE |
Rent: £1 3s 9d p.a. | |
Heriot: | £3 10s |
Comments: | Cf lease dated 10 Jan 1788 to William SHEPPARD, Clothier |
Counterpart lease dated 17 Jun 1756 | |
Reference: | Longleat File 55H No. 37, Page 21, Folio 194 |
Lessee: | William POPE |
Property: | Various, in Frome |
Former tenants: | William IVYLEAF, then James DRUCE |
Attorney: | James ROSSITER, the lessor's Bailiff |
External note: | Cancelled and another lease to Wm POPE, 15 Jul 1784 |