Old Stratford Toll Houses


Map of Old Stratford 1608 showing the gate across the Watling Street on the north side of Old Stratford.

Northampton to Old Stratford Turnpike
1861 Thomas Pratt 53 Farmer of Tolls Collector Wellingborough Northants
Turnpike House 1871 Thomas Pratt 63 Shoemaker Wellingborough Northants

British History on line TOLLS OF OLD STRATFORD.

In 1542 all the Crown estate in Cosgrove and Deanshanger was annexed to the honor of Grafton on its establishment. The honor appears not to have acquired any land in Old Stratford, but did own one quit rent there and also what were later described as the tolls of the town of Old Stratford. In 1586 it was noted that no rent had hitherto been answered to the queen for the tolls, but that George Ferne (who was evidently in possession) was willing to pay 5s . a year in return for a 21-year lease with no fine, to which the Crown agreed. Either he or a namesake was granted a new lease for 40 years in 1607, at the same rent but on payment of a £5 fine.

In 1646 John Hillier the elder of Potterspury conveyed to his son of the same name, in return for board and lodging, his house in Potterspury and his other possessions, which included the unexpired years in his lease of the toll of Old Stratford. Four years later it was noted that the improved rent of the tolls was worth £5 a year, that they had recently been held on lease by John Hillier and Thomas Fish, and that they had been out of lease for three years, during which time Hillier and Fish had retained possession. Robert Hillier took a new lease for a fine of £16 in 1666.

The tolls were included in the grant of the honor to the earl of Arlington in 1673 and continued to be leased in reversion by Queen Catherine's trustees until her death in 1705. In 1675, when they were said to be in the tenure of John Hillier, they were leased for nine years from 1687 to Samuel Rolt, the tenant of the manorial demesnes at Alderton, and in 1691 they were granted to William Forster for 15¾ year from 1696, still at 5s. a year, to keep up a term of 21 years. In 1702 William Plowman of Blisworth, who a year before had been granted a new lease for 10¾ years from 1711 and had taken an assignment of Forster's lease, in turn assigned the lease to John Hillier of Old Stratford in return for a fine of £16. In 1757 Sarah French, the daughter of Thomas French of Old Stratford, successfully applied for a lease of the tolls for 21 years at £25 a year, and this sum appears in the estate rentals (under Potterspury) for most of the 18th century. In the 1830s Sarah Webb was being paid about £5 a year to keep the toll at Old Stratford, until it was discontinued at Lady Day 1837.

The toll keepers were people who looked after the roads, made sure that any ruts were filled up etc.; but these keepers did not always do their job properly, even though they were receiving money from the people who travelled along the roads. The money was supposed to pay for any repairs. These tolls houses were stationed beside turnpikes. The toll house on the corner of Passenham road was barred by white gates which were built by the toll keeper himself. The toll house had narrow windows so as the toll keeper could see any coach, wagon, party of riders or solitary horseman approaching. This meant that the toll keeper had time to have a good look at his customers before emerging from his house, to collect the fees and open the gates.

Most of the toll houses were heavily shuttered for protection and most toll gate keepers carried a blunderbuss in case they needed protection.

The tolls in Old Stratford were annually put up for auction. In 1802 the tolls were leased by Mr Cockerill for £584. However these tolls were not in use for long and there was great rejoicing in Old Stratford. An Ox Roast was held in the Barley Mow field in celebration.

Some of these old Toll Houses still survive as pleasant roadway dwellings, although none survived in Old Stratford.

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In the 17th century the “Toll Gate” and “Turn Pikes” came into use. The word toll means a “Payment made in return for a privilege”.
In the whole of England, during the days of the coaches, there were 7,800 toll gates.
There were five toll gates in the neighbourhood of Old Stratford.
These were situated at:
A. the south side of Old Stratford bridge on Watling Street.
B. On the Watling Street opposite the Furtho Garage
C. Near the Dog’s Mouth Bridge in Cosgrove on the Northampton road.
D. Close to Home Farm, which now stands on the Deanshanger Road.
E. At the Passenham turn on the Deanshanger Road.

This last is where the actual Toll House stood underneath the trees. This house completely disappeared at the beginning of the century. One of the last known Toll Gate Keepers in Old Stratford was the grandfather of Mr R. Kitely.


In 1772 just after the highway was repaired from Old Stratford to Dunchurch the toll payments were raised as follows:
Pack horse or other horse ½d – 1d
20 cattle 6d – 10d
20 sheep 1d – 5d
20 hogs 3d – 5d

The toll keepers were people who looked after the roads and made sure that any ruts were filled up, and so on. These keepers did not always do their job properly, even though they were receiving money from the people who travelled along the roads. This money was supposed to pay for any repairs. The toll houses were stationed beside turnpikes.

The toll house on the corner of Passenham road was barred by white gates which were built by the toll keeper himself. The toll house had narrow windows so as the toll keeper could see any coach, wagon, party of riders or solitary horseman approaching. This meant that the toll keeper had time to have a good look at his customers before emerging from his house, to collect the fees and open the gates.

The toll keepers were very careful for they never knew whether their customers were business men or highway men!
Most of the toll houses were heavily shuttered for protection and most toll gate keepers carried a blunderbuss in case they needed to defend themselves.

The tolls in Old Stratford were annually put up for auction, so that people could purchase the toll rights and make a profit from them if they could. In 1802 the Old Stratford tolls were leased by Mr Cockerill for £584.

However these tolls were not in use for long and there was great rejoicing in Old Stratford when they were abolished. An Ox Roast was held in the Barley Mow field in celebration.
Some of these old Toll Houses still survive as pleasant roadway dwellings, although none have survived in Old Stratford.


1841 Watling Street Toll House Edward Hawkes 30 Farmer of Tolls N
1851 Thomas Whitehead 30 Toll Collector Leckhampstead Buckinghamshire
1871 Henry Reynolds 32 Toll Gate Keeper North Newington Oxfordshire
1841 Passenham Toll House Samuel Baker 30 Toll Collector
Y
1861 Samuel Barker 52 Toll Collector Dodford Northamptonshire
1871 Emma Barker 41 Toll Gate Keeper Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire
1861 Toll House James Aries Toll Lettee Boddicott Oxfordshire
A later map of the Toll Gates around Old Stratford