1754-1855

The following details for this period are taken from records in the SHS archives.

1754 The earliest record of the Crown and Castle identified to date is of John Chubb, Gent, who was the owner and born in Gt.Lynford (sic), selling to John Roddis, Gent, of Little Lynford (sic) for the sum of £60-00.

Sold with sitting tenants, in various cottages. Two messuages or tenements & appurtances in the parish of Sherrington (sic), the tenants were, Edward Brittain & Edward Latimer (sic) & three more cottages whose tenants were, James Thornton, John Hall & John Fisher. - With the yard or orchard, 36 yards long by 25 yards breadth at the end fronting on to the street, & 20 yards at the end abutting upon Mr Chubbs close (be the same more or less). The street lying to the East. John Coles bounds lying to the South & Jonathan Chubbs close lying North & West. The close was under the tenancy of Thomas Chilburn.

All of this was the Crown and Castle estate, that had been purchased by John Chubb from one Ann Lucas of Hitchin, in Herts on 3rd or 4th July 1752. There was a wall between Chubb's close and the Castle estate. It states in this conveyance that, John Roddis had good right to this estate, for quiet enjoyment, and free from encumbrances. He was married to Mary Roddis & was grocer by trade from Hampton, in Surrey.

May 1758, Mary Roddis sold the Castle to Mark Lane for £102 10s. We presume that John had died by this time. The estate boundaries had not changed, and the tenants were Edward Brittain, Edward Latimore (sic,) James Thornton, John Hall, Margaret Odell & Richard Fisher.

9th June 1758, Mark Lane and Martha his wife transferred the lease to William Hale, for £50 0s down and a peppercorn per year rent (if demanded) to William Hale, a yeoman of Emberton. Redeemable, for £50 5s by Mark & Martha. Here we have a problem: it seems that William Hale defaulted on payment in some way and with interest that payment was increased to £52 13s 9d. William still could not pay. This was then paid by Joseph Barringer, of Emberton, baker, & William Barringer, of Sherrington (sic) also a baker. 5s 0d also was given to William Hale, just to keep him quiet, one presumes. The lease was still over a thousand years, should it be required, this is so that the goodwill could be passed on in the landlord's will.

August 1768, The estate was purchased from Mark and Martha by the Barringers for £100 0s.

3rd July 1776, William Barringer, the younger, and William Barringer, the elder, both bakers of Sherington sold the Castle to Thomas Rogers of Newport Pagnell, who was a surgeon, for £120 0s.

5th April 1782, Thomas Rogers paid £20 0s to George Rose for his cottage - (lately owned by John Chubb). George Rose had purchased the cottage in 1779. A strategic move by one of them.

25th January 1786, Thomas Rogers sold the Castle to James Ogden of Newport Pagnell, for £170 0s.

August 1790, James Ogden and his wife Jane Ogden sold the estate to Thomas Odell, also of Newport Pagnell, who was a victualler, for £100 0s. Again, it looks as if through some sort of default in payment, the Castle was seized back by the Ogdens.

Then there is a gap in the details of the transactions, but the Castle passed from Odell to Kendal.

25th March 1797, William Kendal, poulterer of Sherrington (sic) had become the owner. He leased to Thomas Litchfield a collar maker from Olney, for £120 0s. Paying yearly, the now common one peppercorn, on the feast day of St Michael the Archangel, if demanded. The lease redemption fee was to be £120 0s, with no deductions whatsoever.

28th May 1808, A copy of the will of William Wainwright yeoman of Chicheley: he had died and passed his house on to his wife Martha. It was adjoining his son Joseph's house.

16th Aug 1814, Thomas Litchfield sold to Joseph Wainwright and his son John, Stephen Wainwright and John Hale Talbot, lace merchant from Olney. A conveyance was drawn up to Stephen Wainwright, but this was never executed as he died in April 1813.

March 1825, From the will of Jonathan Wainwright: J.W. left everything he owned to his 2 friends and executors: James Swanell, a farmer and grazier from Weston Underwood, and Richard Tandy of Sherrington (sic), a lace merchant.

April 1827, James Swanell and Richard Tandy, as executors, sold to Thomas Bell a hop factor from St. Johns Street, Clerkenwell and Thomas Miller, of Ely Place, Middx. for £400 0s. Joseph Winwright, otherwise Wainwright, was paid 10/-. Suddenly included in this sale is a slaughter house, and a tenant butcher Benjamin Criggs, and afterwards Thomas Platt, amongst all the other cottages, and yards etc. Also, other new names are included here: William Stafford, Thomas Goodman. The other tenants names are included also: Thomas Coleman, George Fossey, there formerly being 5 tenements noted, Benjamin Criggs, Jos. Palmer, John Fisher and Edward Jones.

April 1827, At this stage a Daniel Hooton, yeoman from Lavendon, enters the picture. As administrator of the Castle estate, Joseph Barringer, Sarah his wife and Susannah the daughter, and wife of the said Daniel Hooton, had all died and he was the only surviving member of the family. Letters of administration were produced, relating back to 1777 and 1814. Daniel Hooton was paid 10/- for this service.

29th August 1840, All new names at this time, between James Bell esq. of New Town, near Brampton, Cumberland, Joseph Bell, esq. of New Town also. William Nicholson distiller, of St. John Street, Middx, Richard Payne Nicholson, distiller, of St Johns St. and Richard Nicholson, distiller, of St Johns St. The estate was administered by Thomas Bell's eldest brother, James, as he died intestate. The estate had also passed to Mathew Bell, but he unfortunatly had also died. Tenants at this time were: Benjamin Criggs, butcher, then Thomas Platt, Jos. Winwright, Wm Stafford, Tho. Goodman, the late Thos. Coleman and George Tosser, Also Benjamin Criggs, Jos Palmer, John Fisher, Edward Jones and their assigns. Mary Bell neice of James was given a life interest in the estate, but excluding any husband she might take, during her lifetime, but he would not incur any debts from the estate either. The estate would pass on to any of Mary's children on her death and their attaining the age of 21. On the occasion that she had no heirs, to be passed on to neices and nephews of James Bell, namely Jane Bell, Ann Bell, Jas. Bell, Thos Bell, Hannah Bell, Margaret Bell, their heirs and assigns.

(There is a separate 24 page legal document of this transaction dated 29th day of August 1840. SHS.Ref Doc 0001)

December 1841, Letters of administration of the effects and estates of Jas Bell, deceased, to Jos Bell the brother and one of the next of kin of the said Jos Bell.

18th October 1843, Between Jos Bell, Wm Nicholson, Rc Payne Nicholson, Rc Nicholson, Jos Bell, Jos Richardson Gent from the City of Carlisle, Jno Barnfather, yeoman from Nook, Nether Denton, Cumberland, and Thos Haugh, grocer from Brampton, Cumberland and Joseph Carrick, from the same place. James Bell died in the month of May 1841, and Mary had died also.

It seems at this stage that the heirs to the estate were so diverse and varied that the estate was to be sold, and the cash divided up and distributed to the nieces and nephews, or put in trust for the ones under age.

Then the estate passed into the hands of Joseph Richardson, Jno Barnfather & Thomas Haugh for an undisclosed sum. Jane Bell had married John James Henderson, survived him and then sold her share after. Ann Bell married William Bell and were both living. James Bell was still living. Thomas Bell was still living. Hannah Bell married. Mitchell both were still living. Margaret Bell married. Little, both were still living.

(There is a full copy of this transaction in the form of a legal document dated 18th October 1843, SHS Ref. 0002)

June 5th 1848, The transactions are quite complicated now, but the Castle estate passed into the hands of John James Henderson, being the husband of Jane Bell. They married on 8th November 1843. He was Gent. from Justus Town (sic), Kirklinton, Cumberland.

James Bell had died 26th July & was buried on 30th July 1842, at Lanercost Abbey, Cumberland. Mary Bell, the neice, had also died on 27th Jan. and was buried at Lanercost Abbey on 31st Jan 1842, without marrying.

Jane became of age 21st of October 1847, then inheriting one sixth part share in the estate. Also borrowing £1300 0s and a further £500 0s from her cousin Jos Bell, he in turn carried on as landlord. There follows a long legal document about defaulting on the repayment of the loan, and the penalties of £5 0s in every £100 0s outstanding.

21st November 1855, Jane Henderson as absent landlord was a widow by now, living at Tarn Lodge, Nr Shipton, in the North Riding, Yorks.

Jos Bell had died July 1849, and left his executors to sort out his copyhold, customary freehold and leasehold herediments. They were John Barnfather, Thos. Haugh, Jos. Richardson, Jas Bell (son). Jane sold her share in the estate, which now included property in North Crawley and elsewhere, for the outstanding principal owing, £1,986 11s 10d. The tenants were William White and Thomas Jones, the brewer.

22nd November 1855, The Crown & Castle then passed into the hands of John Fordiss (or Fordiff) yeoman, of Highlaws, in the parish of Holme Culham. This now included the estate at North Crawley and elsewhere. He purchased the estates for £1,000 0s down and £4 0s per % per annum. (two sixth parts).

(The full account of the above abridged version, can be found in Sherington Historical Society archives, SHS Ref. Doc 0003.)