The table below gives details about who owned and occupied the house. The sources for information vary; the records pre 1800 are mainly manor court rolls. Every time a property changed hands, even between family members, the transaction had to be recorded at the manorial court. The names of those who surrendered and those who were admitted and the entry fines they paid were written in the rolls of parchment by the clerk. An entry fine was paid to the lord of the manor and the new owner was given a written copy of the transaction, hence the term copyhold.
All records were in abbreviated medieval latin until 1752 except for a short period during the commonwealth between 1650 and 1660.Freehold property is rarely mentioned but can sometimes be found in the manor rentals. It is difficult to trace the history of a house as addresses are never given ad therefore the only way is to use the owners name or very occasionally the name of the house.
Post 1800 there are many more sources of information although actual addresses are not used until mid 20th century. One method of identifying a house in the records is by the description of the land that went with it or the annual rent paid to the lord of the manor which often didn’t change over a hundred years.
The table is arranged over five columns. The first gives the year of the record and the second is the source document sometimes with a reference number. The next two columns record the transfer of ownership and the occupier of the property. Click on the names to link to the people database. Sometimes there is no link to the database so go to the people page on the top navigation bar and simply type in the name you are searching for. The search function returns all documents where the name searched for appears in that document. Click on a name match to view the document in which that name appears. When viewing a record that contains other names, it is possible to perform a new search on that name by clicking on the name link.
The last column shows information about the property and any comments
date |
source | owner/buyer | occupier | comment |
| 1544 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1544 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1545 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1545 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1546 | Court roll/HALS | Joan Taylor transferred ownership to Thomas Peche | Messuage half a virgate Joan Taylor and her son Francis surrendered a messuage | |
| 1546 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1546 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1549 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1549 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Peche | ||
| 1552 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | John Wilkynson transferred ownership to John Wilkynson | Messuage. Crabbes 6 ac | |
| 1553 | Rental/ HALS | Thomas Peche transferred ownership to John Wilkyns | Messuage. Church End Copyhold mess with 6 acres adjacent called Crabbes in tenure of John Wilkyns, formerly Thomas Peche, before of John Wilkynson | |
| 1577 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | John Wilkyns | John Wylkyns | messuage half virgate where John lived |
| 1577 | Rental/ HALS | John Wilkyns transferred ownership to Ralph Copcote | William Hammond | Messuage. Church End John Wilkyns surrenders 1 tenement and close called Crabbes in Church End with 6 acres to Ralph Copcote |
| 1577 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | John Wylkyns transferred ownership to Ralph Copcote | Tenement. Crabbes a close adjoining and 6 ac | |
| 1585 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Ralph Copcote transferred ownership to Beatrice Copcote | Messuage. Crabbes 1 close adjacent and land | |
| 1585 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Ralph Copcote transferred ownership to George Copcote | tenement Crabbes | |
| 1585 | Rental/ HALS | Ralph Copcote transferred ownership to George Copcote | Messuage. Church End Ralph Copcote surrenders to wife Beatrice and son George 1 mess and close called Crabbes with 6 acres | |
| 1603 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | George Copcote transferred ownership to Robert Collison | Tenement. Crabbes 1 and a half ac close of pasture and 6 ac arable | |
| 1603 | Rental/ HALS | George Copcote transferred ownership to Robert Collison | Messuage. Church End George Copcote surrendered 1 tenement with1 half-acre pasture, called Crabbes,6 acres arable to Robert Collison | |
| 1610 | Rental/ HALS | Robert Collison | Messuage. Church End Robert Collison holds land called Crabbes rent 6 shillings | |
| 1628 | Rental/ HALS | Robert Collison | House with 6 acres called crabs | |
| 1628 | Rental/ HALS | Robert Collison | Messuage. Church End old house demolished and new one built | |
| 1628 | Rental/ HALS | Robert Collison | Messuage. Church End Robert Collison holds 1 mess with 6 acres of land called Crabbes, rent 6 shillings | |
| 1642 | Tax to relieve British army in Ireland | John Collison | living in Pirton | |
| 1645 | Parish Register of St Ippolyts | Thomas Collison | Messuage. Church End John Collison married Mary Bigge | |
| 1650 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Robert Collison | James Collison | Messuage. Church End John Collison and Mary live at Crabbes |
| 1659 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Robert Collison transferred ownership to John Collison | John Collison | Messuage. Church End John Collison admitted to hall and chamber, next to it barns ,outhouses as nephew of Robert Collison |
| 1663 | Hearth Tax/ National Archives | Robert Collison | Robert Collison 2 hearths | |
| 1704 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | John Collison transferred ownership to Elizabeth Fordham | John Collison | Messuage. Church End John Collison who dwells at Crabbes House dies and leaves it to his granddaughter Elizabeth & husband Ralph Fordham gent |
| 1738 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Elizabeth Fordham transferred ownership to William Townsend | Messuage. Church End Elizabeth Fordham of Therfield left Crabbes House to William Townsend of Hertford, watchmaker but he died before being admitted. Therefore her nephew Thomas Carrington was admitted | |
| 1767 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Thomas Carrington transferred ownership to John Pestall | Messuage. Church End Thomas Carrington, watchmaker, London surrendered to John Pestall of Lower Stondon Beds | |
| 1792 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Thomas Carrington transferred ownership to James Whittingstall | Messuage. Church End Thomas Carrington surrendered to James Whittingstall, Miller and mealman of Orton Head | |
| 1802 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | James Whittingstall | Messuage. Church End Cox was Whitingstalls trustees Property was enfranchised, freehold, no longer copyhold of the Manor of Pirton. Owner James Whittingstall | |
| 1811 | HALS | George Whittingstall | Issac Hodson | |
| 1818 | Enclosure award/HALS | George Whittingstall | house, yard and close 1 acre 1 rood 38 perch old enclosure | |
| 1841 | Census 1841 | William Furr | Near Great Green William Furr – Agricultural labourer age 20 | |
| 1851 | Census 1851 | William Furr | William Furr – Butcher age 33 | |
| 1855 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | William Furr | Butcher. | |
| 1861 | Census 1861 | William Furr | William Furr – Butcher age 43 | |
| 1863 | Rates/HALS | William Cox | William Furr | Messuage. Church End Tenant is William Furr pork butcher, owner William Cox. House and premises, 1 acre 19 perches, rateable value £9 12 s |
| 1864 | Cassey – trade directory/HALS | William Furr | Butcher. | |
| 1871 | Census 1871 | William Furr | William Furr – Butcher age 53 | |
| 1877 | Sanitation report/HALS | Mr Cox | William Furr | 1/2dwelling house with garden. Well, drainage-None. 7 inmates sharing 3 living rooms, 4 sleeping rooms and Privy |
| 1877 | Sanitation report/HALS | Mr Cox | Isaac Pearce | 1/2dwelling house with drainage-None. 2 inmates sharing living rooms, sleeping rooms and Privy |
| 1878 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | William Furr | Butcher. | |
| 1881 | Census 1881 | William Furr | William Furr – Butcher age 63 | |
| 1882 | School admission register/HALS | Goliath Burton | Ellen Burton born 1/7/1874 enrolled 1882 | |
| 1883 | School admission register/HALS | Goliath Burton | John Burton enrolled 1883 | |
| 1885 | HALS | Goliath Burton | Herbert David Burton born 13/7/1881 enrolled 5/1/1885 | |
| 1886 | School admission register/HALS | Goliath Burton | Pirton. Charles Burton born 19/8/1879 enrolled 1886 | |
| 1891 | Census 1891 | Goliath Burton | Nr The Church. Goliath Burton – Agricultural Laborer age 47 | |
| 1901 | Census 1901 | Goliath Burton | Nr The Church. Goliath Burton – Farmer age 56 | |
| 1909 | Register of electors/HALS | Goliath Burton | Dwelling house, yard and close | |
| 1909 | Register of electors/HALS | Charles Burton | House, yard and close | |
| 1910 | Rates/HALS | William Cox | Goliath Burton | House & premises Nr The Church 3 rood 14 perch gross value £17 0s rateable value £12 15s |
| 1910 | Rates/HALS | William Cox | Goliath Burton | Buildings & land Nr The Church 2 rood 26 perch gross value £1 2s rateable value £1 0s |
| 1910 | Rates/HALS | William Cox | Goliath Burton | Messuage. Church End Goliath Burton was the tenant and William Cox trustees owned property |
| 1911 | Register of electors/HALS | Charlotte Burton | house, yard and close | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Herbert Burton | 4 rooms. 4 in household Herbert Burton Farmer – age 29 | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Jane Burton | 4 rooms. 4 in household Jane Burton – age 33 | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Jack Burton | 4 rooms. 4 in household Jack Burton – age 3 | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Frederick Burton | 4 rooms. 4 in household Frederick Burton – age 1 | |
| 1912 | Register of electors/HALS | Herbert David Burton | land Near The Church | |
| 1912 | Register of electors/HALS | Charlotte Burton | house, yard and close Near The Church | |
| 1913 | Register of electors/HALS | Herbert David Burton | land Near The Church | |
| 1913 | Register of electors/HALS | Charlotte Burton | house Near The Church | |
| 1914 | Register of electors/HALS | Herbert David Burton | land Near The Church | |
| 1914 | Register of electors/HALS | Charlotte Burton | house Near The Church | |
| 1915 | Register of electors/HALS | Herbert David Burton | land Near The Church | |
| 1915 | Register of electors/HALS | Charlotte Burton | house Near The Church | |
| 1917 | WW1 farm survey/HALS | Mr H Burton | small holding at Pirton 1917-1917 occupier | |
| 1917 | WW1 farm survey/HALS | H D Burton | Glebe Land, Pirton 1917-1917 occupier | |
| 1923 | Oral | William Cox transferred ownership to Herbert Burton | Herbert Burton | Messuage. Church End H Burton[son of Goliath], sitting tenant bought the farmhouse from the Cox Trustees |
| 1924 | WW1 farm survey/HALS | Herbert Burton | Pirton 1917-1924 occupier | |
| 1934 | Original rates/Hofton | Herbert Burton | Herbert Burton | Messuage. Church End Herbert Burton owned property rateable value£20 |
| 1935 | Original rates/Hofton | Herbert Burton | Herbert Burton | house and premises gross value £20 rateable value £12 |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Eunice Gregory | married DOB 14/11/1913 Unpaid domestic duties Age 26 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Herbert D Burton | Crabtree Farm married DOB 13/7/1881 Agricultural labourer Age 58 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Isabella J Burton | married DOB 20/3/1877 Unpaid domestic duties Age 62 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Norman J Burton | single DOB 29/3/1908 shop feeder in aircraft lab Age 31 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Leonard A Burton | single DOB 2/3/1918 incapacitated Age 21 | |
| 1953 | Oral | Herbert Burton transferred ownership to Jack Burton | Jack Burton | Messuage. Church End Norman Jack Burton inherited the house on the death of his father Herbert Burton |
| 1994 | Oral | J | the death of Jack Burton and house sold |
