Home Ownership - Elmtree Farm Hambridge Way

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.

The following column shows all the information about the property and the last one gives any comments.

Date Source Owner/Buyer Occupier Comment
1552 Manor Court roll 48458 Edward Sam The tenement in Cotmore End called Crabbes in the tenure of Edward Sam is remiss and he has to make sufficient repairs before the Feast of All Saints next  under a penalty 13s 4d
1553 Manor Court roll 48458 Edward Sam George Manerde Edward and Elizabeth Sam are admitted to a messuage called ‘Crabbes’, formerly Thomas Auncell’s,  formerly Sam’s, and formerly Turner’s, and twenty eight acres of land and meadow, now in the occupation of George Manerde
1558 Manor Court roll 48456 Edward Sam transfers ownership to John Hemmings Edward Sam surrenders one messuage called Crabbes and 28 acres to John Hemmings, with conditions
1586 Manor Court roll 48461 William Collison William and Elizabeth Collison hold one Messuage called Crabs and 28 acres of land
1596 Manor Court roll 48463 William Collison William Collison and Elizabeth his wife own the messuage and surrender land in Ballands to Thomas Docwra
1610 Manor  rental 48545 Robert Collison Robert Collison holds mess and land ,rent 12sh
1629 Manor  rental Robert Collison Robert Collison Robert Collison holds mess and land, he dwells in ,rent 12sh
1632 Manor Court roll 48482 Robert Collison transfers ownership to his son Robert Robert Collison surrenders to the use of his will,  to Robert his son and his wife
1647 Manor Court roll 48456 Joan Collison Joan Collison wife of Robert received 13 acres of land from Thomas Sam her father
1658 Manor Court roll 48487 Robert Collison transfers ownership to his son Robert Robert Collison the younger is admitted
1662 Manor Court roll 48488 Robert Collison Robert Collison lives in the messuage and home stall
1663 1663 Hearth tax Robert  Collison
1663 Manor rental Robert Collison Twelve shillings
1663 Manor bylaws Robert Collison Robert Collison is an old cottager
1663 Hearth tax Robert Collison Robert Collison has five hearths
1698 Manor Court book 48500 Robert Collison transfers ownership to his son Robert Robert Collison senior leaves property to son Robert Collison ,and Ann wife of Robert Collison senior
1699 Manor Court roll 48621 Robert Collison Robert Collison and Ann his wife, and Ann Blows Robert’s mother were admitted?
1720 Manor Court book 48500 p74 Dorothy Collison Dorothy wife of Robert Collison and held the house for life after Robert died in 1720?
1722  Manor Court book 48500 Robert Collison Edward Lacy Robert Collison of Hitchin owns mess and 30 acres in the tenure of Edward Lacy
1735 Manor Court book 48500 Robert Collison Messuage is occupied by Robert Collison
1753 Manor Court book 48500 Robert Collison transfers ownership to Mary Lucas Edward Lacy Robert Collison of St Ippolyts. surrenders messuage and 30 acres in tenure of Ed Lacey to Mary Lucas
1760 Manor Court roll 48682 Robert Collison transfers ownership to John Collison John Collison, seedsmen and admitted to land on surrender of his father Robert Collison St Ippolyts.
1764 Manor Court book 48516 John Collison transfers ownership to John Midwinter Richard Everett John Collison, coal merchant of Hitchin, surrenders to John Midwinter, surgeon of Hitchin, now in the occupation of Richard Everett.  House and  30 acres and close called homestall
1780  land tax Richard Reay Thomas Fullwood Owner Richard Reay Esq,  farmed by Thomas Fulwood
1792 Land tax James Whittingstall Mrs Fullwood Owner Mr Whittingstall farmed by Mrs Fulwood
1797 Land tax James Whittingstall John King Owner James Whittingstall farmed by John King
1811 1811 pre enclosure George Whittingstall John King Homestead
1818 1818 enclosure George Whittingstall Homestead
1841 1841 census James  King  – Farmer
1851 1851 census James  King – Farmer
1855 register of electors  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1856 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney
1857 register of electors  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1858 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1858 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1859 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney
1860 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1861 1861 census Charles  Gurney – Farmer
1861 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1863 1863 rates Stafford & George Allen Charles Gurney Farm
1864 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1865 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1866 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1867 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles Gurney Near Little Green
1868 register of electors  Samuel Allen  Charles  Gurney Near Little Green
1871 1871 census Charles  Gurney  Farmer 140 Acres 10 Men 3 Boys
1877 1877 sanitation Stafford Allen Ann Gurney Farmhouse with farmyard. Well, drainage-none. 3 inmates sharing  living rooms,  sleeping rooms and privy
1881 1881 census Ann  Gurney –  Farmer Employing 6 Men 2 Boys
1889 School admission books Francis Gurney John Gurney ,
1890 School admission books Frank Gurney Miriam Gurney ,
1890 1890 Land sales Stafford Allen Sold To Frank Gurney For £1,950 Frank Gurney Elm Tree Farm Garden In Front, Enclosed Partly By A Stout Wooden Fence On Brick Foundation, And Partly By A Brick Wall.Large Cattle Yard, With Entrance From The Road, With Numerous Farm Buildings, Viz.:Store-House, Chaff-House And Open-Shed, A Timber And Thatched Building Used As A Chaff-House With Granary Over.  Cow-House, A Timber And Thatched Barley-Barn Enclosed With Folding Doors.  Piggeries, A Newly Erected Timber, Thatched, And Pantiled Cart-Horse Stable, Timbered And Thatched Piggeries, Chaff-House, A Timber And Pantiled Hen-House.  Lean-To Timber And Pantiled Chaise-House, A Timber And Tiled Wheat-Barn With Boarded Floor, Enclosed By A Pair Of Folding Doors; An Enclosed Chicken-Yard, A Timber And Pantiled Cart-Shed, A Timber And Thatched Implement-Shed.7 Bedrooms, Dining Room, Drawing Room, Kitchen,Large Store-Room, A Brick Built Slated Cool Dairy, And Wash-House.Brick, Lath, Plaster And Tiled Dwelling House99A 0R 19P
1891 1891 census Francis  Gurney – Farmer
1893 School admission books Francis Gurney John  Gurney born 12/1/1887,  son of Frank
1893 School admission books Frank Gurney Charlie Gurney ,  son of Frank
1894 School admission books Frank Gurney Annie Gurney ,daughter of Frank
1895 School admission books Frank Gurney Miriam Gurney , daughter of Frank
1898 School admission books Frank Gurney Miriam  Gurney born 13/3/1888,
1899 School admission books Frank Gurney Charles  Gurney born 17/4/1890,
1901 1901 census Francis  Gurney – Farmer
1909 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm tenement and land
1910 1910 rates Francis  Gurney Francis  Gurney House & Homestead
1910 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm tenement and land (joint)
1910 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm tenement and land (joint)
1911 1911 census Francis  Gurney – Farmer
1911 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm tenement and land (joint)
1911 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm tenement and land (joint)
1912 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1912 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1913 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1913 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1914 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1914 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1915 register of electors  Francis   Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1915 register of electors  John Gurney Elm Tree Farm land and tenement
1935 1935 rates John Gurney Francis & John Gurney Agric. Dwelling House
1941 1941 Farm survey J Inns Of Springfield Stevenage J Gurney, Full Time Farmer
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