Copyhold of Earldom - quitrent 9s8d Geo Newman Stuttor will of father Jas Stuttor 24.1.1850
to all those 2r of land - heretofore parcel of a tenement called Litmans
and also to a croft of land parcel of Bearcroft and also an orchard, lying at the back of his mansion
and also to all that other croft called Bearcroft by estimation 4a
1749 Jas Robinson surrender Eliz
1762 Thos Dunkley (same court)
1809 Jas Stuttor surrender of executors of Jn Bailey
1850 death fine £26.5s
This is another property of some difficulty to locate with precision and show distinctly the free and copy - owing in great measure to the loose description which has crept into the admissions on the rolls since 1694 - and mr G.N. Stuttor the present tenant has also been misled by his father Jas who fancied that the whole of his premises including house, garden, orchard and outbuildings were freehold, and so described them in his will, as entered on the rolls 1.1850 - I have traced this property through the rolls, fine books and rentals with some care as may be seen on the other side - The two small tenements containing 9p pulled down by Jn Church are indisputably freehold - and admitting that 6p parcel of Matthews alias Princes are also freehold - making 15p as the site of a mansion built by Jn Church - That which lies to the east of this - the residue of Matthews alias Princes on which Jas Stuttor built the butcher's shop etc. attached to the mansion, is copyhold as well as the driftway from the street to Bearcroft etc. - so likewise one barn, slaughter-house and outbuildings, together with so much of the yard and garden at the back as run in a line with the back of Jane Wing's tenement called Littmans and the next premises in possession of Geo Fairhead late Thos Wing's - and abutting westward upon Spriggs Garden - formerly parcel of Bearcroft, in possession of Phil Wash - The subjoined sketch from the map of the tenements by mr Beadel (accompanying the Commutation map) on a larger scale may show this more clearly
no. 17 a. shows the free tenement containing 9p and the 6p parcel of Princes forming the mansion
b. The butcher's shop adjoining, built by Jas Stuttor on the copyhold called Matthews alias Princes
c. The garden taken from Bearcroft at the back of 18 and 19 and abutting westward on Spriggs Garden no. 22
18. Jane Wing copyhold
19. Thos Fairhead late Wing free deed of Earldom
sketch from Commutation map showing the form, abuttals and extent of the fields, according to the names and quantities in preceding page 169
Commutation map 1836 The whole of the premises free and copyhold as there given - contains no. 17 (17) (16a) (17a) house and garden etc. 1r34p
398 (398) (398a) Hither Bearcroft 1a3r5p
399 (399) Middle Bearcroft 2a2p
400 (400) Further Bearcroft 3a2r2p
total 7a3r3p
By the rolls, and old survey and map - Jn Church 1598 was in possession of the part of this property as shown in the subjoined sketch - viz. two small tenements lying together containing 9p - holden by free deed (vide survey fo. 30) which abutted eastward on his own copyhold called Matthews alias Princes and westward on the copyhold called Lyttmans - and a croft 1a1r parcel of Bearcroft lying at the back of these tenements, and on which stood the building called the The Cowhouse and Stable
no. 1 - parcel of Bearcroft 1a1r in which the tenement called the The Cowhouse and Stable stood
no. 2.2. the two small tenements holden by free deed pulled down by Jn Church
4.4. Lyttmans copyhold dotted in to show the 2 rods running into Bearcroft - retained by Wm Harlakenden - the remaining tenement of Lyttmans now mrs Jane Wing
Jn Church pulled down the two freehold tenements and also Matthews alias Princes - and erected a good house on the site - trenching a little on the copyhold of Princes and thence the new mansion acquired the name of Princes : thus in 1619 Barth Church on death of his father Jn is admitted to 5r parcel of Bearcroft with The Stable and Cowhouse and the tenement called Princes and part of the great house. In 1624 this Barth Church was outlawed for felony and murder and the copyhold forfeited to the lord of the manor but in the same year ( 1624 ) Jn Church (his son or brother) (brother) is admitted to the house called The Cowhouse and Stable and a tenement called Princes with 5r of Bearcroft - paying a fine after the forfeiture of £150 - but no mention is made of part of the great house being copyhold and I suspect that the part of Princes on which it encroached was found to be freehold - as the survey 1598 page 30 mentions a tenement of 6p called Matthews alias Princes being holden by free deed in the tenure of Jn Church - this would give 15p as the extent of the freehold. The admissions run under the same description of Barth Church in 1624 - to that of Wm Harlakenden in 1646 who was admitted with his wife Smithea on surrender of Wm Potter (Jas Potter )
1658 the same Wm Harlakenden was admitted on surrender of Wm Webb to Spriggs Garden an orchard and pond in it - and another parcel of Bearcroft containing 1a - The rood with the orchard and pond was surrendered by him to Chas Matthew (Xoph Matthew ) in 1666 and is now in possession of Phil Wash and Zach Coe - see their admissions 1853 - The 1a parcel of Bearcroft he retained
1658 Wm Harlakenden was also admitted to parcels of Bearcrofts (in some admissions called 4a in others 5a and in the survey 1598 fo. 92 4a3r30p) on surrender of Rose Church wid - This with the previous admissions constitutes all the land called Bearcrofts now in the tenure of Geo Newman Stuttor together with the freehold mansion called Princes - The copyhold portion called Matthews alias Princes and the copyhold tenement built on parcel of Bearcroft called Cowhouse and Stable
1651 Wm Harlakenden was likewise admitted to the adjoining copyhold called Lyttmans surrender of Robt Johnson but surrendered the house to Humph Ruggles in 1670 (now Jane Wing - see her admission) mr Wm Harlakenden retaining only the 2p of garden which projected into Bearcroft - and which continues to be named in the admissions to this time
1694 Jn Parish and Mary his wife on surrender Wm Harlakenden (he died long before) were admitted to all these premises (vide court roll) thus loosely described in the fine book " to 2r of land belonging to Lyttmans and to one croft of land parcel of Bearcroft and to one orchard lying at the back of the house late Wm Harlakenden's - and one other parcel of land called Bearcroft containing by estimation 4a " - and the property has continued to be thus vaguely described on the rolls to the present time
In the rental of 1751 it states that the free messuage called Princes and a stable with cowhouse - cowhouse now a barn and stable thereto built with 1.5a being copy - together rent 1s8d - This is all in possession of Jn Church in 1598 - and two crofts of land containing 6a called Bearcrofts rent 8s - This gives about the quantity of land and the exact amount of quitrent still paid 9s8d