Tanyard Farm. Photograph Lucinda Bell-Tye
Tanyard Farm is one of Great Ellingham’s wonderful historic buildings. Norfolk Heritage Explorer mentions that the origins of this Grade II listed property may well date back to the 14th or 15th century.
It was built as an open hall house. It has a timber-frame with a rendered wattle and daub infill. The house sits on a brick plinth and has a thatched roof.
Like many old properties, the house has undergone many changes. It has also seen the comings and goings of several families. The house will have witnessed their ‘rites of passage’ – the happy and fruitful times, as well as the times of sadness and strife.
But who were these families, and has the house always been owner occupied?
Edward Gaskin’s Will
My journey of discovery begins with the will of Edward Gaskin dated the 15th October, 1763. Edward was a yeoman living in Great Ellingham. He was neither a peasant nor a member of the gentry, but he cultivated his own land.
Although Edward Gaskin’s last will and testament refers to all his ‘Messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments’ in Great Ellingham and ‘in any other town’, it does not specifically describe any of his properties. This is not unusual. In addition, the wording “in any other town” is a ‘catch all’ to ensure that the will covered all the property and land he owned at the time of his death.
Fields & Tenements
I know that in much earlier times, Great Ellingham was a mixture of freehold and copyhold land. Many of the fields had names. Indeed, some of these old field names still exist today.
In addition, earlier property documentation refer to dwellings or buildings built upon certain named ‘tenements’. These tenement names include Greenhouse, Brampstone, Derbies.
Manorial Records
Owners of copyhold land (called copyhold tenants) held the land from the Lord of the respective Manor. They were required to comply with the customs and rules of the particular Manor. Failure to do so, could result in the forfeiture of the land back to the Lord.
When it comes to changes in ownership, the copyhold tenant must ‘surrender’ the property back to the Lord of the Manor. In turn, the Lord will then ‘admit’ the new owner as a copyhold tenant. A record of the transaction is made in the Manor Court Books, with a copy given to the tenant.
Many Manor Court Books survive and, with luck, will usually contain an unbroken chain of copyhold ownership. This, of course, ends on the enfranchisement as, thereafter, the property or land becomes freehold.
Manors of Buckenham Close & Buckenham Lathes Outsoken
Some of the Manor Court Books for Buckenham Close, Buckenham Castle and Buckenham Lathes Outsoken are available to view online. I know from my research that certain land in the village was copyhold of one or more of these Manors. These Manors are in addition to the three Great Ellingham Manors – Bury Hall, Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory.
Accordingly, I looked at the Manor Court Books for Buckenham Castle and Buckenham Lathes around the time that Edward Gaskin died. I found an entry of the 12th May, 1766, concerning Edward Gascoign.
The entry confirmed that Gaskin Yemmons, the grandson of Edward Gascoign, came before the Court by his attorney, William Fox. Fox produced a copy of the last will and testament of Edward Gaskin dated 15th October, 1763, in which Edward Gaskin leaves all his property and land in Great Ellingham to Gaskin Yeomans.
This concurs with the details I discovered in Edward Gaskin’s will. Accordingly, the Edward Gascogin referred to in the entry in the Manor Court Books, and the Edward Gaskin who made his will on the 15th October 1763, are one and the same person!
Daddocks
In another article, I have demonstrated how I came to the conclusion that Edward Gaskin’s house is Tanyard Farm. It was known as ‘Daddocks’ at that time.
Looking further in the Manor Court Books, I have also been able to identify the names of some of the earlier and later owners of ‘Daddocks’.
Anthony & Elizabeth Burman
In 1687, Anthony Burman inherited the property on the death of another Anthony Burman. I assume that these two Anthony Burmans are father and son.
A baptism for Anthony the son of Anthony Burman appears in the Parish Registers for St James, Great Ellingham in February 1663. This Anthony later married Elizabeth.
Anthony Burman (the son) died before December 1723. Indeed, I believe his last will and testament is dated December 1722.
Henry Burman
Anthony Burman left “all that my estate both freehold and copyhold lying and being in Ellingham Magna...” to his son Henry Burman. This is on the condition that Henry pays all his father’s just debts and funeral charges, as well as a certain sum or sums to his sister Elizabeth, (Anthony’s daughter).
The entry in the Manor of Buckenham Lathes Court Book dated 30th December 1723, specifically refers to the messuage with the croft called Daddocks.
Elizabeth Burman
Henry Burman’s ownership of the property was relatively short. He died before October 1726. It was at the Manor Court held on the 26th October, 1726, that Elizabeth Burman (then aged 19) is admitted as a copyhold tenant of the Manor of Buckenham Lathes Outsoken in respect of the messuage with the croft called Daddocks. The Court Books also tell us that Elizabeth ‘took’ the property on the death of her brother, Henry Burman.
Some three years later in the May of 1729, Elizabeth Burman marries John Phillips in the Parish Church of Wymondham. Although their marriage took place in Wymondham, the parish register shows that both John Phillips and Elizabeth Burman were of Great Ellingham.
On the 9th January, 1739, their son John was baptised in St James’s Church, Great Ellingham. Another son, Christopher, was baptised in the same church on the 1st October, 1747. Christopher Phillips was buried in the churchyard of St James on the 14th November, 1755.
I can only assume that John and Elizabeth Phillips lived at the property ‘Daddocks’. Perhaps John and Christopher were born there.
Edward Gaskin
On the 12th November, 1761, John and Elizabeth Phillips ‘surrendered’ the copyhold property. They had owned the property for over 30 years.
The next copyhold tenant of ‘Daddocks’ is Edward Gaskin. The name Gaskin is found in variations such as Gascoign and Gascoine.
I have no doubt that Edward Gaskin purchased the property from John and Elizabeth Phillips.
Two years later, Edward Gaskin signed his will on the 15th October, 1763.
He may well be the Edward Gascoigne, the son of Edward and Sarah Gascoigne, who was baptised in St James’s Church on the 12th September, 1686. This would make Edward around the age of 77 when he made his will. Nevertheless, Edward’s will mentions his grandson, Gaskin Yeomans, which suggests that he (Edward) was not a young man in 1763.
Gaskin Yeomans is probably the Gascoine Yeomans, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Yeomans, who was baptised in St James’s Church on the 23rd November, 1747. Accordingly, Gaskin will have been 16 when his grandfather Edward Gaskin made his will.
Unfortunately, I cannot find the record of the marriage between Jonathan and Elizabeth Yeomans. This would confirm that Elizabeth was formerly Elizabeth Gaskin. Nevertheless in the will, Edward Gaskin appoints William Fox as guardian of his grandson Gaskin Yeomans until he (Gaskin) reaches the age of 21. This points to Gaskin Yeomans being under 21 at the time his grandfather signed the will. This also concurs with the Gascoine Yeomans baptised in Great Ellingham in 1747.
Gaskin Yeomans
‘Gaskin Yeomans’ is a fairly uncommon name. I found a burial for Gascoigne Yeomans in the Parish of Rickinghall Superior, Suffolk on the 5th December, 1834 aged 87. The age suggests a birth date of around 1747, which fits nicely with the baptism of Gascoine Yeomans in Great Ellingham.
Gaskin Yeomans married Mary Hubbard in Rickinghall Superior on the 29th October, 1816. Given that Gaskin Yeomans was a widower, this was not his first marriage.
Nevertheless, Gaskin Yeomans did not keep his grandfather’s property for very long. Accordingly, I do not believe he ever lived there. It seems that as soon as he reached his majority, Gaskin sells the property to spinster Ann Blancher.
Ann Blancher
The Manor Court Books for Buckenham Lathes and Buckenham Close Outsoken show that in 1769 Gaskin Yeomans sells his late grandfather’s property to spinster Ann Blancher.
A daughter of James and Ann Blancher of Attleborough, Ann was baptised in St Mary’s Church, Attleborough on the 19th October, 1759. As it was only 10 years after her baptism that Ann purchased ‘Daddocks’ from Gaskin Yeomans, it follows that Ann Blancher was not an infant at the time of her baptism.
I do not know whether Ann Blancher ever occupied ‘Daddocks’.
On the 21st May, 1783, Ann married Benjamin Muskett at a monthly meeting of the Norwich Quakers held at a meeting house in Wymondham.
Sadly Ann Muskett died during the January of 1786. She is buried in the Friends Burying Ground in Wymondham.
James Blancher
Following Ann’s death, in 1787 her father James Blancher, was ‘admitted’ as a copyhold tenant of Ann’s copyhold property of the Manors of Buckenham Lathes and Buckenham Close Outsoken. This included the messuage and croft known as ‘Daddocks’. I doubt that James Blancher ever lived at the property.
Nevertheless, James Blancher sold ‘Daddocks’ to John Warren in 1789. It was during John Warren’s tenure that the property became known as ‘Tann Farm’ and, later, ‘Tanyard Farm’.
Field called ‘Blanchers‘
I do not know whether it is just a coincidence, but the schedules prepared in connection with the Great Ellingham Inclosures c.1800, show that one of the pieces of land ‘belonging’ to Tanyard Farm is called ‘Blanchers’!
It may, of course, be the case that the piece of land takes its name from one of the tanning processes which once took place on the land.
John Warren
At the turn of the 19th century, ‘Daddocks’ is one of at least four properties owned by John Warren. I am certain that he occupied the property. He also owned three cottages and two barns. These barns had previously been two cottages.
Marriage
Holy Trinity Great Hockham. Photograph taken February 2023
Around 10 years before John Warren purchased ‘Daddocks’, he married Elizabeth Wright in the parish church of Great & Little Hockham. The marriage took place on the 25th March, 1779.
Children
I found baptisms for eight children of John and Elizabeth Warren in the parish registers for St James, Great Ellingham. John baptised 1780, followed by James Wright in 1781, Priscilla was baptised 1782, William in 1784, Jeoffrey 1786, Thomas 1788, Sarah baptised 1792 and Samuel in 1794.
Sadly the couple buried their daughters. Priscilla was buried in the churchyard of St James in 1793 (aged 11) and Sarah was buried in 1810 at the age of 18.
Death of Elizabeth & John Warren
Elizabeth Warren died aged 77 in May 1832. John Warren died at the age of 87 in June 1834. Before he died, John Warren had moved out of ‘Daddocks’ – or ‘Tann Farm’ as it was now called. He lived in one of his cottages. The next owner of the property is John Warren’s youngest son, Samuel Warren.
Samuel Warren Inherits
In his last will and testament of the 7th June, 1832, John Warren gives “all that messuage or farm house with the barns, stables, tanning office, closes, enclosures, pieces and parcels of land” in Great Ellingham to his son, Samuel Warren. The will also mentions that Samuel Warren is already in occupation of the property.
Samuel also inherits his late father’s cottages which (in addition to the late John Warren), were occupied by Robert Banham, George Warren, Henry Barrett, Robert Carter, John Margetson, John Fox, Robert Rider and Thomas Newman.
Tanyard Farm is sold
Samuel Warren owned and occupied Tanyard Farm and several cottages until his death. Subsequently Tanyard Farm and the cottages were sold in 1864.
Sources:
Manorial court rolls for Lathes, Close, Castle and Buckenham Priory, 1595-1847. Manorial Court rolls for the manors of Close, Insoken and Outsoken, Buckenham Priory and Buckenham Castle 1767-1909. Norfolk Record Office. Ref: MC 1813/32-45 840X6. Copies viewed via www.familysearch.org
Will of Edward Gaskin, yeomen of Great Ellingham. Viewed in microfilm at The Norfolk Heritage Centre, Millennium Library, Norwich. ANF 1764-1767 fo.174 MF230 Film GS0167154
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available to view at www.ancestryco.uk and www.familysearch.org
1800 Inclosure Commissioner’s Particulars and Valuation. Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office MC2213/119
F.W. Horner, Records of the Surveyors to Commissioners for Inclosure in Parishes in Norfolk & Suffolk. 1799-1842. Great Ellingham (Act 1799). Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref BR 90/2
1802 Map of Great Ellingham. Russell James Colman Plans. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref. C/Ca 1/84
1799 Statement of Claims. Great Ellingham Inclosure. Norfolk Record Office. Cat. Ref: MC 2213/118
Private Deeds Collection Lucinda Bell-Tye
The National Archives; Kew, England; General Register Office: Society of Friends’ Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials; Class: RG 6; Piece: 1553. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers, 1578-1837 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
The National Archives; Kew, England; General Register Office: Society of Friends’ Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials; Class: RG 6; Piece: 1225. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers, 1578-1837 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Gascoigne Yeomans. England Select Deaths and Burials 1538-1991. Ancestry.com. England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
Gaskin Yeomans. England Select Marriages 1538-1973. Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: England, Marriages, 1538–1973. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
John Warren & Elizabeth Wright. Marriage. Norfolk England Church of England Marriages & Banns 1754-1938. Norfolk Record Office; Norwich, Norfolk, England; Norfolk Church of England Registers; Reference: PD 486/7 Gt & Lt Hockham. Ancestry.com. Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Church of England Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Norfolk, England.