Great Ellingham Hall 2020
Courtesy Tracy Knowles
Great Ellingham Hall is a wonderful Grade II listed building. It was ‘re-built’ in the 16th century during the Gurney family’s tenure. With no direct Gurney male heirs, the property then came into the ownership of the Davy family, subsequently passing to Sir Roger Potts by marriage.
In 1712, the Potts family sold the ‘Ellingham estate’ to Francis Coleman (c.1670-1743). This included Great Ellingham Hall and the lordship of the Manor of Ellingham Hall.
The Ellingham estate remained in the ownership of members of the Coleman (Colman) family for three generations. However, later generations never lived at the Hall.
During the ownership of the Coleman family, various parts of the Ellingham estate were tied up by marriage settlements and family trusts.
It was after the death of Francis Coleman’s grandson, Francis Colman Negus (1744-1818), that the Ellingham estate was ‘broken up’.
Death of Francis Colman Negus
The Reverend Francis Colman Negus died at the Rectory House in Brome, Suffolk on the 14th December, 1818, at the age of 74. He had been Rector of the parishes of Brome and Oakley for some 44 years.
His wife, the former Charlotte Dove, died in 1811. Francis’s only son, Arthur (Francis Arthur Thomas) died at the age of 11 in 1815.
Four Surviving Daughters
Nevertheless, Francis left four surviving daughters. Elizabeth, Maria Sophia, Susanna Frances Allanson and Henrietta.
On the 14th October, 1813, Maria Sophia Negus married William Cobbold in the Parish Church at Brome, Suffolk.
Just months before her father’s death, Elizabeth Negus married John Cobb in the Parish Church of St Leonard, Shoreditch on 30th April, 1818.
Some six months after the death of Francis Negus, his daughter Susanna married Philip Daniell on the 24th June, 1819, at St Luke’s, Chelsea.
Last Will & Testament
Francis Negus signed his last will and testament on the 8th December, 1816. He appointed Meadows Taylor, a gentleman of Diss and spinster Harriet Dove of Lilley, Hertfordshire as his executors and trustees.
The two executors proved the will in London on the 19th June, 1819 (just days before Susanna Negus married Philip Daniell in London).
Great Ellingham Messuages & Lands
Francis Negus left those of his messuages, lands and tenements in Great Ellingham, which were the subject of his marriage settlement with his late wife, Charlotte, to his children in unequal shares.
His daughter, Maria Sophia Cobbold, received a one twelfth share. The remaining eleven twelfths share is equally shared amongst his other three daughters Elizabeth, Susanna and Henrietta.
It may be that as Maria is married, she receives a lesser share than her three unmarried sisters.
Contracts with Barnard & Pygall
Francis also mentions that he has contracted with Robert Barnard of Great Ellingham to sell him certain lands in Great Ellingham.
Further, he has also contracted with Samuel Pygall (also of Great Ellingham) to sell to him certain messuages, lands and hereditaments in Great Ellingham.
Barnard and Pygall have paid ‘certain sums’ in part of their respective purchase monies. Francis Negus’s executors are instructed to conclude the transactions.
Manors of Ellingham Hall & Ellingham Rectory
The executors are also tasked to sell the Manors of Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory for the ‘best price’.
Sale Proceeds
The proceeds from the respective sales to Barnard and Pygall, together with the proceeds from the sales of all other of Francis Negus’s real estate, are to be applied as follows:
- The sum of £3,000 to discharge the Reverend Negus’s covenant contained in the marriage settlement of his daughter Maria Sophia with William Cobbold
- Daughters Elizabeth, Susanna and Henrietta to each receive £500
- Daughter Maria Sophia to receive £30
- The remainder to be shared equally amongst his four daughters
Legacies
Susanna and Henrietta receive all their father’s plate, household linen and china, except those items he bequeaths elsewhere.
Elizabeth gets all her father’s coins, medals and pictures, as well as other personal items.
Francis also directs his executors and trustees to hold his collection of books (including his Rees Cyclopaedia) in trust for his daughter Elizabeth for her life, and thereafter for her first or other sons successively.
Ellingham Estate & the Manors are Separated
Following the death of the Reverend Francis Colman Negus, the ‘Ellingham estate’ which (for the most part) was purchased by his grandfather, Francis Coleman, in 1712, is now divided and sold.
This includes the sale of the Manors of Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory.
Agreement with Barnard
In 1818 Francis Colman Negus entered into a final agreement with Robert Barnard. This agreement set out the property and land which Francis Negus agreed to sell to Robert Barnard.
Francis Negus’s four daughters were also party to the agreement, along with Maria Sophia’s husband, William Cobbold. Maria Sophia is the only one of the daughters of Francis Negus to be married at this time.
Married Woman’s Property
We are still in a period when (for the most part) a married woman was her husband’s property. She is not allowed to enter into contracts, cannot control real property and has little or no rights when it comes to children! It is, therefore, necessary for William Cobbold to join in the agreement.
Messuages, barns, stables etc
Barnard agrees to purchase:
- 2 messuages
- 3 barns
- 3 stables
- 1 dovehouse
- 2 gardens
- 2 orchards
- 350 acres of land
- 100 acres of meadow
- 100 acres of pasture
Robert Barnard in Residence
At this time, Robert Barnard is (and has been for some time) occupying Great Ellingham Hall and the associated farm.
Barnard already owns properties and land in the village. These properties include the property later known as Poplar Farm in Long Street, several houses in Town Green, as well as dwellings in Bow Street. They are all tenanted.
Pygall
Before December 1816, Francis Negus also agreed to sell a certain property and land to Samuel Pygall. This agreement is also referred to in Francis Negus’s will.
However, Samuel Pygall died in December 1817. I believe the transaction completed before Pygall’s death.
A Survey of Great Ellingham dated 1817-1819, shows that Samuel Pygall is the previous owner of the property in Church Street, which later became known as Mill Farmhouse.
In 1817, it is owned and occupied by John Warren Jnr. Earlier (and before Samuel Pygall), this property is occupied by Thomas King. It once formed part of the ‘Ellingham estate’ owned by the Reverend Francis Colman Negus.
Division of Barnard’s Contract Property
Francis Negus’s executors and beneficiaries honoured his agreement to sell certain property and land to Robert Barnard. However by mutual agreement, parts of the ‘Ellingham estate’ were actually purchased by Robert Barnard’s sons, John and Benjamin.
A conveyance deed dated 11th August, 1821, refers to the contract and agreement made by the late Francis Colman Negus with Robert Barnard in February, 1813. A purchase price is agreed at £14,500.
Negus agreed to sell to Barnard all the property of the ‘Ellingham estate’ which included Great Ellingham Hall. In a nutshell, all the property and land contained or referred to in the 1784 marriage settlement on the marriage of Francis Negus and Charlotte Dove.
John Barnard
A map of John Barnard’s property and land dated 1819 concurs with a list of John Barnard’s land which is contained within a bundle of deeds relating to the ‘Ellingham estate’.
This shows that in 1819, John Barnard owned some 146 acres of land as well as dwellings in Town Green and Bow Street. Some of this land and property may have once formed part of the ‘Ellingham estate’ owned by the Reverend Francis Colman Negus.
The Town Green dwellings include the property which later became known as ‘Chestnut Farm‘.
It also appears that the sum of £2,200 (of the total agreed purchase price of £14,500 in 1813), was paid in relation to John Barnard’s part of the ‘Ellingham estate’.
Benjamin Barnard
The remainder of the ‘Ellingham estate’ (but excluding the Manors of Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory), are conveyed to Benjamin Barnard for the sum of £9,500. This includes £300 in respect of the copyhold parts.
By the Conveyance Deed of the 11th August 1821, the executors of the late Reverend Francis Colman Negus convey the remainder of the property and land to Benjamin Barnard. Also joining in the deed are Francis Negus’s four daughters, his three sons-in-law, his nephew Fysher Colman Negus, Robert Barnard and a trustee, William Muskett.
The property includes the capital messuage called Ellingham Hall “wherein George Catton formerly dwell and wherein his widow formerly dwell and in which the said Robert Barnard doth now dwell”.
This also includes the barns, stables and other edifices, yards, gardens and orchards and the land of the Ellingham estate not conveyed to John Barnard.
Shortfall
The sub-sales of the various properties and land by Robert Barnard to his sons John (at £2,200) and Benjamin (at £9,500) resulted in a shortfall of £2,800 due to the Negus family. The deed confirms that this sum is paid by Robert Barnard.
Death of Robert Barnard
Robert Barnard died in 1823. Great Ellingham Hall continued to be occupied by Benjamin Barnard.
Sale of the Manors of Ellingham Hall & Ellingham Rectory
In 1825, the executors of the will of the late Reverend Francis Colman Negus sold the lordships of the Manors of Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory. This may well be the last of the transactions relating to the Reverend Negus’s sale of the ‘Ellingham estate’.
The buyer is Meadows Taylor. However, I am unclear whether this Meadows Taylor is also one of the executors of the Negus estate.
Nevertheless, members of the Taylor family held the lordships of the Manors of Ellingham Hall and Ellingham Rectory well into the 20th century.
Indeed the tenure of copyhold land was formally abolished by the Law of Property Act of 1922. All remaining copyhold land reverted to freehold on 1st January 1926.
Sources:
1813 Marriage William Cobbold & Maria Sophia Negus. Brome. Suffolk Archives; Suffolk, England; Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: FB127/D1/6 Ancestry.com. Suffolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1949 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2025. Original data: Suffolk Archives. Church of England Parish Registers. Suffolk, England.
1819 Marriage Philip Daniell & Susanna Frances Allanson Negus. Saint Luke, Chelsea. London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P74/LUK/204. Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available online via www.familysearch.org and www.ancestry.co.uk
Great Ellingham Hall Farm Estate formerly of the Barnard Family. Deeds. Norfolk Record Office Ref: MC 114/1/36, Part 1, 583X2, Part 2, 583X3
1799 Statement of Claims. Great Ellingham Inclosure. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: MC 2213/118
1802 Russell James Colman Plans. Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref. C/Ca 1/84.
1799-1842 F W Horner, Records of the Surveyors to Commissioners for Inclosure in Parishes in Norfolk and Suffolk. Great Ellingham (Act 1799). Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: NRO, BR 90/2
1800 Inclosure Commissioner’s Particulars and Valuation, Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: NRO, MC 2213/119
England & Wales Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills 1384-1858. Revd. Francis Colman Negus. Probate 19 Jun 1819. Piece 1617: Ellenbro, Quire Numbers 256-303 (1819). PROB:WILL Registers. The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1617 Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons. Digitized images. Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 1. The National Archives, Kew, England.