Elizabeth Barnard, Copyhold Tenant
At the Manor Court of Buckenham Close Outsoken on the 13th November, 1793, and following the death of her husband, Elizabeth Barnard was admitted as a copyhold tenant of the same Court for her life under the Will of her husband, James Barnard.
The Manor Court Books set out the copyhold land in Great Ellingham held by widow Elizabeth Barnard, which included:
- one messuage built of the tenement Howells with one acre of copyhold land in the croft of the same messuage. The messuage was described as lying between the lands formerly of Henry Gurney Esq, late of Robert Morley and afterwards of Hannah Spratt on the south, the lands late of William Wright and since of Roger Selth on the part of the North, and abutted upon the common pasture of Great Ellingham called Town Green towards the East, and upon the King’s Highway and the Head Meer towards the West. This messuage was said to have been formerly owned by William Youngs
- one rood of copyhold land lying between the common way called Gatesend Way on the East, the lands late of Thomas Cooper and afterwards of Edward Gascoign on the west and abutted upon a pightle formerly of Robert Conyers Knight late of Thomas Cooper and afterwards of Edward Gascoign towards the south. This land was formerly in the ownership of Edward Gascoign
At No.31 of the Statement of Claims to the Commissioners in relation to the Great Ellingham Inclosure c.1799, Elizabeth Barnard claimed:
One messuage and 15 acres of land which was occupied by herself and one cottage and garden occupied by Judith Clarke and A Semmence. Of which 2 acres and 2 roods are copyhold of Ellingham Rectory and one messuage 1 acre and 2 rood of Buckenham Close Outsoken
I am certain that the messuage occupied by Elizabeth Barnard and referred to in the Statement of Claims is the messuage built of the tenement Howells referred to in the Buckenham Close Manor Outsoken Court Books, and mentioned above. Where was Elizabeth Barnard’s home?
Extract from 1802 Map of Great Ellingham. Original held at Norfolk Record Office. Russell James Colman Plans
Cat. Ref. C/Ca 1/84. With kind permission of NRO
The black dot on the above extract from an 1802 Map of Great Ellingham shows Elizabeth Barnard’s messuage at Town Green.
The numbering used in a Particulars and Valuation c.1800 undertaken by the Commissioners in relation to the Great Ellingham Inclosures, corresponds with the numbering on the 1802 Map of Great Ellingham.
This document also tells us that Elizabeth Barnard owned a nearby cottage and garden which was occupied by Judith Clarke and A Semmence.
The Particulars and Valuation also lists other property and land owned by Elizabeth Barnard, which Elizabeth herself occupied:
- 472 House and Garden
- 474 Barn Stable & Orchard
- 475 Home Piece
- 476 Upper Piece
- 477 Upper Headmeer
- 478 Headmeer
- 571 New Close
- An allotment on Town Green
- Another allotment on Town Green
The extract from the 1802 Map above, shows the four fields owned by Elizabeth Barnard to the rear of her house. The allotments are to the front of her home. The field called New Close lies to the North of Elizabeth Barnard’s home, and the cottage tenanted to Judith Clarke and A Semmence is adjacent to Elizabeth’s home (and numbered 473).
Earlier History of the Messuage
Selth to Lincoln to Young(s)
The Buckenham Close Manor Court Books provide us with further information about the ownership of Elizabeth Barnard’s copyhold messuage. Given that the Statement of Claims c.1799 (which I mentioned above), referred to the messuage and some of the land being copyhold, the cottage (occupied by Clarke and Semmence) was likely freehold.
At a General Court Baron of the Buckenham Close Manor Outsoken on the 29th December, 1729, Mary described as the wife of Robert Legget, then the wife of John Swatman and before as Mary Youngs, was admitted as a copyhold tenant of the Manor from the surrender of the last Will of William Lincoln. (A copy of the Will of William Lincoln of Great Ellingham 1729-1730 is held at the Norfolk Record Office.)
The copyhold land referred to was the same messuage built of the tenement Howells which was later owned by Elizabeth Barnard.
The Court Books also include an extract from William Lincoln’s Will:
I give and bequeath to my kinswoman Mary Youngs all that my house and lands that I purchased of Roger Selth lying in Great Ellingham excepting one pightle lying and abutting upon Attleburgh Lane
William Lincoln bequeathed the pightle (which I believe to be the one rood of land which I described at the begining of this blog) to William Youngs
From the extract of William Lincoln’s Will, we know that the property was once owned by Roger Selth before it was sold to William Lincoln who, in turn, left the messuage to Mary Swatman formerly Legget nee Youngs (admitted copyhold tenant in 1729) and the one rood of land to William Youngs.
In October, 1752, William Young(s) attended at the Manor Court. It was presented at the Court that both William Lincoln and Mary Youngs/Legget/Swatman had died. William Young, said to be the nephew of William Lincoln, was admitted a copyhold tenant of the messuage (built of the tenement Howells).
Consequently, William Young was now (in 1752) the copyhold owner of the messuage and the one rood of land. In the Manor Court Books, reference is made to William Young being a Taylor (Tailor) of the parish of Saint Michael Coslaney (Coslany) in the city of Norwich.
James Barnard
Around six years later, it was presented at a Court held for the Buckenham Close Manor on the 10th July, 1758, that William Young had surrendered his copyhold land held in this particular Manor to James Barnard, who was then admitted as a copyhold tenant. This property included the messuage built on the tenement Howells.
Three years later, at another Court of the same Manor, Edward Gascoign, a copyhold tenant, surrendered certain land parcels of copyhold land in Great Ellingham to James Barnard, a linen weaver of Great Ellingham.
Whilst the term ‘surrendered’ is used, this merely means that Edward Gascoign had ‘given up the land’. He had sold the land to James Barnard.
Accordingly by 1761, James Barnard had acquired further copyhold land of the Manor of Buckenham Close in Great Ellingham, in addition to the messuage and one rood of land (and any freehold land) which he already owned.
James Barnard had also ‘surrendered’ his copyhold land to his last Will & Testament. Accordingly, on his death (and subject to the customs of the Manor), his copyhold land would be dealt with in accordance to his Will.
James Barnard married Elizabeth Downing in the Parish Church at Great Ellingham on the 7th January, 1783. James was described as a widower. However, I do not know whether he had been previously married more than once. Elizabeth was a single woman.
Elizabeth Barnard
Ten years later in 1793, widow Elizabeth Barnard was admitted as a copyhold tenant of the Manor of Buckenham Close Outsoken on the death of her husband. Whilst the Court Books refer to the Will of James Barnard being produced to the Court, the books are silent as to the content of the Will. It is however clear from the Court Books that Elizabeth Barnard had the use and benefit of the copyhold land (and, I assume, all other freehold and copyhold land owned by James) for her life and, after her death, the ownership of the land would pass in accordance with James Barnard’s Will.
On the 17th December, 1812, it was presented at a Court of the Buckenham Close Manor Outsoken that Elizabeth Barnard had died since the previous Court was held.
The messuage built of the tenement Howells, the land, and the nearby cottage once occupied by Judith Clarke and A Semmence, would have new owners and occupiers.
Sources:
1729-1730 Lincoln, William, of Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. ANF will register 1727-1730 fo.708 (1729-1730 no.60)
1802 Russell James Colman Plans. Great Ellingham. 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
18th Century. Maps. Town Green, Hyrne and Broad Commons in Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: MC 2213/113, 941×7.
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office. PD609. Also available at https://www.familysearch.org/
1753-1847 Manor of Buckenham Castle, Lathes, Close and Priory. Court Book. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: MC 1833/8 -MC 1833/16. 1595-1847 also available at https://www.familysearch.org/