George Cady’s Inclosure Act Award in 1802

At the turn of the 19th century, George Cady owned a messuage and land in Bow Street.

He had inherited the property from his brother William Cady. The brothers’ father, Thomas Cady, purchased the property and land in 1735.

The black dot on the above extract from the 1802 Great Ellingham Inclosure Map shows the position of Cady’s messuage and adjoining land.

However, Cady’s ‘holding’ in Bow Street was extended by an Award by the Commissioners acting under the Inclosure Act.

Before the Inclosures

Prior to the enclosures, some of the land in Great Ellingham was categorised as “commons” or “waste”. This land was controlled by the Lord of the Manor. However, properties near to the “commons” or “waste” lands held various rights over the commons and waste. For example, for pasture or for taking firewood.

Many fields (again under the control of the Lord of the Manor) were divided into narrow strips with the ‘tenant’ of the Manor (copyhold tenant) cultivating a number of strips of land.

The effect of the Inclosures was the consolidation of the strips into individually owned or rented fields. It was around this time too that some of the landowners in Great Ellingham exchanged pieces of land. Again, perhaps to consolidate their holdings.

Cady’s Award

c.1800. Extract of the Award to George Cady under the Inclosures. Courtesy Roger Banks

George Cady received an Award of three acres and one perch (3a 0r 1p) under the Inclosures Act. The land was both freehold and copyhold. The Award document to George Caddy, a farmer of Great Ellingham describes the land as follows:

One piece of land parcel of the Anchor Common containing by measure three acres and one perch [3a 0r 1p] bounded by land belonging to Robert Mendham towards the north by land allotted to Matthew Burch towards the east by the fourteenth described private road towards the south and by land allotted to John Spurgeon as purchased of Henry and William Norton towards the west

The Award also makes the following declaration in relation to Cady’s land:

And we have by the said Award declared that one acre two roods and sixteen perches [1a 2r 16p] part of the said allotment and lying on the west side thereof being allotted to you in respect of the right of common belonging to your messuage or tenement situate within the said parish which is copyhold of the Manor of Ellingham Hall shall for ever hereafter be deemed to be copyhold fine arbitrary of the said Manor

And that three roods and twenty four perches [0a 3r 24p] other part of the said allotment lying on the west side thereof and adjoining the said one acre two roods and sixteen perches [1a 2r 16p] being allotted to you in respect of the right of common belonging to your lands lying within the said parish which are copyhold of the same Manor shall for ever hereafter be deemed to be copyhold fine certain of the same Manor according to the custom thereof

Inclosures Statement of Claim

The Great Ellingham Inclosure Statement of Claim c.1799 lists George Cady’s property and land as:

One Messuage and five acres of Land occupied by Jonathan Stacy. Of which one Messuage and three acres are copyhold of Ellingham Hall

Cady also claimed the following rights in respect of his messuage and land:

Rights of Common, of Pasture for all commonable Cattle, on the Commons and Waste Lands in Great Ellingham, at all times in the year, and rights of cutting and taking Flags, Turves, and Furze, for Firing, of digging and taking Sand and Clay for repairs, a right to the plantations of Trees growing upon the said Commons, opposite and adjoining to his said Estates, and all other rights belonging thereto

Particulars & Valuation

A Particulars & Valuation of Great Ellingham, also compiled at the time of the inclosures, show that George Caddy owned the following which was occupied by Jonathan Stacy:

Schedule No.	Property	Acreage
210	Home Pightle	1a 0r 6p
211	House, Barn, Stable, Yard, Garden & Orchard	0a 1r 34p
225	Long Acre	1a 1r 0p
226	Two Acres	1a 2r 28p
	Allotment upon Common	3a 0r 1p
	Total	7a 1r 29p

The numbering used in the schedule to the Particulars & Valuation concurs with the numbering used on the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map of 1802. Accordingly, we can see exactly where Cady’s property and land is in Bow Street’

The black dots on the extract of the 1802 Map of Great shows Cady’s parcels of land referred to in the schedule to the Particulars & Valuation. The piece of land containing 3a 0r 1p allotted to Cady under the Inclosures Award, lies on the opposite side of Bow Street to Cady’s house and other land.

The boundaries of the common (Anchor Common) are shown by the blue shaded lines. There is a faint shaded blue line following the line of Bow Street.

We know that Cady’s property in Bow Street was then occupied by Jonathan Stacy. At this time, a George Caddy occupied Robert Brooke’s farm in Long Street. Brooke’ farm comprised some 28 acres.

Cady sells to Lobb

On the 20th October, 1802, George Cady, a yeoman then of Rockland All Saints agreed to sell the following to the Reverend William Lobb of Wilby:

"All that Messuage or Tenement of him the said George Cady situate in Great Ellingham in which Jonathan Stacy and John Fincham now do or lately did dwell with the barn, stable, and other outbuildings yards, gardens, orchards and the several closes, inclosures, pieces or parcels of land and grounds to the same belonging containing by estimation eight acres (be the same more or less) late in the occupation of the said Jonathan Stacy and now of the said John Fincham or his undertenants .."

The 70 year tenure of the Cady family had come to an end.

Sources:
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
1799 Statement of Claims. Great Ellingham Inclosure. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: MC 2213/118
Private Bundle of Deeds. Property in Bow Street. Roger & Sue Banks