At the time of the Great Ellingham Inclosures c.1802, Alice Jessup claimed the following freehold properties:
Messuage and 3 roods of land, occupied by herself
Cottage and Garden occupied by Robert Tooke
Cottage and Garden occupied by Edward Steel
Cottage and Garden occupied by Stephen Howchen
Alice also claimed the following rights in respect of each of the premises:
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 firing, and sand and clay for repairs, and all other rights belonging to each of her properties
The Messuage is the Rose & Crown Public House in Church Street. The cottages occupied by Tooke and Steel, are cottages which are very near to the Rose & Crown (now known as The Crown). The cottage occupied by Stephen Houchen is in Hingham Road, opposite the junction with Bow Street.
Inclosure Award
On the 1st May, 1802, the Commissioners acting under the Inclosure Act, awarded an allotment to Alice Jessup. This allotment, which comprised several pieces of land, is in lieu of the rights of common attaching to her properties.
However, Alice did not actually own the properties. She held them for her three daughters, Hannah, Frances and Elizabeth Leath. Therefore, Alice also held the allotment for her daughters.
Inclosure Map
Extract from 1802 Map of Great Ellingham. Russell James Colman Plans. Norfolk Record Office Cat. Ref. C/Ca 1/84.
All rights reserved Norfolk Record Office. With kind permission of NRO
The above extract from the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map c.1802, shows Alice Jessup’s allotment comprising 6a 1r 15p (six acres, one rood and fifteen perches). A Particulars & Valuation also connected to the Inclosures, show that the allotment was later ‘occupied’ by Balls, Kerrison and Dennis.
The Leath Sisters
Alice Jessup nèe Clarke married Richard Leath (the Younger) in 1781. Their three daughters were born in Great Ellingham. Hannah on the 12th June, 1782, Frances on the 25th August, 1783, and Elizabeth, on the 24th November 1784.
Richard Leath’s uncle, Richard Leath of Little Ellingham, died in 1784. Richard Leath (the younger) inherited his uncle’s properties in Great Ellingham.
Tragically within six months of his uncle’s death and just four months after the birth of his youngest daughter Elizabeth, Richard Leath ‘the Younger’ died on the 19th March, 1785.
He died without leaving a will. Perhaps his death was unexpected.
Nevertheless, Richard Leath’s three daughters inherited his estate. However, all three girls were minors. Hannah was two years old, Frances one year and Elizabeth barely four months. Accordingly, Alice Leath held the properties (including the Rose & Crown public house) as guardian for her daughters.
In 1786, Alice Leath married shoemaker and leather cutter William Jessup. It may have been around this time that William Jessup became the licensee of the Rose & Crown Public House, where they all lived.
Marriages of the Leath Girls
On the 8th December, 1803, Frances Leath married Benjamin Dennis. Hannah Leath married Henry Balls on the 17th June, 1806. Finally, Elizabeth Leath married Edmund Kerrison on the 26th September, 1808. All three weddings took place in St James’s Church, Great Ellingham.
Leath Family Assets
By 1805, all three Leath sisters had reached the age of 21.
Hannah is now married to Benjamin Dennis. Given that in 1805, married women had little or no rights regarding property ownership, Benjamin Dennis had control of his wife’s share of the Leath family assets. He may also have had some influence with regard to his sisters-in-law.
Be that as it may, the sisters reached a decision concerning their joint assets.
In 1806, Hannah and Elizabeth conveyed their respective third shares in the Crown Public House to Benjamin and Hannah Dennis. Hannah, of course, already held a one third share.
The sisters agreed to sell the cottage occupied by Stephen Houchen and the allotment (which was at Low Common).
Auction
On the 11th June, 1806, the Bury & Norwich Post published the following notice:
To be SOLD by AUCTION
By THOMAS DRIVER
On Thursday, 19th June, 1806, at the CROWN in GREAT ELLINGHAM in Norfolk; between the Hours of Three and Four in the Afternoon, subject to the Conditions of Sale as will be then and there produced
LOT 1. A Cottage, with Outhouses Yards, and gardens, in the occupation of Stephen Houchin, in Great Ellingham aforesaid
Lot II. An allotment of fine rich arable land, late parcel of the common pasture of Great Ellingham, containing by survey 6A 1R 15P now in the occupation of Benjamin Dennis and others
The whole is freehold, and very moderately assessed to the land tax.
For particulars apply to Mr Charles Bringloe, attorney, Hingham
However and for whatever reason, the cottage and the allotment did not sell at the auction. Of course, the sellers may well have withdrawn the property prior to the auction. Alternatively, any reserve price was not reached.
Whatever the circumstances, the sisters agreed to divide the property and land between themselves and their respective husbands.
They would split the allotment into three pieces.
With all three sisters married, I am sure that their respective husbands played a major part in any negotiations.
Division of the Remaining Leath Family Assets
Extract from 28th September 1809 Feoffment of an Estate in Great Ellingham, Henry Balls & Others to John Harvey
Courtesy Shirley Caston
Nonetheless, and with their husbands, Henry Balls, Benjamin Dennis and Edmund Kerrison, the sisters were party to an Indenture dated 28th September, 1809, which confirmed their agreement:
- the house along Hingham Road to Henry and Hannah Balls
- a piece of the allotment at Low Common to Edmund and Elizabeth Kerrison
- a further piece of the allotment at Low Common to Henry and Hannah Balls
- the remaining piece of the allotment at Low Common to Benjamin and Frances Dennis
As part of the agreement, certain payments were also exchanged between the parties.
John Harvey, a gentleman of Watton, is also a party to this deed. Almost certainly he will have been nominated as a trustee.
The Allotments
The 1809 Indenture describes the three allotments as follows:
Edmund & Elizabeth Kerrison
All that that piece of land parcel of the said allotment of common situate in Great Ellingham aforesaid containing by survey two acres and four perches bounded by the next described piece towards the north by land belonging to Mr Hardyman towards the south by a road there towards the west and by a beck or rivulet towards the east and which said piece of land is now in the occupation of the said Edmund Kerrison and is divided from the residue of the said allotment by a hedge and ditch and hath been accepted by the said Edmund Kerrison and Elizabeth his wife as their purparty of the said allotment
Benjamin & Frances Dennis
And also all that piece of land (being other parcel of the said allotment) situate in Great Ellingham aforesaid containing by survey two acres and thirty eight perches bounded by the last described piece towards the south and by the next described piece of land towards the north by the beck or rivulet there towards the east and by a road there towards the west and now in the occupation of the said Benjamin Dennis and divided from the next described piece by a hedge and ditch (which last described piece hath been accepted by the said Benjamin Dennis and Frances his wife as their purport of the said allotment
Henry & Hannah Balls
And also all that piece of land being other part and residue of the said allotment in Great Ellingham aforesaid containing by estimation two acres one rood and thirteen perches bounded by the last described piece towards the south by land belonging to Jeoffrey Towler towards the north by the beck or rivulet towards the east and by a road there towards the west and now in the occupation of Francis Turrington (which last described piece hath been accepted by the said Henry Balls and Hannah his wife as their purparty of the said allotment
As far as I know, there was no house or cottage on any of the pieces of land.
1817-1819
Nevertheless, a Valuation of Great Ellingham dated 1817-1819 reveals a cottage with garden on part of the allotment owned by Edmund and Elizabeth Kerrison, and a cottage with garden built on the allotment owned by Henry and Hannah Balls.
However, the allotment owned by Benjamin and Frances Dennis had not been developed.
‘Swamp Lane’
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
We know from the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map of 1802 that there were very few dwellings along the road we know today as ‘Swamp Lane’. Further, these dwellings were towards the northern end of the lane.
The red dot on the above extract from the 1802 Inclosure Map indicates the house and garden owned by Robert Carley. The green dot on the same map shows a house and garden together with a cottage, barn, stable, yard and garden belonging to Jeffrey Towler. The occupant of these premises was Samuel Hilling.
Two Cottages
By 1817-1819, at least two cottages had been erected in the lane. One on the piece of land owned by Edmund and Elizabeth Kerrison, and the other on the land owned by Henry and Hannah Balls.
The position remains the same at the time of the Great Ellingham Tithe Map of 1843.
Three Cottages
However, the First Edition of the Ordnance Survey Map 1879-1886, reveals an additional cottage to the north of the cottage once owned by Henry and Hannah Balls.
Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Revised 1904.
The above extract from an Ordnance Survey Map of 1906 (from a survey of 1881) clearly shows the three cottages along ‘Swamp Lane’ since the earlier map of 1802.
The house and garden once owned by Robert Carley has long gone. However, the farmhouse once owned by Jeffrey Towler and occupied by Samuel Hilling is still there.
We continue with the owners and occupiers of the cottages once owned by Henry and Hannah Balls, and Edmund and Elizabeth Kerrison here.
Sources:
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available at FamilySearch.org
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
Private Deeds Collection. Shirley Caston
Bury and Norwich Post, 11 June 1806, p. [1]+. British Library Newspapers, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/R3209546570/BNCN?u=nl_earl&sid=BNCN&xid=387942f2. Accessed 8 June 2020.
Great Ellingham Tithe Map 1843. Tithe Apportionments, 1836-1929 [database online]. TheGenealogist.co.uk 2023. Original data: “IR29 Tithe Commission and successors: Tithe Apportionments” The National Archives