Extract Mortgage Deed 8th August 1751 Thomas Cady to John Oddin. Courtesy Roger Banks
Holly Croft Farm is one of the delightful older properties in Bow Street. The origins of this charming farmhouse may be as early as the seventeenth century – if not earlier.
In this blog, we look at Thomas Cady and his ownership of the property as it was when he purchased it from Ann Warren and Thomas Thurlow in 1735.
Warren & Thurlow’s Mortgage to Amyas
In the April of 1731, widow Ann Warren and Thomas Thurlow borrowed £84 from John Amyas of Hingham. They used their property and land in Great Ellingham as security for the loan.
The property and land which was subject to the mortgage was described as:
- one acre of land lying in Great Ellingham between the lands late of Issac Harvey before that James Harvey in part towards the west and the lands now or late of George Cady towards the east and abut the lands of the same George Cady towards the north
- one cottage with a yard and orchard in Great Ellingham containing together half a rood late parcel of a Messuage of Joseph Harvey deceased, in a street called ‘Engate’ in Great Ellingham next the residue of the said Messuage on the part of the west and the pightle late of Richard Harvey to the east and abut upon a pightle south and upon the Common Pasture of Great Ellingham towards the north
- one tenement and three acres lying in two pieces – first piece containing one acre three roods parcel (or part) of a tenement and three acres of land and the second piece containing one acre one rood with the said tenement there upon built called Newmans and lying in Great Ellingham between the lands now or late in the tenure of Ann Cady widow and Eglius Meare on the east and the land late of James Harvey on the part of the west and abutting upon the Common Pasture of Great Ellingham towards the north and upon lands late of James Harvey towards the south
I have no doubt that the above described land was contiguous, and that it was in the street we today know as Bow Street.
Mortgage Deed
The Mortgage Deed dated 13th April, 1731, provided for the repayment by Warren and Thurlow of forty shillings (£2) on the 30th October, 1731, with the balance of £82 being paid on the 13th April, 1732.
Notations endorsed on the 1731 Mortgage Deed reveal that interest payments were indeed made to Amyas.
Extract from Indenture of Mortgage 13th April 1731 Ann Warren, Thomas Thurlow & John Amyas. Courtesy Roger Banks
However it seems that in 1735, the property (or most of it) was sold to Thomas Cady. Further, some (if not all) of the principal mortgage debt was still outstanding.
Sale to Thomas Cady
On the 24th December, 1735, Ann Warrren (widow of Great Ellingham), Thomas Thurlow (woolcomber of Great Ellingham) and John Amyas (a gentleman of Hingham and the Mortgagee) entered into a ‘Lease for a Year’ with Thomas Cady of Great Ellingham.
Leases for a Year
It seems that it was once common practice for Leases to act as a contract. These were usually Leases of one year with nominal consideration – as is the case here. The purpose being to ensure that the agreement reached is adhered to, and that the parties involved enter into a subsequent Indenture.
However, I have not come across a subsequent Indenture relating to Cady’s purchase. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that Thomas Cady became the owner of the property, as he later mortgaged the property in 1751.
The Property
The 1735 Lease recites and describes the property conveyed to Thomas Cady. John Amyas’s inclusion in the Lease is to provide his consent (as Lender) to the sale.
Accordingly, Thomas Cady purchased:
- one acre of land lying in Great Ellingham between the lands late of Issac Harvey before that James Harvey in part towards the west and the lands now or late of George Cady towards the east and abut the lands of the same George Cady towards the north
- one tenement and three acres lying in two pieces – first piece containing one acre three roods parcel (or part) of a tenement and three acres of land and the second piece containing one acre one rood with the said tenement there upon built called Newmans and lying in Great Ellingham between the lands now or late in the tenure of Ann Cady widow and Eglius Meare on the east and the land late of James Harvey on the part of the west and abutting upon the Common Pasture of Great Ellingham towards the north and upon lands late of James Harvey towards the south
The second described property (one tenement and three acres etc) was copyhold of the Manor of Ellingham Hall. The one acre of land was freehold.
Omission of Cottage, Yard and Orchard
However, the 1735 Lease does not include the following property which was included in the property that Ann Warren and Thomas Thurlow mortgaged to John Amyas in 1731.
- one cottage with a yard and orchard in Great Ellingham containing together half a rood late parcel of a Messuage of Joseph Harvey deceased, in a street called ‘Engate’ in Great Ellingham next the residue of the said Messuage on the part of the west and the pightle late of Richard Harvey to the east and abut upon a pightle south and upon the Common Pasture of Great Ellingham towards the north
Was the cottage with yard and orchard sold separately? Did Amyas take the property in lieu of the repayment in full of the mortgage?
Alternatively, was the cottage, yard and orchard included in the sale to Thomas Cady but reference to it erroneously omitted from the 1735 Lease?
Unfortunately, I do not have the answer!
However, if the cottage with the yard and orchard was not included in the sale to Thomas Cady, then the ancient parts of the present farmhouse of ‘Holly Croft Farm’ can only be the tenement referred to as ‘Newmans’ in the 1735 Lease to Thomas Cady.
Further some years later at the time of the Great Ellingham Inclosures c.1802, the property (including a messuage) was then owned by Thomas Cady’s son, George. The Inclosures Statement of Claim confirms that George Cady’s messuage was copyhold of the Manor of Ellingham Hall.
Thomas Cady’s Ownership
Where is the Property in Bow Street?
The black dot on the above extract of the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map of 1802, shows the position of Thomas Cady’s property in Bow Street. Centuries earlier, Bow Street was referred to as the street called Engate.
I do not know whether or not Thomas Cady occupied his property. However, I do know that Cady’s occupation was a ‘bowler’ i.e. he made bowls, dishes or concave parts of spoons.
Thomas Cady
Parents & Siblings
Thomas was one of six known children of George and Elizabeth Cady. The registers for St James, Great Ellingham, records that Thomas, a son of George and Elizabeth Cady, was born on the 2nd February, 1699.
Baptisms are also recorded in St James for Elizabeth (13th June 1686), William (11th March 1687) and George (5th January 1694).
In addition, entries made in 1700 record the birth dates for Charles as January 29th, 1697 and William 25th February 1688 (as well as for Thomas).
Married Man with Children
I believe Thomas Cady was a married man with at least two sons, William and George.
He was 36 years of age when he purchased the property in Bow Street.
Mortgage to John Oddin
On the 8th August, 1751, and at the age of 52, Thomas Cady (still working as a bowler), mortgaged his property to worsted weaver, John Oddin of Attleburgh. The mortgage debt was £55 plus interest.
Extracts from the Mortgage Deed 8th August 1751 Thomas Cady to John Oddin. Courtesy Roger Banks
Thomas mortgaged the very same property as described in the earlier 1735 Lease, at the time he purchased the property from Ann Warren and Thomas Thurlow.
Again there is no mention of the cottage, yard and orchard, which Warren and Thurlow once owned together with the land and property conveyed to Thomas Cady.
Thomas Cady’s Last Will & Testament
On the 2nd August, 1764, Thomas Cady made his last Will and Testament. He probably knew that his end of life was near, and that he needed to put his affairs in order.
Thomas Cady was buried in the churchyard at St James not long after he signed his will.
He left all his real estate in Great Ellingham to his eldest son and heir, William.
Accordingly, William Cady became the new owner of the land and property in Bow Street. However, the mortgage debt was still owing to John Oddin.
Sources:
Family Tree Researcher website. Accessed 4 November 2022
Private Deeds Collection. Property in Bow Street. Thanks to Roger Banks
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office. PD609. Also available via www.familysearch.org
1802 Russell James Colman Plans. Great Ellingham. All rights reserved by Norfolk Record Office. Cat. Ref. C/Ca 1/84
1799 Statement of Claims. Great Ellingham Inclosure. Norfolk Record Office. Cat. Ref: MC 2213/118