1848 sale

Hampshire archive  archivr record 19M61/991 is a copy of an advertisment for the sale of a number of properties in Chewton Mendip owned by the Kingsmills or held on 8th December 1848. This event did not end the Kingsmills’ involvement with Chewton Mendip which started in 1591/2. Thomas Melhuish bought a significant tranche of proprieties in 1854. The Rev David Drakeford bought the Old Vicarage at about the same time and Rev Richard Philpott bought the Old Rectory c1858. William Kingsmill was still describing himself as ‘rector’ in 1890 but the 1848 is a pivotal  event when balance of influence in Chewton Mendip moved from the Kingsmills to the Waldegrave family. Chewton Priory had been sold to the Jenkins family. Chewton House was sold by private contract to the Scobell family in 1848 and the Habgoods probably transformed themselves from tenants to landowners as a result of this sale.  Most of the properties were in Town  tithing but the Kingsmills still owned properties  East End,  West End , Middlesex  and Widcombe tithings.

1848 is also the approximate ‘high water’ mark for Chewton Mendip. The population started to fall about this time as people were attracted to the cities and abroad in search or a better life. Coal mining  became more significant as a source of employment which the Kingsmills were involved with indirectly via marriage to the Mogg family. Whether or not coal mining meant an improvement to its workers compared with farming is a moot point.

The advertisement is also significant because it refers to the Waldegrave Arms which is assumed to have been the building demolished in the 1930s. The 1794 map is not clear what was standing on the site of either the current  or ‘old’ Waldegrave arms but the photographs of the old Waldegrave arms are consistent with it being the building that was used to host the auction.

The Kingsmills still owned a number of farms which were sold at the auction. The names of the farms used may not tie up with the lot numbers but some of the properties  may have been involved in the auction were Cutlers Green, Double Farm, Eakers Hill, Franklyns Farm, Shooters Bottom and Veal Farm

There are references to a Schoolroom which could apply to the former Methodist chapel on Chew Hll or what was Veal Farm in Lower Street. Some of the lots refer to cottages that an only b placed to parts of the village rather than be identified precisely.

The legal right to collect tithes and appoint the vicar, called the advowson, was also offered for sale. This carried the obligation to pay the Dean & Chapter of Wells £20:6s:8d or twenty three pounds, six shillings and eight pence or approximatly £20 33p in modern money. The first record of the requirement to make this payment was in 1327 when the sum was £23:6s:8d. The odd ammount shows it may have been calulated in Marks which were two thirds of a pound. The sum remained constant for hundreds of years but three pounds had been taken off by 1848 and it had lost most of its value in real terms but the obligation to pay the amount stretched back to the medeival period if not earlier.

The following table is a composite transcription of the original printed text and handwritten additions on the original document with hypertext links to other sources and research conducted by the author of this website.

The Tithe column lists the number from the tithe apportionment map. The ‘A’, ‘R’, and ‘P’ columns appear to define the values used to calculate values for paying tithes and taxes whilst the ‘Value’ column lists the amount achieved at the auction which was added later in pencil.

?	Tithe	Description	Tenant	State	A	R	P	Value
		Lot 1
	524	A Commodious an new built Dwelling	J Habgood		2	0	8
750		house with large garden and all convenient offices and outbuildings
	518	Two substantial Cottages and Gardens	Sarah Grace		0	0	33
	523	Lot 2			2	1	11
60	519	Paddock adjoining Lot 1	J Habgood	Pasture	0	2	34	£110
		Lot 3
80	525	Three substantial Cottages and Gardens	John Curtis		0	1	14	£120
		Near lot 1	and others
		Lot 4
60	526	Three substantial Cottages and Gardens	Mary Curtis		0	1	3	£100
		Near lot 1	J Edwards
			George Sage
		Lot 5
	848	Mendip	J Habgood	Arable	7	0	17
900	849	Ditto	ditto	ditto	6	1	0
	850	Ditto	ditto	Pasture	8	1	12	£910
	852	Ditto	ditto		65	2	28
		This lot is bound by Public Roads, and Lands of the Countess Walgrave,			87	1	17	240
		W. B. Naish, Esq, Henry Davis, Esq and Mr Selway
		Lot 6
		[Page break/Total]						1240
	443	Shooters Bottom	J Habgood	Pasture	17	2	21	1160
1000	444	Ditto	ditto	ditto	16	3	24
	446	Ditto	ditto	ditto	36	3	33
	445	Cottage, Barn, and Yard	ditto		0	2	38
		This lot is bounded by Lands of the Countess Waldegrave, J Hippisley, Esq, H Davis., and Mr Selway			72	0	36
		Lot 7
300	454	Newlands	ditto	Arable	16	0	4	320
		This lot is bounded by Lands of the Countess Waldegrave and Mr Selway
		Lot 8
750	195	Malt Mead	ditto	Pasture	3	2	38
	196	Chewton Close	ditto	ditto	6	2	0	780
	197	Webb’s Paddock	ditto	ditto	3	3	24
		This lot is surrounded by Lands of the Countess of Waldegrave			14	0	22
		and the Turnpike Road leading from Bristol to Wells
		Lot 9
500	190	Malt Mead	ditto	Arable	10	1	15	500
		This lot is surrounded by Lands of the Countess of Waldegrave
		Lot 10
70	31	Holly Marsh	John Cox	ditto	2	3	13	95
		Lot 11
	280	In Dudwell Field	Geo. Collins	ditto	0	3	10
120	282	Arable	J. Habgood	ditto	1	0	27	120
	314	Pasture	ditto	Pasture	0	1	30
		This lot is surrounded by Lands of the Countess of Waldegrave and No 280 lives in common therewith			2	1	27
		Lot 12
30	119	In Litton Field	T. Keeling	Arable		2	36	31
		Lot 13
200	147	Two substantial houses, with Garden and Orchard adjoining thereto			1	0	18	320
		Lot 14
20	331	Three substantial Cottages and Gardens	R Millard		0	1	5	105
		This lot will be sold subject to lease granted thereof, and now determinable on the death of Two Lives aged respectively 70 and 62 and the yearly Quit Rent of 5s payable during these lives will be sold therewith	and others
		Lot 15
50	332	Cottage and Garden			0	3	4	110
		Lot 16
80	162	Three convenient Cottages, with the Gardens , Schoolroom and stabling belonging thereto	Jospeh House		0	0	20	81
			Miss Giblet
			Abigl. Walter
		Lot 17
50	162	Two convenient Cottages and Gardens	Ann Gould		0	0	10	62
			John Smith
		Lot 18
90	162	Three convenient Cottages and Gardens	Amos Middle		0	0	37	97
			Jas Gardiner
			H Keeling
		Lot 19
70	162	Three convenient Cottages and Gardens	P. Edyvine		0	0	35	84
			John Clark
			James Clavey
		Lot 20
40	162	A convenient Cottages and Garden	Robert Pearce		0	0	17	58
		Lot 21
		Two convenient Cottages and Gardens with	Thos Keeling				22	82
		Page break/Total	D. Sheppard					5245
80	162	butchers shop and stable adjoining	W. Edyvine		0	0	16	63
		Lot 22
10	162	A convenient Cottages and Garden	Wm. Ridley		0	1	32	117
		Lot 23
10	299	Cottage and Garden at the Folly
		Lot 24
150	279	Five Cottages and Gardens	John Curtis		0	3	37	150
		This lot will be sold subject to lease granted thereof, and now determinable with one life aged about 70 years; and the yearly Quit Rent of _s payable during these lives will be sold therewith	and others
		In Ston Easton
		Lot 25
400	42	Greenfield			5	2	22	430
	43	Ditto			1	1	25
		This lot is bound by Lands of John Hippisley Esq, and the Turn Pike Raod leading to Shepton Mallet			7	0	7
		Lot 26
100	98	A piece of Arable Land			1	2	7	115
		This lot is bound by Lands of John Hippisley Esq,
		Lot 27
150	107	House,Yard, Barn and Cottage			0	1	23	200
	106	Close Adjoining			2	1	39
		This lot is bound by Lands of John Hippisley Esq., and the Lane leading from Chewton Mendip to Emborow			2	3	22
		Lot 28
	111	New Chewton Field			5	1	18
	112	Ditto			4	1	35	800
800	110	In Chewton Fild			2	1	1
	219	In Chewton Parish			1	0	36
		This lot is bounded by lands of the Countess of Waldegrave and W. B Naish Esq.; and Nos 110 and 219 lie in the common with Lands of the aid Countess			13	1	10
		In Emboroww
		Lot 29						Not Sold
		Close of Land	Saml. Loxton		2	3	24
		This lot is bound by Lands of John Hippisley Esq,
		Lot 30
		Coppice in Holly Marsh						31
		Lot 31						Not Sold
		The Advowson, or right of Presentation to the Vicarage of Chewton Mendip,Together with the Chapalries of Emborow, Ston Easton, Farrington Gurney and Widcombe,the Tithes of which have been commuted, the Rent Charge upon which ammount to £518 viz
					£	s	d
		Chewton Mendip			235	4	0
		Emborrow			74	8	0
		Ston Easton			85	15	0
		Farrington Gurney			88	0	0
		Widcombe			35	0	0
		Page Break			518	7	0	7151
		Together with the following Vicarial Glebe Lands			a	r	p
		In Chewton Mendip			4	3	1
		In Ston Easton			2	0	20
		In Emboroww			1	2	37
		In Widcombe			0	1	4
		The Vicarage of Chewton Mendip is a handsome Villa Residence, with Coach-House, Stabling,Yard and Garden			8	3	22
		The present incumbent [William Groves] is aged about 42.
		Lot 32
		The Impropriate Tithes arising from the Parish of Chewton Mendip (Except the state of Wlliam Kingsmill esq) which are commuted at a Rent Charge of £334
		This lot is subject to an Annual Payment of £20:6:8 to the Dean and Chapter of Wells.
		Lot 33
		The Impropriate Tithes arising from the Parish of Ston Easton which are commuted at a Rent Charge of £40:5:0.
		Lot 34
		The Impropriate Tithes arising from the Parish of Emborow which are commuted at a Rent Charge of £141:3:0.
		Lot 35
		The Impropriate Tithes arising from the Tithing of Noth Widcombe which are commuted at a Rent Charge of £30
		The Whole of the before dscribed ESTATES are easily accesspible to the PUBLIC ROADS. The Land are of excelent quality, and Building in good repair and well tenanted.
		The DW|ELLING HOUSE on Lot 1 has ben reently erreted without regard to expense, and would make an excellent RESIDENCE for a Country GENTLEMAN.
		Sold to Scobell by private contract						5568
		Sold by auction						7151
								12719
		To
		Scobells						5568
		Sold by auction						5575
		Chewton						£11,143