Acknowledgements: The ODHS is indebted to Bill Eyres and Colin Kempson for the development of the photographic images of the original documents and their transcriptions.
Nos 78, 80 and 82 High Street, Olney (2015)
No 78 on the right
Bill Eyres drew our attention to a set of more than 20 legal documents drawn up between 1691 and 1885 and associated with Nos 74, 76 and 78 High Street (now known as Nos 78, 80 and 82 High Street). These documents relate to changes of ownership (and associated wills) of the land between the High Street and East Street. Nineteen of the documents are presented below.
Notes:
For the original images:
i. Clicking the links will reveal the contents of the original document in detail, using the several levels of magnification as necessary. The measure of legibility offers a guide to the present day quality of the document, but is of course subjective.
For the transcriptions:
ii. Where **** appears, we have been unable to read the original. We are, of course, happy to receive corrections and additions.
iii. For demonstration purposes, three of the transcriptions have been developed in an alternative format, so that they can be compared line-by-line with the originals. The Document Refs for these three transcriptions are odhs004, odhs008 and odhs012; Document Ref: odhs012 is perhaps the best example. Visitors will need to display both the original document and the transcript as ‘horizontal split screens’ (using Microsoft Windows) to gain the maximum benefit from the line-by-line comparison.
iv. To assist researchers, we have also listed the tenants and neighbours mentioned in each document.
The Documents in chronological order:
1. Indenture dated 4 November 1691, Document Ref: odhs068
Samuel Freeman, who inherited the property from Anne Pettifer, transfers the property to Thomas Pettit.
Persons mentioned: Anne Pettifer – Samuel Freeman – Thomas Pettit – William Kellitt and wife Anne – Susanna Ashburner – John Alsop – John Sibthorpe – Joseph Gale – Richard Haworth – Rowland Forster – John Pettifer.
Link to an image of the original document
Legibility of original document is as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
2. Will of Samuel Freeman dated 4 April 1708, Document Ref: odhs001
Samuel Freeman bequeaths in his will the property to Susanna Freeman, his wife, and on her death to his children. After his death Susanna married William Percivall (see Document odhs008).
Persons mentioned: Samuel Freeman – his wife Susanna Freeman – William Keyes – Anne Knight.
Link to an image of the original document
Legibility of original document is as ‘Difficult’
Link to the transcription of the document
3. Articles of Agreement dated 2 January 1718, Document Ref: odhs004
James Freeman and Jonah Freeman, William Clason and William Percivall transfer the property to Thomas Pettit senior and Thomas Pettit junior.
Persons mentioned: James & Jonah Freeman – Thomas Pettit senior and junior – William Clason – William Percivall – Robert Dickens – John Hanson – Richard Parish.
Link to an image of the original document
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
Link to an alternative transcription format – where a line-by-line comparison with the original document is achievable using the process described in Note iii above.
4. Indenture dated 22 March 1719, Document Ref: odhs008
This indenture appears to relate to the release of hereditary interest of some of the children of Samuel Freeman.
Persons mentioned: James Freeman – Jonah and Elizabeth Freeman – William and Susanna Percivall – William and Mary Clason – Elizabeth Freeman – Thomas Pettit senior – Samuel Freeman – Robert Dickens – John Freeman – Richard Parish – Sarah Freeman – Mary Coles – Susanna Sybthorpe – John Harwick.
Link to an image of the original document
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Difficult’
Link to the transcription of the document
Link to an alternative transcription format – where a line-by-line comparison with the original document is achievable using the process described in Note iii above.
5. Indenture dated 22 September 1736, Document Ref: odhs012
This indenture also appears to relate to the release of hereditary interest of some of the children of Samuel Freeman.
Persons mentioned: Richard and Sarah Hackman – John Freeman – Sarah Freeman – Samuel Freeman – Susanna Pettit – Thomas Pettit junior – Robert Dickens – Richard Parish – Mary Coles – John Griggs.
Link to an image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
Link to an alternative transcription format – where a line-by-line comparison with the original document is achievable using the process described in Note iii above.
6. Indenture dated 29 September 1736, Document Ref: odhs016
Susannah Pettit and John Pettit her son transfer the property to Peter Carey on 29th September 1736. Susannah and John agree to make payment twice a year for continued occupation.
Persons mentioned: Susanna Pettit and son John – Peter Carey – John Griggs – Widow Saunders – Susanna Sybthorpe.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
7. Indenture dated 23 November 1741, Document Ref: odhs020
Susannah Pettit and John Pettit her son transfer the property to Peter Carey on 23rd November 1741. Susannah and John agree to make a peppercorn payment twice a year for continued occupation.
This indenture appears to be a variation to the original terms of Document odhs016 some five years earlier.
Persons mentioned: (Names as Document odhs016) Susanna Pettit and son John – Peter Carey – John Griggs – Widow Saunders – Susanna Sybthorpe.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
8. Indenture dated 24 November 1741, Document Ref: odhs024
Susannah Pettit and John Pettit her son transfer the property to Peter Carey.
Persons mentioned: Susanna Pettit and son John – Peter Carey – John Griggs – Elizabeth Saunders.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Difficult’
Link to the transcription of the document
9. Indenture dated 5 April 1753, Document Ref: odhs040
John Gillam and Mary his wife transfer the property to Thomas Edmunds.
Persons mentioned: John and Mary Gillam – Thomas and Susanna Edmunds – Thomas and Susanna Reynolds and son John – Elizabeth Griggs – William Maynard – Christopher Dodson – William Flood.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Difficult’
Link to the transcription of the document
10. Indenture dated 22 October 1776, Document Ref: odhs028
James Carey and Mary his wife transfer the property to Thomas Wheatley.
Persons mentioned: James and Mary Carey – Thomas Wheatley – John Pearson – Thomas Coborn – William Griggs – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
11. Indenture dated 1 October 1787, Document Ref: odhs032
Thomas Wheatley transfers the property to Richard Chater.
Persons mentioned: Thomas Wheatley – Richard Chater – William Finedon – Brightman Andrews – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
12. Indenture dated 4 April 1789, Document Ref: odhs036
Richard Chater transfers the property to Ann Robinson.
Persons mentioned: Richard Chater – Ann Robinson – William Finedon –
Brightman Andrews – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
13. Indenture dated 18 April 1811, Document Ref: odhs044
Ann Robinson transfers the property to James Clarke.
Persons mentioned: Ann Robinson – James Clarke – William Plowman
William Finedon – William Blower – Brightman Andrews
Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
14. Indenture dated 19 April 1811, Document Ref: odhs048
Ann Robinson transfers the property to James Clarke.
The relationship between this indenture and that in Document odhs0044 is not understood.
Persons mentioned: (Names as Document odhs044) Ann Robinson – James Clarke – William Plowman – William Finedon – William Blower – Brightman Andrews – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
15. Indenture dated 29 April 1813, Document Ref: odhs056
James Clarke the younger and William Plowman (trustee) transfer the property to Robert Johnston.
Persons mentioned: James Clarke – William Plowman – Robert Johnston – William Blower – William Finedon – Ann Robinson – Brightman Andrews – John Andrews – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop – Richard Humphreys.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
16. Indenture dated 30 April 1813, Document Ref: odhs052
James Clarke and William Plowman (trustee) transfer the property to Robert Johnston and Richard Humphreys.
Persons mentioned: (Names as Document odhs056) James Clarke – William Plowman – Robert Johnston – William Blower – William Finedon – Ann Robinson – Brightman Andrews – John Andrews – Mary Harrison – Widow Alsop – Richard Humphreys.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Good’
Link to the transcription of the document
17. Indenture dated 4 August 1885, Document Ref: odhs058
Gershom Longland and James Longland as trustees for the late Sarah Soul transfer the property to John Chater.
Persons mentioned: Gersham Longland – James Longland – John Chater – Sarah Soul – William Sanders – William Clarke – Abel Horwood – Henry Flood – James Clarke the younger.
Link to the image of the original – Image 1
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the image of the original – Image 2
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the complete document
18. Indenture (Part 1) dated 5 August 1885, Document Ref: odhs062_1
John Chater acknowledges the payment of one hundred pounds from William Pettit and transfers the property to William Pettit.
Persons mentioned: John Chater – William Pettit – William Sanders – William Clarke.
Link to the image of the original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
19. Indenture (Part 2) dated 5 November 1891, Document Ref: odhs062_2
William Pettit, as mortgagee, transfers the property to William Garrard.
Persons mentioned: William Pettit – William Garrard.
Link to the image of the original original
Legibility of original document is considered as ‘Fair’
Link to the transcription of the document
Endpiece
Many people living in the town possibly possess old (legal) documents associated with Olney buildings, such as deeds, etc., that may be of considerable historical interest to researchers and other Olney residents. In the recent past, displaying such documents on a website (or in books) often proved difficult; because perhaps the documents were barely illegible, or of such a large size that the resulting images took an excessive time to load.
Recent advances in IT have resulted in some of these issues being overcome. Consequently, a further aim of this page is to demonstrate how the content of such documents could be processed to appear on heritage websites. (See also the above Note iii regarding the alternative transcription format.)