PRO Document LR/2/281 page 179-243

Survey of ye Manor of Somersham and Soake thereof being members of ye said manor (viz Bluntisham, Erith, Colne, Pidley, fenton) in ye County of Huntingdon late parcel of ye possessions of Charles Stuart and Henrietta Maria late King and Queen of England made and taken by us whose names are hereunto subscribed in ye month of may 1650. By vertue of a Commission granted upon an Act of ye Comons assembled in part for sale of the Honors, manors and Lands heretofore belonging to ye late King Queen and Prince under ye hands and seales of 5 or more of ye trustees in ye said act named.

179

The Quitt rents due to the Lord of the aforesaid Manor of Somersham within the Parish of Somersham aforesaid Holding of the said Manor in fee soccage tenure according to ye custom thereof and payable at Michael and our Lay Day and per annum is 51 shilling 8 pence.

P180

The rents of Assize due from the copyholders of the said manor and within the Town of Somersham aforesaid, holding by fine Arbitrary and at ye will of the Lord according to the customs of the said Manor at Michael and Our lady day are per annum £19 s12 d7

The rent for the passage of Hollywood Way for cattle into Holland commonly called Way Silver or Dipping Money due to the Lord of the manor aforesaid payable at Michael and our Lady day is per annum s13 d4.

The accustomed rent paid by the tenants of Somersham vulgarly called the common fine, being due to ye Lord of the Manor aforesaid for their commonage to the Lords Fenne and Heath payable at Michael and Lady day is per annum s10 d1.

(P181-6 go through lands at Bluntisham Colne and Fenton)

P187

Courthouse

All that capital , messauge, mansion or Court House commonly called Somersham Place lying and being in the town and parish of Somersham in the county  of Huntingdon consisting of divers old and decayed and ruminated brick buildings, one chapel, one brick tower at the west and a range of old decayed buildings thereto adjoining including other rnages of buildings adjoining the said crossways towards the North and the other range of decayed buildings towards the East with one brick tower at the end thereof towards the North, with a brick wall which together with the said buildings encompasseth a little courtyard containing one rood or thereabouts.

One garden inclosed with a brick wall and some old fruit trees growing therein abutting on the said Mansion house on the South consisting of one acre or thereabouts. One other courtyard containing two acres or thereabouts, two long barns old decayed and ruinated with a yard through adjoining called the Strey Yard part whereof is divided with the moat and park land on the South as it runneth to the garden wall containing three acres or thereabouts with one other close yard called Dorehouse Close and one old Dorehouse therein with the way that leadeth into Somersham Parke and the yard belonging containing four acres or thereabouts.

Which said Court House with ye “Scire” thereof as it is bounded by a moat running from the West and part thereof divideth the common way leading to Somersham on the North and so to the East and upon the South and part with the park and meadow on the South and South west and do contain in the whole ten acres and one rood and all the brick walls as they now stand with all ways, passages, lights, easements, watercourses, commodities, advantages and appurtenances of the said Mansion or Court House thereof and any part or parcel thereof in any way belonging or appertaining contains ten acres and one rood and worth per annum XXIIIJ pounds X shillings.

Memorandum

We have valued the aforesaid Court House at twenty four pounds and ten shillings and in consideration that two parcel only of ye same may be set forth and divided into 3 several commodious habitations with distinct accommodations to them.

P190

Materialls

The said house with all appurtenances aforesaid is wholly decayed and ruined most of thereof being fallen down and as they are fit to be demolished. Yet we have taken a view of the several materials thereof and did estimate the same together with ye materials of the said House, Outhouses, barns, brick walls and all other offices with the Dorehouse therein belonging to be worth in timber load, tiles brick, stone, glass and iron upon the place, besides the charge of taking down.

All that cottage called the DoggHouse adjoining upon the South side of the aforesaid moat and abbuteth upon Willow Row on the West with a small yard thereto, containing 20 poles and now in possession of Christopher Ander. Worth per annum 12 shillings.

P191

All that close of Meadow called fFrogg Close as it lyeth between the Parke pale and the Landes att the end of the parke aforesaid on the East containing one acre and worth per annum s20.

Parke

All that parcel of impaled ground commonly called Somersham Parke lying and being in the parish of Somersham baounded in part by Willow Row on the east and with the common field of Colne and Colne Greene in part on the East and South, and with Colne land leading to Somersham Heath on the South and on the said Somersham Heath in part on the South, and upon Somersham Chace on the West and upon Somersham Chace land leading from the said Chace unto Somersham Town on the North and abbutteth upon the aforesaid Capital House and gardens and yards in part on the West and part on the South; containing six hundred and twenty one acred, worth per annum £30.

And all wayes passages liberties privileges jurisdictions profits commodities advantages and appurtenances whatsoever in and around the Parke with the same or any part thereof originally occupied or injoyed as part parcel or member of the said parke in any wise appurteyning or belonging.

P192

Deere

There are within the said Parke att present four score deere of several sorts thought in value to be worth £80.

Timber Trees

The timber trees and other trees now standing and growing within the said Parke (besides such as are marked out for the use of the Navy) being in number two thousands= three hundred and sixty four, the most part small timber trees and worth in grosse upon the place as they stand, the time of converting them into money also considered, £213.

P193/4 Colne quarters

P195

Great Sale

There is also in the South part of the said Parke another spring or coppice of underwood commonly called the Great sale abutting upon the aforesaid Ship Land Howett on the west lying open with the aforesaid Parke conteyning by admeasurement forty and five acres the soyle whereof is also valued with the said Parke and being comprehended within the measure of six hundred and twenty one acres as aforesaid. And therefore we value the said coppice underwood distinctly as it now stands present being five years growth to be worth five and twenty shillings one acre with the other which in the whole amounts to the sum of £56 s5

Hollow Wood Hewitt

There is in the Southwest part of the said Parke another spring or coppice of old grown underwood commonly called Hollow Wood Hewitt abutting upon Phimes Corner in the said Parke on the south lying open with the said Parke containing by admeasurement ten acres, the soyle whereof is also valued with the said Parke and being comprehended within the measure of six hundred and twenty one acres as aforesaid and we value the growth of the said wood distinctly as it now stands at present – the same being above twenty years of growth and more to be worth seaven pounds one acre with the other which in the whole amounts to the sum of £70

Phimes Corner

There is also in the west part of the said Parke another spring or ancient coppice of old grown wood commonly called Phimes Corner as it rangeth by the Parke Pale in the west in the said Parke lying open with the same containing by admeasurement nineteen acres, the soyle whereof is also valued with the said Parke and being comprehended within the measure of six hundred and twenty one acres as aforesaid. And we value the growth of the said wood distinctly as it now stands at present – the same being above twenty years of growth and to be worth four pounds ten shillings one acre with the other which in the whole amounts to the sum of £85 s10.

P198

Sum Total acres of underwood aforesaid 163 acres.

Sum Total of the gross value of all the severall underwoods besides ye timber trees within ye said Parke G4 £68 s5

Memorandum that there is a composition for the tithe of the said Parke and premises which hath been paid every year unto the parson of Somersham for the time being (to witt) one fat boar at Midsomer, one doe at Christyde and ten shillings in money at Easter for and in consideration of all tythes.

There is belonging to the said parke a franchise or liberty extending one pole from the Pale thereof into the common about the parke to the said Pale adjoining which the owner of the Parke may inclose and take into the said Parke which contains three acres or thereabouts and we value the same if soe inclosed to be worth per annum 20s.

But if the said Parke as it lyeth now inclosed be despaired upon improvement the same is worth per annum £31.

Memorandum

We make noe reprise for the fencing or keeping upp of the Pale of the said Parke in regard we have valued the same as it may be improved and not in relation to the present condition thereof.

All that parcel of meadow lying and being in Colne meadow in the town of colne and parcel of the manor of Somersham aforesaid and within the soake thereof abutting upon Colne from on the South containing in the whole eight acres and worth per annum £6 S8

All that parcel of meadow lying and being in Colne meadow and Town aforesaid and parcel of the Manor aforesaid abutting upon foreland that leads into the fen on the North conteyning in the whole twelve acres worth per annum £8.

Bottom of p199

P202

Al that parcel of land, ground commonly called Somersham Chace as it lyeth open and common in the Town of Somersham and within the soake thereof, in the Towns of Blunticham, Colne Pidley and Fenton or either of them part whereof is bounded to the South with Somersham Comon Heath and part with the common fields of Pidley on the West and part with Pidley fenne in the North and part with Somersham common fields and common greene in the East and do consist of divers severall and distinct wood grounds and coppice woods and other lands in the several towns and parishes aforesaid or any of them belonging to the said chace and within the walks thereof anywise appurteyning being hereafter distinctly sett for the and valued as followeth:

Lawne

All that parcel of cleared pasture land commonly called the Lawne as it runneth from the North to the South betwixt the Park Pale on the East and Sir Charles Howard’s House in the West being parcel of the said chace and containing forty four acres two roods and thrity six poles and is worth per annum £13 s16 d8.

The timber trees and other trees now standing and growing within the Lawne aforesaid being in number four score trees which we have marked (with the Arms of England) and worth in gross upon the place, the time of converting them into money considered, £80.

P203

Memorandum

The aforesaid Lawne was heretofore coppice wood ground as the other parte of the Chace were, and by agreement and consent of the then Earl of Suffolk and the tenants in Somersham and within the soak thereof, it was grubbed up and inclosed for the food and the quiet of the deere and for preventing of the deere eat of the tenants corne and lying in their meadows. And the said Earle was to enlarge the highway leading from Somersham to the heath which the said Earl did, who was likewise to preserve a fence against the common fields called Ditchfield for the preventing the deere breaking into their corne. The said Earle was likewise to make a Pale upon the West side of the Parke for to keep in the deere within the Parke that they may do less damage to their corne, which he did and thereupon it was inclosed and so enjoyed by the space of 30 years together without interruption; till about seven years ago the people did in a great tumultuous and riotous manner break upon the fence and waylay and laid it open, which fence hath so layen as may appeare by three several oaths appended. Wherefore we have valued the same as an inclosure and not as Comon aforesaid.

P242

A survey of the Mansion or Lodge House with ye appurtenances wherein Sir Charles Howard now dwelleth and as it standeth within the chace of Somersham in the County of Huntingdon aforesaid being parcel of the manor and soake of Somersham being the lands of the late king and queen and taken by us heretofore nominated and appointed surveyors for the said county and whose names subscribed ye 6^th day of November 1652.

And that mansion or lodge house with the appurtenances soe situated and lying and being in Somersham in the County of Huntingdon aforesaid and as it is encompassed with and abutteth upon the lawn and parcell of the said chace on the East and with the several Hewetts of the said chace on the South and West and North thereupon abutting and adjoining consisting of a timber building and containing divers and several rooms within the same with the outhouses and gardinge and lands thereof belonging and inclosed with a pale and hedge and now in the tenure of Sir Charles Howard containing by estimation fifteen acres of pasture ground and worth per annum 30 shillings.

Memorandum

We were informed upon taking the former survey of the said manor that the premessis did belong to the Right Honourable the now Earl of Suffolk or Sir Charles Howard, or one of the, whereupon we omitted the same out of the said survey. But since we received information that the said house and lodge and the appurtenances were built with timber taken out of the park and chace of Somersham aforesaid and that the land lying and being so within the said chace distinguished in the most part thereof with a raile only and finding noe other land lying within the said chace claimed by any other person, and that the said land might formerly be parcel of the said chace and having not seene any deedes or evidence from the said Earl or Sir Charles Howard whereby they or any of them claimeth any right or titles to the premsessis wee have therefore made this survey and returned the same unto your Honours submitting the same to further consideration,

Subscribed by us

The 6^th day of November 1652

Tho Ffowle

John Ward