Again as with previous centuries, I shall not detail every last property transaction, but instead list the names of those known to have been associated with particular farms/ properties etc.. in order to assist anyone undertaking family history research. If a transaction is of especial interest, I shall include it in the main listings.
The eighteenth century continued the trend of the seventeenth century for a prosperous farming community in our area of study. However, the principle change which took place during the 18th century was concerned with land ownership. At the beginning of the century ownership of the land was still fairly diverse and widespread, with the majority of farm holdings being owned and run by the local yeomanry. [That is the local yeoman farmers as opposed to the yeomanry forces, a volunteer cavalry force in the British army, originally formed in 1794 chiefly of men of the yeomanry class and now incorporated in the Territorial Army.] However, by the end of the century much of the land had been consolidated into huge estates owned by families such as the Grimstons at Gorhambury, the Filmers at Langleybury and the Duchess of Bridgewater; the farmers by this time being for the most part tenants paying farm rents rather than owning the land copyhold from the Lord of the Manor.
Associated with Lawrence Farm, otherwise known as Bottom House this century were Joseph Kentish, Rebecca his wife, their son Joseph Kentish, Robert Jenkyn, Beversham Filmer in trust for Sir Robert Raymond, Thomas Orchard [HALS 71655 - 71674] Sir John Filmer, Thomas Orchard [HALS D/EV M39]
Associated with various small tenements and parcels of land, mostly within the Westwick Row area were: Mary Dell, Ann, Joseph and John Hannell, Matthew Graves ( a mealman), William Hoddesdon ( and his grandson of the same name), Mary Hoddesdon, John Hoddesdon, Sarah Hoddesdon, Robert Crowfoot,, James Cook, Henry and Sarah Long, William and Martha Glenister, Eleanor Francis, Joseph Frances,, James and Anna Young, John Beech, Thomas Ivory (husbandman), Hanna and James Rolfe, Sarah Rolfe, James & Ann Young, John Wethered (a cordwayner) and Mary his wife, John Wethered junior, Jane Handley ( widow of Dr. Joseph Handley) [HALS 1M52 - 1M65]
Associated with Megdells this century were: Joseph Tyler, Brune Ryves ( his grandson) and his wife Mary; Ann Stuffield; Richard Stockwell; Walter Griffin; Thomas Stockwell, surgeon; Richard Reading; Joseph Gillman; Viscount Grimston; and Thomas Sibley. [HALS IG19 - IG26] William Fellows [HALS D/EV M39; also Will of John Saunders of Westwick 1781, transcribed by Tony Harrison]; Esther Fellows nee Herridge [Will of John Saunders of Westwick 1781, transcribed by Tony Harrison]
Associated with Buncefield this century was Jeremiah Peacock. [HALS 73802]
Known to be associated with Woodlane End Farm during this century were: Samuel Ewer (Baptist Minister), his wife Sarah Ewer and their family. Also the following, who although may not have resided at the house, certainly used it as their place of worship: John Lowther, John Costard, James Yates, John Atkins, John Humphrey, John Mills, Thomas Marsom, James Hardinge, John Ward and Matthew Dunn. [ S48; S143, pp. 178 -183; S142, p.208.]
Joseph Camfield, farmer or husbandman [S417] ;
Known to be associated with Yewtree Farm during this century were: Elizabeth Herridge (nee Saunders), John Herridge (possibly Headech) [Will of John Saunders of Westwick 1781, transcribed by Tony Harrison]
Known to be associated with Woodwells were: John Bailey, labourer, Joseph Bates, a servant (farm labourer) from Woodwells, William Bliss, a labourer, Thomas Catling, John Chance, a labourer; Daniel Clark, a farmer; John Barton, Farmer; [S265]
There was a pest-house (early form of isolation hospital ) in Leverstock Green Road. Known as the Crabtree Pesthouse, it was where the Crabtree Inn stands today. Adeyfield was only a field name ( named as Hardy Field on the 1766 map,.) and farm until this century. The pest house was at the end of the linear development known as Leverstock Green at the time. [ S19 p.30 ]
Known to be associated with Coxpond (either Great Coxpond or Little Coxpond or both, it is not always easy to tell from individual documents. were: George Sage; Joseph Baldwin, farmer; [S265] Joseph Baldwin and his wife Ann Puddephat; William Elkins and his wife Christina Puddephat, & Paul Vaillant [HALS D/ELs B400, AH169, AH169, AH171], John Camfield, Yeoman [S417 and will of John Saunders of High St Green]
Associated with Bennett's End Farm this century were: The Puddephat family, Paul Vaillant, Daniel Saunders; William, Richard & John Steward and William Elkins - all nephews of John Puddephat, and their Mother Christina Elkins. [HALS D/Els B400 AH169, AH169, AH171]; Richard Ginger; William Jennings; [HALS D/Els B400]; Thomas Ball (servant); George Hall (a labourer) Joseph Clark, (a labourer); William Barton, labourer; William Crawley, (a labourer), William Crockett, (a servant), William Crawley, (a labourer) Thomas Doggett, (a labourer); Thomas Foster, (a labourer); George Hall, (a labourer); John and Joseph Hannell, (both labourers); [S265]; the Tower family. [HALS 80825]; John Gethin, a gentleman
Known to be associated with Tile Kiln were: John Baldwin, Joseph Baldwin (who was deaf), Joseph Blunt (servant);
Known to be associated with property in Leverstock Green, but within the parish of Hemel Hempstead, and not otherwise mentioned were: William Steward [S265]; John Steward, Husbandman [HALS D/ELs B400]; Thomas Bolden (tasker) Cornelius and George Bradshaw (farmers); Joseph & William Cock (taskers);
Known to be associated with property in Leverstock Green, but within the parish of Abbots Langley were William Mutton (husbandman) and Sarah Nicholl of Hillendon Middlesex. [Copy of surrender out of Court HALS: DE/HL/13363 17 Sept 1753; DE/HL/13373 2 Apr 1755]
Known Licensees and/or owners of The Leather Bottle Public House were Robert Fellows [S387 & S386] Jeremiah Pope, Benjamin Child. [ S52; S240 ]; James Donner; Thomas Kentish [CRP D/EV M39]
Known Licensees and owners of The Red Lion Public House was: James Fosler [S240]
Associated with Leverstock Green Farm (Carpenters Farm) this century were Jeremiah Long and his wife Mary, Dr. Richard Hale of St. Giles's and by bequest from Dr. Hale, the Tower family. [HALS 80750-80770, 80798-80800, 80821] James Preston, [HALS 80779] William Finch HALS D/EV M39]
Associated with Northend Farm this century were Joseph Goodall, William Goodall and Abraham Aslins. [HALS AH 243] Also Sarah, John and Daniel Leas [S262]
Associated with Chambersbury this century were Jeremiah Smith and his family. [S262]
Associated with Bunkers Farm this century were the How (or Howe) family. [S262]
The front block of Beechtree Cottages on the Hemel Hempstead Road was built at this time. [ S32 ] Known to be associated with the small farm attached to it were: Ephraim Mead, Thomas Kinder, Josh Handley and the Grimston family [HALS D/EV M39]
Associated with High Street Green: John Saunders, Daniel Saunders, Thomas Saunders. [Will of John Saunders of Westwick 1781, transcribed by Tony Harrison]
Early Eighteenth Century - Extraction of chalk for marling the land was common at this time, and inspection of the O.S. maps shows several marl pits in our area of study. One such was along Chambersbury Lane, another along the Bedmond Road. Arthur Young in his "General View of Agriculture of the County of Hertfordshire" (1804) includes the following description of this process:
"The undermentioned method is persued in chalking land, and the persons employed therein follow it as a trade: a spot is fixed upon nearly centrical to about six acres of land tobe chalked; here apit, about four feet in diameter, is sunk to the chalk, if found within about 20 ft from the surface; if not, the sinkers considering that they are on an earth-pillar, fill up the pit, and sink in fresh places, till their labour is attended with better success. The pit from the surface to the chalk is kept from falling in by a sort of basket-work made with hazel, or willow rods and brushwood, cut green, and manufactured with small boughs and leaves remaining thereon, to make the basket work the closer. The earth and chalk is raised from the pit by a jack rowl on a frame, generally of a very simple and rude construction: to one end of the rowl is fixed a cartwheel, which answers the double purpose of a fly and a stop; an inchrope, of sufficient length, is wound round the rowl, to one end of which is affixed a weight which nearly counterbalances the empty bucket fastened to the other end. This...., a spade, a shovel, and a pick-axe, are all the necessary implements in the trade of the company of chalk-diggers, generally three in number. The pitman digs the chalk and fills the basket, and his companions alternately wind it up and wheel its contents upon the land: when the basket is wound up to the top of the pit, to stop its descent until emptied, the point of a wooden peg, of sufficient length and strength, is thrust by the perpendicular spoke in the wheel into a hole made in the adjoining upright or standard of the frame, to receive it. The pit is sunk from 20 t0 30 feet deep, and then chambered at the bottom, that is the pitman digs or cuts out the chalk horizontally, in three seperate directions.....One pit will chalk six acres, laying on sixty loads to an acre; if more be laid on, and to the full extent of the chalking viz 100 loads, then a proportional less extent of land than six acres is chalked from one pit. Eighteen barrowfulls make a load, and the usual price for chalking is 7d per load, all expenses included; therefore the expense of chalking at 60 loads per acre, is £!. 15s; and at 100 ditto, £2.18s 4d;" [S167. P.184-185]
Associated with brickmaking and brickworks during the 19th century were: Henry Bennett, William Bennett, Mark Patterson Woods, Thomas Franklin, James. Pratt & son, Daniel Norris and Son, Caroline Pratt( Mrs.) , Charles Dickens, Thomas Doult, Robert R. Norris, John & William Childs and many others. Bricks were made in Leverstock Green, the census returns showing most of the men living in the Tile Kiln area were brick-makers or their labourers. [ S1 - p.108 ]
