Finmere at the Huntington: 1850-1899
Sir
I shall be happy to receive the sum of £2 3s 6d – less income tax for the half years commutation by the rent charge on the remainder in hand of the Marquess of Chandos’ property at Finmere at your convenience & am your humble servant.
W.J. Palmer
Sir
I shall be glad to receive from you the sum of £2 3 6d less the income tax for the half years rent charge on the remaining in hand of the Marquess of Chandos due on the first day of January last.
If you had not a notice at the time fixed for me for receiving the Rent charges in that month it was an omission on the part of your very humble servant
W.J. Palmer
Mr Thomas Beards
Marquess of Chandos
Mixbury July 24 – 50
Mr Palmer will attend at the Parsonage at Finmere on Monday 5th of August to receive the Rent Charge between the hours of twelve and two.
The whole change for the year 1850 according to the tables upon Mr. Marquess Chandos holding is £4 5s 9d of which half became due on the first of the present month of July and the other half will become due on the first of January 1851.
W.J. Palmer
Mixbury Aug 5
Sir
I inclose two receipts as your vouchers for the payment of the two half years payments due on the first of January and the first of July last.
When I am made acquainted with the Rail-way Companys occupation in the parish of Finmere specifically with relation to the various enclosures charged with items of the rent charge, a separate demand may be made on them but in the mean time I do not see how any attention can be made or deduction allowed. I am quite aware that the interests of the Bacon House Farm and Mr Halls farm held by Shephard as well as perhaps something of what remains of the Marquess of Chandos in hand require that a portion of the rent charge should be thrown to the R.W.Co. [sic] account.
Your very humble Servt
W.J. Palmer
Finmere Sept 3rd
Dear Sir
I am sorry I cannot send you the document you ask tho I have no doubt of your care of it. I have however taken from it the description of the several inclosures thro which the rail-road passes as laid down in the map attached to the catalogue and conditions of sale two years ago, which Mr Shepphard the Churchwarden has compared and found correct – and this I think will answer the purpose expressed in your note and which I shall in every way I am able to be ready to assist.
I remain
Your very humble servt
W.J. Palmer
Mr Thos Beards
B Russell
Euston Station
Stowe
7 Nov 1850
Dear Sir
I am but this day returned from Cornwall. The Radclive and Finmere rent charges shall have my immediate attention and you shall hear from me very shortly thereon.
There are small pieces of land taken since the last settlement with Mr Saunders and myself and the tenants are continually asking me about allowances when at Buckingham. Will you go along the line and I think you and I can settle it speedily.
T Beards
Stowe
7 Nov 1850
Stowe
13th Nov 1850
Mr B Russell
Dr Sir
I return the statements of rent charge due from the Railway Company to the occupants of land in the parishes of Finmere & Radclive. I have also made out the divisions on the forms you sent me but for one year only. For the future guidance in the matter of Finmere it is quite clear as a field apportionment was made in that parish yet you will perceive the Nos on the Tithe Map occurs twice in an instance or two the reason is in consequence of the Land being taken at different times and I thought by adding the quantities together might in some measure might obscure that matter which every case that I have had to deal with I studiously avoid. The same case also applies to Radclive as to Nos and land taken but as there was not a field apportionment in that parish but a sum put on each holding the matter is not quick to clear. I have taken the whole quantities and rent charges and taken the average between the parties feeling quite satisfied the Lands in that parish taken by the Railway Company is quite an average of the Parish. You will understand the quantities taken since the commencement of the formation of the Railway are from measurements by Ts Kent who I believe has been employed by the Company, the resident Engineer states he was not justified in giving the quantities therefore I employd a person who had been employd by the Company and I have not reason to dispute his measurements the [Secretary?] on papers copies of which you sent me and which I return the amount are due to the occupiers.
Viz Finmere three years and a quarter to 1st of July last £17 8s 0½.
[The Radclive rent charge…]
You can send the respective amounts to whom they are due on the whole to me if you please and if so I will take case you have the receipts required you will understand I get nothing by the matter only being continually badgered by the tenants induce me to set the matters straight if possible.
T Beards
London
The South Western Railway
B Russell
Euston Square Station
Dear Sir
In reply to your received this morning respect of the rent charge at Finmere and Radclive.
According to the apportionment Finmere becomes due half yearly vis on the 1st of January and 1st of July in each year and Radclive accord g to the apportionment becomes due at the 1st of April and 1st October in each year & if you have any doubt you can see the apportionment. I doubt if the Radclive amount is sent to Mr Levans he will divide it and get you proper receipts and Mr Barrett will do the same at Finmere or you can send it to each individual as you please recollect that there is only ½ years which becomes due on the 1st of Octr last due to Mr Paxton for the Rector of Radclive. But after this the company will pay to the Rector not the tenants. I said in a previous letter I would divide the amount and get you proper receipts if you wish d it; But mind I don’t want the job.
T Beards
Stowe
29 Nov 1850
Mixbury Dec 9 – 50
My dear Sir
You will confer a favour on me by communicating the particulars of the Rail-way property as to the quantity of land taken from various grounds belong to the Bacons house Farm, and which is the amount of tithe commutation rent charge to which you consider it the whole liable.
I am yours faithfully
W.J. Palmer
Mr Thos Beards
W.J. Palmer
Revd Sir
The following is a transcript of which has been sent to the Railway Company as to the rent charge Finmere up to 1 July last after th receipt thereof they sent me their own form for the acct to be made out accordingly which I have done and I have not heard of any demur thereto indeed their own Surveyor tell me by letter he have transmitted the ½ year due at 1st October next to the Rector of Radclive which Rent charge unlike Finmere is due on the 1st Octr and 1st April.
T Beards
This acct is made [?] apportionment.
TB
Stowe
December 15th 1850
Mr Robt Greaves Finmere
Dear Sir
Lord Chandos is willing to sell two acres of land at Finmere in the field in the occupation of William Barrett pointed out by you. His lordship said he would enquire the least expence that it can be convey d for a commitment further on the subject & as soon as I hear more I will either see you or Mr Smith of Buckingham on the subject.
T Beards
Stowe
26 December 1850
Finmere Jany 9 – 51
Sir
Having appointed the 20 th inst. for the paym t of the half years rent charges for the parish if it is convenient to you send me a cheque for the small amount for the half year due from the Marquess of Chandos I will return you a receipt. The payment for the last half year will be the same with that for the former. For the current year there will be a reduction according to the acreage I suppose of 2p [?] or more.
Your very faithful servant
W.J. Palmer
Mr Thomas Beards
Rev Palmer Mixbury
Stowe Feb 2nd / 51
My good Sir
I have not heard from you respecting the small payment due from the Marquess of Chandos to you (rent charge, Finmere) but I now write this merely to say there is another piece of land the Marquess is charged with in addition named when I saw you at Finmere. I believe the No on the Estate map[1] is 18 & adjoins the piece of grubbed wood in the late Dukes time and sometimes afterwards it was furze contents £3 2s 24p I do not think the tenant has been charged for this piece.
Mixbury Feby 4 – 51
Dear Sir
I hope I have not put you to inconvenience by omitting so long to send you the particulars I promised when I had the pleasure of seeing you a fortnight ago.
The number 18 on the sale map is charged whether right or wrong I know not to the tenant (Tredwell) 8/6 which has been paid & therefore to be included in the following which is all I can make of the numbers remaining in hand, as follows
No sale map |
Apport n map |
||||
15 |
34 |
—— |
2 |
2 |
5 |
20 |
32 |
—— |
– |
14 |
5 |
45 |
26 |
—— |
– |
4 |
5 |
38 |
16 |
—— |
– |
– |
10 |
36 |
15 |
—— |
– |
– |
11 |
47 |
69 |
—— |
– |
6 |
11 |
2 |
50 |
—— |
– |
1 |
10 |
Cottages on Lot 6 retained |
– |
5 |
– |
||
3 |
16 |
7 |
|||
Deduct from No 15 for |
5 |
5 |
|||
3 |
11 |
2 |
|||
½ |
1 |
10 |
7 |
||
Inc. tax |
1 |
10 |
½ |
||
£ |
1 |
9 |
8½ |
||
for which I write a receipt on the blank page.
1851 February 4th
Received of the Marquess of Chandos by the hand of Mr Thomas Beards one pound 9/8½ for half years rent charge on lands in hand his property in the parish of Finmere due on the first January Inst
£ |
s |
d |
W.J. Palmer |
1 |
9 |
8½ |
Stowe
8 April 1851
L. Chandos
My Lord
Mr Thomas West of Silverstone has been here to day asking about Barretts Farm at Finmere and asked me to write about it.
[Other business…]
T Beard
Stowe
Smith
7 May 1851
My Dear Sir
I enclose accts on the Railway Company and also for Contractor for damages on Bacon House Farm you will see I delivered the Contractors acct up to Midsummer 1848. To Mr Saunders who took no notice of these altns. at the commencement of the work Mr Horn agreed to leave the assessment of damages to him.
When you get any money I shall expect 1 guinea as my fee.
TB
Stowe
2 June 1851
J West
Dr Sir
I am now authorised to offer you the Finmere Farm in the occupation of Mr W Barrett with six cottages in the village of Finmere & a small quantity of Wood Land in hand intermixed with the Farm the particulars of which are as follows:
a. |
r. |
p. |
Rent |
||||||
Farm |
— |
255 |
3 |
7 |
more or less |
£239 |
0 |
0 |
|
Woodland |
— |
4 |
7 |
25 |
estimated at |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Six cottages |
— |
0 |
2 |
14 |
estimated at |
10 |
0 |
0 |
|
261 |
2 |
6 |
254 |
0 |
0 |
This property is freehold and Land Tax redeemed. The Tithes are commuted which are paid by the tenant except on the wood land in hand which am ts to abt 30 shillings a year the Estate is subject to no other payment and the price asked for is £7500 the timber to be taken by valuation.
TB
28 June 1851
Messrs W & J West
Silverstone
Dear Sirs
I could not see the Marquess of Chandos till this day therefore I could not tell nor give the actual selling price of the Farm at Finmere in Mr Barretts occupation the six cottages and small pieces of woodland in hand. I am now directed to inform you the price that will be taken including the Timber is £6900. My Lord has given the matter his personal consideration and nothing less than that sum named will be taken.
TB
Finmere July 28 – 51
Mr Palmer will attend at the Parsonage at Finmere on Monday the 11th of August between the hours of one and two in the afternoon to receive the half-years tithe commutation rent charge due on the first instant.
£ |
s |
d |
|
Charge for the year 1851 |
3 |
– |
3¼ |
Income tax to be deducted
Mr Thos Beards
Stowe 29th July 1851
Messrs Currie and Co
32 Lincolns Inn Fields
London
Dear Sirs
I have received your letter with the enclosure as to Finmere & I have written to Mr Beasley saying I will be at Northampton Market on Saturday next and am desirous of seeing him on the matter named. I return you your particulars of the Finmere Farms and a corrected statement thereof with values attached which I consider low as I feel quite satisfied had I the acceptng the farms now on lease for 14 years I could increase the present rents
T Beards
Read the note at the bottom of the statement as to Finmere Grounds Farm[2] Lord Chandos is quite cognisant of the matter if you are not.
TB
Mixbury Augst 25
Dear Sir
The number 75 on the sale map corresponds with the number 74 on the apportionment map, and the charge on this is £15 15s 9p – and this is ground you mean out of which a small portion is understood to have been sold off to Robert Greaves
I am yours truly
W.J. Palmer
Mr Palmer will attend at the Parsonage at Finmere on Monday the 23rd of August at eleven o’clock in the forenoon to receive the rent charges that became due upon the several holdings in the parish of Finmere on the first of July last.
Mr T Beards
If as Mr Palmer has heard the remaining property in Finmere has been sold to the Warden and Fellows of Merton College and Mr Beards should wish to clear the account for rent charge on the land in hand now – the half year due on the first of July is £1 10s 1d less the income tax. But if it suits Mr Beards convenience better may it stand over.
WJP
January 1 1852
Mr Palmer will attend at the Parsonage at Finmere on Monday the 19 th ^ instant to receive the half years payment of tithe commutation rent charge now due to the same amount as the former half year.
^ between the hours of eleven and one
Mr Thomas Beards [?] The whole year |
|||
due amount |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Deduct Inc. Tax |
2 |
2 |
|
Clear |
3 |
– |
3 |
The Revd W.J. Palmer begs to inform Mr Beards that the amount of rent-charge due upon certain lands on the farms of Tredwell and Barrett, described as the Duke of Buckingham’s or Marquess of Chandos “property in hand”, for the first half year of 1853 is £1 9 5½; or, after deducting income-tax, £1 8 7¼. This amount became due on the first of July last, but Mr Palmer would not have troubled Mr Beards with an application for it until the end of the year if he had not been informed yesterday by the agent for Merton College that the purchase of the land in question had been concluded on the 27th of this month. Its rentcharge [sic], therefore, for the remaining half year of 1853 will have to be paid by the College. Mr Palmer thinks it desirable that the present account should be settled as soon as possible.
Finmere Rectory, August 30, 1853
4 Berkeley Street
December 4, 1848
My Dear Sir
I received when in Scotland your note transmitting a letter from Lord Chandos of the 22d August (copy enclosed) and have awaited the return of the Duke of Buck m to London before I requested your attention and that of his Lordship’s referees to certain points which have escaped Lord Chandos’ recollection.
In the last paragraph of his letter Lord Chandos expressed the deepest feelings of regret that I should suffer from my confidence in his father not recollecting that it is from my confidence in the word and promises of Lord Chandos himself given jointly with his Father, that my daughter is now suffering, a fact which materially influences the whole case.
In December 1846 and at the beginning of May 1847, the Duke of Buckingham gave me the assurance that he would make over to my daughter the policies of assurance on his life in the Equitable, Guardian and Norwich Assurance Offices as collateral security for a debt of £12,000 due to her, stating in the beginning of May his expectation that certain arrangements he was making would be completed by the end of this month, when these policies would be released by the Norwich Office in whose hands they were.
On finding on the 4th June 1847 that His Grace could not complete these arrangements so as to release these policies of assurance nor to pay the interest due to Miss Guthrie on the 2 d of June I proposed to His Grace that himself and Lord Chandos sho d transfer to her the advowsons of Preston Bissett, Finmere and Water Stratford instead of £7000 of the £12000 due.
At this interview which took place on the 5th June, the Duke explained to Lord Chandos the nature of his engagements with my daughter & with me on her part, declaring that he considered his obligation to her a debt of honour and expressed his earnest wish that Lord Chandos should so consider it and concur with him in its acknowledgement and in transferring to her the three advowsons in lieu of £7000; the remaining £5000 due to her to be ultimately settled as he and Lord Chandos might be able to arrange.
To this proposition the Duke of Buckingham Lord Chandos before me gave his unequivocal and entire assent, with which I declared myself perfectly satisfied. On the 10 th June five days after these assurances were given thus positively I transmitted to the Duke an official Copy of the Valuation of the living for which I paid £4.4.0 requesting His Grace to have the transfer made as quickly as possible, which His Grace assured me should be done and I have never made the slightest possible request to the contrary, nor was any communication made to me of a desire to break this agreement, nor had I any suspicion of such intention until four days before they were sold by auction and when I was in too much distress of mind to interfere.
I have in my possession a letter from the Duke of Buckingham giving his assent to a Judgement being entered against his Estates provided a defalcation took place in his payments to my daughter, and as this default had taken place on the 2d three days before these positive assurances were given to me by Lord Chandos of his acknowledgement of the debt and of his willingness to acquit the Duke of and himself of it in the manner proposed, I should have obtained this judgement and the other securities which were then open to me and which others (even His Lordship own solicitors) have obtained for their Clients, if I had not felt that any legal steps ought to be offensive, and trusted unnecessary after such distinct assurances from the Duke and Lord Chandos that the Debt should be paid.
Aware of the great difficulties in which the Estates were placed and desirous of bringing this matte to a conclusion, I proposed to Lord Chandos and you in conversation at your Offices in August last to abandon the Debt and Interest due on it altogether provided Lord Chandos would transfer the policies of assurance in the Equitable Guardian & Norwich Offices for £15000 to my daughter, and keep them up from the Estate until they should become available by the demise of the Duke.
The estimated value of this compromise is £1000 the sum due to my daughter is now including ten[3] years Interest nearly £13000 or a loss of more than one third. A compromise which at the time Lord Chandos & you appeared to me to think most liberal.
On requesting a written acceptance of this proposal through you I received the accompanying reply from Lord Chandos which is one of almost entire repudiation and which after the positive assurances given by him to me in the presence of and conjointly with the Duke of Buckingham I beg leave to sumit for your consideration, and that of the other Referees who are I understand empowered by the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Chandos to decide between them on any points in dispute affecting the Estates of Buckingham and Chandos.
I refrain from any comment but as there are many points which cannot be embodied in a letter I request I may be permitted to see the Referees on these points with Lord Chandos.
I am dear Sir
your very faithful Srvt
G.J. Guthrie
To Sir Alexr Grant Bart
———
To which the following is enclosed
Decr 10 1848
I have perused this Paper with the greatest pain.
My debt to Mr Guthrie is not only a debt of honour on my part, but one which under all the circumstances ought at once to have been acknowledged with the intention of discharging the same.
Mr Guthrie has made offers respecting it as kind and as liberal as it is in the power of a Gentleman to make and I do request that the Referees will without delay take this matter under their consideration with the view of getting it arranged and thereby not only do an Act of Justice to myself but also of relieving Lord Chandos from an imputation that he has not carried out the arrangement which he entered into with Mr Guthrie & myself.
Every fact mentioned by Mr Guthrie in this Paper is perfectly correct.
Buckingham & Chandos
To the Referees
1. This may refer to the Tithe Commutation Map or a map that no longer survives.
2. This is the earliest use of the name Finmere Grounds Farm. It has previously been referred to as the farm in Mr Barrett’s occupation.
3. This is annotated ‘two’ in blue.