Otham, people and places

OTHAM, PEOPLE AND PLACES HUGH VAUX SUMMARY A method of tracing ownership and occupancy of the houses and land in one village is described between the years 1654-1851. This involved the study of the parish records and documents mainly in the Centre for Kentish Studies. INTRODUCTION Otham is a village lying to the east of Maidstone in Kent. Until recently it had a small population with few houses built in the twentieth century and many dating from the eighteenth century and earlier. It was thought that it might be possible to identify the houses and occupants of the whole village over a period of two hundred years. From 1654-185 1 the village was largely divided between the Manor of Otham to the west of Otham Street and the Manor of Stoneacre to the east. A well-used method of tracing occupancy through the years is to follow the property through the census returns, tithe maps and other specific documents relating to the parish records. By tabulating the various records for the whole village it was easier to follow the changes in all the houses over the years. These formed the basis of a book, Otham, People and Places, published in 19 89. The author was given great encouragement in this work by Allen Grove who kindly read and commented on the finished manuscrip t . This paper describes the process underlying the presentation of material in that book. The main records used were the church warden accounts and assessments which start in 1654 and continue to the present century with t w o b r ea k s 16 89-1716 and 1764-1815. 1 These w ere supplemented with the land tax assessments 1780-18322 and the 1 The Centre for Kentish Studies P280/4/1-2 and P280/5/l-2 2 CKS Q/RPL/283 227 H. VAUX census returns for 1851 .3 The initial starting point was the tithe map for Otham, 1838.4 (1) The church warden was responsible for collecting the church rate usually on an annual basis. This rate was based on the land held and until 1868 was a compulsory payment. The tax-payer was the occupier of the property (Richardson 1986). However, there is a section in many of the records for 'out-dwellers' who did not live in the village. The number of these is small (less than 10 per cent) and the property involved seems to have been land rather than houses. The tax-payers in the church warden accounts number between 30-40 for any one year. (2) The land tax assessment was collected between 1692 and 1949 by the county authorities. Payment of land tax on freehold property worth £2 or more annually, established a voting qualification (Richardson 1986). The records, 1780-1832, indicate the person paying the tax who was usually the proprietor of the property and may have lived there. The occupier may be named, if different from the proprietor but, to complicate matters, might have sub-let the property. (3) The census returns of 1851 took place for the night of 30-3 l st March (Richardson 1986) and record the age of the occupants, the birth place, occupation and relationship to the head of the household. ( 4) The Tithe Commutation Act of 1836 resulted in the Otham parish tithe map and accompanying apportionment5 being agreed at the White Horse public house in October 1837 and published in 1838. The manorial court records for Stoneacre, 1659-1730, 6 contained topographical information and allowed some cross-checking of occupancy. The Hendley family and their successors have owned Otham manor since 1543 and extensive records are available for study together with many documents deposited in the Centre for Kentish Studies. Some documents were available privately from the Betts family who have lived in the village since 1658. METHOD The tithe map of 1838 allowed an accurate base-line to be prepared as the apportionment showed the proprietor, occupier, value and content of each holding, whether house or land. This material was laid out in tabular form and by correlating this with the church warden accounts of 3 PRO H0J07/1616 4 PRO IR30/17/282 s PRO IR29/17/282 6 CKS U2035 MIS-18 228 OTHAM, PEOPLE AND PLACES the same year the church tax paid could be ascertained and used as a 'marker'. It was then possible to trace the individual properties both forwards and backwards in time. Thus, the church warden accounts were listed from 1838-51 and the results compared with the 1851 census. This particular census contained more details about households than that of 1841 and thus made it easier to identify individual houses. The church warden accounts were then traced backwards until 1654. The major gap of 1764-1815 was, fortunately, partially filled by the land tax assessments of 1780-1832. Because there was an overlap of these two types of record from 1815-32, it was possible to correlate the tax payments in the two types of taxation. Having produced an apparent succession of house occupation, as many documents as could be found were searched to verify or negate the results. The topographical details from these various documents together with any individual names were entered in the tables. Further correlation of the different inhabitants of the village was added from the hearth tax return of 167 l7 and the window taxs return of 1783. RESULTS The results were plotted in the following sequential tables. Only two of the houses and their occupants are shown for reasons of space. The two properties are shown by their present names, which are of recent origin and no help i n tracing their earlier h i s to ry, but allow readier identification in the tables. The numerical units shown in the tables are pounds. CHURCH WARDEN ACCOUNTS (CKS P280/5/l) CHURCH RATES starting 1654 Place Proprietor Tax Payer Tax Year 1654? 1655 1656 1657? BISHOPS Ellis Farnham Aldersley 46 (inc. Stoneacre) do. John Nicholson, tax 6 do. do. 7 PRO El 79 129/746 8 CKS Q/CTw Otham 229 TUDOR COTTAGE/ ELIZABETHAN LODGE Ellis Peter Wilmot 5 do. do. do. do. H. VAUX 1660 do. do. 1663 do. do. 1664 do. do. 1665 do. do. 1666 do. do. 1667 do. tax 4-10 do. tax 3 1668 do. do. 1669 do. do. 1671 Mrs Nicholson, widow do. 1671 do. do. 1672 William Fullager, tax 4 do. 1673 do. do. 1674 do. do. 1675 do. do. 1676 do. do. 1677 do. Edward Gekers 1678 do. do. 1679 do. do. 1680 do. Edmund Ellis 1681 do. Henry Collison 1682 do. do. 1683 do. do. 1684 do. Mrs Ellis 1685 do. Goodman Millar 1686 do. Goodman Hills 1687 do. do. 1688 William Fullager Goodman Hills OTHER DOCUMENTATION Stoneacre manor court roll (CKS U2035 M15-18) 1659 John Nicholson prev. Thomas Woodgate 1676 William Fullager 1702 William Fullager 1730 Hulse tenant of Edward Beesom (CKS U854 T7) (CKS U2035 T58) 1773 tenant formerly Ed. Beesom 1792 lease by William Baldwin to late -Austen John Ellis CHURCH WARDEN ACCOUNTS (CKS P280/5/2) CHURCH RATES starting 1717. N.B. Some years are missing. In some years there was more than one assessment. Place BISHOPS TUDOR COTTAGE/ ELIZABETHAN LODGE Tax Payer Jonathon Fullager included in Ellis (Stoneacre) Tax 4 ? Year 1718 do. do. 1719 do. do. 230 OTHAM, PEOPLE AND PLACES 1720 Beesom (tenant do. 1721 do. do. 1723 April do. do. 1723 Sept. do. do. 1723 March do. do. 1724 do. do. 1725 do. do. 1726 do. do. 1727 do. do. 1728 do. do. 1729 do. do. 1730 do. do. 1732 do. do. 1734 do. do. 1735 do. do. 1737 do. Edward Jordan 1738 do. do. 1739 do. do. 1740 Beeson, tax 8 do. 1741 James Dabs do. 1742 do. do. 1743 do. John Downe 1743 do. do. 1744 John Cooke do. 1746 do. do. 1746 do. do. 1747 do. do. 1748 do. do. 1749 do. do. 1750 do. do. 1751 do. tax 7 do. 1752 do. do. 1753 do. do. 1754 do. do. 1755 do. do. 1756 do. do. 1757 do. do. 1759 do. do. 1760 do. do. 1761 do. do. 1762 do. do. 1763 John Cooke John Downe LAND TAX ASSESSMENTS (CKS Q/RPL 283) starting 1780. Plate BISHOPS TUDOR COTTAGE/ ELIZABETHAN LODGE Tax 11 4 Proprietor Mrs. Austen Mrs. Turner Occupier John Moorlan Thomas Botten Year 1781 do. do. 1782 do. do. 231 H. VAUX 1783 White do. Booth, proprietor 1784 do. do. 1785 do. do. 1787 do. do. 1788 do. do. 1789 do. do. 1790 do. do. 1791 do. do. 1792 do. do. 1793 do. do. 1794 Edward Bishop, proprietor do. 1795 do. and occupier do. Sir Charles Booth, 1796 do. do. proprietor 1797 do. do. 1798 do. part to Mrs. Swinyard do. 1799 do. occupation herself do. 1800 do. do. 1801 do. do. William Baldwin, 1802 do. do. proprietor 1803 do. do. 1810 all to Edward Bishop T homas Botten 1811 do. do. 1812 do. do. 1813 do. do. 1814 do. John Ellis 1815 do. do. 1816 do. do. 1817 do. do. 1818 do. do. 1819 do. do. 1820 do. do. 1821 do. do. 1822 do. do. 1823 do. do. 1824 do. do. 1825 do. do. 1826 do. do. 1827 do. do. 1828 do. do. 1829 do. do. 1830 do. do. 1831 do. do. 1832 Edward Bishop John Ellis CHURCH WARDEN ACCOUNTS (CKS P280/4/1) CHURCH RATES starting 1815 Place BISHOPS TUDOR COTTAGE/ ELIZABETHAN LODGE Tax Payer Edward Bishop John Ellis Tax 20 19 Year 1816 do. do. 1818 do. do. 232 OTHAM, PEOPLE AND PLACES 1820 do. do. 1821 do. do. 1822 do. do. 1823 do. do. 1824 do. do. 1825 do. do. 1826 do. do. 1827 Edward Bishop and do. 1828 do. William Bishop do. 1829 do. (property divided) do. 1830 do. do. 1831 do. do. 1832 do. do. 1833 do. do. 1834 do. do. 1835 do. do. 1836 do. do. 1837 Edward and William Bishop John Ellis TITHE MAP finalised at a meeting at the White Horse Oct. 1837 Name BISHOPS TUDOR COTTAGE/ ELIZABETHAN LODGE Owner Edward Bishop Snr William Baldwin Occupier I )William Bishop John Ellis 2)Ed. Bishop Snr Payment £11-2-6 £0-18-6 £3-8-3 Acres 11 2 4 CHURCH WARDENS ACCOUNTS continued (CKS P280/4/2 from 1846) 1838 William and Edward Bishop John Ellis 1839 do. do. 1840 do. do. 1841 do. do. 1842 do. do. 1843 do. do. 1844 do. do. 1845 do. do. 1846 do. Mrs Reeves and Pack 1847 do. do. (property divided) 1848 do. do. 1849 do. James Pack 1850 do. do. James Watts, proprietor 1851 William and Edward Bishop William Robinson and George Mark CENSUS REPORT 1851 (PRO IR29/17/282) Place BISHOPS (I) William Bishop, head, married, age 24, Freehold Farmer employing I man Sally Bishop, wife, married, age 24 William James, son, age 2 233 H. VAUX Amelia Sarah, daughter, age 4 months William Nye, servant, unmarried, age 30, Agricultural Labourer Mary Ann Frid, daughter, age 15, Indoor Servant (2) Edward Bishop, married, age 30, Annuity from Houses Elizabeth Bishop, wife, age 28 Elizabeth, daughter, age 11 Edward Charles, son, age 4 Place TUDOR COT TAGE/ELIZABETHAN LODGE (1) George William Marks, head, married, age 25, Cordwainer Sarah Marks, wife, married, age 25 Arthur William, son, age 4 (2) T his appears to have been unoccupied on the date of the census DISCUSSION Otham parish has well-defined boundaries with a small number of houses and people which made the completion of the tables relatively easy. The population in 1811 was 307 ,9 In some years the total number of rents increases. This seems to have been due to leasing of extra land by the principal landlords, the change of use, e.g. new pub, or the building of new houses. There seems to have been quite a steady turnover of properties, particularly the very small ones. There are no maps of the parish prior to 1800 and reliance had to be placed on topographical descriptions found in other documents. Thus people and places had to be considered together as a three dimensional 'jig-saw', with time forming the third dimension. Bishops was chosen because it is a Wealden hall-house (one of nine within the parish) dating from the mid fifteenth century and thus was easier to identify than some houses. Tudor Cottage/Elizabethan Lodge which is a sixteenth-century building, was chosen because it was difficult to identify in the records and thus raised problems. Both buildings were part of Stoneacre manor. Bishops showed as a separate property in the court baron records between 1659 and 1730 and was probably sold to the Austen family of Canterbury between 1771 and 1780. Tudor Cottage/Elizabethan Lodge did not show as a separate item possibly because it was small and within 400 yards of 9 Population Tables, 1851 Census, South Eastern Division. CKS XK 312 Reg 234 OTHAM, PEOPLE AND PLACES Stoneacre and thus part of the immediate estate. It remained in the estate until 1851 when it was sold to James Watts. It was found that it was easier to decipher the various relationships by considering the village as a whole, rather than trying to trace each property as an individual item. Inevitably there had to be some 'bestguess' solutions on occasion. The use of the 'jig-saw' analogy is helpful because by chancing one piece at a given period in time others then fell into place in succession at another point. An example of this related to Tudor Cottage/Elizabethan Lodge. This house was occupied by tenants of the Ellis family and their successors at Stoneacre. Using the method detailed the occupiers were listed. However, a deed of 179210 stated that the building was leased by John Ellis of Langley from William Baldwin of Stoneacre, 'now a private building formerly a public house known as the Five Bells', occupied by Thomas Botten the younger. As Otham church has only three bells and in the church warden accounts there is never mention of more than that, this raised doubts about the correctness of the identification of the building. It was, however, chanced. Fortunately, in 1992, examination of the quarter session records of the register of ale-house keepers11 showed that in fact the name of the pub was the Five Bells and that Thomas Botten was the publican. It is possible to get some idea as to whether there is any major discrepancy in the tables from the hearth tax returns. While Otham is shown with Langley in some of these, the return of 1671 shows Otham separately and lists the parishioners discharged from paying the tax. If this is compared with the church warden accounts for that year the two lists correlate for those paying the tax but of those discharged, only 3 out of 13 paid the church tax. This seems to suggest that it was the smaller, humbler homes that have disappeared while the main houses have remained where many of them still stand today. During the period 1654-1851 houses must have been pulled down or rebuilt. Of the few that have been built in the last 150 years, it is apparent from examining the Ordnance Survey maps that some have been built on the site of older houses. Some of the larger h ouses were subdivided into tenements in the early nineteenth century and this is particularly apparent in the 1851 census. Similarly, although not listing discharged persons, the window tax of 1783 did not suggest there were any major discrepancies. The window tax listed names for a year in which there was a gap in the sequence of church warden accounts and was thus doubly helpful. 10 CKS U2035 T58 11 CKS Q/RLV 4/1-6 235 H. VAUX CONCLUSION By considering a small compact village, Otham, it has been possible to relate houses and their occupants over a two hundred year period from 1654-1851. REFERENCE John Richardson, 1986, The Local Historian's Eycyclopedia. New Barnet, Historical Publications. 236