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On the west side of Chobham Common is a
settlement called Clearmount. It is not known how the settlement came
about but it appears that it was created about 1814. There are various
theories on why it was created. The usual reason at this time for enclosing the
common waste was to provide allotments to supplement the incomes of the working
poor. However, in our area this happened sometime between 1830 and 1848:
Clearmount appears to be too early for this. Also the records show that
Clearmount was divided into lots for cottages - not usual with allotments. An
alternative theory is that Clearmount was created by the Chobham Place Estate in
order to house their staff. This theory is supported by the fact that the
earliest records for Clearmount come from the Le Marchant family - owners of
Chobham Place. On the other hand there is evidence against this theory. For
instance the cottages seem to be freehold; surely they would be tied
cottages? Also, John Spooner, an occupier in 1830 applied for allotment
land set aside for the working poor p9
- unlikely for an employee of Le Marchant?
In 1825 there was only one cottage, two
more were added in 1825, one more between 1831 and 1840, and the last one in
1840.
I am grateful to Adrian Ince, who has a
cottage at Clearmount, for making available the following information which he
collected from the Surrey History Centre.
Le Marchant Catalogue Collection 372/5/1
and 372/5/2
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Date
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SHC
Ref
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Adrian Ince’s summary
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Notes
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1814
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“freehold portion of Lot 1 goes
back to 1814”
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1825
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372/5/1/1a
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Indenture dated 30/3/1825 leasing
from Jeremiah Howard to George Stevens a freehold cottage south of Marley
Lake Hill formerly occupied by David Munday but now by Mrs Ann
Smith…PLUS 2 newly erected messuages (built lately by Jeremiah Howard)
occupied by James Godfrey and John Hursey… including all …ways waters
watercourses liberties privileges easements profits…
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372/5/1/1b
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Appointment & Release dated
31/3/1825 mentioning Jeremiah Howard (Carpenter) George Stevens (Plumber
& Glazier) William Stevenson (Bricklayer) David Munday (Labourer) and
Richard Lee (Farmer).
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1830
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372/5/1/2a
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Agreement dated 21/12/1830 between
George Stevens (Plumber & Glazier) & William Clark (-------) and
Daniel Adey (Stationer) re
1 cottage and garden to the south of Marley Lake Hill occupied by Munday
then Mrs Ann Smith but now by Steven Shorter the Elder…PLUS 2 cottages
built by Howard lately occupied by James Godfrey (now by John Spooner) and
by John Hursey (now by Thomas Tucker).
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372/5/1/2b
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Appointment and Release dated
22/12/1830 regarding the above 2a.
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1840
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372/5/1/3
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14/10/1840 Lease from Daniel Adey
(of St Mary Newington) (Bookseller & Stationer) and Wm Clark (Linen
Draper) .. to Jonathan Thompson (Gentleman) and Richard John Cole
(Gentleman).. the house formerly occupied by David Munday and Mrs Ann
Smith, then by Stephen Shorter the Elder, and now by Henry Hampton… PLUS
2 other cottages built by Jeremiah Howard in part of the garden, formerly
occupied by James Godfrey and John Hursey, then by John Spooner and Thomas
Tucker, and now by Thomas Tucker and Henry Smith.
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27 & 28/11/1840
Wm Smith selling to James Drew & Richard John Cole.
James Drew bought some land and built a cottage on it .. 12 rods.
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372/5/2/1a
& 1b
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27 &28/11/1840 Conveyance of
land with cottage from Wm Smith to James Drew, labourer
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1842
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372/5/1/4
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Mortgage by appointment with powers of sale dated 14/10/1842
from Jonathan Thompson to Joseph Hewer (Surgeon)
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1854
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14/6/1854 James Drew sells to Jonathan Thompson…12 rods bounded on
North & South by common, on the East by Wm Smith, and on the west by
parish enclosure lately occupied by James Drew but then by Henry Drew.
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372/5/2/2
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14/6/54 Conveyance from James Drew
to Jonathan Thompson.
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1859
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372/5/1/5
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Admittance dated 26/11/1859… The
Court Baron of Rght Hon Arthur George Earl of Onslow on 20/11/1859 (?)
grants to Samuel Thompson a parcel of manorial waste land approx 18 rods
at Clearmount. Admitted as Copyhold Tenant by his attorney Jonathan
Thompson.
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Jonathan
Thompson died 6/1/1877 – perhaps this brought about the sale below.
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1865
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23/5/1865 Jonathan Thompson’s
will left 4 properties at Clearmount and 1 at Burrow Hill to Samuel
Thompson and Jonathan George Thompson. There is a note in the margin that
the Burrow Hill house was not included in the sale to Le Marchant.
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1877
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372/5/1/6
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Sale notice dated 24/4/1877… 5
freehold cottages and gardens (only 4 are at Clearmount – one is at
Burrow Hill occupied by George Drew according to Jonathan Thompson’s
will see 372/5/1/8 below)… in the occupancy of Thompson (?the
one who has just died? See
372/5/1/7a below), Ottaway, Smith, Taylor, and Drew (Drew’s was at Burrow Hill not Clearmount).
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372/5/1/7a
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Note of sale dated 30/6/1877 by
Samuel Thompson and Jonathan George Thompson.. 3 messuages (4 cottages ?)
at Clearmount occupied by Jonathan Thompson, Henry Drew, Henry Lee and
John Smith… comprising 3 rods and 18 perches… the bit sold is bound on
the west by the houses of Thomas Smith, occupied in past by Jonathan
Thompson, Henry Lee, and John Smith but now by James Stradwick, James
Ottaway, and the said John Smith…PLUS 12 rods bound on the North &
South by common, and on the East Thomas Smith and on the West by land
enclosed by Chobham Parish, formerly occupied by Henry Drew but now by
George Taylor.
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372/5/1/7b
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dated 30/6/1877.. handwritten
version of 7a above.
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372/5/1/8
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dated -/-/1877 …(from placement, assumed July 77) Abstract of Title of the Trustees
of the will of J’nthn Thompson, dec’d to Lots 1 and 2 (3 messuages) of
the sale of 24/6/1877 covering 1842 to 1877 (Cottages 3,4 &5)
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372/5/1/9
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dated -/-/1877 (from placement, assumed July 77) Abstract of title for Lot 3 (cottage
no. 1) of the sale on 24/6/1877 showing the following:-
27 & 28/11/1840
Wm Smith selling to James Drew & Richard John Cole.
James Drew bought some land and built a cottage on it .. 12 rods.
14/6/1854 James Drew sells to Jonathan Thompson…12 rods (John
Daborn?) bounded on North & South by common, on the East by Wm Smith,
and on the west by parish enclosure lately occupied by James Drew but then
by Henry Drew.
23/5/1865 Jonathan Thompson’s
will left 4 properties at Clearmount and 1 at Burrow Hill to Samuel
Thompson and Jonathan George Thompson. There is a note in the margin that
the Burrow Hill house was not included in the sale to Le Marchant.
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372/5/1/10
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Solicitor’s (Wyatt Gibbs) bill
to Le Marchant for conveyancing…states three of the cottages occupied by
Ottaway, Taylor and Smith – these three to be advised to send their
rents in future to ????. Bill
has items dated from 25/5/1877 to 17/10/1877.
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372/5/1/11
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Letter from solicitor (Wyatt
Gibbs) to Le Marchant that deeds are held by solicitor
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372/5/1/12
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ditto re deeds for Lot 2 and the
freehold portion of Lot 1 go back to 1814; but that for Lot 3 needs
looking into as it goes back only to 1840.
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B372/5/1/13
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ditto re balance of purchase
monies.
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B372/5/1/14
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ditto re Copyhold
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372/5/1/15
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ditto dated 18/2/1877 says
Thompson has bought another house and will be able to move out – but the
other three will pay rent now to Mr Cutler.
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1879
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372/5/1/16
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Declaration dated 20/8/1879 of Wm
Hillier (Lord Onslow) manor court that Samuel Thompson has sold to Le
Marchant (Samuel Thompson had owned since 1859 Admittance of Le Marchant
to 18 rods of land at Clearmount
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!!
perhaps it means he ‘can show title’ going back to 1859 – it was his
father who owned the properties then).
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1833
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372/5/1/21
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Thomas Smith 8/7/1883 leaves his
house to George
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1906
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372/5/1/17
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Conveyance 16/10/1906…George
Smith sells 2nd cottage (the one now fallen down) to Le
Marchant
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372/5/1/18
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George Smith’s declaration of
title (1) that he is 65yrs old (on 16/10/1906) and (2) he occupied house
on death of father, Thomas Smith, on 1/9/1883
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372/5/1/19
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dated 16/10/1906…Wm Aubrey (drugist
in Chobham) swearing that Smith, who had no paperwork, really did live
there with his father without paying any rent to anybody
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372/5/1/20
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17/10/1906.. Le Marchant leases
from George Smith
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372/5/2
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In envelope marked ‘Deeds of
cottage at Clearmount G’rge Taylor Lot 3’.
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From
census information, Adrian compiled the following sequence of tenants of the
cottages:
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OCCUPANTS of HOUSES at CLEARMOUNT
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Cottage 1
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Cottage 2
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Cottage 3
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Cottage 4
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Cottage 5
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PRE 1825 Le Marchant document
372/5/1/1a dtd 30/3/1825 and 1b
dtd 31/3/1825
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David Munday
Labourer
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1825
“cotts 3 & 4 recently built by Jeremiah Howard” Le M. doc.
372/5/1/1a & 1b
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James Godfrey
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John Hursey
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Mrs Ann Smith
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1830
Le M doc 372/5/1/2a dtd 21/12/1830
& 2b dtd 22/12/1830
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John Spooner
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Thomas Tucker
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Stephen Shorter the elder
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1840
Jas. Drew bought land from Wm Smith and built a house on it. Since the
1841 census puts Jas. Drew in cott. 1 and Wm Smith in 2 we assume this is
true in 1840. Le M. doc. 372/5/1/9 dtd 1877
& 372/5/2/1a & b dtd 27-28/11/40.
Presumably, cot. 2 arose between 1831 & 1840.
For cotts. 3-5, see Le M. doc 372/5/1/3 dtd 14/10/40.
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James Drew
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Wm Smith
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Thos. Tucker
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Henry Smith
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Wm. Hampton
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1841 Census – Cottage 1 is
current No. 1; 2 has gone (plot combined with 1); can’t yet tell which
house is 3, which 4 & which 5.
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James Drew 30
Ag. Labourer
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Wm. Smith 60
Ag. Labourer
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Thos Tucker 50
J. Butcher
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Henry Smith 50
Ag. Labourer
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WmHampton50
Ag. Labourer
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Jane 25
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Lucy 50
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Elizabeth 60
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Jane 50
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James 7
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Thos. 20 B. Lab
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James 15
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Eliza 3
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Benj. 15 A. Lab
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Stephen 2
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Chas. 13
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Esther 10
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Mary Ridlington 2
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1851 Census – only 4 houses listed, “one of the
four empty” – was it cottage 1 or 2?
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 Empty
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?
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Thos. Smith 41
Ag. Labourer
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Henry Smith 63
Ag. Labourer
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WmHampton60
Gardener
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Sarah 35
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Elizabeth 65
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Jane 58 Laund.
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Arthur 12
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George 10
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Emma 5
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Thomas 2
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1854 Le M. docs. 372/5/1/9 dtd 1877
& 372/5/2/1a & b dtd 14/6/1854
says Jas. Drew sold cott. 1 to J’than Thompson and it is now
occupied by Henry Drew; and Wm. Smith is next door. We think, at this
point, Thompson owns 1 and 3-5 (see 1865)
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Henry
Drew
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Wm. Smith
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?
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1861 Census – agrees with Rydes
Map 1864-5; sequence implies Thos. Smith moved
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Henry Drew 44
Ag. Labourer
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Thos. Smith 50
Ag. Labourer
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John Smith 47
Poultry Dealer
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Henry Lee 45
Ag. Labourer
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JnthnThompson
68 RA
Pens’ner
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Mary 40
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Sarah 44
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Mary 46
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Louise 47
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Ann 64 Laund.
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James 16
Ag. Labourer
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Thomas 12
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George 22
Asst’t Poul. Dlr
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Fanny 16
Servant
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Mary A Hawker34dghtr
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G’rge12 AgLab
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William 7
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Dan’l 15 A.Lab
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Eliz. Thpson 22
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Stephen 9
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Martha 9
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Mary Hawker 8
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William 9
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Benjamin 2
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Frederick 7
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Mary A
4
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Elizabeth 1
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1865
J’nthn Thompson leaves ownership of cotts. 1 & 3-5 to Samuel &
J’nthn George Thompson in his will 23/5/1865 according to Le M. doc
372/5/1/9 --/--/1877
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1871 Census – sequence of
listing is same as in 1861
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Mary Drew 49
Laundress
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Thos. Smith 62
Ag. Labourer
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John Smith 53
Poultry Dealer
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Henry Lee 57
Ag. Labourer
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Jonathan Thomson 77
Pensioner
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Henry 27
Ag.
Labourer
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Sarah 54
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Mary 52
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Martha Wilson 19 daughter
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Ann 74
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William 19
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George 30
Poultry Dealer
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Mary A Hawker42dghtr
Laundress
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Frederick 15
Ag. Labourer
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Albert 10
grandson
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Mary A 13
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Elizabeth 11
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Henry W Thompson 2 nurse child
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Gge Soan 18 lodger Ag. Lab.
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1877 Sale of cottages 1 and 3,4,
& 5 by Samuel & J’nthn George Thompson by auction. Bought by Le Marchant. Le M. doc. 372/5/1/6 to 372/5/1/9
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 George
Taylor
1
livg 2 bed, turfhouse, gdn 12 perches
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John Smith I lvng 1 bed pntry, turfhs, gdn, smll pddck 33perches
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Jas. Ottaway
1 lvng 2 bed pntry, shed, gdn
1
rod 1 perch
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Jas. Stradwick
2
sitg 3 bed pntry wshhouse
lge
gdn 1r 24p freeh,18p copyh
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1881 Census – sequence of
listing implies Taylor & Ottaway moved
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John
Mepham 59 Ag.
Lab’r’r
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Thos. Smith 70
Ag, Labourer
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John Smith 60
Poultry Dealer
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George Taylor 34 Labourer Brickfield
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Jas. Ottaway 44
Foreman
in Brickfield
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Mary Ann 50
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Sarah 64
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Mary 61
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Elizabeth 41
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Mary 42
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Kate M 15
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George 32
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John 12
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Frederick 17 Carter
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John 13
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William 11
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Mabel 11
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Elemmy (?) 8
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Roger 9
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Rose 8
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William 6
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1883
Thos. Smith leaves cott. 2 to son George 8/7/1883 and dies 1/9/1883. Le M.
docs 372/5/1/18 to 21 dtd 16
& 17/10/1906
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George
Smith
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?
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?
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1891 Census – sequence of
listing is odd so continuity is a guess except for G. Smith
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Rooms 4
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Rooms >=5
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Rooms 4
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Rooms 7
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Rooms 5
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Eliz. Ottaway 29
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George Smith 50
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John Smith 80
Chicken Dealer
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Robt. Penny 33
Servant Butler
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Jas. Ottaway 53
Brickmaker
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Frederick 8
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Susannah 44
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George 50
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Alice 32
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Mary 53
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Sydney 5
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Rosina 20
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Winifred 9
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Mabel 21
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Eva 4
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Mary Elbury 74 mother
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Nellie Alice 5
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Clara 18
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Burfield 1
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1906 George Smith sells cott. 2 to
Le Marchant. Le M.
docs. 372/5/1/17 to 21
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