| Declaration by Richard Cranfield 6 April 1839, from Deeds of Peet [Pete] Hall Farm Peldon, part of Essex Records Office D/Del T327
Transcribed by Elaine Barker September 2021
This declaration by Richard Cranfield [Note 1] was made to establish the chain of occupation and size of Peet Hall Farm. The document is dated
6th April 1839 and he gives his age as approximately seventy five. He states he has intimately known the farm since he was ten years old [taking us back to c 1774] The chain of tenants he gives is as follows
James Abbott [Note 2]
James Borrodell [Note 3]
Joseph Ward
Joseph Ward (cousin of the above)
Mr Brown
Martin Harvey (current tenant) [Note 4]
He also remembers the Kendall family, William (who he believes died about 25 years previously circa 1814 [in fact 1811] and either William Kendall's father or grandfather, also William, owning the property.
He details the parcels of land and marsh included as part of the farm and their locations and confirms that the farm and marshes altogether total over 350 acres and always have in the time he remembers.
I Richard Cranfield of
Peldon in the County of Essex Husbandman aged
Seventy five years or thereabouts Do solemnly and
Sincerely declare That I well know every part of the
Farm and Estate called Peet Hall Farm situate in
the parishes of West Mersea and Peldon and which
is now and for several years has been in the occupation
of Mr Martin Harvey, and that I have known the
Said Farm ever since I was ten years of age having
all my life time lived in that neighbourhood and having
from the time I was eighteen years of age and down to
the present period (with the exception of one year) resided
in the parish of Peldon near to the said Farm, and I
well knew a Mr. James Abbott being Tenant of the
Farm many years ago and afterwards Mr James
Borrodell and I have since known the \said/ Farm occupied
by Mr Joseph Ward, afterwards by his Cousin who was
also named Joseph Ward then by Mr. Brown and
Lastly by the said Martin Harvey who took the Farm
after Mr Brown, and the same Farm during all the
time I have known it has always contained the same
quantity and number of acres and consisted of the
same identical Land as now composes that Farm
And that the large Marsh lying in West Mersea with
two fields called Great and Little Wick Field (now
laid together and the Little Wick Marsh adjoining and
running between those fields and the Great Marsh, and
which are at a distance of nearly a mile from the Farm
House have always ever since I knew the Farm been
[Page 2]
deemed to be part thereof and held with the other or
home Land And that the same Farm and Lands
called Peet Hall Farm was many years ago the property
of a Mr William Kendall of Elmstead Market who
was the father or Grandfather of the late William Kendall,
who died about twenty five years ago and who at his
death was also owner of the said Farm. And I
further declare that ever since I have known the Farm
the North Eastern extremity thereof has consisted of Land
called "The Downs" and the South Western extremity thereof
has consisted of Land called The Great and Little Lee
and the whole Farm as I have always understood contains
(including the Marsh) three hundred and fifty acres -
and upwards. And I make this solemn declaration
conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue
of the provision of an act made and passed in the 5th and 6th
years of the reign of his late Majesty William the Fourth
entitled "An act to repeal an act of \the/ then present Session of
Parliament intitled an act for the more effectual abolition
of Oaths and Affirmations taken and made in various
departments of the state and to substitute Declarations in
lieu thereof and for the more entire suppression of Voluntary
and extra judicial Oaths and affidavits and to make
other provisions for the abolition of unnecessary Oaths -
Declared by the said Richard Cranfield
before me at Colchester in the said County
of Essex the sixth day of April 1839 the same
having been first distinctly read over to him } The mark of
and he appeared to understand the nature Richard Cranfield
and contents thereof and made his mark thereto
in my presence
George Bawtree, Mayor and a Justice
of the peace for the Borough
of Colchester
Note 1: From parish registers and censuses Richard Cranfield was born circa 1765 and died in 1855. He appears in the 1841 census living with presumably a son and daughter, John, aged 45 (an agricultural labourer like his father) and Sarah aged 40. Living near John Haxell would place him near Pete Tye Common which would tie in with him living near Pete Hall Farm. In the 1851 census he is living on Colchester Road which again places him close to Pete Hall Farm. Three generations of Kendalls, all called William, owned the Manor. William Senior being bequeathed the Farm and Manor by his brother-in-law Jacob Brown. His son William Junior died when his own son William was only a child. This third generation William Kendall then sold the Farm and Manor once he was of age. The declaration above seems to have been necessary to prove title along with another declaration by William Wallis Francis who knew and was personally acquainted with the late William Kendall.
Note 2: ERO has a will for James Abbott, farmer, dated 1778.
Note 3: On another document in this bundle we learn that the current tenant Martin Harvey was leasing the farm for a term of 14 years from Michaelmas 1834 at a rent of £300 per annum.
Note 4: A previous tenant, James Borrodell appears as tenant of Mrs William Kendall in the Land Tax redemption records of 1798.
| 