TENEMENTS
Tenements were small properties, the occupiers of which were not quite farmers or yeoman but were more than cottagers. The occupier usually lived in a cottage with few outbuildings rather than a farmhouse with its associated range of specialist buildings.
CRANE'S, Holt
The estate map of 1745 shows Crane’s as a particularly divided tenement. Small strips of land were situated at Bentley, Roadfields, and Rowe and between Gunley and The Three Tuns next to the heath. The property was amalgamated in to these respective neighbours before 1794 at which time Humphrey Crane appears to have maintained his tenure, but sublet his lands to third parties. As late as 1795 John Beach of Bentley was paying Crane £5 per annum for land let from him. Edward Crane succeeded Humphrey before 1798, By 1815 the land was being referred to as ‘Late Crane’s. All references to the land as a separate entity ceased about ten years later.
Mary Ford was the tenant of this 15 acres holding in 1793, when her rent was increased from £7 to £10 per annum and 4/- land tax was due on her holding. Although no map exists for Little Witley during this period it is likely, based on field numbers used in the rent book, that the farmstead was situated near to Well Farm in the village. At that time the buildings were all in a poor state of repair, including the timber and thatch cottage.
Mary held the tenement in 1802, but by 1810 William Ford had taken over remaining until 1827 when Richard Ford succeeded him. In 1835 Winnall took over from Ford.
Situated on Tenbury Road, to the west of Holt Heath, Gunley Tenement was a small holding with cottage, of which no trace remains today. It is identifiable on an estate map dated 1745 and again in the rent book of 1793. It had however been absorbed in to Hollingshead Farm by 1839.
In 1745 Gunley was five acres in extent and was let to John Goforth who was succeeded by John Morley. By 1787 Edward Carter was farming eight acres there, in addition to a small amount of Freehold or Lifehold property that he also held in Holt. In 1792 Carter was assessor of Land Tax along with John Beach of Bentley Farm. He paid a rent of £7-12s, which was increased to £10 the following year, payable at Candlemas (2 February). At that time the cottage on the tenement was described as being in a ‘miserable’ state, and worth only 10s per year, whereas a second cottage on ‘Holt Green’ (the un-enclosed heath of Holt Heath) was worth six time more at £3.
Carter had moved to Gunley from Gatley, which he had held from 1778 until 1787. By 1810 he appears to have taken up residence at the Red Lion Inn. He retained the land at Gunley until 1819 however, when James Roberts took it over. Ten years later Edward Parker became the tenant followed by William Morris of the Red Lion within four years. Gunley was probably amalgamated in to Hollingshead Farm as a result of Morris’s death in 1836.
HUCK’S HILL (incl. YEW TREE), Holt
Huck’s Hill was an area on the brow of the hill as one approaches Ockeridge Wood along Ockeridge Lane from Holt. A number of small tenements and cottages once existed on both sides of the highway in this location. In 1794 the fields known as Upper and Lower Huck’s Hill with an associated cottage, amounting to some five acres, were situated along part of the boundary between Ockeridge Wood and Rowe Farm and rose steeply to one of the highest points in the parish. A further six small fields including a cottage were situated below the former block and nearer to Rowe farmstead. This latter area was some 8 acres in extent.
Part of Ockeridge Waste was situated at Huck’s Hill to the north of Ockeridge Lane. A second portion of Ockeridge Waste was situated at Ockeridge crossroads. Before enclosure of Holt’s common land a single cottage stood on Ockeridge Waste on the northern side of the lane at Huck’s Hill. By 1793 two larger fields at Huck’s Hill, namely 'Five Acres' and 'Eight Acres', were included with Rowe. These fields were sub-let to Thomas Holloway by Winnall of Rowley Farm who also held additional fields at Huck’s Hill.
The two Ockeridge Waste areas were enclosed in 1810 as a result of the Holt Enclosure Act. At that time the Huck’s Hill part of the Waste, situated to the north of Ockeridge Lane, became known as Yew Tree. In addition to the two cottages at Huck’s Hill that were situated to the south of Ockeridge Lane, a further two were built at Yew Tree following enclosure. From at least 1839 to 1848 agricultural labourers Edward Brookes and James Rudd occupied these latter cottages. Brookes had a half-acre orchard associated with his two acres holding. Rudd had only one acre.
By 1839 William Ford of Wood Farm had acquired the whole of the agricultural land to the south of the lane at Huck’s Hill. On his death in 1848 the major part went to James Winnall of the Ockeridge crossroads part of Ockeridge Waste, who farmed it for two years, before 21 acres were again annexed to Rowe. At the same time seven acres were taken by George Brooks, probably the brother of Edward. George lived in the principal tenement to the south of Ockeridge Lane. By 1851 George was farming a total of 12 acres at Huck’s Hill and had sufficient means and accommodation to employ a live-in house servant. His farm had increased to 18 acres by 1871 at which time he was employing a young cowman, William Millard from Shrawley, who had replaced Little Witley born William Bowkett. Brookes was still at Huck’s Hill two years later.
Edmund Brookes, son of George, became a woodsman, working in Ockeridge Wood. He was resident in the Ockeridge area until at least 1891.
As late as 1920 a small part of Huck’s Hill was being farmed separately from Rowe, namely a 1.5 acre orchard and 7.5 acres of rough grazing which Glover was farming. The cottages at Huck’s Hill and Yew Tree had been long since demolished by the time of the 1920 estate sale. A single yew tree, stood on the parish boundary, is indicated on the 1920 sale map. All of Huck’s Hill to the south of Ockeridge Lane is now included in Rowe Farm. To the north, Yew Tree became part of Well Farm.
At least three Morgans, probably representing three generations, are known to have held Morgans Tenement. In 1745 the tenement was a four fields, nine-acre smallholding tucked away ‘behind’ Ockeridge Wood on the western edge of Holt parish. The first known tenant was widower William Morgan who died intestate in 1765, to be succeeded by his son William Jun. The latter acted as churchwarden in 1775. By 1787 Charles Morgan was farming the tenement.
William Ford held the land by 1792 and paid rent of £7-7/10 for his nine acres.
Morgan’s Tenement was the only holding in Holt to benefit appreciably from the 1810 Holt Enclosure Act. With an increase in size from 9 acres to 53 acres the tenement became Wood Farm.
Ockey’s was a very small tenement of only 1.5 acres. It was possibly situated towards the southeastern end of Thomas’ Farm. Despite its small size a new (in 1793!) brick and tile cottage was accompanied by a timber and thatch cyder (sic) mill, small barn, hovel (shed) and a pigsty.
In 1793 the tenant was William Ockey. He paid £5 rent, and increase of 16/- over his previous dues.
James Price is the only known tenant at Thomas Hill Tenement. He was present in the 1750s farming over 15 acres. The tenement cottage was situated near to or at the location of the existing Naunton Cottages, at the end of Northingtown Drive.
No tenant is identified in the rent book of 1793 however the tenement is listed as amounting to just over nine acres and being worth £10-10s rent. Two of its fields, amounting to over five acres, were situated at the other end of the parish, beyond Hurst Farm. The latter fields were incorporated into Hurst Farm before 1839 and the cottage and associated land in to Naunton Farm.
Apparently situated next to Thomas’s Farm, Thomas’ Tenement was nearly three acres in extent in 1793 when Edward Thomas was in residence. Of this area one acre was let from Thomas Pickernell of Little Witley Farm. A timber and thatch cottage stood in a small garden and orchard and the holding included a neighbouring garden and orchard with a ruined cottage formerly occupied by Mitchel.
The tenement was incorporated in to neighbouring farms before 1839, possibly very soon after 1793.
