Bence Bence
Notes
- The Lease as originally written is one solid block of text with no spaces and minimal punctuation. The text has been reformatted and some punctuation added below for ease of reading, but the wording remains the same.
- 1807 spellings have been retained for premisses, compleat etc
- Words in bold correspond to those so written in the original indenture.
- Please see the 1742 lease for notes on meanings of some of the terms used.
The Lease
This Indenture made the Ninth Day of December in the Forty eighth Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the Grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith &c
Between the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ Canterbury of the one part and the Reverend Bence Bence of Beccles in the the County of Suffolk Clerk Devisee in Trust named in the last Will and Testament of Ann Amyas deceased of the other part
Witnesseth that the said Dean and Chapter as well for and in Consideration of the Surrender of a Lease of the things hereby again demised before this Time made and granted by them the said Dean and Chapter to the said Bence Bence which Lease bears Date the Twenty fifth Day of November in the Forty first year of his present Majesty’s Reign and which said Lease he the said Bence Bence doth surrender accordingly
As also for divers other good Causes and Considerations them hereunto Moving
Have with their Common Assent and Consent demised, granted and to Farm letten and by these presents for them and their Successors Do demise grant and to Farm Lett unto the said Bence Bence
All that their
- Manor Rectory or Parsonage of Deopham in the County of Norfolk and also
- all Rents and Services
- Lands
- Meadows
- Pastures and
- Feedings
together with all
- Tythes
- Pensions
- Portions
- Ways
- Wastes
- Profits
- Commons
- Commodities and
- Hereditaments
to the said Manor and Parsonage or either of them, belonging or appertaining together with all
- Court Leets
- Views of Frank Pledge and the Profits thereunto belonging, with
- all Waifs
- Strays
- Escheats
- Deodands
- Felons’ Goods
- Fugitives’ Goods and
- all Chattels Goods of Outlawed and Condemned Persons
- Fines
- Issues and
- Amerciaments and
- all other things whatsoever which to the Franchises and Liberties of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors in the said Manor or parsonage belonging or appertaining with all and singular the Appurtenances
Except and always to the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors reserved the Advowson, Gift and Patronage of the Vicarage of Deopham whensoever the same shall happen to become void
To have and to hold the said Manor and Parsonage with all and singular other the Premisses with the Appurtenances (Except before Excepted) to the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns from the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist last past before the date hereof unto the full end and Term of twenty one Years from thence next Ensuing and fully to be compleat and ended
Yielding and paying therefore yearly during the said Term to the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors the sum of Sixteen pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain on the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist at or in the Treasury House of the said Church
And also yielding, and paying, therefore over and above the said yearly Rent above reserved to the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors to and for the Use of the Vicar of the Parish Church of Deopham aforesaid for the time being yearly and every year during the said Term the Sum of Six Pounds of good and lawful money of Great Britain at the Feasts of the Birth of our Lord Christ, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Michael the Archangel by even Portions to be paid without any Demand to be made of the same free and clear of all and all manner of Taxes, Sesses, Scots Lots and other Impositions and Burthens ordinary and extraordinary whatsoever
And also yielding, and paying yearly during the said Term to the Dean and Chapter and their Successors at or in the Treasury House aforesaid the Further sum of Eight pounds and sixteen shillings of like lawful money being the Annual Amount of Land Tax which was Charged upon the Estate and premises hereby demised and which hath been redeemed by the said Dean and Chapter under the Powers and Provisions of the Act made for the redemption and purchase of the Land Tax the same to be paid in Equal proportion upon the same Feast or Day upon which the said yearly Rent of sixteen Pounds is Reserved and payable
And the said Bence Bence for himself, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns doth covenant and grant to and with the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors by these presents that he the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns shall and will at his and their own proper Costs and Charges in all Things during the said Term repair, uphold, sustain and maintain all the Houses, Barns, Stables, Edifices and Buildings of the Manor and Parsonage of Deopham aforesaid and all the Inclosures of the Lands before demised together with the Chancel of the Parish Church of Deopham aforesaid as oft as need shall require
And in the End of the said Term the said Houses, Barns, Stables, Edifices, Buildings, Inclosures and Chancel well and sufficiently repaired done and maintained to the Hands of the Dean and Chapter and their Successors shall leave and yield up
And the said Bence Bence for himself and his Executors, Administrators and Assigns doth covenant and grant to and with the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors by these presents to make, or cause to be made, Two Terriars or Books distinctly written in parchment containing in them and either of them the Certainty and Quantity of the Demesne Lands, Tenements, Meadows, Pastures and Wood belonging to the said Manor and the Glebe Lands and Tenements to the said Parsonage belonging and appertaining with the true Meets and Bounds of every piece and parcel of the same as they do severally or jointly lie, and in what Town and Hamlet;
And also, Two Rentals fair and distinctly written in parchment containing in them and either of them the Name and Names of all and every Tenant and Tenants whatsoever as well Freeholders as Copyholders holding of the said Manor together with the true and several Rents and Customs which they and every of them do yearly owe and pay And also the several Names, Meets and Bounds of the Lands for which the said Rents, Services and Customs are due and where the said Lands do severally or jointly lie and in what Town or Hamlet;
And the same Terriars and Rentals to deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors in manner and Form following (that is to say): the First Terriar and Rental to be delivered to the Receiver General or Auditor of the said Dean and Chapter for the time being at and upon the Account of the said Bence Bence in form hereafter mentioned to be made in the first year of the said Term; And the second Terriar and Rental to be delivered likewise in the Tenth year of the said Term
And the said Bence Bence for himself, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns doth covenant and grant to and with the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors by these presents that he the said Bence Bence his Executors, Administrators and Assigns shall yearly during the said Term pay, or cause to be paid, to the Dean, Receiver General or Surveyor of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors for the time being towards their yearly Charges in visiting and surveying (that is to say): To the Dean Forty Shillings and to the Receiver and other Officers twenty Shillings of lawful money of Great Britain at the Election and Choice of the said Dean or Receiver whether to take their Entertainment in Kind or so much money in lieu thereof, whether they visit the said Parsonage or not and so as the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns shall not hereby be charged either to make such Entertainment or to pay the said Three pounds in Lieu thereof more than once in a year during the said Term
And further that he the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns shall yearly during the said Term in the month of October after the End of every year during the said Term at the time of the Audit to be kept for the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors at the Treasury House aforesaid appear before the Receiver General or Auditor then and there to make an Account and payment of the Rent Farm and Stipend above reserved and then also to deliver to the said Receiver or Auditor the Transcript of the Court Rolls of every Court by them or their Assigns or the Steward of the Court there to be kept fair and truly engrossed in parchment and therewithall a Roll or Book fair written in Parchment containing therein all and singular the profits of the precedent year that shall accrue, grow and be received or recovered by the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns of or for the Franchises and Liberties of the said Dean and Chapter within the said Manor and Rectory of Deopham
And also the said Bence Bence for himself, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns doth covenant and grant to and with the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors by these presents at her and their own proper Costs and Charges to find and provide a sufficient, honest, learned Steward to keep the Courts and Law Days as hath been accustomed
And if it shall happen the said yearly Rent or Farm of Sixteen Pounds or the said stipend of six Pounds to be behind and unpaid in part or in all by the space of Fourteen Days next after the feasts above said in which it ought to be paid so as aforesaid
or if the Reparations of the said Houses, Edifices and Buildings be not within One whole year next after Monition and Warning by the Receiver General or Surveyor of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors for the Time being to the said Bence Bence, his Executors or Assigns or to the then Occupier of the Premisses for the due and needful keeping and repairing of the same given and declared well and sufficiently made and done
or if the said Bence Bence or any other person or persons to whose use and possession this present Lease and Term of years shall remain and come do alienate, bargain and sell this present Indenture and Lease or any part thereof to any person or persons without the Special Licence of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors under their common Seal first had and obtained
or if such person or persons to whose use and possession this present Lease and Term of years or any part thereof shall remain and come by Bargain and Sale, Devise, Legacy or otherwise by or from the said Bence Bence do not within One whole year next after the having and enjoying of this said Lease make surrender of the same and of the Term of years therein then to come to the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors so that he, she or they may then, or within convenient Time after, receive of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors a like good, sufficient and lawful new Lease of all the predemised premisses for so many years as shall be then to come of the Term aforesaid paying only therefore the ordinary Charges and Fees for sealing and Writing the same
That then and from thenceforth this present Indenture and Lease and every Clause and Article therein above on the Behalf of the said Dean and Chapter and their Successors made and granted shall be utterly void and of none effect, any thing aforesaid to the contrary notwithstanding
And the said Dean and Chapter do covenant, promise and grant to and with the said Bence Bence his Executors, Administrators and Assigns by these presents that he the said Bence Bence, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns shall or may, for and under the Rents and Covenants aforesaid, peaceably and quietly have, hold, possess and enjoy all and singular the premisses by these presents demised with their Appurtenances for and during the said Term of twenty one Years without any manner of Let, Eviction, Expulsion, Interruption or Incumbrance to be had or made by them the said Dean and Chapter or by any other person or persons lawfully claiming for, by or under them by their Assent, Consent, Means or Procurement.
In Witness whereof to one part of this Indenture remaining with the said Bence Bence, the said Dean and Chapter have set their Common Seal and to the other part remaining with the said Dean and Chapter the said Bence Bence hath set his Hand and Seal
Dated in the Chapter House of the said Dean and Chapter the Day and year first above written.
(1807)
A note on the reverse records:
Sealed and delivered by the within named Bence Bence, in the Presence of:
Jereh Smith
Chapter of Canterbury Archives U63 68973/2
Transcription © G. Sankey
Difficulties surrounding the Lease renewal
Mr Gilman wrote to the Dean and Chapter’s Auditor in December 1807 asking for an allowance to be made in case the Inclosures Bill went ahead. It seems that this had been the case with the 1800 lease; it is less clear that a similar allowance was made for this lease of 1807.
The Dean and Chapter commissioned a full survey of the value of the Manor in 1807 which is available here. This gave an an annual total of £280 12s 5d.
Comments
- The terms of this lease are essentially the same as those agreed with the Rev. Bence Sparrow (aka Bence Bence) in the preceding 1800 lease. A few minor formatting changes have been made from the previous lease.
- There is though one significant change in that the lessee is now required to pay £8:16s Land Tax to the Dean and Chapter. This payment has not though been included in the list of contract failures that would cause the lease to be declared void.
- The date of the surrendered lease corresponds to that of the preceding 1800 Indenture.
- This lease is for a period of 21 years.
- The spelling of terrar has advanced to terriar.
Navigation
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 11/3/24 | Link to 1807 manorial survey |
| 9/1/24 | Published |
Deopham History 