Rushden Research Group: Deeds Transcribed

Deeds & Transcripts

Deeds or "Indentures" were drawn up to transfer land or property, or as a contract between parties, and include leases, conveyances and sales.

Sometimes they detail previous transfers and quote dates and wording from earlier documents, and may also give names of the occupiers, as well as the owners of such properties. After 1840 a plan may accompany the document which allows us to locate the property on a modern map. Land or premises to be transferred on the occasion of a marriage, where the girl's father would endow her husband with the property, are referred to as "Marriage Settlements". "Deeds of Gift" were drawn up to pass on more personal items and may take the format of a will. Contracts between a master and an apprentice, or his or her parent or guardian, were drawn up to detail the terms and conditions of such "Apprenticeships" for both parties. "Trust Deeds" or "Covenants" gave the right to hold property until the coming to age of minors. "Abstract of Title" deeds list all the land and property owned by one person. Property deeds may mention owners and occupiers.

These documents were usually duplicated (sometimes triplicated) with a copy to each party and sometimes were written on one piece of parchment or paper. This would be cut and divided after the signing and sealing, sometimes with a wavy edge so that no other piece could ever be substituted.

The oldest deeds are written on parchment and are long and drawn out, as with most legal documents. If there were several pages they were usually overlaid and the bottom edge of the outer page would be turned up in front of the others. Holes would be cut and ribbons of parchment were then threaded through all the layers and the ends sealed with sealing wax, the seal would be impressed with the parties' seals, and their signatures added, alongside the ribbon, so the document was "signed & sealed".

Many deeds are now lodged in Record Offices, especially if they were land and property transfers at the Manor Court, others remain in private hands.

We have also seen a bundle of photocopies of Terriers which are now (2013) being transcribed.

Document		Year	Forename	Surname	Reference
Manor of Rushden	surrender	1750	Thomas	MEE	NRO Ref: YZ5176
Manor of Rushden	admission	1800	Richard	STEVENS	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1802	John	SMITH	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1818	Thomas	CHURCH	privately held
Manor of Rushden	surrender	1819	Wm & Elizabeth	DODSON	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1828	Bryan	STEVENS	privately held
Manor of Rushden	surrender	1830		HEWITT to CHURCH	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1830	Mary	CHURCH	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1837	Richard	STEVENS	privately held
Manor of Rushden	admission	1839	William	BLOTT	privately held
Indenture	conveyance	1892	William	PENNESS	privately held
Indenture	conveyance	1896	John	SHORTLAND	privately held
Manor of Rushden	3 documents	1878-1934	Thomas & Walter	WILMOTT	privately held
Indenture	partnership	1903		BRADFIELD, SARGENT & SARGENT	privately held
Duchy of Lancaster	admission	1920	Jeremiah	KNIGHT	privately held
Duchy of Lancaster	agreement	1929	Caroline & Arthur	SARTORIS	NRO Ref: YZ6025
Deed	mortgage	1930	William Norwood	GINNS (with note to GUINEE 1955)	privately held
Deed	conveyance	1930		TODD to HENSMAN	privately held
Abstract of Title	conveyance	1946	Henry	PAGE	privately held

Notes - from Bundles of deeds
82-90 Cromwell Road	11-17 Bedford Road

Documents listed in the catalogue of Higham Ferrers solicitors, Simpson and Mason, deposited at Northamptonshire Record Office. None of these documents have been studied. NRO Ref: Simpson & Mason Accession 1948/172
Box 945	Deeds - Including 16 for Wollaston properties, 51 for Rushden properties and 101 for Raunds properties.
Box 943	Deeds - Including 11 for Raunds 1750-1894, 24 for Rushden 1753-1858, 30 for Wollaston 1771-1854, 14 for Stanwick 1820-1885

See also Genealogy - Poor Law Apprenticeships trancribed