1683 Stocken Farm Lease

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APRIL 1683 LEASE      (This document was found by Lawence Rostron in Hants Record Office)

April 20^th 1683.   Lease between Thomas Adeane, merchant of London, Lord of the Manor of Princes Risborough and William Lacey.

COMPRISING

1.      The messuage (premises) with its appurtenances, wherein William Lacey now dwells. Together with the fields of arable land known ‘Stockings’ (Stocken) near Lacey Green and anciently did and now do belong to the messuage wherein William Lacey dwells.

2.      The messuage with its appurtenances wherein William Bristow lately dwelt   Also fields and parcels of land that formerly belonged to the messuage late in the possession of William Briscoe.

NOT INCLUDING STOCKING (STOCKEN) WOOD

All the fields and lands to be let and the tythes growing upon it.   To hold the said messuages, fields, arable land, ley ground, tythes and premises (except Stocking Wood) to William Lacey from Michaelmas for 21 years for £26, paid half-yearly to Thomas Adeane at his mansion in Princes Risborough.

CONDITIONS

1.      No part of the property shall be sub-leased without special agreement with Thomas Adeane.  All the fences belonging to Stocking Wood adjoining the premises, to be maintained to prevent any damage to the wood, coppice or underwood by cattle.

2.       All straw chaff and stover and all dung compost and soil shall be used on the land.

3.       Shall not crosscrop or sow any fields that shall be sown the next two years, but lay them fallow and unsown every third year.

REQUIRED IN 20^th YEAR

In the 20^th year a convenient lodging room in one of the messuages shall be provided for the agent of Thomas Adearne, also stables for horses and team.   And shall allow the fallow and unsown land to be entered to sow and manure without hindrance.

PROVISIONS

Rough timber shall be provided from time to time within 2 miles, as needed to maintain the buildings and also the fences belonging to Stocken Wood, within 40 days of request by Thomas Lacey.

PAYMENTS

William Lacey shall pay all taxes, charges and payments or any other part thereof for firehearths, the church poor, the highway, Kingsbench and maimed soldiers and all other ordinary taxes and payments.

If the lease becomes forfeit, Thomas Lacey shall pay the sum of four years rent.

THOMAS ADEANE DOTH COVENANT

Thomas Adearne doth covenant that he will from time to time pay board and discharge all extraordinary taxes, charges, payments and impositions and will aquit Thomas Lacey of them.

NOTE   Ed,   A possible tax for maimed soldiers is mentioned here.   This could well have been because there had been some pressure on Charles II to do something about them.   In 1681 he had issued a royal warrant authorising the building of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, to care for those broken by age or war.   Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design and build it.   It was completed in January 1692.   By the end of March a full 476 had moved in.

WILLIAM LACEY’s FIRST WINTER

The winter of 1683/4 was most bitter.   The ground froze four feet deep.   Frost killed men and cattle, split trees, ruined vegetables, killed birds and fish and froze the ponds.   The Thames was frozen down as far as London Bridge and a fair was held on the ice for many weeks.   All water was frozen so no ships could move.   Fuel, food and water was so expensive that collections were made for the poor in the citie.