Held at:	Herefordshire Record Office
Reference:	D4/46-47
Source:	Catalogue entry
Title:	Deeds relating to two acres called Randirothe
Place name:	Michaelchurch Escley
Date:	1574, 1577

Description:

The following Deeds were deposited through the Lincoln Record Office on the 4^th May 1962 and formed part of an artificial collection.

 

The Catalogue entries are as follows-

 

D4/47

Feoffment, 1^st November, 16 Elizabeth [1574]
Between
1)   William ap Richard Lloid of Mychelchurch Escly, husbandman
2)   David ap Griffithe of Wilbroke [Wellbrook], husbandman
Consideration £6 13s 4d.
Two English acres of lands called Randirothe in Mychelchurche escly in length between the highway and the lands of Rychard a Powell Lloid and in breadth between the lands of Thomas Powell glym’ and the park of Snodhill: and every third year the leading …… and occupying of a watercourse now coming through the fold of Howell glm’ ap Rees of Mychelchurche escly, yeoman nigh unto the messuage of the said Howell in Mychelchurch escly called Pennyparke [Pen-y-park], the year begining at Michaelmas.
Seal: missing.
Witnesses: Roger John Thomas, Geroge [?George] Laurence, Thomas Gwnithe, David Gwnithe, James ap Res [?Rees], Jenkyn Hunt, William Marbury, clerke.

 

D4/48

4^th November, 16 Elizabeth [1574]
Confirmation of the above.

 

D4/46

Lease for 21 years, 10^th April, 19 Elizabeth [1577]
Between
1)   David ap Griffithe of Wilbroke, husbandman
2)   Watkyn ap Robert Botcot of Mychelchurch Estly, taylor
2 acres of land in Mychelchurch Escly near Snodhill Park; to be held by Watkyn from 1^st May next.
Rent 13s 4d pa to be paid at Feast of St Michael and the Annunciation. Distraint etc if not paid within one month.
The tenant to build a dwelling house of three rooms of sawn timber and to be responsible for repairs. Abatement allowed.

Observations:

Randirothe is elsewhere spelt Randiroth, Randyroth, Randyrothe and Randeroth.

 

It is unusual to find occupational letting information particularly dated shortly after a purchase. Assuming the 1574 purchase was of a freehold or copyhold interest at a nominal rent, the gross return on David ap Griffithe’s investment when let in 1577, was a respectable 10%.

 

Also, the obligation on the tenant to build “a dwelling house of three rooms of sawn timber” is of great interest. This is perhaps the first “solid” house on the land, to be of “sawn” timber, as opposed one assumes, to unsawn or rough “poles” and mud which might have been the earlier construction method. Three rooms suggests three ground floor rooms, possibly two for the occupier and one for animals. Although in this case the tenant was a tailor he probably still had his own animals. If the cottage was sawn timber framed then the walls would have been a lath & plaster infill and the roof probably thatch.