You are in [Places] [Church Street Properties] [37-42 Church Street]
Summary:
Earliest information: 1798
Original estate:Hungerford Ingleford
Common Rights? Yes (Sanden Fee) for 42 Church Street. (Frontage 16ft + 4ft passage; 1 horse or 2 cows)
Listed: No.
Photo Gallery:
37-38 Church Street, Jul 2018
37-42 Church Street, Jul 2018
38-39 Church Street, Jul 2018
39-42 Church Street, Jul 2018
41-42 Church Street, Jul 2018
- 37-38 Church Street, July 2018.
- 37-42 Church Street, July 2018.
- 38-39 Church Street, July 2018.
- 39-42 Church Street, July 2018.
- 41-42 Church Street, July 2018.
The cottages today:
Although the numbering 37-42 Church Street inclusive allows for six terrace cottages, there are in fact only four dwellings today (1986). Numbers 37 & 38 were combined c.1959 and numbers 39 & 40 were combined c1964. The two eastern-most cottages (41 and 42) remain as they were in 1875.
Timeline:
This attempt to record the history of these six cottages is based partly on notes made by the late Norman Hidden, and partly by reference to various deeds and documents kindly made available by Robert James in Jul 2018.
Matthew Loder Smith, surgeon, 1798-1808:
John Hidden, button-maker, 1808-1819:
The earliest of these was dated 7th January 1808: Matthew Loder Smith esq (of Hungerford, surgeon) and John Hunt Watts esq (of Ham, Wilts) leased to James Woodham of Hungerford (of Hungerford, watch maker) for one year, "all that messuage on the south side of Church Lane [present day Church Street] now in the tenure of John Hidden (of Hungerford, button maker), all which premises were and are part of and belonging to the manor of Hungerford Ingleford, at a yearly rent of 1 peppercorn". This enabled him to take release of the freehold the following day.
On the next day, 8th January 1808, a release and mortgage of a messuage in Hungerford was granted by Matthew Loder Smith and John Hunt Watts esq to Mr John Hidden and his mortgagee Mr James Woodham. Woodham provided £100 to enable John Hidden to complete his purchase and the sum of £160 (the total purchase price?) was to be paid to John Hunt Watts.
Matthew Loder Smith was lord of the manor of Hungerford Ingleford. John Hunt Watts appears because Loder Smith had mortgaged the manor to him and thereby owed him some £5,450.
The property was described as "all that messuage and stable, fuel house, outbuildings and large garden thereunto adjoining in Great Church Lane now in the tenure or occupation of John Hidden".
These deeds reveal that Loder Smith, financed by Hunt Watts, had purchased the manor in 1798 from John Pearce of Standen Hussey, Wilts, gent who was the nephew and heir-at-law and sole executor of the will of Stephen Pearce of Standen Hussey.
In an earlier transaction in 1777 Loder Smith had granted the manor and lordship of Hungerford Ingleford to Stephen Pearce. One of the deeds refers to the existence of "evidences" concerning the Church Street property dated 1747.
George Hidden, carpenter, 1820-1828:
By deed dated 4th Febriary 1820:
- Thomas Hidden (of Walham Green, Middlesex, cordwainer, eldest son and heir-at-law of John Hidden, late of Hungerford Berks, button maker deceased [he died 10 June 1819, intestate]) (1);
- James Woodham (of Hungerford, watchmaker, only son and heir-at-law of James Woodham late of Hungerford Berks watchmaker deceased [he died 2nd January 1809. P.C.C. will, probate November 1809]) (2);
- Elizabeth Woodham (of Hungerford spinster, executor in the will of John Woodham deceased) (3); and
- George Hidden (of Hungerford, carpenter. another of the sons of John Hidden deceased) (4).
George Hidden contracted to purchase the messuage for £190, £120 to be paid to Woodham and £70 to Thomas Hidden. The premises were then in the occupation of (a) George Hidden and (b) Mary Hidden his mother; and belonged to the manor of Hungerford Engleford.
Signatures of Thomas Hidden and seal, James Woodham and Elizabeth Woodham.
4th April 1820: George Hidden mortgaged the premises to Elizabeth Woodham for £200 @ 5% p.a. for 500 years. The deed refers to the messuage + 2 (additional) cottages "lately erected", in part of a garden ground previously untenanted.
5th January 1822: Elizabeth Woodham spinster assigns mortgage of the premises to William Marchment for securing £260, again @ 5% p.a. for 500 years.
3re February 1822: Thomas Hidden and James Woodham grant lease for 1 year to George Hidden. Signed and sealed: Thomas Hidden.
5th April 1824: George Hidden( carpenter) mortgages to William Marchment (glover), in consideration of £260, paid £200 to Elizabeth Woodham and £60 to George Hidden. and whereas by deed poll dated 5 Oct 1825 had erected and built 2 other tenements in consideration of the sum of £60 paid to George Hidden by William Marchment.
The six tenements were in the separate occupation of William Hidden, George Hidden, John Smith, —Woodham, Robert Hoare and Mary Russ. Signature of George Hidden.
William Hall, 1828-1869:
11th October 1828:
- George Hidden (carpenter) and Amey his wife (1);
- William Milles of Hungerford yeoman (2);
- William Robert Hall of Hungerford gent (3)
refers to an indenture of 1820 whereby all the (original) messuage now converted into 2 messuages and adds "shop" to the list of accompanying buildings; these two messuages were in the occupation of (a) George Hidden and Amey, (b) Mary Hidden his mother; also two cottages lately erected by George Hidden on part of the garden belonging to the original (divided) tenement as then (1820) and the newly erected cottages as then untenanted, the sum of £200 due to Elizabeth Woodham not having been paid to repurchase the property the term for this option had expired and so Elizabeth Woodham's title became absolute. Then in January 1822 the hereditaments were made over to William Marchment by Elizabeth Woodham.
On 19th September 1828 the premises were put to auction and purchased for £450 by William Millis who contracted to sell to W.R. Hall at £450 (a balance of £70 to go to George Hidden).
The deed states that there were six messuages and six gardens with common of pasture in Freeman's Marsh and part of a pew in Hungerford Church belonging to the premises, heretofore awarded to John Hidden.
Signatures of George and Amey Hidden, also William Millis.
It seems clear that in 1828 the premises had passed to W.R. Hall — a final concord between Hall Q. and George & Amey deforciants was issued in 9 Geo.IV (=1828). This refers to 8 houses & 8 gardens. Purchase price £520. A memo of Oct 1828 states that William Marchment has received of W.R.Hall £380.
Signatures: 4 Sept. 1820 Thomas Hidden ( with seal); also in 3rd February 1822.
5 April 1824 George Hidden; 11 Oct. 1828 Geo & Amey Hidden.
George Hidden, 1869-1875:
14th July 1869: William Hall sold to George Hidden.
William Lambourne, 1875-1931:
10th June 1875: William Lambourne (of Hungerford, shoemaker) paid George Hidden (of Hungerford, organist) £505 for two cottages formerly in the occupation of George and Mary Hidden his mother, and then John Lambourne and George Bunce. Also four other cottages. William Lambourne arranged a mortgage of £348 19s for 14 years at £3 per month from the Provident Union Building and Investment Society. The cottages "now and for some years" were occupied by George Smith (40), Edward Bushnell (39), John Newman (38), William Joyce (37). The property to the west was a cottage owned by Mrs Hempstead and occupied by (blank) Pounds, and that to the east by Rev Thomas Hungerford Mitchell and occupied by Widow Heaver. Again the Common Right on Freeman’s Marsh for one horse or two cows and the part pew, three sittings, in Hungerford Church awarded to John Hidden were mentioned.
William Lambourne took out further mortgages with the Provident Union over the next few years:
- on 7th June 1877 for £20 (for 14 years at 3s 4d per month);
- on 4th July 1877 for £120 (for 14 years at £1 per month);
- on 11th July 1888 for £60 (for 14 years at 7s 8d per month); and
- on 23re May 1889 for £75 (for 21 years at 9s 7d per month).
An adjustment was made on 23re May 1889 when the Provident Union changed the monthly payment of one of these from 5s to 3s 10d per month, for a loan of £165 4s 2d.
- on 14th March 1893 for £60 for 14 years at 10s per month, and
- on 11th February 1913 £36 for 14 years at 5s 11d per month. In this mortgage it is recorded that the properties consist of two cottages, formerly one messuage, formerly in occupation of George and Mary Hidden, afterwards John Lambourne and George Bunce, now Albert Wyatt and Elizabeth Gibbs, also four cottages on the western side in occupation of George Smith (40), Edward Bushnell (39), John Newman (38) and William Joyce (37), now in occupation of Harriet Sprules (40), William Killick (39), William Moss (38) and Thomas Love (37). All bounded on the west by cottage belonging to Stephen Taylor and on the east by a messuage belonging to John Harris. Also Common Right on Freeman’s Marsh for one horse or two cows. Also part pew, three sittings, in Hungerford Church awarded to John Hidden.
1902 (T&M Register) William Lambourne (owner)
Undated (T&M Register) Widow Mason
Undated (T&M Register) Miss M E Lambourne (owner)
Undated (T&M Register) F Hopkins (occupier)
Elsie Margaret Lambourne, 1931-1945:
William Lambourne's Will (dated 5th May 1931) bequeathed the six cottages to his daughter Elsie Margaret Lambourne, and after his death on 10th October 1931, probate was granted on 9th December 1931 and the six cottages, then numbered 13-18 Church Street, passed to Elsie. They were at that time occupied by Thomas Eatwell, Tom Waters, Hubert Aubrey, Mrs W. Killick, Ernest Leslie Walters, William George Dunn.
Ernest Frank James and Norman Ernest James, 1945:
On 3re December 1945 Elsie Lambourne (of Church Street, spinster) sold the six cottages for £650 to Ernest Frank James (of Kennet House, Company Director) and Norman Ernest James (of Buckland House, Eddington, Company Director). By this time the cottages had the modern numbering of 37-42 Church Street. They were occupied by Huntley, Bull, Wilder, Humphries, Hungerford RDC and Hopkins. This included the Common Right on Freeman’s Marsh for one horse or two cows, and the part pew, three sittings, in Hungerford Church awarded to John Hidden.
<1968 (T&M Register) James & Co (Hungerford) Ltd (owners until 1972)
<1968-70 (T&M Register) Void
1971 (T&M Register) David Pym (occupier until 1972)
1973 (T&M Register) Norman Ernest James & Dudley George Walker James (owners); Margaret Clarissa Perdue (occupier)
Sales to individual ownership, from 1987:
In 1987 the James family decided to sell each of the properties as the various tenancies came up for renewal or circumstances allowed.
At some stage the six properties were converted into four. The numbering now is 38, 39, 41 and 42. The Common Rights are with 42 Church Street.
38 Church Street (was 37 & 38):
c.1959: 37 & 38 Church Street were combined.
Pasquoille and Emilina Carbone had been tenants since c.1969.
Pasquoille died in April 1998; Emilina continued to live there until her death in 2017.
2015: N&D James sold the house (with the sitting tenant) to Geordie Taylor. Geordie altered and built on at the back and moved in 2017. Geordie has let 39.
39 Church Street (was 39 & 40):
No 40: The daughter of a Mr Franklin lived there with her four children until 1963.
June 1963 - May 1964: Robert and Sally James. They combined 40 with 39 Church Street.
c1964: Percy & Mollie Pym lived there as tenants until he died c.1970-72.
41 Church Street:
1998: Arthur Chapman, tenant, died August 1998:
c1955-c1966: Mr & Mrs Bert Martin.
c1966-c1970: Various James & Co employees.
c1970-1998: Mike Raven, Band Master. He died in 1998 and the house was sold by James & Co.
Nov 2000: Sold to Garry Robert Prosser and Lorraine Francis for £96,000.
42 Church Street:
c1940-c1952: Mr & Mrs Fred Hopkins. Their daughter Shirley married Wally Dennis the builder at Upper Denford.
c1952-1970: Bunty Stevens. (Her brother had a flat in Avon Villa).
Nov 1987: Sold to Stephan Green and Susan Mestas for £49,000. (They later went to Arizona, USA. She was American).
2005 (CL) Timothy Abbott
2011 (CL) William Simms
2016 (CL) Nicholas Soper
See also:
- Land Registry plan for 37-38 Church Street, 1988
- Land Registry plan for 41 Church Street, Sep 1988.
- Land Registry plan for 42 Church Street, Sep 1988.
- Extracts of deeds relating to 37-42 Church Street, kindly given to the HHA by Robert James, Aug 2019
- Sale particulars of 37-42 Church Street, 9 Nov 1945
The Canal Wharf, 2011