Robert Lowndes' rent book

Winslow History collection

The front cover of the book is shown on the right. The main part consists of numbered pairs of pages for each tenant, with the debit on the left and credit on the right (the credit is shown below the debit in each case below). The format is the same as William Lowndes' accounts, 1699-1702. The period covered is 1716 (including arrears brought forward) to 1721. The handwriting appears to be the same as that of the 1699-1702 accounts, i.e. William Lowndes' own.

The gross income from Robert Lowndes' rents at the time was £437, but that was before deduction of taxes, so the net income was over 10% smaller. It would have risen by about 50% after his father left him more property in Winslow in 1724. There were at least 26 separate tenancies in William's 1699-1702 accounts, so some consolidation of holdings had taken place since then. William Evans, Thomas Grant and Richard Cox all now had large holdings, and Simon Hogson's had more than doubled.

Some extra notes were added in 1729-30. They must have been written by Richard Lowndes or someone on his behalf. Most of the book was left blank.

Some drawings of dogs seem to have been added much later (see foot of page).

The book's history is not known. It was acquired at auction with some unrelated documents.

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1	Rich(ar)d Cox D(ebitu)r
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1714	34	14	7¾
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) day 1715	17	7	3¾
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Lady day 1716	34	14	7¾
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at L day 1717	34	14	7¾
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1717	[blank]
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1718	34	14	7¾
	C(reditu)r
	By p(ai)d 10 Jan(ua)ry 1714/5 in Money and Taxes	34	14	7¾
	By p(ai)d in Money & Taxes at sev(era)ll times	17	7	3¾
4 Oct(ob)er 1716	By p(ai)d in Money & Taxes at sev(era)ll times	34	14	7¾
6 Sep(tembe)r 1717	By p(ai)d in Money & Taxes	34	14	7¾
4 June 1718	P(ai)d in Money & Taxes	17	7	3¾
2 Jan(uar)y 1718	P(ai)d in Money & Taxes being allow'd till L Day last	34	14	7¾
There were several people called Richard Cox; this one was probably born in 1686 and died in 1752.
2	Mathew Deely D(ebitu)r	li	s	d
	To Ballance in the preceding book fo. 9	nil
	To 4 years Rent due at Mich(aelma)s 1715 for the House & Land late Woottons	20	0	0
	Cred(itu)r
	By one Bill of Repairs w(hi)ch began 4 Ap 1713 and ended on 30 7ber 1714	6	7	9½	}
	By another Bill of Rep(ai)rs begun 11th Oct(obe)r 1714 and end 19 March following	4	8	6	}	13	0	4½
	By another Bill begun 5 May 1715 and end 9th Nov(embe)r 1715	2	0	3	}
	By a Bill for work at Wm Caps a(nn)o 1713	0	3	10	}
	Allow'd & Acquitd for Taxes p(ai)d viz
	L(and) Tax	1	12	3	}
	House Money	0	7	0	}
	Constables Rates	0	1	4½	}	2	1	3½
	Highways	0	0	8	}
	Allow'd for the time during w(hi)ch the House stood empty					2	10	0
	Ball(an)ce p(ai)d Mr R.L. this first of Dec(embe)r 1715					2	8	4
						------------------
	Matthew Deely [signature]					20	0	0
William Lowndes bought a house and 3 acres in Sheep Street from Richard Wootton (Wooten) in 1694. Matthew Deeley (d.1760) still held 3 acres in c.1743. He was a mason and belonged to a family of brickmakers, which explains why Robert Lowndes was paying him for repairs.
3	Mrs Sara Giles D(ebitu)r	li	s	d
	To 4 years & half rent for Berry leys due at Mich(aelm)as 1715	18	0	0
	To mony paid her this day for ballance	5	15	2½
		------------------
		23	15	2½
	I allow this Acco(un)t and have this first of Decembr 1715 rec(eiv)ed of Mr Robert Lowndes by the hands of his Father the Sum of five pounds fifteen shill(ing)s two pence half penny in full of this ballance & all demands to this day.
	Sarah Gyles [signature]
	Witnesse John Wilkinson [signature]
	Cred(itu)r
	By land tax at 16sh p(er) an(num) for the years 1711 and 1712	1	12	0
	By land tax at 8sh p(er) ann(um) for the years 1713 & 1714 and for half year end(ed) at Mich(aelma)s 1715	1	0	0
	Constables rates for 4&½ years to Mich(aelma)s 1715	0	4	6
	By the bill of her & her daughter for goods delivered and mony lent begin(n)ing 12 Aug 1712 and end 30 June 1715	20	18	8½
		------------------
		23	15	2½
Sarah Gyles was daughter-in-law William Gyles sr who paid £4 for Berry Leys in 1700 (and also rented some other land). She and her daughter Grace ran the family's draper's shop.
4	Tho(ma)s Grant D(ebitu)r	li	s	d
	To 1 y(ea)r Rent due at L(ady) day 1716	48	0	0
	To 1 y(ea)r Rent due at L(ady) day 1717	48	0	0
	To ½ y(ea)r Rent due at L day Mich(aelma)s 1717	24	0	0
	Cred(itu)r	li	s	d
11 Apr(i)l 1716	By accounts settled between us this Day: there remains due from Grant to RL. 30li : 7sh : 6 to make up his Rent to L(ad)y day 1716	30	7	6
20 Aug(u)st 1716	Thos Grant hath p(ai)d RL. Since the last reckoning	25	0	0
17 Jun(e) 1717	Received of Thomas Grant at sev(era)ll times since 11 Apr(i)l 1716	69	9	6
8 Sep(tembe)r 1718	Rec(eiv)ed of Tho(ma)s Grant at sev(era)ll times 24 pounds	24	0	0
This could refer to Thomas Miller of Shipton (d.1755).
5	Mathew Deely D(ebitu)r
	To y(ea)rs Rent due 171 Mich(aelm)as 1716	[blank]
	Cred(itu)r
1 Oct(obe)r 1716	P(ai)d in Money and Work	5	0	0
6	Robert Gibs D(ebitu)r	li	s	d
	To of his Ballance of his acc(oun)t made up 28th Aug(u)st to be paid vizt To Mrs Lowndes To R. Lowndes	37 66	5 10	0 7		103	15	7
	To a years Rent due Lady Day 1715	187	0	0
	To the like at Lady Day 1716	187	0	0
	To half a years Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1716	93	10	0		467	10	0
						------------------
						571	5	7
	I allow this acco(un)t 8th Oct(obe)r 1716
	Rob(er)t Gibbs [signature]
	Cred(itu)r
	By Money paid R Lowndes at sev(era)ll times between the 4th June 1714 and this 9th October 1716 as p(er) his Receipts	173	5	7½
	By Money p(ai)d Mrs Lowndes or her order at sev(era)ll times between 19 Aug(us)t 1714 & this 8th October 1716 at 10li per Month for 25 Months (The last paym(en)t being for Sept(embe)r 1716)	250	0	0		423	5	7½
	By Land Tax for 1714 at 2sh	11	19	5
	By Ditto for 1715	11	19	5
	By half years Land Tax due at Mich(aelma)s 1716 at 4sh p(er) Libra	11	19	5		35	18	3
	By Copyhold Rents for two year and ½ due at Mich(aelma)s 1716 at 8li 1sh 1d p(er) ann(u)m					20	2	8½
	P(ai)d Roger West for Constables Levy for 1713 and 1714	1	11	10
	P(ai)d Ditto for Constables Rate for 1715	0	15	10½
	P(ai)d Stephen Big for Constables Levy due at Lady Day 1716	3	19	4½		6	7	1
	For 60 Dozen of Straw for thatching ye Barn	1	9	0
	for a new Door	0	5	6		1	14	6
	By allowance ex gra(tia) for 2 years and half at 8li p(er) ann(um					20	0	0
	By Ballance due to R.L. by 8th Oct(obe)r 1716					63	17	5
						------------------
						571	5	7
Robert Gibbs rented the manor and rectory, and acted as bailiff. Under his previous agreement with William Lowndes he paid £220 (and £4 10s for some land), so he had apparently renegotiated under slightly more favourable terms (£187 p.a.).
7	Tho(ma)s Foster & W(illia)m Firth	L	S	D
	To 2 y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1716	10	0	0
	To 2 y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1718	10	0	0
	To 2 y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1720	10	0	0
	Cr(editur)	L	S	D
	By Taxes	1	0	0½
6th Oct(ob)er 1716	By Money	8	19	11½		10	0	0
19 March 1718/9	Rec(eiv)ed in money and Taxes					10	0	0
28 Jan(ua)ry 1720/1	Rec(eiv)ed of them in money and Taxes					10	0	0
Foster & Firth were paying the same rent as in 1700. Their holding in c.1743 was 13 acres (by which time it was Foster's son). There was probably a house too.
8	Robert Gibbs D(ebitu)r
	To ball(an)ce 8th Oct(obe)r 1716	63	17	5
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) Day 1717	93	10	0
		---------------
		157	7	5
	C(reditu)r
23 Aug(us)t 1717	By Robt Wyat p(ai)d him Dec. 1716	20	0	0
	By R. Lowndes p(ai)d him at sev(era)ll times before 12 Aug(u)st 1717	11	12	0
	By Mrs Lowndes p(ai)d her for 10 Months ending twenty \Aug(u)st/ 24 1717 at 10li p(er) month	100	0	0
	By half a years Land Tax due Lady Day 1717 at 4sh p(er) Libr.	11	19	5
	By Copyhold Rents for half a year due then	4	0	6½
	By allowance ex gra(tia) for the same half year	4	0	0
	By Ball(an)ce due to R Lowndes this 23 Aug(us)t 1717	5	15	5½
		---------------
	Rob(er)t Gibbs [signature]	157	7	5
9	Sim(o)n Hogson D(ebitu)r
	To Rent due at Lady Day 1717	55	18	6
	To Rent due at L(ady) day 1718	55	18	6
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelma)s1716	27	19	3
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1719	55	18	6
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1720	55	18	6
	C(reditu)r	L	s	d
26 Dec 1717	I have this \day/ reckon'd with Sim(o)n Hogson and remaind remains due to me at Lady Day 1717	4	8	2
	21 Aug(u)st 1718
	I have this Day reckon'd with Sim(o)n Hogson and due find there remains due to me at Lady Day last twenty three pounds three shill(in)gs and three pence Taxes allow'd till then	23	3	3
	14 May 1719
	I have this Day reckon'd with Sim(o)n Hogson who has clear'd his Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1718 vizt 55:18:6. Taxes allow'd to Lady last	55	18	6
	10 May 1720
	Rec(eiv)ed of Sim(o)n Hogson in Money and Taxes for Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1719	55	18	6
	28 Ap(ri)l 1721
	Rec(eiv)ed of Sim(o)n Hogson for Rent due Mich(aelm)as 1721 Taxes allow'd him	55	18	6
This seems to correspond to what Simon Hogson (1653-1736) was paying in 1703: £24 p.a. for 60 acres "late Spooners" (at the time held jointly with Henry Townsend) + £25 18s 6d for "his former hold" (presumably meaning what he previously farmed) + £6 for "land lately held per Tho Robson".
10	Robert Gibbs D(ebitu)r	l	s	d
	To Balla(nce) 23 Aug(u)st 1717	5	15	5½
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) Day 1718	187	0	0
		-----------------
		192	15	5½
	C(reditu)r
	By R. L. p(ai)d him at sev(era)ll times before 28 Aug(u)st 1718	29	14	8
	By Mrs Lowndes p(ai)d her 12 Months ending 24 Aug(u)st 1718 at 10li p(er) month	120	0	0
	By a years Land Tax due Lady Day 1718 at 3sh p(er) Libr.	17	7	0
	By Copyhold Rents for a y(ea)r due then	8	1	1
	By Constables Rate p(ai)d 14 7br 1717	1	19	7¾
	By allowance ex gra(tia)	8	0	0
	By Ball(an)ce due to RL this 12 7br 1718	7	13	0¾
		---------------
	Rob(er)t Gibbs [signature]	192	15	5½
[11]	Wm Perkins D(ebitu)r
	To five y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) Day 1718 at 25li 10sh p(er)annum	127	10	0
	C(reditu)r	l	s	d
2 Jan(ua)ry 1718/9	By Money p(ai)d now and by his former accounts it appears he has p(ai)d his full Rent to Lady day last being	127	10	0
Perkins was paying £53 10s in 1699/1700 so his holding had been reduced. He only held 1½ acres in c.1743.
[12]	Wm Evans D(ebitu)r
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) Day 1719	29	0	0
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelma)s 1719	[blank]
	To 1 y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelma)s 1720	58	0	0
	To ½ y(ea)rs Rent due at L(ady) Day 1721	29	0	0
	C(reditu)r
11 Ap(ri)l 1719	Rec(eiv)'d of Wm Evans in money and Taxes being allow'd till then	29	0	0
1 Oct(obe)r 1719	Rec(eiv)ed in money and Taxes	29	0	0
10 Nov(embe)r 1720	Rec(eiv)ed in money and Taxes	58	0	0
8 June 1721	Rec(eiv)ed in money and Taxes at sev(era)ll times	29	0	0
This is probably the William Evans who was buried in 1741. He seems to have lived in Shipton.
[13]	Henry Townsend D(ebitu)r
	To a y(ea)rs Rent due at Mich(aelm)as 1720	3	16	0
	C(reditu)r
	By p(ai)d in money and Taxes the 25 of Ap(ri)l 1720	3	16	0
In 1701-3 Henry Townsend (probably the man of that name who died in 1723) paid £3 16s p.a. for 8 acres at Berry Land
[14]	Dan(ie)ll Kirby D(ebitu)r
	To 1½ \y(ea)rs/ Rent at Lady day 1719	15	0	0
	C(reditu)r
3 June 1719	p(ai)d in Money and Taxes being allow'd	15	0	0
In 1702 and 1703 Daniel Kirby was paying £10 p.a. for a house and close and 8½ acres. He was buried in 1733.
[15]	Simon Hogson
12 Dec(embe)r 1721	I have this Day reckon'd with Simo(n) Hogson who hath made to L Day last
	R Lowndes [signature]
[16]	Mich(aelm)as Rents 1728
May 5th 1729	Rec(eive)d of the Widow Capp	26	10	0
	in Money	22	19	1½
	in Bills	3	10	10½
		--------------
	in all	26	10	0
William Capp was buried on 28 March 1729 so this was presumably his widow. He is mentioned as tenant of a property repaired by Matthew Deely in 1713 (see above). She must have been his second wife as his first wife Ann, nee Lambert, died in 1717.
	D(itt)o Wm Elliott	5	15	0
	Money	5	5	3
	Land Tax	0	9	9
		--------------
	in all	5	15	0
William Elliott of Shipton (1684-1737) sold 16½ acres to William Lowndes in 1715 which he continued to farm as a tenant. The rent was for half a year (see Lowndes real estate 1722).
May 27th	D(itt)o of John Henley	14	2	9½
	Land Tax	0	19	8¼
	Money	13	3	1¼
		--------------
	in all	14	2	9½
	D(itt)o also John Henley	19	8	0
	by Land Tax	2	0	8½
	Rate to highway	0	1	8½
	In Money	17	5	7
		--------------
		19	8	0
The first sum is half a year's rent for what John Henley held from William Lowndes in 1722. People called John Henley were buried in 1737 and 1741.
May ye 11th		L	S	D
	Rec(eiv)ed then half Years Rent of Wm Perkins
	Land Tax & highway	1	8	0
	Money	12	7	0
	D(itt)o Wm Firth	1	5	0
June 3rd 1729	Rec(eiv)ed a Years Rent of Thos Edlin by Allowing the Land Tax	15	10	0
	All Bills & Repaires, when he Overpaid 2-8-10
Thomas Edlin married Sarah Norman in 1723 and was buried in 1732.
		l	s	d
[17]	Due from Thos Spratley on the Ballance for the rent of his Land 3 June 1729 due for 2 y(ea)rs & ½ rent of his house he lives in &c. att Lady day 1729	4	12	2½
128	Recd of Wm Shelton
	by allowance Constable Rate	0	2	0
	Repairs	0	2	0
	Land & Window Tax	0	19	6
	Money	7	6	4
		------------
	being a Years Rent due at Lady Day last	8	10	10
Additions at front of book
	Mrs Lowndes dr to Mr Hobbs	13	1	11
	Recd in rent	4	9	6
		-------------
	Pd to Mr Hobbs [?Matthew Hobbs, apothecary]	8	11	5
		l	s	d
	Pd to Jn Thompson	4	11	11
	D(itt)o to Mr Hobbs	8	11	5
	To Mr Turner [?Joseph Turner, surgeon]	11	11	7
	Robert Shelton	0	18	8
	July ye 29th 1730
	Reckon'd then with Joseph Ray & paid him all his bills then due & wages due to the 7th of Sept(embe)r following w(hi)ch I do acknowledge
	[signature] Jos: Ray

Note on page after Thomas Spratley in a different hand:
Killed a cat the 10th March
Ditto the 11th and 12th

Below the "Mrs Lowndes dr" entry the drawings on the right were added, with a signature which appears to be W.S. Lowndes, i.e. much later than the rest of the content.

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See also:

• Winslow Hall