No 9 Sydney Buildings

Abstract from two Land Registry Documents

Canal view of No 9 as it is today

The first document is a typed copy of Indenture of lease and release dated 24/25 June 1812 between (1) William Harry Earl of Darlington, (2) Thos Cottell, gent, and (3) James Deare, carver and gilder and relates to two plots as above, one measuring 228.5ft on the East side, 271ft. on the West, 103ft. on the North and 82.5ft. on the South (where bounded by land granted to John Pinch). On these plots 13 or more good and substantial houses, to be known collectively as Bathwick Village, were to be built to the Earl’s numerous and quite restrictive stipulations.

Cottell was required to spend at least £500 on each house and complete the building programme within two years (before 26th June 1814). The houses to have freestone frontages and roofs of blue slate from Wales or Corwall. Their occupants were not to carry out any “noisy, noisome or offensive trade" – examples given below in relation to No 21 – and they may not keep or feed pigs, ducks, geese or rabbits. As well as the houses, Cottell is required to put up six lamps and keep them lit from sunset to midnight for the six months from 21st September to 21st March.

The Earl would receive £68 17s. yearly for ever, later replaced by the following annual rent charges (adding up to the same total amount) on individual properties: On Nos 1-7, 10, 11 £5 each, on No 8 £4 8s. 3d., on No 9 £6, on No12 £9, and on No 13 £4 8s.9d. [Not exactly the same as the amounts given under No 6, which came to 6d. less.]

Cottell evidently proceeded to sell off parts of the land covered by the 1812 indenture, as numbered plots on which houses with different (and sometimes variable) numbers were built by the immediate purchaser or someone else.

In March 1813 plot No 11 was sold to G.Barnard and plot No 12 to Thomas Rogers.

The second main document is an indentures dated 10th September 1895 between (1) Charles Edward Little, gent. (2) Isaac James Titley, outfitter (3) John Howard of No12 Edward St., and (4) Stephen Harris of 23a Stall St., hairdresser and tobacconist.

It records that Nos 6,7,8 and 9 had been owned over a long period first by Richard Eckley, gent. (apparently from May 1844 to his death in August 1973) then by his brother George, who was left them in Trust in order to provide annuities of £20 a year for five of Richard’s female relatives.

The last of these died in 1894, eight years after George Eckley, and the Trustees were then in a position to sell the four houses. No 6 was sold to Isaac James Titley, shown by other records to be resident at that number from 1876 to at least 1901; Nos 7 and 8 to John Howard, and No 9 to [?].

Chris Morrissey

June 2009

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