The Hadwen Family of Lancashire

The Peets were tenants of the Bold family, but became tenants of Charles Scarisbrick when he bought the Bold moiety of the Manor together with much of the Hesketh moiety in the early 1840s. As a result of the purchase many Bold records ended up with the Scarisbrick papers, which are now in the Lancashire Record Office in Preston (ref. DDSc).

All the land and buildings occupied by the family are described in a survey of Bold land in 1776 (DDSc 126/15). In this, the head of the family is given as Nanny Peet, the widow of William. Using the corresponding estate map of 1776 (DDSc151/26) and the grid references given in the survey it is possible to identify the Peet farmhouse and all the fields occupied, a total of 111?2 acres. By the time of the Tithe survey of 1839 the same land was occupied by William and Thomas. By this time there were additional buildings to provide extra living accommodation, and perhaps for agricultural use.

Richard Peet obviously took over the farm following the death of his mother Ann/Nanny in 1785. The change of tenancy is apparent from the annual Land Tax Assessments kept in Preston. The terms of the tenancy changed in1800 when Richard obtained a lease for 3 lives on the farm from Anna Maria Bold. This information comes from a register of leases (Ref 6 in the article) and another register (A Life Book of the several Messuages and Tenements within the Parish of North Meols belonging to A.M. Bold of Bold taken in the Year 1804) kept with some leases in the Lancs RO (DDSc 135/1 Box 1). The lease is for the lives of William Peet aged 33, Richard Peet aged 16 and Thomas Ball (no age stated). Another list of leases (DDSc 135/3 Box1) gives the exact date as 3 December 1800. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find the original lease despite searching through several hundred Bold leases. It would probably give the actual relationship to Richard of the people mentioned. I don?t know who Thomas Ball was but he may have been a relative of Richard?s wife Jennet.

The age given in the lease gives a calculated date of birth for William of about 1768. The age given for Richard fits in with the baptism of Richard?s son Richard in December 1783. Interestingly, later ages given for this Richard (census, death certificate, burial record) give ages corresponding to his dead elder brother Richard baptised in 1778. Perhaps in later life Richard junior was unsure of his own age whereas the age in the lease would have been provided by his father who would have known.

Richard senior died on 1 July 1837 at the age of 94. This date conflicts with the date of death given on the will (29 June). There is an interesting reason to believe that the former date is correct. Civil registration was introduced on 1 July 1837 and if the death had been earlier there would have been no need to register it. It was actually registered by Richard junior on 3 July and was certificate number 1 in the district. Due to unfamiliarity with the system the registrar made a mistake by entering the name of the dead Richard in the wrong column. He had to correct the error and the correction was witnessed by Richard junior and William, who each made their marks.

In the will, the leasehold farm was left to William, Thomas and Richard. This was obviously of no interest to Richard who by then had a much larger farm in Crossens. By the time of the Tithe Survey of 1839/40 the leaseholder is shown as William and he and Thomas are the tenants. The main buildings in George?s Lane and the surrounding fields were occupied by William, whereas Thomas occupied a cottage built in one of the more distant fields in Square House Lane.

The tenancy can be followed using Scarisbrick land records. Following the purchase of the Bold estate by Charles Scarisbrick annual rentals were kept listing all the tenants and the land held. The land is listed using the numbering system of the Tithe map and, because of this, it is possible to follow tenancies until the 1870s. The farm is listed in tables of lease rentals for 1843 and 1844 in ?The North Meols Rack Rental 1843-1859? (DDSc 122/3). The occupiers are given as Richard Peet?s Heirs. From 1844 onwards the farm is listed in a separate Lease Rental (DDSc 123/8). The lease expired on William?s death on 13 December 1859. This is noted in the Lease Rental. There is an addenda section of expired leaseholds in the Rack Rental following the entries for 1859. The farm is listed again here with the comment ?From 13th Decr 1859 the time the Lease expired?. The family then continued to occupy the farm, paying rack rent. The farm is then listed in ?The North Meols Rack Rental 1860-1872? (DDSc 122/4). The occupants of the buildings and land in George?s Lane are given as Ann, William?s widow, and his son James. Both are listed as occupants in the 1861 census. The land and cottage in Square House Lane were occupied by James the son of Thomas, who had died on 10 October 1847.