Robert Brattle's estates for sale (1821)

Post date: Feb 27, 2012 11:31:26 PM

Advert in Morning Chronicle , 22 May 1821

Kent-Mr. Robert Brattle's Estates, situate in the several parlshes of Wateringbury, Stansted, Ash, and Yalding, Six Shares In the Tunbridge Medway Navigation, Six Shares in the Kent Fire Office, and Six Shares in the Kent Life Office -By CARTER'and MORRIS on Thursday, the 31st inst at the Star Inn, Maidstone, at three, in Lots.

ALL that valuable FREEHOLD, well built gentlemanly RESIDENCE, with coach-house, stables, extensive walled in garden, lawn, and pleasure ground, with orchard and meadow, containing together six acres, or thereabouts, situate contiguous to the, Turnpike-road from Maidstone. to Tunbridge, in the Parish of Wateringbury, offering one of the most desirable and valuable situations (to its extent) in the county.

Also a Freehold Estate, comprising three dwelling houses, with oast, cottage, and buildings, together with three acres of plantation and meadow land. Also a Freehold Water Corn Mill, called the Upper Mill, with convenient dwelling house, barn, stables, fattiting yards and lodges, two oast houses, two cottages, sheds, and various other buildings, together with 9A. 2R. 30P. of peculiarly rich land planted with fruit trees.

Also two Freehold Cottages, stable, and wheelwright's shop with two acres of plantation of apples and filberts.

Also a Freehold Cottage, a fatting lodge, and 10A. 0R. 33P. of valueable orchard and meadow land.

Also a Freehold Estate, called Burrs, comprising four cottages and three acres of plantation. apples and filberts. Also two Freehold Cottages, and one and a half acre of plantation. Also nine Freehold Cottages situate as Fuller's Corner.

Also all that important and valuable Lease hold Property, called the Canon Estate, consisting of the Great Tithe of the Parish, a good farm house, three cottages, barns,oast, stables, etc, together with 90 acres or thereabouts, of rich land, held under a lease from the Dean and Chapter of Rochester, renewable every seven years, at a reserved rent of £13.6s 8d. per annum.

The whole of the above property is situate in the Parish of Wateringbury, five miles from Maidstone, 14 from Tunbridge Wells and 30 from London, surrounded by excellent roads; and to be duly estimated it must be seen, as it is certainly one of the most improved and valuable properties in the county.

Also a Freehold Estate, comprising two cottages, five acres of plantation, and eight acres of woodland in the Parishes of Stansted and Ash. Also a Freehold Tenement, in the Parish of Yalding.

The House can only be viewed by tickets, whlch may be had of Messrs. Carter and Morris.- Printed particulars, with conditions of sale, will shortly be issued and may be had at the offices of Messrs. Burr, Hoar and Burr and Mr. Scudmore, solicitors, Maidstone; at the Auction Mart, London; and of the auctioneers, Stone Street, Maidstone.

Robert Brattle was the owner of Upper Mill, often called Brattle's Mill, from the late eigthteenth century. We know little about him apart from the fact that he was a parish overseer (and as a Robert Brattle as overseer first appears in 1732 we may assume his father also had the same name and had lived in Wateringbury) and that he subscribed to Frances Greensted's book 'Fugitive Pieces' (Frances is believed to be the daughter of Edward Greensted and her book was written just before her father's death in 1796). He was also known to have leased Wardens at one time.

From the above description we might add that he was a wealthy man.

The records of the Medway Navigation Company referred to above as Tunbridge Medway Navigation are held at the Medway archives centre at Strood and show that he was a director as well as a shareholder and that he partook in the meetings that decided to oppose Lord Barham's project to build a linseed crushing and oil extraction plant at Tutsham.

An indenture dated 15 June 1824 between Frances Brattle, his widow, and William Mills, miller of Wateringbury, records that

• • he died in March 1823 (some years after The Morning Chronicle article above)

  • intestate with several children under 21 years;

  • Prorogative Court granted Frances probate on 12th June 1824

  • he was owed £366 and owed £44.

  • Frances assigns all debts, stock and goodwill for a price of £647.

Steven McDougall in his ebook People of Wateringbury, 1650-1841, records based on the accounts of William (James?) Perrin, carpenter the following:

Robert Brattle (1779-1824) was another who undertook major refurbishment to his house on Canon land. William Perrin refers to this property in his accounts as Canon House. Commencing in August 1817, work began in hewing trees and making doors, all of which were replaced throughout the house. Cupboards were made and windows repaired. The house was secured by new locks and latches. The staircase was repaired and ten days were spent in making new banisters. A month was given to preparing and laying new floorboards. At the same time Brattle was carrying out extensive repairs to the cottages he owned and rented to the poor. His malthouse, barn, cribs and fences were all restored. In 1818 his oast was rebuilt occupying 709 working days. William Perrin had to employ more men to cope with the volume of work. A further 143 days were used in restoring the house . The total cost of work was £200 for these two years alone. The refurbishment continued into 1819 to both the house and cottages. During the next three years he replaced gates and fences around his property.

A. R. P. mean Acres, Roods and Perches; there are 40 perches to a rood and 4 roods to an acre.