GRIFFYDAM HISTORY

On the Rempstone Road a row of cottages once stood on Cart Brook in Griffydam. The cottages can be seen on the right of the photograph with the Waggon & Horses and Chapel located further up the hill on the opposite side of the road (obscured by the trees at the top middle of the picture).

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The following is a list of the owners and occupants of the property following the enclosure act of 1806. The current owner John Bramley has all the indenture’s and wills relating to the property. It tells how property can fall in price as well as increase and involves a series of interesting local characters.

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1806 Enclosure Act

John Mynor Bulstrode Lord of the Manor of Worthington, Major in the Leicestershire Militia acquired

• 3 houses and gardens No.230 at Griffy Dam containing 22 perches in the occupancy of Charles Ward, George Stevenson and William Fowler. 

 

7th May 1808

Jonas Knight of Breedon on the Hill Butcher.

John Hackett of Breedon on the Hill Gentleman, Limeburner Dealer and Chapman (Hawker). He also kept an Ale-House at Breedon from 1782 to 1813.

Samuel Gilbert of Worthington Churchwarden.

Thomas Ratcliffe of Worthington Farmer Administrators of the poor law recorded by White in 1846 as being a lime-burner at both Osgathorpe (where there were 3 limekilns). He was also a lime-burner at Breedon.

John Armson of Worthington Farmer Administrators of the poor law.

In vestry, assembled the above, decided to sell the cottage and land. J Knight and J Hacket were authorised to purchase a Cottage and Garden from J Bustrode to be used under provisions of the Poor Law Act 1601

 

4th April 1809

Joseph Wilton of Worthington Labourer purchased the Cottages for the sum of £20 after it was decide by the Poor Law Administrators to instruct J Knight and J Hacket sell the Cottages.

George Rheuben’s and under tenants occupied the property at this time.

 

23rd January 1837

John Farmer of Worthington, farmer, purchased by value of a Feoffment  the Cottage and Hereditaments for £40. John Farmer appears to have been a property speculator and borrowed money from William Sherwin the Elder of Coleorton.  During his lifetime J Farmer converted the cottage into 3 dwellings.

 

12th  January 1856

John Farmer Died

 

1st  May 1856

Mary Farmer the daughter of J Farmer inherited after the will was proved at the Prerogative Court Canterbury  wills of over £200 were subjected to tax.

 

13th November 1857

Mary Farmer died leaving the cottages to her friends

John Adcock of Melbourne Farmer and Miller

John Wardle Farmer Melbourne.

Who were to sell by the cottage and her other holdings by Public Auction

 

15th December 1857

John Richards of Worthington Coal Miner purchased the Cottages for £111 he borrowed money from  Edward Fisher the younger.

 

31st October 1871

John Richards died leaving the Cottages, his cows, pigs and chattels to his second wife Elizabeth and surviving children and grandchildren

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31st January 1891

John William Stableford purchased the cottages for £66.

After Sarah Richards had to reapply for administration

Formerly in the tenancy of Joseph Whirledge William Taylor + another

Current tenants were John Barkby, William Edwards and Thomas Massey

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21st April 1898

John Warrington Farmer of Gelsmoor purchased the cottages for £100.

Tenants the Darbys followed by the Hills, the Robey who grew and sold flowers and the Dawkins.

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It is likely sometime in the 1930’s the cottages became unfit for occupancy and fell into disrepair. They would always have been damp as the rear walls, which still can be seen, are cut into the side of the hill

 

12th March 1946

William (Bill) Smith of Beverley Cottage Gelsmoor, surface worker New Lount Colliery and lay priest; purchased the gardens and the remains of the cottages for £12, where he parked his car.

 

14th April 2001

Concerned about the danger to the highway of the ash boundary hedge, Bill gave the plot to John Bramley on condition that he made it safe and he planted a Spinney on the land to provide shelter for wild life.

 

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