West Barnes 1628-1662

West Barnes 1628-1662

In his will of 6 December 1628, proved in 1631, Gregory Carpenter, only surviving son of John Carpenter, explained that he had already settled his properties on his three sons. The eldest, John, had received West Barnes at his marriage, except for twelve acres called Cannonhill Crofte that he had settled on his youngest son William (William had also received a property known as the Double Dovehouse purchased by Gregory's late brother Henry in 1612 - later the site of Nelson's mansion Merton Place - and 7 acres of former priory demesne land near Cannon Hill - later the site of Cannon Hill farm and now of S John Fisher church. The middle son, Robert, received property in Cheam and the Morden property now known as the George inn.)¹ The grant to William, dated 18 November 1624, had not received royal licence, and the royal pardon was purchased on 27 November 1635.²

However, William and his wife Margaret had already received licence in 1634 to alienate all his properties to Rowland Wilson, who owned several properties in Merton, including Blagdon Farm (Visit our pages on Blagdon Farm) and the 60-acre Cannon Hill estate adjoining West Barnes. It is not clear whether the 12 acres remained part of Cannon Hill or was later reunited with West Barnes.³

In 1657/8 John Carpenter, eldest son of Gregory Carpenter, left West Barnes to his brother Robert.⁴

Robert Carpenter divided the property among his sons. Under his will of 1662, his wife Anne retained a life interest in the western section of the estate, which was then to pass to his eldest son John.⁵ This was the section later known as Moat Farm:-

all my own capital messuage or farm house called West Barnes situate and being in the parish of Merton in the county of Surrey and all my messuages, houses, edifices, buildings, barns, stables, orchards, yards, gardens, outhouses, closes, lands, meadows, pastures, feedings, woods, underwoods, ways, paths, easements, waters, watercourses & profits, commodities, advantages, emoluments and hereditaments whatsoever with their appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining.

After John’s death it was to be divided equally between his 6 children, John, James, Robert, Joseph, Anne and Mary Carpenter, subject to an annuity to another of Robert’s sons, and his offspring.

The ‘other farm’ was the eastern section of the estate, then in the occupation of Nathaniel Chalkhill, and had already been settled upon Robert's four youngest sons, Nicholas, William, Charles and Thomas Carpenter. It was later known as West Barnes Park (Visit our pages on West Barnes Park), and its further history can be followed under that heading

¹ LMA DW/PA/5/1631/23

² TNA A 4/18 fo.109-09v

³ TNA A 4/17 fo.300v

⁴ TNA PROB 11/278/123

⁵ LMA DW/PA/5/1663/15