West Barnes 1596-1614

West Barnes 1596-1614

John Carpenter was son of Thomas Carpenter of Merton, who had been admitted to a copyhold in Merton in 1552, on surrender by a John Hatfeild, when it is described as 1 cottage with yard, lying between the common street to Kingston on the north, and the common field on the south, with land late John Salinge on the east, formerly Margaret Breggis or Bregyns.¹Thomas also leased property in Stockwell, which he left to his widow in his will of 1588, though he hoped she would live with John at West Barnes.²

In April 1596 John Carpenter obtained from John Evelyn Esq, one of the six clerks in Chancery: ³

all that land called Canondowne Hills containing by estimation 48 acres more or less; together with all lands, meadows, leasowes, pastures, woods, underwood, rents, reversions, services, tithes of grain, sheaves and hay, oblations, obventions profits, commodities, emoluments & hereditaments renewing and growing in and upon the premises or otherwise pertaining thereto; situate and being in the parish of Marton als Marten in county of Surrey;

which had been sold with Blaldenys in 1574.

On 13 December 1598 John Carpenter was granted by Deed ⁴

the messuage, tenement or farm called West Barnes, held of the King in Chief

John Carpenter’s will of 1611 divided West Barnes among his wife and his two sons:⁵

The elder son, Gregory, received:-

the ground there called the Twyries divided into three parts (marginal addendum),

The younger son, Henry, received:-

one piece of ground in West Barnes called or known by the name of the Eastfields divided into two parts and also that close or parcel of Westbarnes called or known by the name of Brickfield and also all my houses in Marton town being copyhold and all the lands unto them belonging.

as well as the remainder on the death of his mother.

John’s widow Katherine married William Bromley, and an agreement was made between the Bromleys and the Carpenter sons. Following the death of Henry Carpenter, a dispute arose between Gregory and the Bromleys, leading to an appeal to Chancery.⁶

Henry Carpenter died in 1614 and the farm was reunited in Gregory’s ownership.⁷ It seems that he had already built a house on his moiety, the forerunner of West Barnes Park (Visit our pages on West Barnes Park) farmhouse.

¹ LMA, Guildhall Library ms 34,100/205 roll 3 m.5

² TNA PROB 11/41/49

³ TNA A 4/6 fo.138v

⁴ SHC/212/71/5

⁵ TNA PROB 11/118/393

⁶ TNA C 3/304/8 mm.1-3

⁷ LMA W/PA/5/1614/26