West Barnes Park 1614-1689

West Barnes Park 1614-1689

Henry Carpenter had built a farmhouse on the land in the Eastfields of the West Barnes (Visit our pages on West Barnes) estate left to him by his father John Carpenter in 1612. On Henry's death in 1614, the land was reunited with the rest of West Barnes, owned by his brother Gregory.

1662 Gregory Carpenter's son, Robert, divided his West Barnes estate among his sons.²⁷ The old farmhouse and its surrounding lands in the west of the estate, later known as Moat Farm, went to eldest son John.

The eastern section, referred to as the ‘other farm’, in the occupation of Nathaniel Chalkhill, had already been settled upon Robert's four youngest sons, Nicholas, William, Charles and Thomas Carpenter.

On 17 December 1668 Charles Carpenter of Westminster, mealman, mortgaged by Bargain and Sale to John Okell of Westminster, scriver, for 99 years from the death of his mother Anne at a peppercorn rent, for a consideration of £50 plus an annuity of £10 to his mother Anne, his quarter-interest in the property, described as:²⁸

a fourth part in a messuage or farm [211 acres] in the Eastfield in West Barnes, Merton, in the occupation of Nathaniel Chalkhill:

The Eastfield, wherein messuage is situated 30 acres

Three other fields called by the name of The Eastfields 55 acres

The two Broomfields 30 acres

The two fields called The Tweyryes 40 acres

Long Tweyry Mead 18 acres

Canon Downe Hill 38 acres

In 1678 another half-interest in the property was leased by indenture to Thomas Randall, gent of Capell, Surrey, by Morgan Shurlocke, yeoman of Wootton, Surrey, James Michell, gent of Dorking, and Thomas Worsfold, yeoman of Abinger, at a peppercorn rent for a consideration of 20 shillings:²⁹

of a moiety of a messuage and farm situated in a field called Eastfield with all the houses, orchards, etc., [lands as listed in 1668] in the tenure of Nathaniel Chalkhill, for 1 year

On 19 April 1683 this half-interest was sold by Bargain and Sale to John Budgen of Dorking, by Thomas Randell of Capel, gent, James Michell of Dorking, gent and Anne his wife, Thomas Worsfold of Abinger, yeoman, Charles Carpenter of Southwark, son of Anne Michell formerly wife to John Carpenter, and Anne his wife, for a consideration of 5 shillings, for 1 year at a peppercorn rent, for purpose of release:³⁰

of a moiety of a messuage or farm in Eastfield in West Barnes, Merton [lands as listed in 1668]

The remaining quarter-interest was sold by Bargain and Sale in 1689 to John Budgen, Doctor of Physicke, of Dorking, by Nicholas Carpenter, yeoman of Chiswick [Cheeswicke], Middlesex, for a consideration of £320³¹

of a fourth part of a messuage or farm situated in a field called Eastfield with all the houses, orchards, etc. (lands as listed in 1668)

The Budgens were a country gentry family from West Newdigate who also had an estate in the Dorking area.

²⁸ Lambeth Archives Minet 4747

²⁹ Lambeth Archives Minet 5861

³⁰ Lambeth Archives Minet 4748

³¹ Lambeth Archives Minet 5862