Corinna (cpercario @t miki.co.uk) writes: I am looking for a property called Chamberlyns in or around Welwyn or Ayot St Peters. It was mentioned in a will of 1677 as being passed from George Noades to Alice Stripling. It is also mentioned on the A2A database in a deed of covenant (HALS ref DE/Z120/46104) dated 24 Jan 1680-1, the abstract of which reads 

Between Thomas Hall of the Middle Temple, London, esq, Alice Stripling of London, widow, Francis Griffith of the Middle Temple, London, gent, and Edward Goldegay, of London, citizen and merchant tailor, 1st, and Francis Jones, and Thomas Beaumont of London, gentlemen, 2nd, to levy a fine concerning a messuage called Chamberlins and land in Welwyn and Ayot St Peter. Jones and Beaumont are to stand seized to the use of Alice Stripling for life, then to the use of Thomas Hall and his heirs.

Have you ever heard of this property ?

If you search A2A for "Chamberlins" you will find there is another entry to a map (Reference DE/WS/80086) which reads Of Chamberlins Farm, lying in the parishes of Welwyn & Ayott in the County of Hertford.

This map is described in much more detail in Peter Walne's Calalogue of Manuscript Maps:

A Map of Chamberlins Farm lying in The Parishes of Welwyn and Ayott In The County of Hertford. Actually Surveyed and Ploted in Decm'br 1710 By Jno Holmes: Surv'r.

20 inches to one mile - map measures 23 by 31 inches.

80 acres in N. E. Ayot St. Peter, N.W. of Welwyn. Names of fields, names of adjoining landowners. Strips in common fields, bridge, footpaths, Mill, Welwyn Church, pound, houses in Welwyn town and other buildings drawn in perspective view. Cartouche of styalised leaves. Boldly drawn compass rose.

This is clearly an exceptionally good early estate map, and there should be no difficulty in relating it to later maps such as Dury and Andrews of 1766 - which does not name the farm.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.