Notes on entries in William Brown's Account Book

 

Joseph Grout was a prosperous business man who retired to Tring Park in about 1843 and who died there in 1852. He was succeeded as tenant by the Rev James Williams, who had married his niece, and was living with him in Tring Park.

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Local Activity

 

Nov. 1851 & Jan 1852 "Journies to Wilstone marking timber, selling portions and settling with men." The timber was sold - for instance "Received of Harris for Arbele Trees at Wilstone £10-10-0."  The trees were felled by Osborn, and Newman also brought some Ash Trees.

For a discussion about what an "Arbele Tree" was see

The Black Poplars of the Wilstone Area

"1852 Paid 3 Years Quit Rent for Drayton" presumably refers to land in Drayton Beauchamp.

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Folio 42

 

Further valuation work on the Worlingham Estate, presumably in view of a possible purchase.

 

Local Activity

 

The following outstanding sums were paid in 1853 after Joseph Grout's death:

 

Jan 28	Paid Highway Rate to Spring @ 6d in the £	11-1-9
	Paid Church Rate to do 3d "	5-10-10½
Feb 11	Paid 8 years Quit Rent to Manor of Tring to Mics. last	15-12-0
Mar 26	Paid 1 Years Rent of Pest House	3-0-0

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Folio 43

This deals with the many payments needed in tidying up a large estate and the following are worth noting:

 

Feb 3 1853: "Journey to Little Gaddesden to see Mr Jenny's Agent for purpose of agreeing on the amount to be paid for 4 Heriots to the Manor of Drayton Beauchamp, agreed at £60 and settling the same."

It is interesting that the Wikipedia definition of "Heriot" includes the following text: Heriot came in many varieties. G. G. Coulton reports a curious case of heriot in modern times:

"In the later 19th century Lord Rothschild bought an estate of which part was copyhold under New College, Oxford. The Warden and Fellows, therefore, were in that respect his lords, and he had to redeem the freehold in all haste lest, at his death, these overlords should claim as a heriot his best beast which, in the case of so distinguished a racing man as Rothschild, might have been worth twenty thousand pounds or more."

As the estate Lord Rothschild brought included property that Joseph Grout had occupied it could be that the heriots agreed by William Brown were the same as Lord Rothschild converted into freehold!

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June 3 1853 "Of Mr Greening ½ a years Rent to Michas last   £120-0-0"

The Mr Greening is almost certainly the William Greening who in the 1851 census was a 55 year old widower, occupation "Farmer of 150 acres (Employ'g 8 Men)" at Wilstone.

Other people mentioned by name:

 

"Andrew's Bill for Materials £ 5-16-11"

"Faithfull Solicitors Bill £13-7-0"

"Messrs Osborn for Draining Tiles   £13-18-6"

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Folio 190

 

 

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Folio 249

 

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Folio 276

 

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Folio 277

 

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Some Joseph Grout references

 

The Champion of 29th July, 1838 reported the death: After a few days illness, Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Grout, esq., of Stamford-hill.

 

The Hertford Mercury and Reformer of 23 May 1840 reported: On the 12 inst., at Stamford Hill Chapel, the Rev James Williams, B.A. of Stamford Hill, Middlesex, to Elizabeth, niece of Joseph Grout, Esq, of the above place.

 

The London Standard of 24th September, 1842 records that Joseph Grout, of Stamford-Hill, was one of a large number of people who applied for a game licence in the London & Middlesex area.

 

The Hertford Mercury of 2nd March 1844 recorded the Joseph Grout. of Tring, had contributed £10 10s to the Herts Agricultural Protection Society.

 

The Bucks Herald of 19th April 1845 reported On the 16th inst, at Tring Church, Herts, by the Rev. John Williams, Wm. Banbury, Esq., to Harriet, niece of Joseph Grout, Esq., of Tring Park.

 

At the time of the 1851 census Joseph, his niece and her family including her husband the Rev James Williams, and many servants, were resident in Tring Park

GROUT, Joseph	Head	Widower	M	75	1776	Proprietor Of Mines Water Works Landed Proprietor	Puckeridge, Herts
WILLIAMS, Elizabeth	Niece	Married	F	36	1815		Puckeridge, Herts
WILLIAMS, James	Nephew	Married	M	37	1814	Clergyman Having No Cure Of Souls Magistrate	Mulbarton, Norfolk
WILLIAMS, Eleanor E			F	7	1844	Scholar At Home	Stamford Hill, Middlesex
WILLIAMS, Frances			F	4	1847		Tring, Herts
WILLIAMS, Joseph			M	2	1849		Tring, Herts
WILLIAMS, Harriett G			F	10 months	1851		Tring, Herts
BANBURY, Mary	Visitor	Unmarried	F	54	1797		Finsbury, Middlesex
SUCKLING, Frances	Servant	Unmarried	F	63	1788	Housekeeper	St Andrews Holborn, Middlesex
PAYNE, Martha	Servant	Married	F	46	1805	Cook	Preston, Lancashire
JOHNSON, Elizabeth	Servant	Married	F	40	1811	Coachmans Wife	Stamford Hill, Middlesex
COLLOP, Charlotte	Servant	Unmarried	F	29	1822	House Servt	Drigwell, Essex
SHEPHERD, Sarah	Servant	Unmarried	F	34	1817	House Servt	Southampton, Hampshire
HAROLD, Mary W	Servant	Unmarried	F	40	1811	House Servt	Marlborough, Hampshire
MARTIN, Lucy	Servant	Unmarried	F	18	1833	House Servt	Kings Newton, Derbyshire
MARTIN, Jane	Servant	Unmarried	F	23	1828	House Servt	Bladon Wood, Kent
MATTHEWS, Mary J	Servant	Unmarried	F	18	1833	House Servt	Westminster, Middlesex
BRETSCH, Louisa	Servant	Unmarried	F	25	1826	House Servt	Chillington, Staffordshire
DUNHAM, Eliza	Servant	Unmarried	F	21	1830	House Servt	Clapton, Middlesex
PANICARD, Ann	Servant	Unmarried	F	27	1824	House Servt	Kirdford, Sussex
READING, Mary E	Servant	Unmarried	F	24	1827	House Servt	Aylesbury, Bucks
BARDERICK, Sarah	Servant	Unmarried	F	23	1828	House Servt	Wingrave, Bucks
GLENISTER, Charlotte	Servant	Unmarried	F	19	1832	House Servt	Hawridge, Bucks
RAWLINS, Ann	Servant	Unmarried	F	27	1824	House Servt	Marsh Gibbon, Bucks
AYRES, Henry	Servant	Unmarried	M	25	1826	House Footman	Oving, Bucks
FLOYD, James	Servant	Unmarried	M	19	1832	House Footman	Princes Risborough, Bucks
HAWKINS, Joseph	Servant	Unmarried	M	19	1832	House Groom	Woughton, Bucks

 

The Hertford Mercury of 11th December, 1852 reported the death: On the 8th inst., at Tring Park, Herts, Joseph Grout, Esq., aged 76.

 

The Bucks Herald of 18th March, 1854 reported A handsome painted window has just been placed in the chancel of [Tring] Church, to the memory of Joseph Grout, Esq. It represents St. Peter, St James and St John, with appropriate canopies, and is a lasting and chaste monument to the memory of one whose kindness and charity will be long remembered by the poor of Tring.

 

The Rev James Williams took over the running of the estate and there are extensive references in William Brown's account book starting in December 1851 in Folio 68, although the earlier references clearly precede Joseph Grout's death.

 

August 2013		Page Created