Sale of land east of the High Street, 1886

James King (gamekeeper who died in March 1884) owned a piece of land between the High Street and the paddocks belonging to Winslow Hall. It had previously been known as Townsend Close but that name had become redundant as Winslow expanded, and the surveyor called it Town Close. It was sold as building or garden plots in 1886. A whole new road of houses might have been created but instead the plots were largely bought by the people who owned the buildings in the High Street which backed on to them. Some of the land is now (since c.1970) the Greyhound Lane car park. The documents transcribed below are Centre for Bucks Studies, D/WIG/2/1884/14. We haven't found the sale plan but there is a reconstruction further down the page. The photo below shows the car park being built; you can see the remains of the new road on the right between the pipes and the trees (where the cycle path now runs).

Excavations for the new car park.

Initial survey

The “Hatch”,
BLETCHLEY,
Augst 9th 1884,

G. D. E. Wigley Esqre.
My dear Sir,
I have the pleasure to forward for your approval, a “Draft Drawing” from recent Survey, of the “Town Close” in Winslow, proposed to be set out as “Garden Ground”;- The Plan as sent is shewn nine pieces, but probably you would like the Plots abutting on to Mr East’s, Mrs Morecraft’s and Mr Coxill’s divided, each into two plots, and so make 12 Lots. If Wednesday next would be convenient to you, and you would please kindly get the necessary stakes out, I would come over in the early morning and set it out !
Enclosed you will please also find “Hockliffe Grange” statement of Survey of Grass Land.

Yours faithfully
George Slark

When surveyed in August 1884, the dimensions of the 9 plots were as in the sale brochure below, except that Plot 1 was 1109 sq. yds, including the access road. Slark noted:

The Portion of the Occupation Road, on the East side, of the respective Lots, is included in the Quantity; also, that on the North side of Lot. 1. There is a boarded shed on Lot 1. and Timber on some of the Lots, in the hedgerow, on the East side.

Sale brochure

WINSLOW.
Particulars & Conditions of Sale OF 9 First-Class PLOTS OF FREEHOLD GARDEN OR BUILDING GROUND,
Situate leading from the High Street, in the very heart of the Town.
To be sold by Auction by Mr. GEO. WIGLEY. On Thursday, Jan. 21st, 1886.
At the “Bell” Hotel, Winslow, at Four for Five o’clock in the afternoon, in 9 lots, by direction of the Trustees of the late Mr. James King.

For further Particulars apply to Messrs Willis & Willis, Solicitors, Winslow, or to Mr. Geo. Wigley, Auctioneer and Land Agent, Winslow and Fenny Stratford.

PARTICULARS
LOT 1 – A HIGHLY VALUABLE PLOT OF BUILDING GROUND WITH DOUBLE FRONTAGE SITUATE WITHIN 20 YARDS OF THE
HIGH STREET, AND CONTAINING 864 SQUARE YARDS.
LOT 2 – A PLOT CONTAINING        853        “             “
LOT 3 – DITTO                              874        “             “
LOT 4 – DITTO                              707        “             “
LOT 5 – DITTO                              342        “             “
LOT 6 – DITTO                              264        “             “
LOT 7 – DITTO                              270        “             “
LOT 8 – DITTO                              377        “             “
LOT 9 – DITTO                              594        “             “
10 – THE BOARDED AND THATCHED SHED STANDING ON LOT 1, TO BE REMOVED WITHIN A MONTH FROM DAY OF SALE.

The whole is now in rich old turf, is Freehold and offers opportunity for securing Garden Ground or Building Plots in the Town of Winslow, which seldom occurs.

Each Plot is now staked out and a Plan of the Property may be seen at Mr. E. J. French’s, Printer, Winslow.

Remarks and Stipulations
1 – The whole of the Lots are Freehold and Tithe-free.
2 – Each Purchaser shall erect and forever maintain a good and sufficient fence of close boarding or brick not less than 5 feet high on the side marked T on the plan which will be produced at the time of sale.
3 – The Vendor will in the first instance make the new road as shown upon the plan and charge the cost of making the same to each Purchaser according to the amount of his purchase money, and the cost of the future maintenance of the said road shall be borne by the respective Purchasers  in proportion to their purchase moneys at this sale. The Purchaser of Lot 1 shall have the power vested in him of repairing the said road and of collecting from time to time the amount necessary for such repair according to the basis upon which the said road is to be made in the first instance.
4 – The conveyance to each purchaser shall contain mutual Covenants by the Vendor and Purchaser with each other and the owners of the other lots to observe the above Stipulations with a proviso limiting the personal liability to the period of ownership, but this Stipulation shall not impose any liability or responsibility upon the Vendor either to fence any lot which may remain unsold or enforce the observance of any covenant, condition, or stipulation by all or any of the purchasers.
5. – The measurement of each Lot shall be taken to be correct and each Purchaser shall pay for the same at the quantities stated, and no compensation whatever will be allowed or paid in respect of any discrepancy in the measurement or otherwise which may be discovered in any Lot.

Conditions of Sale.
1.- The highest bidder for the premises to be the purchaser thereof, and if any dispute arise between two or more bidders, the premises to be put up again at a former bidding. No person to advance at each bidding a less sum than shall be named by the Auctioneer at the time of putting up each Lot, and no bidding shall be retracted. The Vendor reserves the right of bidding generally for all the Lots either by himself or an agent.
2 - The Purchaser shall immediately pay down a deposit of £15 per cent upon and in part of the purchase money, into the hands of the Auctioneer, and sign an agreement for payment of the remainder on First day of May next at the offices of Messrs Willis & Willis, Solicitors, Winslow, at which time the purchase shall be completed and the Purchaser let into possession or receipt of the rents and profits of the premises purchased by him, but should any delay arise in the completion of the purchase of any Lot, beyond that day, the Purchaser of such Lot shall pay interest at the rate of £5 per centum per annum, on the remainder of the purchase money, from the said First day of May, to the time of such completion.
3. - The Vendor shall at his expense, make out and show a good title to the premises, subject to these conditions, and at the expense of the Purchaser will make or execute a proper assurance to such Purchaser, or as they respectively shall appoint, on payment of the purchase money.
4. - The deduction of title shall commence with an indenture of conveyance dated 7th October, 1874, and made between William Selby Lowndes Esq., and his Trustees, and the late Mr. James King [this must refer to when the property became freehold], in which the recitals are carried back to the year 1858, and no earlier title shall be required on any ground whatever, nor shall any Purchaser require the production of any recited deed or account whatever.
5. - The Vendor being a trustee for sale only will not enter into any covenant for title except the implied statutory covenant against incumbrances committed by himself.
6. - All recitals and statements contained in any deed or document dated more than 20 years prior to the date of sale, shall be deemed conclusive evidence of the facts and matters recited or stated therein, or to be assumed therefrom. The respective Purchasers shall not be entitled to require any further evidence of the identity of the premises respectively, than is afforded by the deeds and documents of title.
7. - The production and inspection of all deeds, wills, copies of court rolls and other documents not in the Vendors’ possession, and the procuring of all certificates, official, attested, or other copies of, extracts from, any court rolls, records, registers, deeds, wills, or other documents, and of all declarations and other evidence which may be required by the Purchaser for any purpose, shall be at the expense of such Purchaser.
8. - All objections and requisitions in respect of the title, shall be stated in writing, and sent to the Vendor’s Solicitors within fourteen days from the delivery of the abstract, and  all objections and requisitions not sent within that time shall be deemed to be waived, if any objection or requisition shall be made which the Vendor is unable or unwilling to comply with, the Vender shall be at liberty, by notice in writing to the Purchaser, or his Solicitor, to rescind the sale on paying back the deposit money without interest or costs.
9. - If any error, mis-statement, or omission in the particulars of sale be discovered, the same shall not annul the sale, but a compensation shall be made in respect thereof, by the Vendor or Purchaser as the case may require, the amount to be ascertained by two indifferent persons or their umpire, in the usual way.
Lastly, - If any Purchaser shall fail to comply with any or either of these conditions, his deposit money shall be actually forfeited to the Vendor who shall be at full liberty to re-sell the premises by public auction or private contract, and the deficiency (if any) occasioned by such second sale, together with all expenses attending the same, shall be immediately made good by the defaulter at this present sale.

List of purchasers

Lot Quantity Price Amt Dept Recd Balance
1 288sq yds 2/5 Loffler Mr Joseph 34 16 0 7 16 6 26 19 6
1a 331 2/- Benbow Mr F 33 2 0 16 17 6 16 4 6
1b 323 2/- East Mr James 32 6 0
2 853 1/8 Do 71 1 8 10 13 0 92 14 8
3 874 1/7 Benbow Mr F 69 3 10
4 707 1/6 Coxill Mr R 53 0 6 12 4 0 40 16 6
5 342 2/- Walker Mr B 34 4 0
5
2
6
29
1
6
6 264 1/7 Roads Mr F 20 18 0
3
3
0
17
15
0
7 270 1/6 Ingram Mr G 20 5 0
9
15
0
10
10
0
7a George Mr W
8 377 1/6 Coxill Mr R 28 5 6
28
5
6
9 594 1/6 Ingram Mr J 44 11 0
9a George Wm      
441 13
6

Plan of the plots of land sold off
The plans show the site (no.155 on the left) before and after the sale and erection of various new buildings. Lots 4-9 are now the Greyhound Lane car park, and the new road running north to south has become the cycle path. The Gymnasium became the Public Hall. We haven't found any clear photos of the site but below you can see it in 1947 and 1993, before and after the creation of the car park. The Winslow Expansion Plan of 1967 envisaged a car park on the south side of Greyhound Lane as well as the north, but the potential site has been used for housing.

Aerial views of site before and after car park

Surveyor's letter

Bletchley
Feby 8th 1886

Geo : D. E. Wigley Esqre.
My dearest Sir,
The following will be the quantities of the Winslow Town Gardens as now sub-divided, viz;
Lot : 1 = 288 square yards
Lot : 1 a = 331 – Do -
Lot : 1b = 323 – Do –
The quantity of Lot 1. includes the extra 4 ft to be taken, but is exclusive of the Roadway on the North side.

Yours faithfully,
George Slark

Apportionment of road costs

Late Mr Jas. King's Building Plots
Apportionment of cost of making Road
Lot £ s d
" 1 Mr Joseph Loffler 4 19 6
" 1a " F. Benbow 4 14 9
" 1b " Jas East 4 12 6
" 2 Do 10 0 0
" 3 " F. Benbow 9 17 9
" 4 " R. Coxill 7 11 6
" 5 " B. Walker 4 17 9
" 6 " F Roads 2 19 9
" 7 " Geo. Ingram 2 18 0
" 8 " R. Coxill 4 0 9
" 9 " Geo. Ingram 6 7 6
62 19 9 [actual]
60 0 0 [per original]

Willis & Willis account

Messrs Willis & Willis in account with Mr. G.D.E. Wigley
Received of Major C.W. Selby Lowndes
principal & interest due to you
101
19
9
 1886 Aug 10 Paid Mr Wm Lee Grace balance of deposit due to him as by your account
20
5
0
Received on your account as acting Trustee of the late Mr Jas. King of various purchasers as under
Purchase money due to Executors of the late Mr D.T. Willis for property purchased by you in mortgage to the late Mr D.T. Willis
670
0
0
1886 May 19 Messrs Loffler 26 19 6
Interest on the balance of purchase money from time to time at £5 per cent from 1st January 1886 to 1st January 1887
22
11
4
" Bendigo Walker 29 1 6
Messrs Willis & Willis Bill against you
43
8
8
" F. Benbow 60 6 0
do against the Estate of the late Mr Jas King
60
4
-
"/22 Miss Carling 20 5 0
£
816
9
0
" Misses George 11 8 0
June 1 Geo Ingram 23 8 0
"/3 Jas East 92 14 8
"/5 F Benbow balance 25 2 4
Aug 1 R. J. Coxill 69 2 0
358
7
0
Amount of your account for Stock purchased 6th Oct
122
15
0
1887
Janry 1		 Balance due to Messrs Willis & Willis
233
7
5
 
-------------
£
816
9
0

George Wigley's account

These accounts do not refer to the 1886 sale but deal with other aspects of King's estate for which Wigley was executor.

Mr. G.D. E. Wigley to Messrs. Field & Dodson
£ s d
To amount of purchase money of "Brook Hall" & Cottages adjoining. 760 0 0
By Amount of deposit paid 20 0 0
_______
740 0 0
To Interest at £5 per cent on balance from 24th December 1884 to 15th April 1885. 3 months 25 days £11 15 8 pd 5/10 11 9 10
_______
751 9 10
Messrs Willis & Willis in account with Mr. G.D. E. Wigley as Executor of the late Mr. Jas. King (Keeper)
Amount due from us under Memorandum of Deposit dated 15th February 1884 100 0 0
Interest thereon @ 4 per cent from date to 18th April 1885 4 15 8
Received of Mr Thos Smith ½ years interest due 11th May 1884 £15 15 p.d. 6/6 15 8 6
Received of Mr John Thompson principal due on promissory notes 450 0 0
––––˜–––– do     interest thereon 3 5 6
Interest @ 4 per cent on above £450 from 15th November 1884 to 18th April 1885 7 12 6
  _______
Carried over
 581 2 2
Less
Stamp Duty fees &c on Probate paid by us & Proctorial charges 127 1 10
_______
453 19 8
       
Amount due to Mesrs Field & Dodson 751 9 10
Balance in hand on a/c of the the estate of the late Mr Jas King 453 19 8
_______
297 10 2
       
Received of your cheque for 309 17 8
Amount actually due from you as shown by above a/c 297 10 2
Amount overpaid by you 12 7 6

See also:

Copyright 19 March, 2020