Goodearl Furniture Factory Deeds

Introduction

The Title Deeds for the Goodearl Bros. factories in Mendy Street and West End Road for the period up to about 1900 are now deposited in the Wycombe Museum. There are 146 separate documents mostly hand written on parchment, and vary from a bequest for a meadow dated 1644 to the rent for a cottage of 1 shilling and 9 pence (then 35 cents) per week and the bill for refreshments after our ancestor Deborah's funeral!

The former curator of the Wycombe Museum Mr.James Rattue has studied the documents and has prepared an excellent summary of their contents. This note is largely based on that summary with amplification where appropriate following a study of the original documents.

The documents were numbered arbitrarily from 1 to 146 and the numbers are shown thus [123] after the various references.

The original Mendy Street site was extended at least 9 times and that at West End Road 4 times before it ceased to be Goodearl Brothers in 1898.

The two maps show the areas covered by the Deeds.

The Deeds cover much of the Newland area between the River Wye and Desborough Road (previously St. John's Lane, Waterup Lane, Watery Lane and Water Lane). The area was meadowland until development early in the 19th century.

Some of the Deeds are for entire meadows of which only parts formed the factory sites while other areas such as the Hop Garden and the "Worlds's End" and "Rose and Crown" public houses appear to have no connection with the Goodearl factories.

17 of the documents deal with personal matters such as ancestor William's Will and Richard's properties in Marlow while 6 cover properties outside the Newland area and appear to have no connection whatsoever with the factories or family. This leaves just under 100 documents relevant to the factories.

The Goodearl Factory, on the left of Mendy St. beyond the Newlands carpark.

The documents are lengthy and complex and identification of specific houses etc. is sometimes difficult. Also some apparent sales are mortgages and vice-versa.

Four main areas are covered:- Munday's Mead, Newland Meadow, the Hop Garden and Chapman's Meadow.

MUNDAY'S MEAD (together with AGNES MEAD) covered 5 acres from St. John's Lane on the south, Newland Meadow on the east (i.e.the back of the Mendy St.properties) and Robert Bowdery's Meadow on the north and east. It is assumed that Bowdery's Meadow on the east is that covered by Denmark St. and Temple St.and his meadow on the north possibly was between Oxford Rd.and a brook between the turnpike road and Union St.

The western boundary of Munday's Mead appears to have been the end of the properties on the west of Bridge St.

The area covers a parallelogram about 200 yds.x 110 yds.which is just over 4 ½ acres. Adding the rectangle between this assumed area and Temple St. (Agnes Mead?) would bring the total area to 5 acres. Mendy St. was made in about 1862.

CHAPMAN'S MEADOW This appears to cover two 80 ft. deep plots on either side of the 6 ft. wide road "Long Row". It was 354 ft.long. The southern boundary appears to be a stream. Sometimes known as Soulder's Meadow.

NEWLAND MEADOW (MEAD) This appears to cover the area between two brooks and the back of Munday's Mead. It's area was 1.64 acres. The square plot including the World's End and 18/19 Newland Meadow appears to be part of this land.

The HOP GARDEN This appears to be the strip between Newland Meadow and St.John's Lane, of about 1 acre.

Except for Munday's Mead (developed in the 1860's) these areas were sold for building in the 1820's and 1838's.

GOODEARL FACTORIES			TITLE DEEDS

Chapman's Meadow (also known as Soulder's Mead)

3-3-1644 Edward Winch bequeathed to his wife Rose.[6,121]   
15-6-1663 John Winch (son of above) sells to Richard Hobbs. Town lands to the north.
 (24-7-1668 Hugh Hobbes sells a little plot to Thomas Clark)
8-7-1676 Hugh Hobbes sells to Thomas Fellowe.
24-2-1748 Joan Salter (granddaughter of Thos. Fellowe) & Jos Salter & Thomas Ives
 sell to Joseph Shrimpton.Probably the name Soulder's is a corruption of Salter's. 
25-11-1779 Elizabeth Lowe sells plot 15 ft x 16 ft to Joseph Shrimpton;( probably
 Thomas Clark's above)
22-3-1782 Joseph Shrimpton to son Thomas and kinsman John Bates.
8-6-1797 Thomas Shrimpton to wife Philippa - cottage, barn, and  outhouses.
23-6-1814 Children of Philippa Shrimpton (now Mrs Miller) sell to Rev. James Wall,
 John Croftes, and John Burrough.
30-4-1821 Land occupied by Michael Evan Brown [3]                                                                                                                               
20/21-1- 1824 land sold to Thomas Miller (probably son of Philippa Shrimpton) [6]
11-9-1824 Land 354 ft x 80 ft sold to John Ivery. [7,8,118,120](From a sketch in
 item 7 it appears that a similar  area (possibly known as Pagan's Mead) to the
 north remained as Miller's Land. This was possibly bought by Howlands before 1863.
31 cottages - Nos 1 to 31 Long Row - were built on this land with a 6 ft wide access
road. These were built between 1824 and 1828. We have no further record of Nos 1 to 18.
All of these 18 had disappeared by 1899 except Nos 1 to 4.

Nos 19 and 20 Long Row - Anstead's Cottages

2-4-1825 Land 23 ft x 80 ft sold to Ivery and leased to Goodridge [53,54] 
16-10-1848 John Goodridge sells to Sarah  Grove land as in 53/4
         Tenants Widow Bates & Lutman (19) [57]
1871 Henry Anstead was at No. 20 in April 1871.
 3-7-1873 Grove's descendants sell to Charles Lintell
         Tenants (19) Lutman  (Widow Bates gone) [59]
18-5-1887 Lintell sells to William Edgerley.[62]
         Tenants Anstead Senior and Junior
23-4-1888 Edgerley sells to Rafferty [17]
19-3-1890 Rafferty sells to High Wycombe Timber and Cabinet Manufacturing Co. Ltd. [17]
19-7-1890 HWTCML sell to Henry and Richard Goodearl. The two cottages are unoccupied
 (although No. 19 was occupied at the 1891 Census) [18]

Nos 21 to 31 Long Row

28-3-1828 Ivery sells to Archibald White. 11 cottages there with road 6 ft wide. [10]
2-9-1830 White sells to Brown family.      Tenants 1859: John Thorne (21) and 
 John Cross (27)  [11,105]
12-2-1883 Brown's heirs sell to John Crook  Some cottages demolished, others used as
 workshops or stores. Cottages there on map of 1874. Crook had a sawmill there. [13]
8-12-1883 Crook sells to Rafferty, then as above to HWTCML on 19-3-1890 [16,17]
19-7-1890 HWTCML sell to Henry and Richard Goodearl: the cottages have now gone.
 Now workshops and warehouses, steam sawmill and timber yard. [18]

Newland Meadow (also known as Bulbarow's Mead)

1658 and 1669 owned by John Groves. [122]    
25/26-3-1751 Benjamin Young of Prince George's County Maryland,  U.S.A. sells to
 Benjamin Wooster. Previously Joseph Shrimpton's (he owned Chapmans Mead)  [140]
1/2-12-1777 John Nash (Wooster's nephew) part owner with Benj. Young (junior). [20,140]
27/28-2-1780 Sold to Thomas Rose.  Has cottage Area: 1 acre 2 roods 23 perches
 = 1.644 acres
30-10-1806 Thomas Rose leaves site to Isaac King and William Rose as executors.
3/4-4-1817? Sold to Thomas Morecraft (Date queried as 1811, but land to north not
 sold to Mr Wall until 1814)
25/26-10-1833 The trustees sold to William Morecraft. A coach house and stable on
 the land.
23 or 28-8-1835 Wm Morecraft sells to Ralph Spicer two plots:   [20,133,140]
		 (i) 72'x60' (which becomes 18/19 and Worlds End). 
		(ii) 144'x62' (which becomes No.22 -33 Newland Meadow) with 'a  new road
		 latterly marked out' between.
10/12-10-1836 Ralph Spicer to George Steers (who already owns land to the east of
 Worlds End   and 18/19) Nos 22-33. also World's End [20,134,140]
15/16-3-1838 Nos 22-27 sold to Ralph Spicer. 28 - 33 remain as George Steers'
 property. Cottages 22-33 built in 1837. [20,140]  
19-3-1838 Steers sells World's End to Stephen Weller.     A cottage on site. [37,55,141]
29-12-1838 Spicer sells 18/19 to Charles Busby [41,145]
29-12-1838 Spicer sells 26/27 to Thomas Ives. Tenants Mrs. Saunders and Hopwood [88]
1838 We now have 5 different properties:
(i) 18/19 owned by Charles Busby who built 2 cottages in 1839.
 Tenants Sarah Mealing and Widow Hoare
(ii) World's End (20/21) owned by Stephen Weller
(iii) 22-25 owned by Ralph Spicer*
  		Tenants Fenner 25, Styles 24, Perry 23, Boot 22
(iv) 26/27 owned by Thomas Ives* 
  		Tenants Mrs Saunders 26, Mr Hopewood 27
(v) 28-33 owned by George Steers*
  		Tenant Mr Philips 28
* The division between Spicer and Steers is uncertain - see note after item 20



18/19 Newland Meadow [42,145]

This site was never Goodearl property. These cottages were much larger than the other
 Newland Meadow properties referred to.


World's End (Nos 20/21 Newland Meadow)
This site was not Goodearl property

22-25 Newland Meadow. Possibly Spicer sold on 5-11-1843 back to George Steers.[22]

9-7-1859 George Steers sold to William Steers. Tenants Mary Stallwood 22,
 Stephen Weller, Baker and Rackstraw. [98]
7-1-1865 sold to Alfred Steers (No. 98 suggests previous tenants (before 1859) Stallwood 22,
 Boot, John Vic and Widow Boot. Then in 1859 as above then Widow Lacey,
 Easden, White and Saunders) [98]
10-3-1879 Sarah Steers sells, or mortgages, to Henry and Elizabeth Brown (her sister).
 Tenants Edmund Saunders,25, Wm Pepall 23, Walters and ? [99]
25-7-1879 	Tenants Edmund Saunders 25, C.Wheeler 24, W.Moore 22, W.Pepall 23. [100]
24-6-1890 Sarah Steers sells to Chas E. Moxham architect Tenants Beale 25, Gee,
 Rolfe 23, & ? [103]
23-1-1891 described as property of Henry and Richard Goodearl. Tenants Beale 25, Gee,
 Rolfe 23, & ?. Sheds by 1897. [67]

26/27 Newland Meadow

6-5-1844 Ives' Cottages. [21]		Tenants Richard Hudson 26, Samuel Malpas 27.
11-12-1844 Ives sells to Henry and George Rose. [23,90]
9-11-1852 Henry Rose buys George Rose's share. [91]
24-12-1852	Tenants Richard Hudson 26, Samuel Malpas 27. [24]
20-10-1860 Henry Rose to William Robert Row.   Tenants Joseph Keen and Widow Stevens. [93]
27-12-1865 sold to Charles Lintell. 	Tenants  Barnes and Wright. [35,94]
20-4-1887 Bequeathed to Charles Albert Lintell with instructions to sell. [35]
16-5-1890 sold to Goodearls.		Tenants Cox and Haynes. [32]

28/33 Newland Meadow

22-8-1843 George Steers sells to Thomas Mealing. Tenants George Steers 33, Thos Styles 29,
 John Jacobs, Richard Hudson, William Cooper 28 [138]
(Shown as 22/27 in schedule item 138 but this does not seem to be right)



28/29 Newland Meadow

23-8-1843 Thos. Mealing sells to Henry Williams. Tenants Wm Cooper and Richard Hudson. [104]
24/6/1859 Williams sells to Thomas Stiles. Tenants Richard Wingrove and Thomas Stiles 29. [105]
 7-10-1898 Executors sell (mortgage?) to Frederick Nesse Howland. Tenants Mr Pepin and
  Miss Stiles. [106,107]
7-10-1898 Miss Isabella Stiles sells to Richard Goodearl. [108]

30/31 Newland Meadow

8-11-1893 Thomas Mealing sells to Henry and Richard Goodearl. Previous tenants: Mrs Grimsdale
 and Mrs Anstey. (1859 tenants John Fryer and Thos Chilton). Then Goodearl's workshops.[131]

32/33 Newland Meadow

7-6-1861 Thomas Mealing owner. Tenants Mrs Mealing, Charles Hancock and workshop
 of Mr Kirby. (Former tenants: George Steers and Thos Styles 29) [124-126]
13-2-1864 John Mealing sells or mortgages to John Rutland: Tenants Mary Mealing 33, and
 chairmakers shop of Thos. Chilton (32) [127,128]
Before 15-12-1904 but after 6-10-1897 sold to Richard Goodearl. Unoccupied, previously
 John Rutland 33, and James Horseman 32. [114,139]

The Hop Garden  [122]
This site was not Goodearl property.

Munday's Mead  [3]
 In 1542 this land belonged to John Rance who owned much of the land south of the river.
 The reference states that it formerly belonged to Vincent Munday.

1-5-1751 A deed between Samuel Welles and Samuel Baldwin (possibly a mortgage).
 Previous owner Thomas Ayre
1767 Samuel Welles bought the land as part of the Rectory and Chantry of Chipping Wycombe.
13/14-5-1799 Samuel Welles sells to John Hussey.
29/30-4-1821 Joseph Hussey to George Giles. Later trustees: Hy.Wright, Hy.Simmons,
 Job Pearce.  A house and outbuildings existed.
6-6-1860 The lane forming the new road from West Wycombe Rd to the estate bought by
 Skull and Phillips, Job Pearce having previously sold it to Barnett Meyers in 1855.
 This is probably Bridge Street from Oxford Road to either Union St. or the brook
 between Oxford Rd. and Union St. Deed states 'That there shall be no impediment to
 Job Pearce's corn mill in St. John's Lane'.
29-9-1860 Trustees of George Giles sell to Skull and Phillips.
The area of Munday's Mead covered by the deeds is on the east side of Mendy St. between
 Water Lane and Long Row. There are four distinct areas from Water Lane :-
 (1) The Rose and Crown (2) Gibson's Workshops (the original Goodearl Mendy St. factory)
 (3) Nos 11 and 12 Mendy St. and (4) The Peacock public house. A fifth area may be covered
  by Deed 66 which may refer to houses adjoining the Peacock to the north-east.

1 Rose and Crown [25]
29-12-1860 Phillips and Skull sell to Robert and Thomas Wheeler, brewers, the house of
 John Hussey (who was there in 1821) then John Hobbs and since unoccupied. The western
  boundary of the site is 'an intended new road' which is Mendy St. This sale included
  the site of Gibson`s Workshops. This site was not Goodearl property.
 
2 Gibson's Workshops  [95]

29-12-1860 Skull and Phillips sell to Thomas Francis and George Wheeler..
2-1-1871 Mortgage to Moses Gibson chair manufacturer, land and workshops formerly of
 John Hussey, John Hobbs (before 1860), Benjamin Cartwright and Gibson.
27-3-1877 Wheeler sell to Moses Gibson. [26]
24-3-1881 Gibson sells to the Goodearls. [28]

3 Nos. 11/12 Mendy Street

6-6-1863 Land with shops and outbuildings owned by Ann Ford (probably just bought from
 Phillips and Skull)  [110]      
3-8-1882 Ann Ford remarried and became Ann Doel. [110]
22-2-1898 Occupied by Ann Doel and Joseph Bailey. [111]
10-10-1907 Sold by Ann Doel to John Cheese, chair manufacturer. 2 cottages and
 chair shops. [112]
(These appear to have been sold to Goodearl Bros at some later date before 1930)

4 The Peacock [1,5]

18-7-1863 Sold by Skull and Phillips to the Wethereds. Occupied by Ann Ford in 1865
 and Samuel Ford in 1875.
27-4-1883 Wethereds sell to Rafferty the workshop by The Peacock together with access
 and close off Long Row.  [1,14]
19-3-1890 Rafferty sells workshops and access road to the High Wycombe Timber and
 Cabinet Manufacturing Co. Ltd.  [17].
19-7-1890 HWTMCL sell to Henry and Richard Goodearl. [18]
(1934 The sale of the Peacock to Goodearl Bros. is not covered)

5 Three further cottages in Mendy Street. [66]
25-11-1864 A plot 36ft x 69ft sold by Skull and Phillips to Wm. Vincent Baines.
This appears to be the site of 3 cottages north-east of the Peacock, Nos.7,8 & 9.
These were probably purchased at the same time as The Peacock.

The West End Road Factory is dealt with in deeds 67/68 and will be discussed seperately.

Goodearl Ownership
25-3-1884 Reference to a mortgage by William, Henry, Richard and Benjamin Goodearl. [97]
3-1-1885 Goodearl and Sons (William) becomes Goodearl Brothers (Henry, Benjamin and
 Richard) [70]
26-9-1889 Conveyance from William and Benjamin to Henry and Richard of the Mendy St.
 and West End Rd. factories. (William has retired, 31 Dec 1884, and Benjamin has his
 own factory) [130]
5-9-1898 Division of properties: Henry has West End Rd. (Then occupied by Geo. Ellis
 and John White as in the indenture of  23-1-1891). Richard has Mendy St. [132]
17-6-1930 Redemption of land tax for Goodearl factory, with diagram thereof. [39]

William's Will

This is referred to in items 70-79/84-86.

Richard in Marlow
28/29-12-1904 Redemption for land tax on land of Richard Goodearl in Marlow. [80,81]
1917 Richard's house of 'Elm Croft', Marlow: rent agreement, letter from estate agents
 and list of tenant's fixtures. [82,83,87]

Missing Deeds

There do not appear to be any deeds relating to the purchase of 22/25 Newland Meadows
 (probably on or soon after 24-6-1890) or 32/33 Newland Meadows (between 1897 and 1904).

Index to the Deeds

	

    Subject                                     Deed Numbers


Munday's Mead                               3
Chapman's Meadow                            6
Newland Mead                                20, 133, 140
Hop Garden                                  122

Long Row: 1-31                              7-9, 11, 118-121
Long Row: 19 & 20: Anstead's Cottages       17-19, 53, 54, 57, 59, 61-63
Long Row: 21-31                             10,13, 15-19

Newland Meadows: 18 & 19                    20, 41-51, 145, 146
        20 & 21 "World's End"               20, 37, 52, 55, 56, 58, 60, 64, 141-144
        22-33                               20, 40
        22-25                               20, 67, 98-103
        26 & 27                             20-24, 32-35, 88-94
        28 & 29                             20, 104-109, 134-138
        30 & 31                             20, 131, 134-138
        32 & 33                             20, 114, 123-128, 134-138

Mendy Street: "Rose & Crown"                25
        Gibson's Workshops                  26-31, 36, 69, 95, 96, 129
        Nos. 11 & 12                        110, 113
        "The Peacock"                       1, 2, 5, 12, 14, 17-19
        Nos. 7-9 ?                          66


Other Properties - Irrelevant or Anonymous  4, 32-34, 38, 65, 115-117, 122

The Goodearl Bros. Factories                39, 67, 68, 70, 97, 114, 130, 132, 139

William Goodearl's Will etc.                70-79, 84-86

Richard Goodearl's properties in Marlow     80-83, 87

Newlands Meadow Map

The West End Road Factory

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