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The following extracts are all from deeds in the possession of Mr. John A'Bear, of Aldsworth, Glos.

4/7/1588. Edward Cotteyford conveys Woodfynings to (Sir) Richard Lovelace. William fforde and Henry Newberry were the witnesses.

10/9/1592. A little deed in had state and written in Latin is between Cotteyford and Newberry, and refers to the same property.

Later there is an admission to this property by the Nevills' steward, John Henry, in favour of “De witto Doyly.”

In 1705, John A'Beare, senior, and John A'Beare, junior, settle this property on the prospective wife of the younger - a maid servant at Culham Court, and the trustee of the settlement is Stevens of Culham Court.

The will of Andrew Mead, weaver, of Wargrave, made on “the sixt day of August, 1656.” One of Mead's bequests is of “All my Linnen with my feather bed my flock bedd ruggs bolstows and pillows and bedstead I usually lye on.” To his executors he leaves 12 pence each to buy gloves. The residue was left to his brother, a weaver, of Henley.

An indenture made on November 7th, in the 28th year of our sovraigne Lord Charles the second (1676) between Thomas A'Beare, of Wargrave, yeoman, and Richard Blyth, of Sonning, gent. The former in consideration of £250 conveys Long Withall, Barnes, stables and offices, and Northerend Close, Middle Close, Coppinscroft, and the Old Orchard, Kindfield, and the Holt: the land was bounded by property of RaIph Newbery, gentleman, and Thomas Kent.

The lease at a rent of one peppercorn expires in 2176 A.D. The parties contracted that the purchase money should he paid without “deduction of taxes or impositions of Royal Aide Subsidy.”

In 1680, Thomas Blyth, of Englefield, yeoman, passes the property on to John Sadler, of Shinfield, yeoman.

In 1723, Francis and John Pigott, yeoman, conveyed Langham and Upcroft to Edward Simeon for £250.

In 1717, the will of Richard Cotterell, of Sheeplake, was proved by John A'Bear in Doctors Commons before Magistro Edmundo Pope.

In 1779, at the Court Leet and Court Baron: “ To this Court came Thomas Day, Esq. (father of Sandford and Merton Day), and prays to be admitted tenant of one croft in Dean Croft in the tything of Woodrow, and various other pieces of land and cottages.

In 1704, Edward Simeon applies to the Court for admission to Heddington's Plot.

In 1727, his son-in-law prays admission to the same.

In 1760, he (Robert Sayer) again pleads.

In 1778, Jane Rockhall, Simeon's granddaughter, applies to the Court.

In 1795 an inventory of the property of Mr. A'Bear states that he owns some 230 acres, and among other property at The Hill mentions “Brewery utensils of every description and 2 dozen sheets.”

This inventory followed a lot of rather interesting correspondence between the proprietor of a home for mental patients in Melina Place, St. John's Wood, where Mr. A'Bear was, and his relatives at Grey's Green, and Mr. Johnson, of Hennerton, and Mr. Wakefield, of Hare Hatch Cottage. It would appear from the letters that the fields on the Hare Hatch side of Tag's Lane had long been rented by, but never owned by, A'Bears, and to the old gentleman's disgust they were thrown on the market and were bought by Wakefield, Johnson, and Miss Fremont. A'Bear finally had delusions, thought he had lost his property and prayed his nurses for a gun that he might “scatter his brains.” Going from worse to worse he soon died, but in the meanwhile the conveyances to Johnson and the others could not be completed, and the letters they wrote to A'Bear's helpless relatives testify to the fact that they had all become rather uneasy about their purchases.

THE WARGRAVE INCLOSURE AWARD, 1818

The Commissioner for this deed was John Davis, of Stoke Row, Oxon., and the other signatories were Harry Fonnereau, of Linden Hill, J. Stanford Girdler, of Little Scarletts, Charles Hayes, Sarah Hill, of Wargrave Hill, Fanny Young, widow of Young, of Hare Hatch House, John A'Bear, of The Hill, Thompson, and Mary Jones.

Under the Inclosure Act much commonland was enclosed and parcels of it given to landowners as compensation for common rights and for ground given for road-widening, &c.

It was this Award that accounted for Wargrave Marsh or Meadow having so many owners. In the cases where land was given for road-widening the roads do not appear to have been widened at all.

One of the most interesting allotments under the Award was the one on Royal Hill to “The Tything man of Whistley, or Hayward of Hurst.”

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