A Study of the Strood by W.E. Duane. Chapter 8. Page 47.

The Church and Strood Lands contd.

The property had always been held in copyhold tenure, and the feoffees can hardly be accused of rushing into things when it is found that it was 1899 before the suggestion made by the Charity Commissioners in 1860 was acted upon.

Among the estate records is the complete schedule of the enfranchisement. The values and calculations have been extracted and are shown on the facing page [SOS_008_007 and SOS_008_008 ].

On 24th October 1899, the [Note 1] "Deed of enfranchisement between Thomas Courtenay of Theydon Warner, and Willoughby John Bean, James Page, Daniel Rehoboam Cock, Thomas Gilbert, all of West Mersea, witnesseth that in consonance of £85.8.11d. paid by the Tenants to the Lord. He grants releases and enfranches unto the Tenants and their heirs."

The total acreage enfranchised was approximately 79 acres. Copyhold tenure in England and Wales had been dying slowly during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Six Copyhold Acts were passed 1841-1887, but were superceded by the Act passed in 1894. This Act was supplemented b the Law of Property Act of 1922, and on 1st January, 1926 all copyhold and customary freeholds ceased to be of copyhold or customary tenure and became freehold. When the present Secretary to the Trustees was asked if he knew where the deeds of the property are kept, he could not say, but if there had been time, a search among the records held by the Charity Commissioners may have brought them to light.

Note 1 ERO D/BMb/M143

Date: 1965