Kents. Pages and Bricetts

In the historical record  3 field names are linked together forming in 1835  Kents Farm, which later became Poplar farm. Other Bricetts with different spellings are also found, whether they are linked is not known but for convenience they will be included on this page. Our thanks to the owners of Poplar Farm for allowing Neil Langridge to make notes from their deeds, but more work needs to be done to fully understand the history of this area.

Anthony Wheeler (from SIAH) found a referencee to John de Kent in 1327 which he linked to an area NE of todays Poplar Farm

In 1618 Stephen Keble is associated with 33 acres of meadow and pasture known as Kents, the land owner was John Reppes. Stephen Keble di Stonham conits for ii pecs of free land lying in Kents {Rental of Thorney Hall Manor 1618 from manorial documents in Hadleigh Archive – Neil Langridge}

In 1709 an Arther (and John) Jenny from Bredfield have an association with lands of Kents Farm, 27 acres in the occupation of Robert Roper.

In 1764 the land is mortgaged by John Palmer to Robert Marriott, the elder of Stowupland

In 1769 – Bricetts, Pages and 2 enclosures called Kents

  • occupier of Kents was John Roper.
  • John and his son Stephen Palmer are leasing ‘fields in Stowupland and Mendelsham called Brisetts and Pages and 2 fields in Stowupland called Kents to John Rust of Stowmarket.
  • occupier John Rust later Robert Calthorp

messauge in occupation of John and Arthur Denny

 

By 1772 Stephen is bankrupt and imprisoned in Ipswich, the estate is seized and the chief creditor Edward Shephard is appointed trustee. The estate had been mortgaged to John Rust for £900 and was now being farmed by Robert Calthorp.

The land is then sold to William Stansfield from Bildeston (a yarnmaker). The land is subsequently leased by George Stanesfield to Robert Stevenson (a Stowupland farmer) for 7 years.

In 1805 William Stansfield a draper from Woodbridge (eldest son and heir of George Witheat Stansfield, late of Bildeston, draper and grocer deceased) sells Brissetts and pages (27ac) and 2 enclosures, Kent, containing 20 acres to Robert Steggall.

In 1833 Kents is in the occupation of Samuel Bird, it them goes to Candler Bird and on his death Candler Turner Bird.

in 1835 Robert Stegall sells the land to George Faulkner (he died in 1866 but by 1890 the farm is still in the hands of his trustees.

In the 1840 tithe apportionments, the arable fields of Upper Pages (tm 1 / 11a 0r 19p) and Lower Pages (part of tm2 / 3a 3r 33p) are owned by Sir Charles Tyrell but occupied by Robert Steggall. Robert Steggall owns a cottage further along Saxham Street (tm 40)  but this is occupied by Thomas Pyman and others.

My thanks to Neil Langridge for his attempts at deciphering and disentangling the deeds of Poplar Farm.