William Stables of Harewood's Farm Lease
This is a transcript of the agreement by which William Stables of Harewood leased his farm at Sandygate in 1796, which is held at the WYAS in Leeds.
Kindly provided by Timur Tatlioglu
Lease Agreement Dated 1796
Note: This was a proforma with items in bold entered manually and some of the blanks are incomplete.
William Stables Sandy Gate Farm 75 0 0
23rd Day of August 1796 between Messrs KENT, CLARIDGE and PEARCE, of CRAIGS-COURT, WHITE-HALL, LONDON, for and on the behalf of the RIGHT HON. EDWARD LORD HAREWOOD, of HAREWOOD, in the West-Riding of the County of York, his Heirs and Assigns, of the one Part, and William Stables of Harewood in the said County of York, Yeoman, of the other Part, as follows.
FIRST, the said KENT, CLARIDGE, and PEARCE, hereby agree to let unto the said ______
All that Farm or Parcel of Land, called Sandy Gate Farm
Now in his Occupation, containing A:67 R:1 P:31 from Old Lady Day now next ensuing, from Year to Year at the Annual Rent of 87.0.0 subject to the several Restrictions and Conditions herein after expressed.
And the said ______ for himself, his Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, hereby agrees to rent and take the said farm or Parcel of Land, herein before described, from the Time, and on the Terms before expressed, and at and for the said yearly Rent of ______
Which engages to pay by Half yearly payments, free and clear of all Manner of Deductions or Outgoings whatever, as well parliamentary or parochial. That he will keep and leave all the Buildings, Gates, Stiles, Hedges, and Drains, in a good state of Repair. That he will do his utmost to preserve and nurse up all the young Timber he possibly can, and not cut, maim, or prune any Maiden Tree upon the Premises, under the Penalty of Twenty-Shillings a Tree, for every Tree so injured. That we will drain all wet Parts of the Farm by the best and most compleat Methods. That he will spend and consume all the Hay, Straw, and Stover, upon the Premises to best Advantage.
That he will not break up any Meadow or Pasture, which has been laid more than ten Years, without Licence first obtained for that Purpose, under Penalty of Ten Pounds an Acre for every Acre so broken up. That he will not sow any of the Arable Land, with Teazles, Woad, Hemp, or Flax, without leave. That he will strictly observe one of the following Rules of cropping his Arable Land, viz. If he uses it in a three Course Shift, to have one full third Part of the whole every Year, in a clean whole Year Summer Fallow. And in Case he uses it in a four Course Shift, that not more than one Half shall be sown with Corn, Grain, or Pulse, in any one Year, the other Half to be either in Turnips, Vetches, Clover, or some other Grass Seeds, to be eaten off upon the Premises for the Purpose of enriching the Land. That he will not put any Number of Cattle upon the Premises, the last six months of the Term, beyond the usual and common stock he has been accustomed to keep. That he will not Let the said Premises or any part thereof to any under Tenant without Licence so to do. That he will give and take any Land in Exchange at any Time, Value, for Value. And also give up any Land for planting, upon being allowed a fair compensation for the same. And that he will fetch and bring Three cart Loads of Coals to Harewood House in every Year.
LASTLY, as to the Mode of quitting. The said EDWARD LORD HAREWOOD, his HEIRS and Assigns, or the succeeding Tenant, shall be allowed to enter upon two thirds of the Arable Land, on the thirteenth of February, previous to his leaving the Farm, and the said ______ Shall be allowed to retain Possession of the Ground on which the Wheat is growing, till the ensuing Harvest, and to stack on some convenient Part of the Farm, and to allowed to thresh the same in the Barn the ensuing Winter, leaving the Straw and Chaff on the Premises, and paying the same Rent for the Land on which the said Wheat shall grow as the rest of the Farm stands him in.
In Witness whereof, the Parties have hereunto set their Hands, the Day and Year Before mentioned. [For Kent, Claridge, and Pearce] [Witness]