| Notes |
- Leverstock Green & Birchmore
http://www.bacchronicle.homestead.com/16thCentury.html
16th Century ~ entries given by date
1543/44 - From a court roll dated the 35th year of the reign of Henry VIII, various parcels of land, including a messuage or tenement in Westwick Rowe, (possibly what is now known as Dell Cottage), were the copyhold property of one Giles Dell. This land was later inherited by his son Henry and his daughter's husband Edwarde Birchmore. (see entry for 1569) [ HALS XI2]
1544/45 - Edmond Carpenter sold 15 acres of the land holding of Breakspears to Thomas Birchmore. [HALS XI2]
28th July 1550 - Thomas Byrchmore inherited from his father Richard Byrchmore, 15 acres of land known as Noosefield in Westwick. This land is thought to have been somewhere in the region of Megdells and Breakspears. Probably where the motorway is now. [HALS IG3]
1551 - Leverstock Green was known as Leveleystocke grene (Sidney Sussex College Documents.) - This is considered to be the earliest form of the name of our village known, according to the English Place Name Society. [S1 - p.283, S23 - p.13
22nd May 1560 - Walter Byrchmore and his wife Ysabella surrendered 18 acres of land known as Bunesfield, to Thomas Byrchmore. (Probably his brother). This particular part of Bunesfield was within the Manor of Westwick and therefore on the St. Michael's side of the boundary. [ HALS IG3,IG5 ]
Giles Dell had evidently once been an important copyholder, his land since his death being divided between his son Henry Dell, and his daughter, the wife of Edwarde Birchmore. The lands being roughly divided so that Henry Dell received approximately 33 acres, and Edwarde Birchmore, 36 acres. As part of their holdings, Henry and his brother-in-law had:
"Two messuages or tennements in Westwicke Rowe lying together with the orchard and yardes in the several tennures of Edwarde Birchmore and the said Henry Dell."
The present day Dell Cottage is in the right position and would appear to have been the tenement in question. I am unclear as to whether there were in fact two detached properties, or a semi-detached building. I now feel sure that one of these two messuages was what we now call Westwick Cottage, and that the land surrounding two properties were adjacent to one another. This is why what we now know to have been a high status dwelling in the 12th century, apparently didn't exist for the 1569 survey, and yet survived in tact to the present day!
Of his father's land, Henry Dell now held: The Croftes Behind the House, Netherhomefeild, Stocking Crofte, and two parcels of land in Laydene.
Edward Birchmore held the copy hold of the following, "in right of his wife" : Upper Homefeild, Middlefeildes, Overfeilde and four parcells of land in Laydene. They also seemed to have a moety (that is a half share) of the Grove. The entries for Henry Dell and Edwarde Birchmore reveal yet another small lane - Stockingecrofte Lane, which was to the south of the parcel of land known as Stocking Crofte.
Mid 16th Century - According to Jonathan Hunn, the following farm holdings were of the sizes given in the following list. [S167, p. 153] :
Breakspears: 83.3 acres Hillend: 173.1 acres Megdell: 59.1 acres Wards: 56 acres Westwick Corner (Corner Farm): 101.2 acres Westwick Row Farm (present name, then known as just Westwick): 48.4 acres
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