Ownership of Farm

[Linda from Murton]

My mother was born in 1925 in a very grand farm house outside of Penrith. How would I find out if my grandfather owned the farm or was a tenant?

Your help would be much appreciated.

[angelina]

Maybe the local library would have newspapers showing when it went up for sale and naming the owners?

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Any idea how long your grandfather was at that farm, who followed him, where did they live as your mother was growing up?

Making a sweeping generalisation here, but if people were only at the farm for a very short period (5yrs or less) they tended to be the tenant. However, the converse does NOT apply - some tenant farmers stayed all their lives and were then followed by a family member.
Did your grandfather come from a family with enough money to help him buy? Any wills for the family? The value of the farm would be included of the estate of a farmer, but not a tenant.

Jay

[AlanC]

As a side issue, if you haven't seen the farm and it still exists there's a good chance of seeing it on Google Maps.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Have you found the farm on census? Any clues there as to whether it was "in the family"? Have you googled the name of the farm?

One farm was in the ownership of my family for 400 years. I agree with Jay, if you owned the farm you tended to stay put in order to reap the long term rewards of your work.

OC

[Anne in Carlisle]

I can go to the Carlisle Archives for you if its any help, although it'll be after the holidays now!
Anne

[Linda from Murton]

Thank you all for responding.

Thanks for the offer Anne in Carlisle. Mam was born at Murrah Hall at Murrah and Berrier. I've driven down the road adjacent to the farm and peered over the wall. Mam was born in 1925. I know that most of her brothers and sisters were born at Campfield Farm nr Bowness on Solway. Grandfather suffered financial difficulties when Mam was a baby and that's when they left Murrah Hall. Good advice about Wills and Probate - shall go see what I can find.

[Olde Crone Holden]

A quick google suggests that Murrah Hall was/is manorial and therefore your GF would have been a tenant - the manor being held by executors.

There may be details about his tenancy and what made him leave if you can track down the manorial papers, probably in the county Archives.

OC

[Anne in Carlisle]

Carlisle Archives online catalogue has this


Title Draft transfer of mortgage of Murrah Hall p. Greystoke (Isaac Longrigg's Executors to Messrs Fisher), 1923, and correspondence re same 1914-23, including earlier mortgage (Lightfoot to Isaac Longrigg of Lazonby) 1914, schedule of deeds (1803-1914), c. 1914; includes letters re the interest of the Hon. R D Denman (following his purchase of the Staffield Hall Estate), 1920

Looks as though this Isaac Longrigg died in 1916, leaving an estate valued at over £10,000

[Linda from Murton]

Thank you Ann for this information. I have a feeling (and I shall have to dig back amongst old papers) that I sent for copies of this correspondence. Think the latest date is 1923 and Mam was born in 1925. The transfer of a mortgage to Messrs Fisher in 1923 would suggest that they would have become the owners. Perhaps it was then that Grandfather moved in as tenant. Shall keep digging.

Wonder if the Land Registry could shed any light on this.