What do these records mean?

[DeeSpangle]

Hi

I have found a total of six records listed in the online catalogue for the Norfolk Record Office (sorry I did try to post the links).

Isaac Emerson - Records 1-5
Isaac Emmerson – Record 1

I haven’t been back this far in my research before and this is the first time that I have come across records like this so I really don’t have a clue what I am looking at here or their value in my research. From the details in the catalogue information alone, is it possible for anyone to explain simply what each of these records mean in relation to Isaac Emerson/Emmerson.

All contributions to this post will be very much appreciated. Many thanks.

[KiteRunner]

Sorry, I see my link didn't work either. This is what it says for the Emmerson one:

Indentures of Lease and Release

Date 2-3 Nov 1744

Description 1) Christopher Bedingfeld of Wighton, Esq. 2) IsaacEmmerson of Burnham Thorpe, gent. Messuages lands and tenements in Marham, Shouldham, Shouldham Thorpe, Barton Bendish, Stradsett, Fincham.

Catalogue_Reference HARE 2357/7, 196X3

AccessStatus Open

PhysicalDescription Unfit for production.

(Now back to Emerson...)

[KiteRunner]

1st Emerson one:

Capital messuage next Bolls Lane, east; Bolls Yard, 1a.; three closes, 33a.; close of 9a.; two closes, 20a.; two closes, 12a.; Oakefield Close, 10a.; close of 7a.; close of 5a.; close of 8a.; Lushers Pightle, 4a.

Date 1691-1724

Description Mortgaged by John Cristoft and Ann his wife to Thomas Gibson in 1691 and conveyed by Edward Bainbrig and Ann his wife, formerly Ann Cristoft, to IsaacEmerson in 1724.

Extent 1 bundle

Catalogue_Reference EVL 68, 451X1

AccessStatus Open

[KiteRunner]

2nd:
Hare of Stow Bardolph Collection
Legal: Individual Cases and Fees
HARE 6173, 228X5
Title Between Isaac Emerson, plaintiff and Sir James Astley and Dame Sarah his wife, defendants. Certificate by John Walpole of payment of £1980
Date 13 May 1757
AccessStatus Open
PhysicalDescription Unfit for production

[KiteRunner]

3rd one:
Title Indenture - Lease for a year

Date 23 Dec 1757

Description 1) IsaacEmerson the younger of Burnham Thorpe and others 2) Sir Thomas Hare of Stow Hall, Bt. Messuages lands and tenements in Marham, Shouldham, Shouldham Thorpe, Barton Bendish, Stradsett and Fincham.

Catalogue_Reference HARE 2357/9, 196X3

AccessStatus Open

PhysicalDescription Bad condition

[KiteRunner]

4th one:

Title Indenture of 7 parts - Release

Date 24 Dec 1757

Description IsaacEmerson of Burnham Thorpe and others to Sir Thomas Hare, bt. Manors of Shouldhams in Marham and Shouldhams in Shouldham and property in Marham, Shouldham, Shouldamthorp, Totnell, Fosston, Stredsett, Fincham and Barton Bendish. 9 seals affixed.

Extent 7 membranes

Catalogue_Reference HARE 2302, 196X1

AccessStatus Open

PhysicalDescription Unfit for production.

[KiteRunner]

5th one:
Packet of items labelled 'Norfolk Gentlemen' containing receipts, mainly to Philip Case... receipts to Philip Case from IsaacEmerson, 1755

[KiteRunner]

Um, I was hoping OC or Roger in Sussex or someone would appear while I was copying and pasting all those, and they would explain what they meant!

Number 5 looks pretty straightforward - Isaac Emerson wrote some receipts for whatever he had received from Philip Case, probably money.

The first "Emerson" one is some property which Isaac Emerson bought in 1724 - messuage being a house and its land. Looks as though he was very wealthy, doesn't it?

Shame so many of these documents are "unfit for production" or in bad condition. So if you went to the archives, you wouldn't actually be able to view them.

[DeeSpangle]

Thank you Kite for posting details and for your feedback. Might give OC a nudge ;)

[Guy]

Sorry haven't time for a proper look but-
From the look of it he was renting land and houses.
Cheers
Guy

[DeeSpangle]

Thanks for your feedback Guy.

[DeeSpangle]

Apologies if my replies are very brief but my computer monitor is on the blink!

[Mary from Italy]

Lease and release:

Lease and Release - Deeds in Depth - Skills Resources - Manuscripts & Special Collections- The University of Nottingham

The second one was evidently a court case of some kind, as there was a plaintiff and a defendant.

[Mary from Italy]

That Nottingham Uni site has a lot of explanations of different types of old deeds;

Introduction - Skills Resources - Manuscripts & Special Collections - The University of Nottingham

[Olde Crone Holden]

Yes, renting (leasing) lands.

Note there are TWO Isaac Emersons by 1757, father and son, which is a handy little hint!

Actually, when it says "unfit for production" sometimes a request to view the document puts it onto a restoration and preservation list, so you could view it at a later date. I don't know if Norfolk RO has a programme of restoration and preservation but it will be an odd archive if it doesn't!

OC

[Mary from Italy]

If you look at the Notts site, a "lease and release" was just a method of selling land.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Mary

Selling the lease, surely, not the land?

OC

[Mary from Italy]

No, if you read the link, you'll see that a "lease and release" transaction was actually a method of selling the freehold interest in the property.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Ah, right! In Lancashire it means just that - leasing and then re-leasing. Original owner keeps the title deeds (sometimes for centuries!)

OC

[DeeSpangle]

Mary - thank you for posting the above link, it has been very helpful.

Whilst googling, I also found this very clear explanation …

A lot of property at the time was sold by "Lease and Release". Straight forward sales of Freehold land at the time would need to be enrolled at court, this required details such as the sale price to be declared in open court and hence making these public knowledge. The grant of a lease was however a private matter. Once a lease had been sold to a tenant, the tenant was then 'in possession' of the land. It was then possible (via the release) to sell the tenant the 'freehold reversion' (the landlord's future interest after the lease ended) so as to upgrade the tenant's estate from leasehold to freehold. This was typically done on the day after the grant of the lease.