Please can anyone advise me re leases "for three lives"?
Park Hill farm in Quarrington, Durham, was subject to a lease from the
Bishop in the middle of the 19th century. I have not seen the lease
document itself, nor know if it exists, but a "Plan and Valuation of
[the] Land and Premises" is lodged at Durham University Library.
Dated 21st Feb. 1854, it says it relates to the lease "from the Lord
Bishop of Durham to Mr William Turnbull for 3 lives. The life dead is
Sir T.J. Clavering Bt."
Sir Thomas John Clavering, the 8th Baronet, died in 1853, so
presumably William Turnbull became the leaseholder then.
What is puzzling me is what on earth the only plausible William
Turnbull I have been able to find had to do with Sir T.J. I am
guessing that he is the [relatively humble] Coal Inspector, born c.
1799, died c.1879, son of a farmer in Tanfield, Co. Durham, who was
living at nearby Shincliffe in 1851 and on the Park Hill estate itself
(though not in the farmhouse and not himself the farmer) in 1861. I
rather doubt if he had any family connection with the Claverings and
he was certainly not the 8th Baronet's heir.
I wonder whether they could have had a business relationship at the
time the lease commenced. Or - and here's my real question - could he
have bought the lease (or had it assigned to him), either from Sir
T.J. Clavering or from his heirs?
My more general question is whether leases-for-three-lives were
commonly bought & sold, or assigned, while retaining the initial first
life (and possibly even the original second and third ones - which I
assume were specified in terms of heirs or relationships, rather than
by name, in the original leases)?
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Mike
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