THE DEMESNE LANDS
It is not known when the Prior and Convent
began to let the demesnes of the Manor. A small
piece of land between the Thames and the King's
highway was demised in 1387, (ref. 23) but the earliest
record of a lease of the whole Manor with all
arable lands, feedings, pastures and rents, farms,
fines, etc., occurs in 1449, when it was demised
to Thomas del Rowe and Peter Pope, citizens of
London, for twenty years at an annual rent of
£20. (ref. 24) But even this rent was not enough to
maintain the chantry which the Black Prince had
founded, for in 1472 Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to the King complaining that the Manor was scarcely worth £20,
whereas the chantry expenses amounted to almost
£40 a year. He suggested that application should
be made to Rome for the Manor to be “delyu'yd
unto the chantry prestes they to make it as good
as they kan and fynde them self ther with and
repayr ther place we beynge only bownd to fynde
the seid chantry prestes bothe wex & brede and
wyne and reparacion of vestmentes perteynyng to
the Autyr nothyng reserving unto us of the seid
maner of Fawkyshall“. (ref. 25)
Though the Archbishop's attempt to shift this
burden failed, there is evidence that the leasing of
the whole Manor was discontinued about this
time and that it was let more profitably in separate
parcels. (ref. 22) After the Reformation, however, the
demesne lands in South Lambeth were let in
such a muddled fashion that they became the
subject of a Chancery suit. (ref. 26) The successful
plaintiff, Laurence Palmer, subsequently obtained
a lease of all the demesnes in South Lambeth, (ref. 27)
which continued to be let together until the
beginning of the 19th century. In 1590, the date
of Palmer's lease, they are described as Barrlands
in South Lambeth Field (fig. 19, plot 21); a
meadow near Our Lady's Acre in Clapham
(plot 1); a meadow near “Faux well” (fn. a) (plots
4 and 5); and a meadow on the south side of the
highway (plots 13 and 15); these lands were all
held by Sir John Leigh at the beginning of the
16th century; (ref. 5) two closes called Claylands (plots
34, 41 and 42), which were on lease to Peter
Palmer in 1475; (ref. 32) a close and parcel of land at
“Cockesbridge”, a croft at Lambeth Cross and
a meadow near the Thames (plots 8, 9 and 10).
The lease also included Vauxhall Barn and the
Court Lodge adjoining it. Apart from the fact
that these buildings stood near the Thames,
nothing is known about them after this date.
Palmer covenanted to maintain the barn and to
provide meat, drink and lodging for the officers
of the Dean and Chapter and their servants, and
stabling for their horses, for one day and one
night twice a year. He was able to compound for
this hospitality by payment of 40s. to the Dean
and 20s. to the Receiver, Surveyor or Auditor,
when they visited the Manor. In addition, Palmer
was required to provide for the Steward when the
latter held courts. These covenants were still
included in leases made at the end of the 18th
century (ref. 33) when the demesnes were in the tenure
of Sir Joseph Mawbey, senior, who first took a
lease of them in 1767. (ref. 34) Mawbey died in 1798
(see page 37), and the property was put up for
auction in 1800 to settle his debts. (ref. 35) Barrlands,
also spelt Berelandes, Berlondes, Bearlands, etc.
(plot 21), the seven acres (plot 1), the fourteen
acres, then divided into two pieces called Rushy
Mead (plot 4) and Vauxhall or Vauxwell Mead
(plot 5), and the seven acres (plots 13 and 15),
were assigned to John Suter and Mr. Phillips, who
appear to have purchased the fee simple of these
lands from the Dean and Chapter shortly afterwards. (ref. 36) The subsequent development of the
land was consequently carried out by private
individuals.
Claylands or Clayfields were also sold by the
Dean and Chapter at this time. John Daniel of
The Lawn purchased plots 34 and 42 in 1801,
and sold a piece of land adjoining Carroun House
and grounds to Sir Charles Blicke (see page 67)
and another piece to John Fentiman, senior, (ref. 35)
who also purchased plot 41. (ref. 36) According to
Brayley, (ref. 37) Fentiman drained Claylands at his
own expense, the land being very marshy, with
stagnant pools, and built himself a “handsome
mansion”. This house stood south of the Oval
opposite the end of Claylands Road, (ref. 38) which
commemorates the name of the field on which it
was built. Fentiman Road was laid out about
1838 (see page 67).
The remainder of the demesne land was also
sold off by the Dean and Chapter before their
estates came under the control of the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners. Plots 8, 9 and the part of 10 on
which the Cumberland Tea Gardens stood, are
now occupied by the works of the South Eastern
Gas Board.
Methodist Church, Fentiman Road
Fig. 19, plot 34
This church was erected in 1900–1 for
the congregation of a chapel in Miles Street which
was founded in 1854. The architects were
George and Reginald P. Baines, and the builder
was J. O. Richardson. (ref. 39) The church is a red
brick building with Perpendicular stone tracery
to the windows. It has a short battlemented
tower, banded with stone, and a spirelet at the
south-west corner. There are projecting entrance
lobbies in the middle of the Fentiman Road front
and set splay-wise at the south-west corner of
the tower. Renovations were carried out in
1954. The ancillary buildings are similarly
designed and of the same materials as the church.
Claylands Congregational Church,
Claylands Road
Fig. 19, plot 41
In 1836 John Fentiman granted a lease of a
piece of land on the north side of Claylands Road (ref. 40)
for the erection of a new chapel to accommodate
the seceding part of the congregation of Holland
Chapel under the ministry of Dr. John Styles
(see page 118). The building was opened as a Congregational
church on June 29, 1836, and Styles
continued as minister until 1844. (ref. 41) The church
is now disused. It is a plain stock brick building
with a Classical pedimented front (Plate 25b). In
the centre of the front there are three entrance
doors divided by stucco pilasters with a cornice
and blocking course above. All the windows are
round-arched with recessed rectangular panels
beneath. The foundation stone at the south-west
corner was laid by the Rev. John Styles, D.D., on
January 1, 1836. The Sunday schools at the rear
were built in 1899 by Messrs. Rice and Son, with
W. E. Davis as architect. (ref. 39)
Ashmole Primary School, Ashmole Street
Fig. 19, plot 41
This school was built by the London School
Board to accommodate 800 children and was
opened on September 23, 1879. The architect
was E. R. Robson and the contractors were Higgs
and Hill, whose tender was for £7,667. (ref. 42) The
school is a tall three-storey building built in
yellow stock brick. It is approximately square
in plan and has an entrance wing on the west
side.