Hartley Cottage, Forge Cottage - Conveyance 24 December 1658
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This is a summary of a conveyance held in the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone.

Both properties were bought from Fairby Farm in separate conveyances in 1646.  John Edwards sells the two properties to the new owner of Fairby Farm, Thomas Young, who had moved there from Southfleet.  Earlier in 1658 he had conveyed his other Hartley property, Stocks Farm, to his son Peter.

The parties also registered a "feet of fine" with the Court of Common Pleas.  In the days before land registration, these were fictitious court cases that people used to record the evidence of a deed.  However the "consideration" in the fine is usually fictitious, as was the case here.

Land in conveyance shown in yellow.

Associated deeds
Conveyance of Hartley Cottage, 3 October 1646
Conveyance of Forge Cottage, 11 November 1646

Reference: KAO U713/T45

Made between:

(1)     John Edwards the elder of Hartley, yeoman, and Denise his wife.
(2)     Thomas Edwards of East Malling, yeoman, and Ann his wife; and Richard Edwards of Southfleet, yeoman, son of the said Thomas
(3)     Thomas Young of Southfleet, yeoman

John sells to Thomas Young for £225: all that messuage or tenement with a smith's forge, barns and 3 pieces of land adjoining, in whole 10 acres in Hartley, bounded by the highway from Ash to Longfield, in the occupation of John Best (Forge Cottage).

And a messuage or tenement and barn and 5 pieces containing 11 acres together in Hartley.  Bounded by the highway from Ash to Longfield towards the east, in the occupation of one William Oliver (Hartley Cottage).

Feet of Fine relating to deed:

Between Thomas Young, plaintiff, and John Edwards and Denise his wife, Thomas Edwards and Anne his wife, Richard Edwards, defandants, of 2 messuages, 2 barns, 1 stable, 2 gardens, 2 orchards and 18 acres of land, and 3 acres of pasture with the appurtenances in Hartley.  Consideration £41.

(note: while description tallies with the deed, the consideration is fictional.)