Caleb ADKINS, b.1733 d.1801,
John ADKINS, b.1760 d.1810
I am very much indebted to Margaret & Charles from Sutton Coldfield who, in their research into the social history of the English Midlands, unearthed an interesting Indenture involving Caleb ADKINS. Margaret very kindly transcribed the original handwritten text which is presented here in all its legalistic glory without punctuation or paragraphing! The links go to the relevant pages in the Adkins family tree. The gist of it is that property* originally owned by the late Caleb ADKINS and passed after Caleb's death to his nephew John ADKINS is now being transferred to William Gould.
* The 'property' in this case may possibly be the rental of fields and buildings, not the tangible assets themselves. The text is not entirely clear about this, however. My principal reason for thinking it is the small sum of money being paid and the fact that it is a peppercorn
.
Transcription of an Indenture dated 1st August 1806
This Indenture made the first day of August in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Six and in the Forty Sixth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King Defender of the Faith Between John Adkins of Binton in the County of Warwick Gentleman Nephew and Heir at Law of Caleb Adkins late of Weston upon Avon in the County of Gloucester Gentleman deceased, who died Intestate of the one part and William Gould of Church Lench in the County of Worcester Yeoman of the other part Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings of lawful Money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as money is current in Great Britain to the said John Adkins in hand paid by the said William Gould at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and for divers office good causes and considerations he the said John Adkins Hath Bargained and Sold and by these presents Doth Bargain and Sell unto the said William Gould All That Messuage or Tenement with the Barn Stable Buildings Gardens Orchards Yards and Appurtenances thereto belonging and all those Closes adjoining or lying near to the said Messuage or Tenement now or theretofore called by the several names of the two Home Closes Broad Close Trite Hill Spring Ground and Ridgeway Close all which said premises are situate lying and being at or near Egork in the Parish of Inkberrow in the County of Worcester and contain in the whole by estimation forty acres or thereabouts be the same more or less and all other the Closes Land and Premises whatsoever of him the said John Adkins in the Parish of Inkberrow aforesaid all which said hereditaments and premises were theretofore in the Tenure or Occupation of one John Sands and now or late of Thomas Randle were bought and purchased by the said Caleb Adkins of and from the said John Sands and were in and by certain Indentures of Lease and Release bearing date respectively the first and second days of October One thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Four Granted and Conveyed unto and to the use of the said Caleb Adkins his Heirs and Assigns for ever which said Caleb Adkins departed this Life a Bachelor and Intestate in or about the Month of September One Thousand Eight Hundred and One leaving the said John Adkins his Nephew and Heir at Law Together with all and singular Ways Waters Watercourses Trees Hedges Ditches Mounds Fences Commons Common of Pasture Privileges Advantages and Appurtenances whatsoever to the said Messuage or Tenement Closes Land and Premises thereby Bargained and Sold or intended so to be belonging or in anywise appertaining or to or with the same or any part therefore held used occupied or enjoyed accepted reputed or taken to be part parcel or incumber thereof And the Reversion and Reversions Remainder and Remainders Rents Issues and Profits thereof To Have and To Hold the said Messuage or Tenement pieces or parcels of land Hereditaments and premises hereby bargained and sold or intended so to be with their and every of their Appurtenances unto the said William Gould His Executors Administrators and Assigns from the Day next before the day of the date hereof for and during and unto the full end and Term of one whole year thenceforth next ensuing and fully to be compleat (sic) and ended Yielding and Paying therefore unto the said John Adkins the Rent of one Pepper Corn upon the expiration of the said term if the same shall be lawfully demanded to the end and intent that by virtue hereof and by force of this Statue made for transferring uses into possession he the said William Gould may be in the actual possession of all and singular the said Messuage or Tenement and premises hereby Bargained and Sold or intended so to be with their and every of their Appurtenances and thereby be enabled to accept and take a Grant and Release of the Freehold Reversion and Inheritance thereof to him and his Heirs to the use of the said William Gould his Heirs and Assigns for ever. In Witness whereof the said parties to these presents have hereunto set their Hands and Seals the day and year first above written.
Signed and sealed at the bottom of the Indenture by John Adkins. Blue seal in the margin at the top left hand side for the payment of One pound ten shillings. The Indenture is framed so it is not known whether or not there is a signature on the reverse of the top of the Indenture but presumably William Gould would have signed it.
Egork - Edgiock
Regarding the spelling of Egork, there is a village spelled Edgiock on the B4090, the Romans named it the Salt Way, about two miles east of Feckenham - Feckenham is about three miles north of Inkberrow as the crow flies. To the east of Edgiock is the A441 which travels northwards to Redditch and that road is the Ridge Way. Edgiock is probably a modern-day spelling of Egork, taking into account the Worcestershire accent. Today, it would probably be pronounced "Edge-ee-ock" but with the local accent it might have been pronounced "Edge-orrrck", thus the older spelling of Egork. This is only our interpretation, of course, you may know differently from that, particularly if your family had land towards Alcester way.
The road that runs from Edgiok to Astwood Bank is named Edgioake Lane (B4092). A property about 400m to the west of Edgiok is named as Edgiok Court. Home Closes, Broad Close, Trite Hill, Spring Ground and Ridgeway Close, all mentioned in the Indenture, sound like field names - the words Close and Ground are very common suffixes to field names.
Edgiock is also a family name - I find one living at Chaceley which is down Tewkesbury way.
