Henstead's+allotments

After enclosure of Sotterley Common and the adjustment of the boundary between Wrentham and Henstead, the disposition of the new fields and their allocation between the two parishes along the new boundary may be examined in the Tithe Map and Apportionment of Henstead. The following map shows the owners of the fields in Henstead between the road to Sotterley and the boundary between Henstead and Wrentham. Moat Farm (MF) was probably a new farm. In the Tithe Apportionment, fields 245 and 246 were owned by the Earl of Gosford and subsequently by Frederick Barne. The Earl was the son-in-law of Robert Sparrow of Worlingham Hall, who had been one of the sponsors of the Enclosure Bill. The red line marks the boundary between Henstead and Sotterley. The area south of the road was the former common land allocated to Henstead (about 83 acres). It was in the hands of 7 owners. The coloured circles indicate the different owners of fields numbered according to the Tithe Apportionment.



Tithe Apportionment: Owners and areas


 * 224 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 5. 0. 05 ||   ||
 * 225 |||||| Robert Andrews trustees || 2. 3. 01 ||  ||
 * 226 |||| William Mabson ||  || 3. 2. 27 ||   ||
 * 227 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 1. 2. 30 ||   ||
 * 228 |||| Mrs Mary Capps ||  || 1. 1. 33 ||   ||
 * 229 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 5. 1. 37 ||   ||
 * 230 |||| Rev. Thomas Sheriffe || glebe || 5. 1. 23 ||  ||
 * 231 |||| Poor Trustees ||  || 3. 1. 39 ||   ||
 * 232 |||| Poor Trustees ||  || 4. 0. 00 ||   ||
 * 233 |||| Poor Trustees ||  || 3. 2. 19 ||   ||
 * 234 |||| Poor Trustees ||  || 3. 1. 36 ||   ||
 * 235 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 1. 38 ||   ||
 * 236 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 2. 0. 05 ||   ||
 * 237 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 2. 01 ||   ||
 * 238 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 3. 1. 36 ||   ||
 * 239 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 1. 09 ||   ||
 * 240 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 7. 0. 02 ||   ||
 * 241 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 6. 3. 05 ||   ||
 * 242 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 1. 36 ||   ||
 * 243 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 6. 1. 32 ||   ||
 * 244 |||| Robert Sheriffe ||  || 5. 1. 14 ||   ||
 * 245 |||||||| F.Barne originallyEarl of Gosford 5. 0. 36 ||  ||
 * 246 |||||||| F.Barne originallyEarl of Gosford 5. 0. 32 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || Total || 82. 1. 16 ||   ||
 * ||  ||   || Total || 82. 1. 16 ||   ||

In contrast, the old lands of Henstead (presented in the following map) to the north of the road were owned by only two people and leased as three farms (modern names given on the map). This supports the view that the process of enclosure of Sotterley Common allocated land to those with commoners rights irrespective of the adjacent blocks of land held by the then current landowners, the dominant owner in Henstead being Robert Sheriffe, lord of the manor and owner of Henstead Hall.



Apart from Sotterley Common the other waste lands in Henstead with commonors rights were also enclosed. Again there are no records or maps available. However. from the Tithe Apportionment Sayers Farm had four fields that had been created by draining the marshes of the Hundred River at Latymer's Dam in the extreem north east corner of the parish. This fields are indicated with purple circles on the following map.

The fields are part of a block of marshland fields, separated by drainage ditches, numbered in sequence from 1 to 16. The were allocated to different owners, an indication that they were enclosed at the same time and distributed to various people in the parish with commoners rights on the original marshland.

In the northwest corner of the parish, Hulver Heath was enclosed and this provided the opportunity for the settlement of Hulver Street.