BADSEY PROPERTY SALE – Tenants and their Holdings
Messrs E G Righton & Son conducted a crowded property sale at the King’s Head Hotel, Evesham, on Monday evening. The property offered was the estate of Mr Percy H Byrd, containing 136 acres, situate at Badsey Fields. The land is set out in small lots to market gardeners, and most of the tenants appeared to be present. The majority, however, did not take advantage of the opportunity of securing their own holdings, and some little feeling seemed to exist amongst them. A ground of complaint referred to was the state of the roads leading to the various holdings. It also appeared that the tenants had a meeting about the question of purchasing their holdings, and that some opinions against purchasing had been expressed.
The conditions of the sale were read by Mr G New of Messrs G & O New, Evesham, the solicitors concerned. Upon questions being invited, Mr H J Smith asked the vendor's solicitor for a suggestion as to how the amount of repairing the road should be apportioned among the tenants. One of the tenants then made a statement in the course of which he said the vendor was "only selling working men's hard work". It was not "hasum jasum”, for the land wasn't worth £10 an acre when they took to it. It was not fair play. (Laughter, and hear, hear.)
- Lot 1 was offered. It consisted of a strip of land, known as "Little Green," containing 3s 3r 4p, let to Mr Chas. Knight. Five shillings was shouted as the opening bid, amid laughter, but the property was finally started at £100, and, after £10 bids, was withdrawn at £180.
- Lot 2 was two pasture fields, known as "The Green," with range of buildings thereon. It contains 12a 1r 32p, and is let to Mr Chas. Knight. Bidding opened at £500, and at £825 the property was sold to the tenant.
The following lots were arable land, situate in "Badsey Field."
- Lot 3 was 2a 2r 13p occupied by Mr H. Cave. This was withdrawn at £135.
- Lot 4 was 1a 2r 32p, let to Mr C. Collett. This was withdrawn at £70. The auctioneer asked if he should offer any of the remaining lots situate in the same field, let to Messrs W. Ballard, G. Geddon, James Keyte and J. W. Collett, and the tenant of a later lot offered £20 per acre for his holding.
- The auctioneer passed on to two brick-built tiled cottages, occupied by Messrs. E. Robbins and James Reeves. Amid laughter, someone said they would have to get a boat to get down to them. There was no offer for this lot.
- Lot 10 was a detached brick-built cottage, with garden and outhouse, in the occupation of Mr W. Blake, and also the granary and colt pen occupied by James Reeves, the whole containing 1r 21p. This was withdrawn at £135.
- Lot 11, an orchard containing 2a 0r 36p, let to W. W Blake, was not offered.
Lots 12 to 20 are situated in "Church Headland."
- Lot 12, 1a 3r 30p, let to Mr W. W. Blake, was sold to the tenant for £70.
- Lot 13, 1a 1r 25p., let to Mr J. H. Keen, was withdrawn at £58.
- Lots 14 and 15, containing 1a 1r 5p and 1a 3r 29p respectively, both let to Mr E. Roberts, were offered together, and told to Mr W Emms for £130.
- Lot 16, 2a 3r 17p, let to J. H. Keen, was withdrawn at £95.
- There was no offer for Lot 17, containing 2a 0r 19p, let to Mr John Keen.
- Lot 18, 1a 2r 12p, let to Mr James Reeves, was withdrawn at £65.
- There was no offer for Lot 19, 2a 1r 11p, let to Mr John Dore, and Lot 20, 2a 0r 8p, let to the same tenant, was not offered.
Lots 21 to 28 were situated in "The Bittons."
- Lot 21, 3r 8p occupied by Mr John Dore, did not elicit anything except a remark that it would do to make a lake on.
- Lot 22, 1r 16p, was knocked down to Mr J. Woods at £30, but later in the evening Mr Woods said he understood that it was Lot 21 that was being offered, and Mr H. J. Smith said he understood the same. The auctioneer said Mr Woods ' would have to stand to his mistake.
- Lot 23, 1r 30p, let to Mr John Keen, was withdrawn at £28.
- There was no bid for Lot 24, 2r 35p, let to Mr Owen Keyte, nor for Lot 25, 2r 29p, let to Alfred Sparrow.
- Lot 26, 1a 1r 28p was sold to the tenant, Mr William Churchill, for £70.
- Lot 27, 3a 1r 8p, let to Mr G E Jones, was withdrawn at £125.
- No bid was forthcoming for Lot 28, 3a 0r, 11p, let to Mr Percy Hall.
Lots 29 and 30 consisted of a meadow known as Little Briar Croft." Lot 29 was 5a 2r 34p let to Mr Chas. Knight, and this was purchased by the tenant for £150.
- Lot 30 was 3a 0r 38p, let to W Collett, junior, and this was withdrawn at £135. Lots 30 and 31 consisted of arable land known as "Briar Croft."
- Lot 31 was 3a 0r 31p, let to Mr Cecil Sparrow, and the tenant was the purchaser at £147.
- Lot 32, 1a 3r, 28p, let to Mr Richard Keen, was withdrawn at £85.
- Lot 33, 1a 2r 22p, let to Mr Percy Hall, was withdrawn at £66.
- Lot 34, 3a 1r 10p, let to Mr George Malin, did not elicit a bid.
Lots 35 to 41 is known as "Long Furlong".
- Lot 36, 36, and 37 containing respectively 2a 3r 24p, 1a 2r 32p and 1a 1r 16p, let to Messrs G E Jones, W Tidmarsh and George Jones respectively failed to attract a bid.
- Lot 38, 3r 14p, was sold to Mr W W Blake, the tenant, for £40.
- Lot 39, 1a 1r 20p was sold for £60 to the tenant, Mr W. Churchill.
- Lot 40, 1a 1r 30p, let to Mr Louis Sparrow, was withdrawn at £65.
- There was no offer for Lot 41, 1a 2r 7p, let to Mr L. H. Sparrow.
Lots 42 to 45 are situated in "Rye Furlong".
- Lot 42 was 1a 1r 22p, occupied by Mr W. T. Stanford and this was withdrawn at £42.
- Lot 43 was 6a 3r 12p, occupied by Mr T. R. Ellison, and again no bid was forthcoming. The tenant told the auctioneer there was road to it.
- Lot 44 was 4a 1r 28p, let to Mr Henry Keen, and this withdrawn at £130.
- Lot 45, 1a 2r 5p, let Mr George Malin did not attract a bidder.
Lots 46 to 51 are situated at "Fox Hill".
- Lot 46, occupied by Mr Fred Stewart, containing 1a 1r 26p, was purchased by the tenant for £58.
- Lot 47, 2a 1r 1p, let to Mr W Ballard was withdrawn at £72.
- Lot 48, 2a 2r 5p, let to Mr Louis Sparrow and Mr Percy Hall was withdrawn at £73.
- Lot 49, 2a 3r 0p, let to Mr W Blake, was withdrawn at £70.
- Lot 50, 1a 2r 20p, let to Mr Churchill, was sold to the tenant for £57, and the same purchaser gave £40 for Lot 51, let to Mr Fred Stewart, and containing 1a 1r 22p.
Lots 52 to 57 are known as “Pain’s Headland”.
- Lot 52, 1a 3r 16p, let to Mr George Barnard, was withdrawn at £54.
- Lot 53, 1a 3r 9p, let to Mr A Grove, did not obtain a bid, and Lot 54, 1a 3r 27p (Mr R Keen), Lot 55, 1a 3r 24p (Mr James Barnard), Lot 56, 1a 0r 28p (Mr W A Tidmarsh) and Lot 57, 1a 0r 15p (Mr Fred Stewart), were not offered.
Lot 58 was a garden field known as “White Hill”, occupied by Mrs Theodosia Byrd, and contained 11a 3r 9p. Bidding opened at £300, and at £450 Mrs Byrd obtained the property.
Messrs E G Righton & Son also offered for sale a piece of freehold garden land, situate at Badsey, containing 3r 30p, or thereabouts, and let to Mr Lewis Vincent. The property was sold to Mr J Sladden for £40. Mr H Stroud of Cheltenham was the solicitor concerned in this property.