The Battle for Broxhead Common
Part of the 80 acres
The Case for Hampshire County Council – PART 93
- The Tithe Apportionment Act 1847, for Headley states, “there are no proprietors for Broxhead Common and it is used by sundry people” However, ownership of the two twelfths of the Fauntleroy holding can be traced since 1870.
- William Langrish, who owned the Fauntleroy two twelfths in 1870, sold one of those two twelfths with a quantity of land known collectively as the Headley Park Estate, to Sir Henry Keating, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He died in 1888, having mortgaged his estate to his brother judge, Sir Robert Wright. Wright J. died in 1904 and on 4th January 1906 his executors sold the property to C. W. McAndrew containing “all estate and interest” of and in that part of the common.
1780 Headley Park 1780 Rights of common
1895 Mr Justice Wright at Home, Headley Park05032021 - Langrish’s other twelfth part of the manor in the southwest corner was sold to George Trimmer after which it ended up by virtue of conveyances in the hands of the Secretary of State for War in 1902-3!!
- Under the Finance Act 1910, C. W. McAndrew applied for tax relief as an owner of the WHOLE common. He was awarded a considerable sum for rights of common £655 and for rights of way and user £635.
1910 FA Record Book for McAndrew Broxhead Pages 22 Sep 2021 - He may not have been aware that his purchase was only for one twelfth of the common or that the major part on the east side was not a part of it, but in any case, his claim of ownership was not a problem to local people.
- That was because as G. D Gadsden says of ownership of common land “The practical reality, however, is that their scope today is strictly circumscribed by a number of statutory measures and on the majority of the commons the owner is a passive bystander.” (Gadsden Page 197).
- 1929/30 Headley Wood Farm was added to the estate.
- On 29th December 1947 G.A. McAndrew Inherited his father’s estate by assent and the following year sold 15.9 acres of his part of the common to Mr Sotnick. He sold to Mr Day, who in turn sold part to Mr Hadfield and the other part to Amey Gravel Ltd. These are to the north west side of the C102, Picketts Hill road.
Next time: Headley P C minutes show how mistaken local beliefs are perpetuated.