The Battle for Broxhead Common
Finance Act 1910 Broxhead Common
The Case for Hampshire County Council – PART 94
- 1948. At the same time as G. A. McAndrew sold off the 15.9 acres of common land, he also sold the Headley Park mansion house and grounds to the Crusaders School. These deeds show public rights of way which no longer seem to be accessible!!??
Seven years later in 1955 they sold to Lithuanian House Ltd. - 25th October 1962. The widow of G. W. McAndrew, now a Mrs Patricia Margaret Elphinstone Barnard, sold Headley Wood Farm by Assent and conveyance plus a Statutory Declaration for ownership of Broxhead Common, to Siegfried Sefton Myers. The following year he fenced without authority large areas of it before the estate was sold to Anthony Gary Peter Whitfield in 1970. He would have been very aware of the complaints over the unauthorised fencing.
- The Headley Parish Council minutes of 6th November 1969, show how misinformation can be spread. It may be because of genuine belief or just delusions of grandeur or even intimidatory purposes. Whatever the reason, in those days it was far harder to check it out so, the benefit of doubt was usually given.
- At that Parish Council meeting, John Ellis had been speaking about the unauthorised fencing and how it had been erected on Broxhead Common by the Lord of the Manor. It was he said, a serious interference with the rights of Commoners and if nothing was done about it, those rights would disappear forever.
1968 Headley PC Annual Parish Meeting Willis misinformation - Then Mr Willis intervenes and says he thinks it is important to clear up misconceptions about the problem. There is, he says no doubt whatsoever that the land belonged to the Lord of the Manor and that he had a whole file on it!? However, beyond seeing that the public footpaths and bridleways were not obstructed, the Parish Council had no standing in the matter!
- In fact, there was no Lord of the Manor and had not been since 1637 when the manor was partitioned. Also, the Parish Council must have had at least an interest, if only to see the common land was preserved as open space according to local custom and complied with the spirit of the 1955 Royal Commission on common land! As for ownership, well that was questionable to say the least!
Finance Act 1910 Broxhead Common
Next time: How to steal a common with the help of your County Council!