Dordon Hayes- a detailed look at one part of Dordon in the eighteenth century
Over the past year, as part of a project for Aberystwyth University, the area known as Dordon Hayes has been researched in detail. The word ‘Hayes’ means common land or pasture, meaning that until 1850 all residents had a right to graze their livestock on the land.
Where is Dordon Hayes?
The boundary of the area that was called Dordon Hayes can be seen below on early maps, both clearly labelled.
Extract from the 1722 Estate Map. The 1722 Estate map D1176/A/39/11 Staffordshire Record Office.
1774 map showing Dordon Hayes or Hay as it is written here. 1774 Lordship Map DRB0016_215_3 (Warwick Record Office)
This research not only looked at Dordon Hayes but also its surrounding fields and features, including the site of the original hamlet of Dordon (the area to the west and south of what is now Manor Farm).
How do we know what was there?
We are lucky in that two estate maps showing Dordon Hayes survive from the 18th Century. Firstly, Walter Chetwynd commissioned a map in 1722 to cover all the land he owned in Grendon and Dordon. The Chetwynd family had owned the land since at least the 1400s; apart from a few small pockets of land (coloured in red on the 1722 map), the Chetwynds owned everything. They sometimes lived at Grendon Hall, but their main estate was in Staffordshire, so they resided there at Ingestre Hall for most of the time. Walter was an MP for Stafford and the first Viscount Chetwynd.
Walter 1st Viscount Chetwynd
Walter, like his predecessors, leased the land they owned in Dordon to others to farm and extract coal and use the timber. We have records of these leases surviving from the 1500s onwards. They are available to see at the Staffordshire Record Office.
In 1774 the Bertie family (relatives of the Chetwynds) were living in Grendon Hall and commissioned a second Lordship or Estate Map of the same area. This can now be seen at Warwick Record Office.
As well as the two maps, plus a later 1850 Tithe Map, and maps produced by the Ordnance Survey (OS), parish records have also survived detailing who was living on the land. In some cases, the tenants’ wills still exist!
Also, Archaeological surveys, reports by local historians, and later newspaper cuttings help to give us a glimpse of what was happening in this area.
By putting comparing all these documents together we can build up quite a vivid picture of the area in the 1600-1900s.
In 1774 the Bertie family (relatives of the Chetwynds) were living in Grendon Hall and commissioned a second Lordship or Estate Map of the same area. This can now be seen at Warwick Record Office.
As well as the two maps, plus a later 1850 Tithe Map, and maps produced by the Ordnance Survey (OS), parish records have also survived detailing who was living on the land. In some cases, the tenants’ wills still exist!
Also, Archaeological surveys, reports by local historians, and later newspaper cuttings help to give us a glimpse of what was happening in this area.
By putting comparing all these documents together we can build up quite a vivid picture of the area in the 1600-1900s.
Field and place names
Both 18th century maps record the names of the individual fields; this gives us some idea of what the land was used for. For example, we have a ‘Cow Close’, which was very likely used for grazing cattle.
Extract from the 1722 map showing ‘Cow Close’. The ‘Little Wood Close’ would have been woodland originally but was now an enclosed field.
The word Holt appears a few times on the map. Holt is another word for Wood. Originally the whole of this area would have been covered in woodland as part of the forest of Arden.
The map labels ‘Birch Coppy’, which is what we now call Dordon Wood. Until the open cast mining in the mid-20th Century the wood was about twice the size. It appears that the predominant trees in the wood were always silver birches, hence the name.
The map labels ‘Birch Coppy’, which is what we now call Dordon Wood. Until the open cast mining in the mid-20th Century the wood was about twice the size. It appears that the predominant trees in the wood were always silver birches, hence the name.
Extract from the 1722 Map showing Birch Coppice (Dordon Wood). The red line running along the bottom is the Watling Street, with the small settlement of Streetway (subject of another article) visible by the letters A H N.
What is amazing is how some of the names of fields have survived right into the 20th century. For example, there was an area called ‘Well Close’ which we know was still its name in 1917, as it is mentioned in a sale advertisement in the Atherstone News and Herald.
Extract of the 1722 map showing Well Close. The red line running from the left to right is Dunns Lane.
Advert from the Atherstone News and Herald 18th May 1917 mentioning Well Close.
Sometimes the fields or ‘closes’ are named after the people who either lived there or farmed them. For example, ‘Spencer’s Close’ is named after the Spencer family that were certainly farming there up until the early 1700s.
Snow and Spencer's Close
If you look at the 1722 map carefully you will see there is a ‘Spencer’s Close’ and a ‘Snowe’s Close’ nearby.
Interestingly, Snowe’s Close is coloured in red/pink, showing that it was not owned by the Chetwynds.
We know from looking at hearth tax records (listing people taxed per fireplace) and parish church records, a little bit about the Spencers and the Snows.
The Spencer family is mentioned in the hearth tax records, with George and William Spencer paying for 1 hearth each (Walker, 1957, pg 126). However, by the date of the map, it is likely - looking at the parish records - that Elizabeth Spencer, widow of Richard Spencer, was working the land. What is even more interesting is what the records tell us about her relationship with Robert Snow, her neighbour. By examining the parish records for the Snows and Spencers, we can see that Richard Spencer died in 1686 and is described as a ‘poor weak man’ (see record below). We also see that Elizabeth Spencer had a son called Robert. Robert’s baptism record describes him as the ‘reputed son’ of Robert Snow. Looking again at the records we see that a few months later, on 15th November 1691, Robert Snow married a widow called Mary Porter - leaving Elizabeth to bring up his ‘reputed son’ on her own! At the date of the map Elizabeth was farming on her own account; she died 16th May 1729.
The Spencer family is mentioned in the hearth tax records, with George and William Spencer paying for 1 hearth each (Walker, 1957, pg 126). However, by the date of the map, it is likely - looking at the parish records - that Elizabeth Spencer, widow of Richard Spencer, was working the land. What is even more interesting is what the records tell us about her relationship with Robert Snow, her neighbour. By examining the parish records for the Snows and Spencers, we can see that Richard Spencer died in 1686 and is described as a ‘poor weak man’ (see record below). We also see that Elizabeth Spencer had a son called Robert. Robert’s baptism record describes him as the ‘reputed son’ of Robert Snow. Looking again at the records we see that a few months later, on 15th November 1691, Robert Snow married a widow called Mary Porter - leaving Elizabeth to bring up his ‘reputed son’ on her own! At the date of the map Elizabeth was farming on her own account; she died 16th May 1729.
Polesworth Parish Records for 1686 describing Richard Spencer as a ‘Poor Weak Man’.
Baptism record for Robert Spencer, ‘reputed son of Robert Snow’ July 9th 1691.
Parish record showing Robert Snow’s marriage to Mary Porter on 15th November 1691.
Although Robert Snow had a house clearly visible on the map, records show that in the early 1700s he and his wife Mary were living at Streetway.
Leaseholders and tenants
Although the Chetwynd family owned most of Dordon and Grendon, they leased most of it out to tenants who then sublet smaller plots to individual farmers and workers. Most of the 1722 and 1774 maps of this part of Dordon show that the land was leased from the Chetwynds to the Sant Family. If you look carefully, on the 1722 map the name ‘W Sant’ appears over most of the plots of land.
Map showing WS or W Sant written in most of the plots.
William Sant
William Sant lived in Dordon Hall. He had four children: William, George, Elizabeth and Mary. In the 1720s William appears to have been very prosperous and built the new façade that can now be seen at Dordon Hall.
Dordon Hall, Copyright D Ridley
Fortunately, William’s will has survived: his wife Elizabeth was given all his goods and chattels and on her death, they were to be divided between his two daughters. To his sons he left a shilling each, which even then seems rather miserly! Perhaps William had spent all his money on the new façade at Dordon Hall!
Detail of William Sant’s will dated 1737 (accessed Findmypast 16th August 2024).
However, William Junior continued to live at the Hall and was still the biggest landlord in Dordon.
The 1774 Lordship Map DRB0016_215_3 (Warwick Record Office)
Nevertheless, in the Dordon Hayes area in 1774 there was another landlord who sublet most of the western side of the map; his name was Jeremiah Brierly. You can see from the map that the field boundaries haven’t changed much.
Conclusion
We are really lucky that this particular area Dordon has good maps and documents that survive. We can recreate a history of each plot throughout the 18th century and in some cases up to the present day.
If anyone is interested in the full study submitted to the university which includes a table of each plot with tenant’s names and what the land was used for, please email us and we can send you a PDF of the full article.
If anyone is interested in the full study submitted to the university which includes a table of each plot with tenant’s names and what the land was used for, please email us and we can send you a PDF of the full article.
