1721-1791 Freeholder Registers

Prior to the 1841 census, no attempts were made to draw up a comprehensive list of Lapford residents. Researching the identities of the village’s C18 residents is therefore not a simple matter. In the case of residents who held freehold or leasehold interests in property, there is, fortunately, a further valuable information source: “Freeholder books”. These were drawn up for the purpose of determining who could sit on a jury.

From 1692 until 1730 only those with land with an annual value of £10 or more were listed. During this period the only entry under the parish of Lapford is one William Packer, who described in some entries as a yeoman, and in others as the elevated status of a gentleman.

The following table covers the entries for Lapford parish for remainder of the seventieth century when tenants of land worth £20 per year held on long leases were also eligible. Eligibility was restricted to men between the ages of 21 and 70.

Until the late 1750s, the number of entries under Lapford parish never exceeds eight N.B. some Lapford yeomen do not appear under the parish as they held larger amounts of land in other parishes. Towards the later part of the century, the number of entries increases. This is probably a reflection a tendency for the owners of large farms to share inheritance between two or more sons.

Some entries indicate the landowner’s status: from husbandman (William Tucker), rising to Yeomen (Richard Crispin, Anthony and Roger Reed, William Packer jnr., William Gater, and Roger Partridge), and Gentleman (Benjamin Pearse). Philip Gover, who makes a brief appearance under the Lapford listing in 1739, is the only name to carry ‘Esquire’, historically a rank above Gentleman and usually signifying royal descent.

Key: L=leaseholder, F=freeholder

Top header shows C18 year i.e. 53=1753. Where entries for consecutive years are the same, they have been combined

Landowners are listed in order of their chronological appearance in the Freeholder books

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			33,34	35	36	38	39	41	42	43	44	45,47	49,50	51,52	53	54	55	57	58	59	62	63,64	65	70	71	72,73	74	75	76	77,78	80	83	91	99
William	NORTHCOTT	F	*	*	*																														William	NORTHCOTT
Benjamin	PEARSE	F	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*																									Benjamin	PEARSE
Richard	CRISPIN	F	*	*	*		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*															Richard	CRISPIN
Anthony	REED	F	*	*	*	*	*	*		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*													Anthony	REED
William	GATER	L	*	*	*	*	*																												William	GATER
William jr	PACKER	L	*	*	*	*	*		*												*														William jr	PACKER
James	MAY	L	*																																James	MAY
Thomas	MAY	L		*																															Thomas	MAY
Roger	PARTRIDGE	F				*	*	*	*	*	*	*							*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*		Roger	PARTRIDGE
Roger	REED	L				*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*		*															Roger	REED
Philip	GLOVER	F					*																												Philip	GLOVER
Roger	DENSHAM	L						*		*	*	*	*	*	*																				Roger	DENSHAM
William	TUCKER	F								*	*	*	*																						William	TUCKER
George	PACKER	F								*		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*			George	PACKER
Robert	COOK	L											*	*				*																	Robert	COOK
Thomas	PARTRIDGE	L											*	*	*		*	*	*	*	*	*													Thomas	PARTRIDGE
William	KELLAND	F														*	*							*											William	KELLAND
John	CHALLICE	F																*		*	*	*	*												John	CHALLICE
John	REED	L																*						*		*	*		*	*	*	*			John	REED
George	REED																		*																George	REED
Robert	DENSHAM	F																		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*		*			Robert	DENSHAM
George	REDHOLE																			*															George	REDHOLE
Thomas	CRISPIN																				*	*													Thomas	CRISPIN
WILLIAM	PACKER																					*	*												WILLIAM	PACKER
John	GREENSLADE	F																			*	*	*	*	*	*	*		*	*		*			John	GREENSLADE
Robert	DOWN																				*	*				*									Robert	DOWN
Edmond	MOON	F																								*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	Edmond	MOON
William	PARTRIDGE	F																									*		*	*					William	PARTRIDGE
Robert	PYKE	F																													*	*			Robert	PYKE
Philip	KELLAND	F																													*	*			Philip	KELLAND
William	DENSHAM	F																													*	*	*	*	William	DENSHAM
William	CHALLICE	F																										*	*	*	*	*			William	CHALLICE
Richard	DENSHAM	F																										*	*	*					Richard	DENSHAM
Matthew	KELLAND	F																												*					Matthew	KELLAND
Philip	KELLAND	F																												*					Philip	KELLAND
Richard	PIKE	F																													*			*	Richard	PIKE
William	EDWORTHY	F																													*				William	EDWORTHY
William	COOKE	F																													*				William	COOKE
Roger jr	PARTRIDGE	L																												*			*	*	Roger jr	PARTRIDGE
Reed	PARTRIDGE	F																												*				*	Reed	PARTRIDGE
John	PARTRIDGE																															*	*	*	John	PARTRIDGE
John	BALMAN																															*	*		John	BALMAN
William	SNELL																															*			William	SNELL
George	SNELL																															*			George	SNELL
Richard	PIKE																															*		*	Richard	PIKE
George	RUDDALL																															*	*		George	RUDDALL
William	SNELL																																*		William	SNELL
George	SNELL																																*		George	SNELL
Thomas	BALMAN																																	*	Thomas	BALMAN
Samuel	CHALLICE																																	*	Samuel	CHALLICE
William	CHALLICE																																	*	William	CHALLICE
William	COOKE																																	*	William	COOKE
William	CROOT[E]																																	*	William	CROOT[E]
Philep	KELLAND																																	*	Philep	KELLAND
John	MAY																																	*	John	MAY
Thomas	MORRIS																																	*	Thomas	MORRIS
Thomas	PARTRIDGE																																	*	Thomas	PARTRIDGE
James	VICARY																																	*	James	VICARY