David May estate at Epsom, 1813

[Beetle]

Has anyone come across this property?  It appears in the executors' accounts for the will of John Tilt of Capel in 1813.  It seems that John held a mortgage on it, but where in Epsom is it, and who was David May?

Any ideas gratefully received,

Beetle.   

[Mabel Bagshawe]

There's a David May, butcher, of Epsom on the Surrey Jury-Qualified Freeholders and Copyholders lists of 1804, 1806, 1809 and 1810 - however no address given, sorry

[Mabel Bagshawe]

The Surrey land tax records are on Ancestry. There are a number of entries for David May in the 1780s - 1819, as occupier rather than proprietor. They're in the Leatherhead, fetcham and Dorking areas. No direct links to John Tilt, but I guess he didn't have to be the owner to have a mortgage on it

[Beetle]

Thank you so much for these two valuable pieces of information, Mabel.  The executors' accounts say that they received £255 for the mortgage on the David May estate at Epsom on 9th August 1813, as well as £14.9s.4d for rent on it.  But I don't know for what period the rent was, although this item does not appear again in the four years covered by the accounts.

John Tilt was an illiterate yeoman farmer who made a lot of money from smuggling and highway robbery.  He had several loans out when he died - I expect it was a form of money laundering!

I am grateful for your help.

Beetle. 

 

[ShaunJ]

I have a copy of "The Residential Copyholds of Epsom" by H L Lehmann (which includes some annotations thought to be in the author's own hand).

This records the 1803 sale to David May of the messuage adjoining the Marquis of Granby pub - a butchers shop, stable, garden and yard, with a right of way shared with the Marquis of Granby and the use of the pump. On 19 September 1804 David May mortgaged the property to John Tilt of Dorking, yeoman, for £150 at 5%, and further increased this mortgage on 11 Feb 1808. There is more detail but I think that is probably enough to identify the property.

[Beetle]

Fantastic, ShaunJ.  Many thanks.  It makes good sense, the Marquis of Granby being off the A24, the road to Dorking.  I have a dim recollection of visiting it on Boxing Day, 1957, and it's nice to see on the web that it's still there. 

Beetle

[ShaunJ]

I think the property in question is 2 West Street (across the alley from the Marquis) which is now an estate agent's premises. I can remember it being a butcher's shop.

There are a couple of nice photos here from circa 1911: http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/2WestStEpsom.html

[Beetle]

They are indeed very nice photos.  Thank you for the link.  The whole site seems to be an excellent resource for finding out about things in Epsom, and I have some leads I can follow up there. 

Beetle.