Reading London Land Tax records 1797

[sueappleton]

Attached is a screenshot from a land tax record. Can anyone tell me what the word which looks like Teny after the name Mary Brookes means?
Apologies if this is posted in the wrong category.

Also, is there any way of finding out who may have owned a property at a specific address from that time?

[Christine53]

I think it's Tents rather than Teny , abbreviation for Tenants.

[sueappleton]

Thank you Christine, I think you have set a record for a speedy reply!

Do you think that the entry "Mary Brookes for tenants" means that Mary Brookes pays the land tax for tenants, or that she is herself the tenant, rather than the owner of the property?

[Watson]

I would have guessed it was an abbreviation for Tenements.

[sueappleton]

Hi Watson, thank you for your reply!
Yes, I thought about the word tenements, but to me that has connotations of a lower class, possibly run down building with lots of residents.  However I have researched some of the other residents in the street and they are definitely upper class, Sir This,  Lady That, Baronets and Esquires, so I thought maybe no tenements in the same street!  But perhaps things were different in 1797!

[Christine53]

To me it reads that she is paying the tax on behalf of tenants. This advice on the LMA website says , unhelpfully, that it is often unclear whether the person listed is the landlord or the tenant :


https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/RESEARCH_GUIDES/web_detail_rg/SISN+37?SESSIONSEARCH

[sueappleton]

Than you again Christine!
Yes it is a bit unclear, but thank you for bringing that website to my attention, it may well prove useful I itself.
Regards, Sue.

[horselydown86]

Yes, I thought about the word tenements, but to me that has connotations of a lower class, possibly run down building with lots of residents.

In my opinion it's definitely:  Ten(emen)^ts

You may want to know whether its use here means lands which Mary rented out to others or lands which she held from another.  Unfortunately it's not possible to say from this record.

[horselydown86]

Also, is there any way of finding out who may have owned a property at a specific address from that time?

It's useful to check the Sun Fire Insurance Records in the catalogue at LMA.  If you are lucky and Sun insured some or all of the property, they often record information about ownership or other parties who have an interest in the property.

It's also worthwhile to search for the address in the London Gazette and in the newspapers in the British Newspaper Archive.