#OnePlaceStudies #househistory #SticklepathOne #Sticklepath

I have a number of documents concerning Number 2. Notes with them suggest they were for a long time stored by Lloyd’s Bank for safe-keeping and from time to time transferred to solicitors as different things happened eg transfer of the garden and shed to different ownership.

Key documents include:

Date	Type	Detail
26 Dec 1890	Conveyance	Mr & Mrs Mew and  and Mrs Bissett (beneficiaries of Thomas Lethbridge) to Mrs Mary Richards
2 Mar 1900	Probate	Extract of Will of Mary Richards, (inheritance by Elizabeth Brady)
13 Apr 1910	Conveyance	Mr James Brady to Mr John Brady following death of Elizabeth intestate
1924	Abstract	Abstract of title
27 Sep 1924	Conveyance	John Brady (deceased) to James Neill
28 March 1927	Probate	Copy  Will of James Neill deceased
24 Dec 1927	Conveyance	Executors of James Neill to Maria Palmer
1959	Abstract	Abstract of Title
22 Apr 1959	Assent	Mrs Maria Palmer deceased
1959	Searches
11 Dec 1959	Conveyance	B.W. Palmer to Charles Bowden Esq.

From these it should be straight forward to build a list of owners. Of course they were not necessarily the occupiers, and deeds don’t mention many other family members. The Census and possibly directories can help with occupiers. Though often specific addresses are not stated in the census we can sometimes make an educated guess knowing who their neighbours were. For Sticklepath it seems the enumerator often did put entries in order. Just ‘The Old Cottage’ lies between the terrace and the village hall, which is also mentioned on the census helps.

Just to re-cap: It seems Mr Thomas Lethbridge had the terrace of 4 Ska View Cottages built, which may or may not have been completed in his lifetime. The New cottages were sold at auction 1890 by his daughters and son-in-law who had inherited the properties. There is no suggestion they were lived in at the time. Mrs Mary Richards, widow of William Richards formerly of Ball Farm, Sampford Courtenay, bought the property in 1890. Her will states her address as Ska View Cottages, good evidence she lived in No.2. She made a number of interesting bequests (lots of extra people named), but left the main part of her £561 8s 11d estate to her niece Elizabeth Brady wife of John Brady, gentleman of Barnstaple in 1900.

10 June 1909 Elizabeth Brady died intestate (no will). Mr James Brady her son of St.Paul-des-metis in the Province of Alberta, Canada, gave the property to his father, husband of Elizabeth, in a Conveyance dated 13 April 1910 for his use on the understanding it was passed back to himself on the death of the father. “In consideration of natural love and affection”. This conveyance notes that a stable and coach house had recently been erected on the garden plot.

The newspaper report of her funeral and requiem mass at the Catholic Church in Barnstaple (Western. Times Tuesday 15 June 1909) as well as knowing she is the niece of Mary Richards, would allow a basic family tree to be drawn up. It does not look like either Elizabeth or her husband actually lived in the property at No 2 Ska View.

18 May 1915 John Brady made his Will. 1 July 1924 he died. Probate granted 24 Sept 1924. His executors were another son Bernard Brady and solicitor William Edwin Pitts Tucker. There is no mention of James Brady the son in Canada in the conveyance. On 27 Sept 1924 No. 2 Ska View Cottages was sold to James Neill of No. 3 Ska View Cottages for £380. (His son-in-law Frank Richards and daughter Beatrice lived in No. 4). The property at No.2 was occupied by Mrs Portrey (Portsey/Portrey).

The documents jump from one owner’s death to the next. James Neill wrote his Will on 2 Oct 1926. He died 26 Feb 1927 at No.3 Ska View Cottages. Estate valued at £4313 19s 1d Probate was granted. No. 2 passed to his daughter Maria Palmer 24th December 1927.

At first glance No. 2 passing from father to daughter looks straight forward. However the conveyance adds a further sad part to the story. Tomorrow is another day and another installment!