Documents Relating to the Swan Inn

This page aims to compile the mentions and documents relating to the Swan Inn (6 and 7 Cornhill).

Documents Relating to the Swan Inn
The Swan Inn depicted in Chubb’s 1790s illustrations of the Cornhill.

Sherborne Mercury 21 March 1791

SWAN INN, BRIDGWATER

To be LET, and entered upon immediately for the term of 7,14, or 21 years, ALL that well-accustomed capital Inn, called The SWAN INN, situate in the front of the Market-place, in the town of Bridgwater, in the county of Somerset, late in the occupation of Mrs. Beake; having very good stall and other stables, and a spacious yard behind the same.

Also, to be SOLD, on the premises, some BEDS, and other HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, to be taken at a fair valuation.

For a view of the premises, and for further particulars, application may be made to Messrs. Bryant and Boys, attornies at law, of Bridgwater aforesaid.

N.B. The rent to commence from Lady-day next.

Bridgwater, February 23, 1791.

1792 Lease

BHG Collection

Documents Relating to the Swan Inn

Endorsed:

Manor of Bridgewater

the Mayor etc

&

Mr Nathaniel Tucker

Lease of a messuage called the Swan Inn

Lives Nathaniel Tucker Sarah Tucker his wife Sarah Tucker their daughter

Fine £880

Rent 19 shillings

dated the 28th of November 1792

This indenture made the twenty eighth day of November in the thirty third year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord 1792

BETWEEN the mayor alderman and burgesses of the borough of Bridgwater in the County of Somerset of the one part and Nathaniel Tucker of Bridgwater aforesaid ironmonger of the other part

WITNESSETH that the said man mayor alderman and burgesses as well for and in consideration of the sum of eight hundred and eighty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain unto their receiver in hand paid by the said Nathaniel Tucker at or before the execution of these presents the receipt whereof they the said mayor alderman and burgesses do hereby acknowledge and thereof and of every part thereof to acquit release and discharge the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns by these presents

AS ALSO for and in consideration of the rent covenants and agreements herein after reserved and contained on the part and behalf of the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns to be paid observed and performed

HAVE demised granted and to farm letten and by these presents

DO demise grant and to farm letten unto the said Nathaniel Tucker

ALL that messuage or dwellinghouse called the Swan Inn in Bridgwater aforesaid together with the court and yard and stables behind the same with the appurtenauces thereunto belonging formally in the possession of Mr George Beake and a free passage from the said court and yard into Saint Mary Street in the said borough and likewise from the said street into the said court and yard under the building called the Cupola for the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns for houses carriages goods and wares and merchandise is at all times during the term hereby granted which said passage to be 10 feet in height and eight feet in breath

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said messuage or dwellinghouse called the Swan Inn and the courtyard and stables behind the same with all and singular the appurtenauces until the said the Nathanial Tucker his executors administrators and assigns from henceforth for and during the term fourscore and 19 years fully to be completed and ended

IF they said Nathaniel Tucker aged about twenty eight years Sarah Tucker his wife aged about thirty four years and Sarah Tucker their daughter aged about three years or any or either of them shall happen so long to live

YIELDING and paying therefore yearly and every year during the said term unto the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns the rent or sum of 19 shillings of lawful money of Great Britain at two of the most usual feasts or days of payment of rent each year that is to say on the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Enunciation of the Blessing Virgin Mary by even and equal portions

AND ALSO yielding paying bearing and performing all others rents burdens duties customs and services due and payable or to be done and performed for and in respect of the said premises

AND LIKEWISE doing said service and attendance at all and every the court and courts of them the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns to beholden and kept at the Guildhall in and for their Manor of Bridgewater upon reasonable summons and warning thereof to be given and there to be swarn ruled pained ordered justified fined and amended for and in all things touching or concerning the said premises by the steward and jury of the said manor as other the tenants do or ought to do or have been accustomerd

AND the said Nathaniel Tucker for himself his executors administrators and assigns doth promise and agree to and with the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns that he said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns shall and will well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns the said yearly rents of nineteen shillings and pay and perform all other rents burthens duties suits and services due and payable or to be done and performed for and in respect of the said premises at such days and times and in such manner and form as the same are or ought to be paid done and performed according to the true intent and meaning of these presents

AND ALSO shall and will from time to time and at all times during the continuance of the present demise at his and their own proper costs and charges well and sufficiently repair uphold maintain support amend and keep all and singular they said demised promises and every part and parcel thereof in by and with all manner of needful and necessary reparations and amendments whatsoever there on or there about to be done when and as often as need shall require and at the end or other sooner determination of the said term and singular the same demised premises so well and sufficiently repaired and amended shall and will peaceably and quietly deliverer and yield up unto the sad mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns

PROVIDED always that if it shall happen the said yearly rent of nineteen shillings or the said other rents suits services and amenciaments account or any part of any of them shall be behind undone or unpaid by the space of twenty days next after any feast day or times whereon the same ought to be paid and observed in being lawfully demanded and required and no sufficient distress in or upon the sad demised premises can or may be found for levying the same with the arrears thereof if any shall happen to be

OR if the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns shall commit or do permit or suffer any manner of waste spoil or destruction to be committed or done in and upon the said premises or any part thereof to the value of twenty shillings or above or shall suffer the same to become ruinous and in decay to the like value and shall not amend repair or compound for the same with the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns within the space of three months next after notice thereof then and from thenceforth it shall and may be lawful to and for the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns into all the said demised premises with the appurtences to re-enter and the same to have again repurpose and enjoy as in their first and former estate these presents or in anything remain contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding

AND they said mayor aldermen and burgesses for themselves their successors and assigns do covenant and grant to and with the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns that be the said Nathaniel Tucker is executors administrators and assigns for by and under the rent covenants an agreements hearin before expressed and contained shall and lawfully may peaceably and quietly have hold and enjoy all the same herein before demised premises with their aappurtences during the term hereby granted without any manner or of let molestation trouble charge or denial of or by them the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns or of by any other person or persons whatsoever lawfully claiming or to claim by from or under them or any of them

AND ALSO that in case the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators and assigns shall at any time during the term hereby demised be inclinable to pull down the said massage or dwelling house and premises or any part thereof it shall and may be lawful for him and them so to do on condition of rebuilding the same at his and their own expense and that said premises may be used as an inn or otherwise at the option of the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators or assigns during the said term or any part thereof any thing herein before contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding

AND ALSO that on the death of the first of the persons on whose lives they said hereby demised premises now are had held an enjoyed he the said Nathaniel Tucker his executor administrators and assigns shall and may purchase the said demised premises for the life of another person to be by him or them named in the room of the life so first dying upon the payment of the sum of fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain unto the mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns as a purchase fine for adding of such life on the said premises

PROVIDED always that such purchase be made and a life added within the space of three months next after the death of the person so dying or at the next hall of the said mayor aldermen and burgesses their successors and assigns after the end of the set three months and that the other two lives on the said premises be living at the time of adding such life otherwise this agreement to be void anything herein contained to the country notwithstanding

IN WITNESS whereof to one part of these indentures the said mayor alderman and burgesses have caused their common seal to be set and to the other part the said Nathaniel Tucker have set his hand and set the day and year first above written

Thomas Holloway Mayor

Seal of the Borough of Bridgwater,

[Held on scraps of handwritten parchment]

Postscript

Sealed and delivered (the obligation in the ninth line, the tenth and thirty second lines and the erazures and obligations in the thirty sixth thirty seventh thirty eight and fortieth lines in the written deed being first made in the presence of [signed] Bryant and B.Poole(?) clerk to Mr Bryant.

Postscript

be it remembered that in order to alleviate all manner of doubts which may arise respecting the last clause in the written deed it is fully intent and agreed by the mayor alderman and burgesses the successors thereof, that the said Nathaniel Tucker his executors administrators or assigns shall be at Liberty to purchase and add a life in the premises within mentioned, on the death of either one of the lives within named and that the same is not confirmed to the said Nathaniel Tucker’s life or being the first person therein specified but is limited to either of the persons which shall first happen to die and no further

Thomas Holloway Mayor

1835 Corporation Property List