After Henry Davison died in 1658 his wife Anne continued to live in Pitts place (Freshford Manor) and is shown in the 1665 Hearth tax returns residing here probably with her son Joseph and their family. Her daughter Elizabeth Ashe, also now a widow, is shown living at her mansion adjoining Freshford Mill. How times have changed for she is shown paying rent to Elizabeth for her house and 209 acres of land. She finally dies almost 90 years old, in 1670 and is buried with her husband at Freshford. Unlike his father Joseph receives little inheritance and though living at Pitts Place (Freshford Manor) for 88 years he only has life interest in the property and pays £120 a year rent for the house and lands to Mary Ashe (John Ashes granddaughter). Towards the end of his life it is Anthony Methuen who receives his rent after buying the Estate from Mary with almost all of Freshford for £3,500. It is the Methuen's who continue building on John Ashes business, but it is now based in Bradford and not Freshford. The village seems to go into a slump with its members paying their rents to absent landlords. Joseph Davison's name first appears on a Deed in 1647 when his Father Henry mortgages his house and lands to Paul Methuen and John Curl. In the document Henry promises the lands to Joseph. The document is extremely interesting for it describes the property as " All that Capital Messuage, Backside, orchard and garden together with a barn, stable and one other dwelling house there unto adjoining totalling four acres". There are over 200 acres of land and houses that are included with names such as Woodwyck, Tyneing, Sharpestone and Hayes woods that are still used today. When Anthony Davison comes into possession of the Estate in 1715 it is exactly the same. Shortly afterwards he sells on the House and 4 acres to the Haywards and rents out the land. Joseph Davison is never referred to as a Clothier and seems to have sublet his Estate. He probably lived quite comfortably, as his wife was Joanna Bluet, daughter of Colonel Francis Bluet who was a wealthy landowner living at Holcombe Rogus in Devon. Her Father had fought on the Royalist side in the siege of Lyme Regis in 1644. He was not a popular leader for when his body was returned during a lull in the fighting it was found to have two bullet holes in his back. The Davisons had one son (John) and four daughters (Elizabeth, Anna, Frances and Rachel). Frances Davison married John Yerbury (1628-1728) and must have received a large marriage settlement for Rev. W.H. Jones in his book on Bradford remarks that the Yerbury's added to their means and position by this marriage in 1703. For Frances Yerbury' s son was to end up building the magnificent Belcombe Court just outside Bradford upon A von. Both Joseph and Joanna live to fine old ages and die within a year of each other. There is a mention in a will dated 1720 of their son John who is left a tankard, but at this stage little is known about him and it must be assumed that he had left the village as Pitts Place is sold in 1716 on the death of Joseph by the Methuen' s. A branch of the family rent a house and workshops by the river and have enjoyed a good living fishing the river. That is until Anthony Methuen buys most of the village in 1712 and accuses them of stealing his fish. This petty dispute ends up in a Court Case -Methuen v. Davison in 1713. Fortunately amongst the Corsham Papers the evidence both sides used has survived and it paints a wonderful picture of the village at that time, with many of its inhabitants giving evidence. It seems that The Methuen' s believed that they bought the fishing fights with the village, whilst John and Mary Davison had been fishing the river for many years without interference as the owner Mary Ashe was living in France. Amazingly it is an old deed found by Joseph Davison behind some Wainscoting in Freshford Manor showing the fishing rights went with ownership of the Manor that wins the day. Eventually both sides agree to fish separate parts of the river. Mary goes on to live until 1732 and her daughter Mary dies in 17 60, after which time there is no more mentions in the Parish Records of one of Freshford's most important families,