Charmouth: Newlands

Newlands is an area on the east of the village known for a large carvan site which occupies part of the hamlet today. But in former times it was separate to the village and had its own Manor House, which originally formed part of Stonebarrow Manor House. The earliest mention of Newlands is in the Cartulary that can still be seen at Forde Abbey and was kept by the monks when they owned the village from 1170 until the dissolution in 1539. These references have been deciphered by Stephen Hobbs and are detailed below:
?1275x1291
Grant by William le Debonare (Debonere) to William de la Beere for his homage and service of Newlands (la Nywelond). Rent 1 mark at Easter, saving royal service due from a free tenement within the manor of Charmouth (Cerne-mue). Consideration 12 marks. Witnesses: Robert de Wootton (Wodeton'), William de la Wyle (Wile). Walter de la Wyle (Wile), Robert de Cotley (Cuttehegh), Robert de Anstey (Anestie), Stephen Pain (Payn'), Roger de Yard (Yrde), Walter de Luveney (Luveny), Richard Gardener (de Gardino).
1291x 1297
Confirmation in the form of a chirograph by brother William, abbot of Forde, of 58 made by William le Debonare (Debonere), who was once tenant of Newlands (la Niwelond) in the manor of Charmouth (Cernemue). Although by that deed William de la Beere has been declared quit of all suit of court and is bound to pay a rent of 1 mark, he will now pay 10s in equal portions on quarter days and owe suit of court twice a year to the court of Charmouth (Cernemue) on Monday after Hockday (le Hockeday) and Monday after Michaelmas. Witnesses: Robert de Wootton (Wodeton'), Peter de Eastham (Estham), Henry de Hawkwell (Hakewell), Richard Long (le Lung), William de Clavile.
William was abbot in the period 1291-7: nos. 1, 11, 59, 65, 477.
Before 1291
Grant in free alms by William de la Berne (Bern), son of Geoffrey de la Berne, to the a. and c. of Forde as 58.
Witnesses: Robert de Wootton (Wodeton'), Ralph de Rocheford, knights, William de Clavile, Nicholas Beysin, Robert de Cotley (Cutteheie), Richard Pain (Payn), William de Catelebruge (Cadelburg').
Mid 13th cent.
Grant by Geoffrey Debonare (le Bonere) to Robert de Lewcombe (Leucumba) for his homage and service of a croft of land called Brodefurlong in Geoffrey's tenement of Newlands (la Nywelond) together with the meadow in that said croft beside the water of Cerne on the south side, and a croft called la Novele which lies on the left side of the road; also all the land and moor on the same side of the road bounded by the ditch running south from the corner of la Novele [Shovele in 62] up to the highway, then along the road descending south as far as the bridge of Cerne and from the bridge along the stream ascending from the other side of Cerne; also all the land and moor up to the corner of la Brodefurlong' beside the water of Cerne and one plot of land in Stretfurlong bounded by the ditch which starts at the head of the said furlong and runs south to the highway, then eastwards along the ditch as far as the head of la Novele, then along a line through the middle of la Novele southwards to the said highway; and all that meadow called Colemed' bounded around by a ditch. Rent 6d at Easter; assignment to Jews is forbidden. Consideration 100s.
Witnesses: Robert de Wootton (Wudetun'), William de la Berne (Bern), Walter de Luveney (Luveny), Robert de Cotley (Cuteh'), Peter de Buvewode tBuwnd).
The references to Stephen and Richard Paine are interesting as they were Lords of the Manor at the adjoining village of Catherston. It was a descendant Jane, daughter and heir of William Payne who married William, son of Sir John Wadham of Merifield (died 1452) . The Wadhams were to continue to live at Catherston Manor until c.1600 when they sold it to Sir John Jeffrey of Hampton whose magnificent memorial can still be seen today at nearby Whitchurch Canonicorum Church.
After the dissolution, Newlands reverted to the Crown and in 1564 Queen Elizabeth sold Charmouth and the adowson of Newland to Robert and William Caldwell for just £25.5s1d. But they were only to own it briefly as they sold it on to Sir William Petre in the same year. His son John, sold the Manor to William Pole of Shute, Near Axminster in 1575. It is interesting to note that his son, the Antiquarian, Sir William Pole, conveyed Newlands to William Wadham of Catherston in 1590. But nine years later the family were to sell it with the Manor of Catherston to Sir John Jeffrey.
The Jeffreys who lived in nearby Catherston Manor were in the year 1649 to sell it to Anthony Ellesden, whose family were very influential in the history of Lyme Regis, where they had been Mayors a number of times. It was his son William who had purchased the village of Charmouth a year previously from Sir John Pole of Shute. His heir, Anthony was to unite the two parts of the village. He was to have no children and was to leave his estates to his nephew, Richard Ellesden Henvill when he died in 1737. Richard`s mother Mary, had married Richard Henvill of Lower Looke, near Abbotsbury, who had been High Sheriff of Dorset in 1723. It was he who had bought the adjoining village of Catherston in 1669.
It would seem for awhile that all three estates would be owned by the Henvill family. In the 1754 Poor Rates Richard Henvill Esq is shown as paying 4d for Mabells (Newlands). There are a number of references in the Parish records in the 17th and 18th centuries to the family who farmed the estate called Mabell, and there is a will in the Dorset Record Office to an Edward Mabell who died in 1699. He is also shown in 1664 paying Hearth Tax on his house with 3 chimneys, which may well have been the building now known as Stonebarrow Manor.
But by 1783 all the Estates were sold by Francis Phipps Henvill to clear debts he had ammased. Cathertson was bought by William Drewe of New Inn, London, Charmouth by James Warden and the Rev. Brian Coombes.
Newlands was purchased by Mr. Samuel Coade (1724-1808), a merchant of Lyme Regis. He lived at Belmont,(Silver Street in Lyme Regis) and in 1784 he transfered this house to his niece, Eleanor Coade (1733-1821) who gave it an elaborate Coade stone decoration. She was the owner from 1769 of an artificial stone manufactory in Lambeth who devised a formula to mass-produce architectural embellishments and statuary of the highest quality. More recently Belmont was home to world-famous author, John Fowles, author of The French Lieutenant's Woman .
The 1798 Land tax records show Newlands under Catherston Manor with Francis Dennere renting it from Samuel Coade. He also owns "Thomas's Common" in Charmouth where he is paying 8s. land tax. The document also shows Ann and Eleanor Coade owning property in the village.
Samuel was very rich, owning a number of properties in the area around Lyme Regis. When he died in 1808 aged 84 he left his wealth to his nieces Eleanor and Mary Tozer, who was the daughter of his sister Margaret who had married in 1745, Aaron Tozer at Exeter. It is Mary Tozer who is to inherit Newlands from her Uncle and is shown in 1830 Pigots Directory under the heading of Gentry for the village.