Snowes Messuage (Holly/Folly Farm)
Assuming that, like most properties from this time, it was named after the family that lived here then this takes us back into the mid-1500s where the surname Snowe appears in a number of documents for Norton. Although this is prior to the still surviving parish records these other documents help paint a picture of the family across several generations.
In the sixteenth century the clergy were ordered to teach the Ten Commandments, the Apostles Creed and the Lords Prayer and examine their parishioners on them four times a year whilst enquiry’s were made at the visitation as to whether the people knew them or not. At such a visitation to Norton, in 1551, Thomas Snowe of Norton, was cited for being ignorant of the Commandments, and was ordered to come back and recite them in four weeks’ time. At this time Sir Robert Smale appears to have been the curate at Norton although in 1563 a John Snowe was churchwarden; perhaps this was the same person or a relative.
Gloucester Diocesan records from 1572 refer to the name Snow again. It is recorded that Robert Hollie “keepeth away church goodes viz a table cloth and 2 towelles on Nov 3. He has to appear on Saturday next with the churchwardens”. “John Allard and John Snowe was with him upon the sundaie before the first serveyce dyd mowe. Nov 3 - Allard appeared and confessed and his lordship enjoined him penance in the public market of Gloucester and to declare his offence on the following Sunday. Nov 8 – Snowe was enjoined a similar penance. Nov 10 – Allard certified in writing his performance of his penance”.
A testamentary deposition from December 1602 records amongst its deponents an Anne Snowe, wife of John Snowe, senior, husbandman, of Norton, who had been born at Churchdown and was then aged 60.
In 1608, the Right Honourable Henry, Lord Berkeley, instigated a survey of the County of Gloucestershire recording details of all “…the able and sufficient men in body fitt for his Ma’ties service in the warrs…”. The list of these persons from Norton included another John Snowe who was a husbandman. He “…sheweth the age… to be about fforty…” and was of “…middle stature fitt to make a musketyer”. A date of birth for this John Snowe of about 1568 would suggest that he may have been the son of John and Anne Snow referred to in the previous deposition.
On 30 December 1632, Elizabeth, daughter of John Snow, was baptised at St Mary’s, Norton, and on 24 November 1639, Sarah, daughter of John Snow, was baptised here.
At the General Sessions of the Peace for the City of Gloucester, Epiphany 1643, the overseers of Norton were ordered to pay Elinor Snow, a poor widow, all her arrears and 16d weekly henceforth.
In April 1644 an inquest was held to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Sarah, the 4 year old daughter of Eleanour Snow, a widow, of Norton. A jury of Thomas Merry, William Ballenger, Richard Okey, Robert George, Daniel Butt, John Symonds, William Fleetwood, John Berrow, William Farmer, Robert Farmer, Thomas Church and Samuel Butt reported to the coroner Denis Wise. The Jurors on their oaths say that on 4th April 1644 at about 5 o’clock in the afternoon Sarah Snow by misfortune fell into a ditch at Barton and was drowned. The Jurors say that Sarah Snow was drowned by misfortune and not otherwise to their knowledge.
Orders at General Sessions of the Peace for the City of Gloucester, Translation of St Thomas [7 July] 1650, ordered the overseers of Norton to place John Snow and Eleanor Snow in service and ease their father-in-law [stepfather] George Mace of their keep. Orders at General Sessions of the Peace for the City of Gloucester, Michaelmas 1650, ordered William Ballenger, yeoman, of Norton to take Eleanor Snowe, daughter-in-law [step-daughter] of George Mace of Norton as an apprentice and ordered John Butt, yeoman, of Norton take John Snowe, son-in-law [step-son] of George Mace of Norton as an apprentice. Orders at General Sessions of the Peace for the City of Gloucester, Epiphany 1650, ordered John Butt of Norton take Edmund Holder, son of Edmund Holder deceased, as apprentice and be released from an order to take John Snowe as his apprentice. Ordered William Ballinger be discharged from an order to take Eleanor Snowe, daughter-in-law [step-daughter] of George Mace of Norton as his apprentice. Ordered Thomas Sessions, yeoman, of Norton, to take John Snowe, son-in-law [step-son] of George Mace as his apprentice. Ordered the churchwardens and overseers of Norton pay 2s weekly for the maintenance of Eleanor Snowe until she is placed forth. Orders at General Sessions of the Peace for the City of Gloucester, Easter 1651, ordered that the tenant of Mr Raynton of the parsonage of Norton pay 40s towards the apprenticeship of John Snow within one month or the churchwardens will deduct it from the tithes due to Mr Raynton.
There are no further references to the Snowe family at Norton after this date.
Benjamin Butt is the next identified owner of this property. Baptised at Norton on 2 November 1680, son of Thomas Butt, Benjamin died in 1718 leaving a widow, Margaret, and a married daughter Martha, wife of John Smith, and it was Robert Marston who submitted an inventory of Benjamin’s possessions upon his death.
The indenture dated 29 November 1727 that first refers to Snowes Messuage by name appears to be when Robert Marston took on the property after Benjamin Butt’s death, paying £120. The property was described as; “all that messuage or the tenement with the appurtenances belonging situate and lying and being in Bishops Norton aforesaid … late in the tenure and occupation of Benjamin Butt and now of Robert Marston … tenement called or known now or heretofore by the name of Snowes Messuage”. The indenture details the land associated with the property which is largely on Wainlode Hill around Hill Farm and leading towards Wainlode.
An indenture of 10 January 1735 details that Robert Marston and Hester his wife borrowed £100 from Ann Farmer of Gloucester on a mortgage against the property.
A further indenture of 26 March 1748 refers to the property as either Holly or Folly Farm. John Smith, yeoman, and his wife Martha, late of Deerhurst but then of Apperley, released the property to Robert Marston for £250. Martha Smith was described as being the sole daughter and heir of Benjamin Butt, yeoman of Bishops Norton. There were actually two plots of land near to the site of Hill Farm in 1806, plot no 15 Holly Perry and plot no 36 Folly Piece which loosely support the theory that Snowes Messuage was in this area.
On 24 June 1765 Samuel Farmer assigned the mortgage of £367 10s on the property to William Pearce of Hayden, near Staverton. Samuel Farmer was an apothecary of Gloucester city and was named in the will of Ann Farmer, widow of Gloucester. Robert Marston was the nephew of Ann Farmer, on his father’s side, and was also devisee of Mary Phillips, widow and late of Gloucester.
The Gloucester Journal newspaper of 14 November 1785 advertised the sale of this property.
“To be sold by private contract an estate situate at Bishops Norton; consisting of a farm house, barns, stables, and other conveniences necessary for the occupation of a farm, in good repair, together with upwards of 70 acres of arable land, meadow and pasture ground. The estate is in good condition, well planted with fruit trees, and lies about three miles from Gloucester and six from Tewkesbury. A purchaser may enter upon the farm immediately. Also two cottages with gardens and orchards thereto belonging situate in Bishops Norton aforesaid. For a view of the premises apply to Mr Robert Marston, or Mr William Marston, at Bishops Norton, and for further particulars to Messrs Delabere and Markham in Cheltenham”.
On 29 September 1795 Robert Marston sold the property to William Butt for £1000.
At the time of the 1806 Inclosure Act the property known as Snowes Messuage was Plot No 20, house, barn, &c of 25 perches, and was still owned by William Butt.
On 30 November 1822 William Butt Snr was living at Wallsworth Hall, Sandhurst, when he wrote an extensive will. He bequeathed to his son Henry Butt of Alstone, Cheltenham, and his son in law Samuel Butt of Standish, who were also named as the executors; “all and singular my freehold and leasehold messuages, farms, lands, tenements, tythes, compositions for tythes, and other hereditaments and premises situate lying and being in the several parishes of Sandhurst, Norton and Tewkesbury …”. Unfortunately, he provides no more detail of the properties. The Butt family is complicated to piece together at this time with lots of apparent marriages between related Butts. William had a son Samuel and also a son in law Samuel who was married to his daughter Hannah and he refers to both throughout the will. The will was proved on 24 May 1828.
On 25 March 1829 Samuel and Henry Butt sold the property to Edward Webb and into the Norton Court Estate. At the time Samuel, William’s son in law, was a gentleman of Standish, Henry a gentleman of Alstone near Cheltenham and Edward Webb Esq of Adwell, Oxon. It was described as; “all that messuage wherein Robert Marston formerly lived with the outbuildings, yard, garden and appurtenances thereto adjoining and being situate lying and being in Bishops Norton in the parish of Norton containing 25p or thereabouts and late in the possession of the said William Butt aforementioned.”
It has not proved possible to positively identify the occupants of this property again, however, in 1841 and 1851 John King, an agricultural labourer born at Tirley in 1785, and his wife Sarah, born at Hasfield in 1790 were living at a property called Hill House in the area of Butts Farm (now Court Farm) and Hill Farm. In 1838 John King and Richard Leach were living in cottages and gardens ‘opposite tithe barn” and this may refer to Snowes Messuage.
In 1848 the property appears to have belonged to Upper Farm (Court Farm), late in the occupation of Samuel Butt and most of the land associated with it had been taken into Upper Farm by this date. In a document detailing the particulars of the farm there is Plot No 40 of 25 perches that likely equates to Snowes Messuage and this was described as being “house, sheds and yard”. This suggests that there was still a residence on the site but unfortunately no occupant was recorded with the particulars.
An undated document that appears to date from approximately 1860 records the particulars of the Norton Court Estate, then in the occupation of James Goodrich. Court Farm was in the occupation of another William Butt at this time and amongst the properties associated with the farm we find Plot No 40, still of 25 perches, described as barnyard and buildings. There is no suggestion that there was a dwelling on site or that anyone was still living here then so perhaps this is when it ceased to be occupied as a residence.
There were still buildings on this site into the 1970s but they were farm buildings associated with Hill Farm and not residential. The site is now clear of any buildings.
