Margate Valuation 1801 Notes

1. Margate Valuations 1801: Notes

Anthony Lee

A General Valuation of the lands and Tenements in the Parish of St John the Baptist, in the Isle of Thanet, made upon Actual Surveys, in the year 1801, with a view to an Equal Rate (upon their annual value) for the Relief of the Poor.

Manuscript Copy by Jane Edwards, with notes by Arthur Walton Rowe.

[Manuscript Copy]

Margate, Printed and sold by James Warren, stationer, Marine Parade, 1802.
Price 1s 6d to non-subscribers.

Notes by Arthur Walton Rowe

Scheme herein employed.

1. Lists of lands given as printed, and as a separate item.

2. As trades and occupations are not given, the names in this book have been compared with the directories of 1796 and 1811, and the trades, where likely, supplied from these sources. [The 1796 directory is probably the Universal British Directory, the 1796 printing being identical to the 1791 printing included here. The 1811 directory is presumably Holden’s Annual Directory of 1811, also included here.]

3. It is useless to transcribe or summarise the whole book. Women can rarely be traced in directories of this date, unless under the heading of gentry. Then there are scores of small people who do not appear in either directory, and whose ratings are so small that a glance at the “non-rated” column shows that it will be impossible to trace them. These are accordingly left out, and only the more important names, which can be traced, are recorded. These, then, form the list given herein.

4. The term “occupation” in left-hand column, is misleading. A large proportion of occupiers are really owners, for the same names occur over and over again. For instance, Jacob Sawkins has six houses in Union Crescent, and Stephen Bassett has five.

5. Both the directories (1796 and 1811) are full of miss-spellings. Christian names are by no means reliable; they are often not even given.

6. Cross references are used. There is a list of streets, in the same order as in the book, with the names found there, and a list of personal names, referring to streets and giving occupations. [These lists have not been included here, as the ability to search web pages has made them redundant]

7. A list of hotels and inns is given, with names of occupiers, and the amount at which they are rated. [This list has not been included here, as the ability to search web pages has made them redundant]

8. There is an alphabetical list of streets. [This list has not been included here, as the ability to search web pages has made them redundant]

Further Notes:

Names, Streets and Trades.

Many of the names occur several times, as they are those of owners and not actual occupiers. Comparatively few names can be traced as actually living in any given house, and the trades here indicated must of necessity remain somewhat problematical.

Rateable values are given in pounds sterling.

Notes to the Table of Annual Rateable Values, made by Arthur Wilton Rowe.

Note 1. This is probably the Mrs Cobb's house which was pulled down when the New Road was begun in 1808, See "Pict. of Margate" (non Oulton), 1809, pp 15-17.

Note 2. 1796, mariner: 1811, branch-pilot, Fort. Far more likely to be 1811, E.W. jun., carpenter, 'The Terrace', the man who in 1808 had already built a house there. See above guide p. 17.

Note 3. This is probably the gateway (now Thornton Bobby's) leading to the stables in 1852 map.

Note 4. Now Sandon and Rowe's. Walter married Miss Sproakling and the house belonged to her.

Note 5. Mrs Oldfield rented Grotto House in 1809. She was probably there in 1801. Grotto House and Gardens were for sale in 1824. Mrs Oldfield moved to Cecil Square in 1823, ? to Mrs Hills house in Square.

Note 6. Until 1799 New St. had no name.

Note 7. K.G. Dec. 21 1819 'Miss Silver dec. (Martha d. of Isaac and Martha). To be sold the furniture on the premises High St., opposite the Parade. This must refer to the No 1-4 block, for the houses at bottom of H. St. facing Parade, were wooden houses, and could not be rated at £26.We have never been able to find out where Isaac Silver's shop was. This looks like a solution.

Note 8. This must be the butcher's shop on the harbour resetment figured in Mercers MS. Map c. 1794 and shewn in G. Keate's picture.

Note 9. Refers to T. C.'s house in High St. Removed from Pier after 1808 storm. Though not in 1796 D., the camera and Cuthbert are mentioned in Z. Cozen's guide-book 1797, p. 77 'for many years'; so it must have been a going concern long before 1797.

Note 10. Farley E. boat builder, 1796.

Note 11. In 1793 Mrs and Miss Peacock had a school for girls at the Mansion.

Note 12. Adjoining corner house at Broad St. - Bridge St. angle. In K.P. 1754 and up to 1823 directory, but not in 1833.

Note 13. Kennard is probably Vincent Kennard, the well known packet-master, in 1796 D.

Note 14. Shows Francis II did not live at Foley House. House originally two buildings. On the staircase is a quarry built into wall with D.T. 1730 incised on it. This must have been originally the outer wall of Foley house before the adjoining cottage was thrown into it.

Note 15. Refers to Faulkner's chapel. First lease 1682. A few years before 1780 Coleman had built his school there. Faulkner leased it as a chapel in 1804. Coleman preached there on Sundays.

Note 16. In 1801 V.B. Crescent Pl. appears to be upper part of Trapham's Lane on W side. In 1801 West Crescent is the equivalent for Crescent Pl. of 1811 and 1821 map - the 7 houses approached by flight of steps.

Note 17. In 1811 there were 2 forges in Trapham's Lane - Robert Hutchinson and Lavinia Mummery

Note 18. See Note 16. Seven houses in 1821 Map. West Crescent only found in 1801 V. B.

Note 19. Used by Mrs. Bryan as a school in 1796; for sale July 23 1807; 2 houses lately forming one. It looks like a temporary name for part of Northumberland House. Mrs Bryan can only be traced from 1792-1796.

Note 20. In my original water colour by J. R. Smith jun. dated 1805, the three types of mill are shown as a group. Mills must have changed hands about 1801, for in R. B. 1801 Messrs Pilcher are assessed for horizontal wind, post, and smock mills. In 1796 Mr Hooper in Crescent Pl. is assessed for house, yard, and these mills.

Note 21. We do not know the exact year when Mrs Peacock moved from The Mansion to Dane Hill House, but in 1800 (K.G.) there was a sale of furniture at D.H.H. which can hardly be Mrs Peacock's; so it is probable that she moved there after the sale in 1800.

Note 22. Earliest reference in deeds is 1729, and he always witnessed them himself. The signature is peculiar, and is always the same, but it gets shaky in later deeds.

Note 23. The position of Bloxhams stables is not clear. In 1821 map some shed-like structures are seen in front of E. end of Garden Row on the Green. Also in 1852 map. In 1821 map these seems to be a stable behind the houses as well.

Note 24. Bloxham's Yard appears to have been behind Garden Row. Not shown on any map.

Note 25. If this be No. 16, the stables would be reached through the archway, where A. T. Bobby's music shop now is.

Note 26. How could there be two houses adjoining the corner house?

Note 27. Back of houses in Addington St., opposite the theatre. On 1821 map. The print of theatre, dated 1804, was taken 'from an eligible field opposite'.

Note 28. John C., originally of St. Lawrence, came to Margate, and died there in 1794. Buried in St. John's Ch. Yd. This must have been his widow. John C. the first must have built Carroway's Row.

Note 29. 1801 Val. Bk. The only reference so far. Same as Churchfield Cottages of today, and of the 1852 map. No name on 1821 map. In 1801 only 4 cottages: the same as today.

Note 30. But for the rate-books this would be a complete enigma. The Val. Bk. puts it under Prospect Place, but the R.B. for 1801 shows that it was at the end of Prince's Crescent. Only 3 non-rated houses. The builder is unknown. Possibly Thomas Hurst, shipwright in 1796. The name only occurs in the V.B., and we do not even know if the houses still exist. In any case, the name was a transient one, as is so often the case.

Note 31. George Street not in rate book, nor anywhere else, so far as I can discover. Dr. Akenhead appears in Rate Book in 1799 at the end of Prospect Place. The houses occupied by him and the widow Gammon appear under Prospect Place. Only two houses.

Note 32. In the Act of 1799, p.32 'Part of the ground in front of and belonging to certain messes on the West side of Long Mill Lane, in the several occupation of Dr Robert Akenhead, Stephen Gammon, and Valentine Simmons,' Akenhead Place, 1809,Austin Sale, K.G. Clearly a later name for George St.

Note 33. Only 3 houses shown in 1801. Named on 1821 map and 7 cottages shown, but only 6 on 1852 map. Name in Rate Book in 1870. Merged in Dorset Place in 1870. The three occupiers cannot be traced in directories.

Note 34. It is worth noting that only two houses are given in the Dane at this date and that both of them are non-rated.

Note 35. Three houses only, all non-rated. There were Union Place and Upper Union Place in 1852 map, but they do not show on 1821 map; so Uniform Row cannot relate to them.