| Administrative History | This series of deeds mainly concerns small plots of land at Old Meadow, Chequer Closes and Cowsley Field on the eastern edge of Derby near Chaddesden, and documents the piecemeal enclosure of the large common fields from the seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century. Small strips of arable or pasture, called 'lands', 'leys' or 'selions', were enclosed under licence from the Borough of Derby (to be held thenceforth 'in severalty', i.e. owned by one individual) and sold or exchanged in order to build up blocks of privately-owned land. The deeds give details of the exact boundaries of each strip or close.
The deeds in this collection refer to lands inherited or purchased by Thomas Wast of Derby, tobacconist, and William King of Derby, both of whom left wills in the 1740s devising substantial property to members of the Mellor family. Wast and King bought land from a number of individuals and institutions, including from the trustees of the Liversage charity in the parish of St Peter, Derby. |
| Custodial History | The provenance of these deeds is unknown. They were formerly labelled 'Ancient title deeds belonging to Rev T V Mellor', and were accessioned in February 1963. Many of the deeds have numbers on them, but they are in no logical sequence. The documents have been artificially arranged in date order. |