Copyholders

In 1614, the gentry of the village of Cottingham, some 10 in number at that time, bought the Rights of the Lords of the Manor on a copyhold basis. Copyhold is a way of holding land and property based on manorial records. Copyholders were responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property and had the freedom to sell it if they so wished. These rights could not be infringed by any outsiders, including the Lord of the Manor. 

The Copyholders had a marked influence in the development of the local communities in Cottingham and Middleton including the building of the villages’ first school in Middleton in 1766 and, in 1854, installation of iron water pipes and pumps to channel the natural spring water prevalent in the villages.

The 1890 to 1914 Kelly’s Directories list the copyholders as Lords of the Manor.

This photograph shows the Cottingham and Middleton copyholders gathering for their annual dinner in the early 1900s. The photo was taken behind the old Exeter Arms pub in Middleton, which was half way down Main Street.

Village water supply

In 1854, the Copyholders installed iron pipes and pumps to provide a water supply for the village, fed from the spring above Water Lane.

To commemorate the event, the above stone tablet was installed in the wall above the pump at the wellhead, that used to stand on the corner of Corby Road. The words and numbers were originally made of lead pegged into the stone.

In 1884, 12 households in Cottingham and nine in Middleton paid one shilling to have a home tap installed. The price increased to five shillings in 1919 when the Copyholders borrowed money to put in new galvanised pipes to improve the system.

By 1934, a small number of water closets were operated from the Copyholders’ supply and, in 1937, money collected for the use of water was £10 for Cottingham and £8 for Middleton. 

Mains water wasn’t installed in the village until 1957!

The Copyholders today

Well into the 20th century, legal documents recorded villagers occupying their homes as ‘copyhold or customary tenants of the manor of Cottingham’ and, as recently as 1933, it was the custom for the names of all the Copyholders to be called out in the main street, for all to hear!

Cottingham still has Copyholders, with the title having been passed down through families, although the title is more honorary nowadays. The Copyholders own New Haw field, which is located at the junction of the A427 and A6003, and rent from this field is used to support village causes.

With thanks to Colin Bradshaw and Mike Curtis for this information