A history of Castle Vale, Castle Bromwich & the surrounding areas
When I found the three Victorian agricultural catalogues pertaining to Castle Bromwich on eBay recently, I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Some genuine, tangible documents relating to auctions held in Castle Bromwich almost 150 years ago. I really didn’t think it could get much better than that. I had no idea that moments later I’d stumble across this fabulous work of art. It’s an indenture dating from 1650 & written on vellum. It details the proposed marriage of a resident of Castle Bromwich, Henry Wright, to a lady named Francis Perkins. It’s taken me days to decipher the words in the document & I’ve had lots of help from friends on Facebook & Twitter, including the wonderful Suzannah Lipscomb who deciphered many words & phrases & also gave me some tips on how to get to grips with the writing. The content is absolutely fascinating and it describes a cottage and land in Castle Bromwich with named fields that will hopefully allow me to research & locate where it would’ve once stood. Still lots of research to do in that respect though. It also mentions lots of names, some of which you may already be familiar with. Robert Arden is one that immediately jumped out at me, but the Sadler & Chattock names might also ring a few bells, so to speak (I believe the Sadler name is engraved on one of the bells in St Mary & St Margarets church). Written 372 years ago for certain residents of Castle Bromwich, this document ended up in Surrey over 3 centuries later. But now it’s back where it began it’s life, in Castle Bromwich. The language is old & in some parts, difficult to understand, but I’d you’d like to take a look at what it says without zooming in and squinting, I’ll include a rough translation of the entire document now. A truly remarkable piece of the villages history 
“This indenture made the thirteenth day of January in the year of our lord God according to the computation of the Church of England one thousand six hundred and fifty between Francis Wright of Castle Bromwich in the parish of Aston juxta Birmingham and County of Warwick yeoman and Henry Wright of Birmingham in the said County of Warwick son and heir apparent of the said Francis of the one party and John Walderne the elder of Castle Bromwich aforesaid yeoman and Edward Piggott of Castle Bromwich aforesaid yeoman of the other party witness that as well in consideration of a marriage by the permission of Almighty God shortly to be had and solemnised between the said Henry Wright and Francis Perkins of Birmingham aforesaid widow and for a jointure to be had and provided for the said Francis Perkins if the fortune to overlive the said Francis Wright Mary Wright his wife and the said Henry Wright and for a jointure also to be had and provided for the said Mary Wright if the fortune to over live the said Francis Wright her husband is also for other good causes and consideration the said Francis Wright and Henry Wright here unto especially moving they the said Francis Wright and Henry Wright with full assent and consent have granted in feoffed delined and confirmed and by these present do grant infeoff deliver and confirm unto the said John Walderne and Edward Piggott their heirs and assignees all that cottage or tenement with the appurtenances wherein the said Francis Wright does now inhabit and dwell together with all houses barns stables edifices buildings gardens orchards and backsides there to belonging or appertaining and also one croft or parcel of land with the appurtenances lying on the backside or near adjoining to the said cottage for tenement and with said cottage or tenement and premises are situated lying and being together in Whateley End in Castle Bromwich aforesaid between the lane leading into the Hurst field the said Hurst field the land late of Robert Arden Esquire deceased the land sometimes Thomas Sadlers and the common road way there at or near about all parts thereof and also all that croft close or parcel of land with the appurtenances called or known by the name of the Ichmore land lying and being in the hamlet or lordship of Castle Bromwich aforesaid adjoining to a common lane there leading from Castle Bromwich aforesaid to or towards Water Orton and two a croft on ground there called Ferny Crofts and also all those three lands seliones or rudges of arable land containing by estimation one acre of land be they more or less lying and being in a common field in Castle Bromwich aforesaid called the Hern field between the land of or in the tenure of Francis Sadler on the one side and the land of Thomas Cowper on the other side and all his said cottage or tenement and premises are now in the tenure or occupation of the said Francis Wright his assignee or assignees or by whatsoever other name or names bounds boundaries or certainties the said premises or any part thereof are or maybe better called known bounded or distinguished and also all and all manner of woods and trees ways waters common privileges commodities hades meeres balkes doles hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever of in upon or to the said cottage or tenement and premises or any part thereof belonging or in any ways appertaining or there with used occupied or enjoyed to have and to hold all and singular the said above granted meant or mentioned to be granted cottage or tenement croft closes or parcels of land arable land and premises with the appurtenances unto the said John Walderne and Edward Piggott their heirs and assignees forever to and for the only use uses intents and purposes here in here after limited expressed and declared and to or for none other use uses intents or purposes whatsoever that is to say to and for the only soul proper and absolute use and behoof of the said Francis Wright and his assignees for and during the term of his natural life and from and after the decease of the said Francis Wright then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the said Mary Wright and her assignees for and during the term of her natural life for and in lieu of a jointure for her the said Mary and from and after the decease of them the said Francis Wright and Mary Wright and the longest liver of them then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the said Henry Wright and his assignees for and during the term of the natural life of the said Henry and from and after the decease of them the said Francis Wright Mary and Henry Wright and the longest liver of them then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the said Francis Perkins and her assignees for and during the term of her natural life for and in lieu of a jointure for her the said Francis and from and after the decease of them the said Francis Wright Mary his wife Henry Wright and Francis Perkins and the longest liver of them then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the heirs males of the body of the said Henry Wright on the body of the said Francis Perkins lawfully begotten or to be begotten and in default of such issue then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the heirs of the body of the said Henry Wright lawfully begotten and to be begotten and in default of such issue then to the only sole and proper use and behoof of the heirs of the body of the said Francis Wright on the body of the said Mary lawfully begotten and in default of such issue then to the only sole proper and absolute use and behoof of the heirs of the body of the said Francis Wright lawfully begotten or to be begotten and in default of such issue then to the only sole and proper use and behoof of the right heirs of the said Henry Wright forever and to or for none other use uses intents or purposes whatsoever and the said Francis Wright and Henry Wright for themselves and their heirs all and singular the said cottage or tenement crofts closes parcels of land arable land and premises and every part and parcel there of with the appurtenances unto them the said John Walderne and Edward Piggott and their heirs to and for all and every the above mentioned use uses and behoofs against them the said Francis Wright and Henry Wright their and either of their heirs shall and will warrant and defend forever by those present and the said Francis Wright for himself his heirs executors and administrators and for every of them and for the said Mary his wife does covenant and grant to and with the said Henry Wright and his heirs by these present that they the said Francis Wright and Mary and either of them respectively shall and will at all times during their lives and the life of the longest liver of them the said Francis Wright and Mary maintain and keep the said cottage house barn and all buildings to the same belonging in good repair and order and as much as in them or either of them lieth preserve all and every the trees growing upon the said premises from cutting or striking down but only of decayed trees to be employed for firing in the said premises and other trees when need requires only for repairing of the said cottage barn and buildings in witness whereof the parties first above named to these present indentures interchangeably their hands and seals have put the day and year first above written”
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