Lord of Chesham Manor Indenture

CHSSM:E875
(1764)
34cm x 34cm

This indenture (legal document) details an application to the Court of the Manor of
Chesham Higham by George Brooks and Mary Blacknell. This was regarding the rent
of a cottage in ‘Amey Lane’, Chesham, from the Cavendish estate.

Lady Elizabeth and Lord Richard Cavendish, as Lords of Manor, were hereditary
landowners and owned most of the town. They were deeply paternalistic of those
living in Chesham; applications had to be made to the court of the manor to rent
homes in the area.

Made from animal-derived material, likely vellum, this item has buckled due to
humidity. Documents made using this material, when kept in the right conditions, can
last thousands of years.