THE MINSTER LOVELL ESTATE 127 



The leaseholders originated in this way : when 

 the company was wound up, a value was placed 

 upon each holding and charged to the occupier ; the 

 sum that he had already paid was deducted, and the 

 interest at 4 per cent, on the balance became a 

 ground-rent. These ground rents were sold by 

 auction at the time of the sale, and have often 

 changed hands since.* 



None of the original holders are left ; some of 

 the descendants of the second lot, who came in at 

 the time of the sale, are to be found on the place. 



In 1889 (according to Mr. Ripley's evidence 

 given before the Inquiry on Small Holdings in that 

 year) the 80 holdings were being cultivated by 

 60 men. 



Of these, 21 owned 30 holdings, of which he 

 estimated 12 were freeholders and 9 were lease- 

 holders with a rent-charge. 



The largest holder had 11 acres ; when one man 

 held more than one holding, he would sublet the 

 extra cottages for 3 or 4, or use one as a 

 store, etc. 



* If a man buys subject to this rent-charge he is practi- 

 cally the owner, and cannot be turned out as long as the 

 charge is paid. It seems to have been of advantage to many 

 people to be able to buy these plots in this way, having, 

 perhaps, only from <50 to ^100 purchase-money to pay. 

 In some cases the owners of the rent-charge have offered to 

 sell it to the occupying owners, and several of them have 

 availed themselves of the offer. 



