Description:Property in Lichfield was extremely important to the Leveson-Gower family. In addition to the political potential of owning property in the area, Lichfield formed a considerable part of the family's estates in Staffordshire and tenants brought in a significant amount of revenue for the Estate.
Amongst the many documents relating to Lichfield is an annotated list of the property owned by Lord Gower in Lichfield in the early nineteenth century. The document provides a list of the streets in Lichfield on which The Marquis of Stafford owned property, a description of this property and the names of the occupying tenants. Notes on the tenants and their leases tell us whether property was freehold or burgage, and provide details about people living in Lichfield during this period.
Residential Properties
Robert Green and Thomas Riley both leased a house and garden on Beacon Street in Lichfield. Mistress Francis Bayley occupied a house and also leased a ‘stable’ and ‘gig house’ on Beacon Street in the early nineteenth century.
The Leveson-Gowers also owned property on Gay Lane. Thomas Brown and Herbert Mark occupied a ‘Small Building & garden’ there near to Joseph Borell who leased a ‘House Shop & Garden’ paying an annual rent of eight pounds and eight shillings.
Beacon Street and Sandford Street were amongst the earliest suburbs in Lichfield which had been established in the Middle Ages. They expanded during the nineteenth century with all but Beacon Street becoming areas of artisan housing built in terraces and courts.
To learn more about properties in Lichfield during this period, click
on the images on the left.
Contextual Information From: 'Lichfield: The 19th century', A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 14: Lichfield (1990), pp. 24-32. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42338.