Norwalk

"At a number of different times after this, until 1837. the claimants met in Xew York, appointed committees, drafted resolutions, and subscribed money to carry the busi- ness of recovery into effect, without accomplishing anything of importance. The excite- ment dying away soon after the return i.rf the said claimants, so that commonly the money subscribed was not paid in, and in one or two instances when paid in was embezzled or lost. Thus the business remained until 1837, when Charles Lemon, of Troy, went as agent for the claimants to England, where he arrived on the 9th of February of said year. He commenced his search at the Office of Wills in Doctor Commons; then at the Enroll- ment Office ; the Chancellor's Office; the Office of Commissioners of Woods and Forests; these were all applied to without meeting anything of importance to the claimants. He called upon Wm. Briggs, Steward to the Lord of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead (the same as before mentioned), but he refused to let the records be seen, or give anv extracts from the.n, until he was satisfied of his authority to make such inquiry, accompanied with show of title. As a consequence of his inquiries, he was directed to a man by the name of Perkins, who lived as foreman on the farm of Mr. Goodat Studham, and who was once in possession of the Bovingdon Farm. His statement was that the farm was formerly in possession of a Mr. Loomis, but could not tell how long ; after his death it came in pos- session of a man by the name of Bachelder, who lived and died on it, leaving his son in possession of it. He (the son) lived on it 22 years, during a part of which time he (Per- kins) lived with him as help. The last Bachelder died leaving the farm to his wife, and appointing Mr. John Field as trustee to the farm and children. The widow Bachelder soon married this Perkins, and he lived 19 years on the farm w hen his w ife died. Immedi- ately after her death, Mr. Field, wdio was left trustee, presented a long bill against the Estate and another against Perkins, and succeeded in alarming him so much as to induce him to sign a quit-claim and put Field in possession, Field paying him a bonus. That took place in 1827 or 8 ; Perkins said that in 1837 Mr. Field sold the farm of 200 acres to the now Mr. Rugder, of the son of Lord Narrow by, the same nobleman as mentioned in Walker's letter as Inn ing bought a large tract of it, thus securing the Estate that had been so long divided. Perkins also mentioned having often seen an old parchment, like a lease, signed in a plain round hand, "John Burwell," which he left in the house when he quit it. Mr. Lemon made an effort to find this document but w ithout success, it having probably passed into the hands of Mr. Rugder. This is the substance of the information concern- ing the Estate obtained by Mr. Lemon. "In August, 1838, Edward R. Lambert, of Xew Haven, went to England, for the investigation of it ; the results of w hose inquiries were as follows : He arrived in Eng- land on Friday, September 7th; landed at Portsmouth, and proceeded directly to London. 23s NOR \V A L K . On Monday he delivered his letters of introduction to Junius Smith, Esq., and by his ad- vice, and accompanied by him, went to the Office of Wills, Doctor's Commons, and made a thorough search from the year 1750, but found nothing of importance concerning the business. He next went to the Office of Commissioners of Wood and Forest, but was re- fused an examination of their books. During the week went to the office of Mr. Brings, Steward of the Lord of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead, but he would not allow his rec- ords to be examined in reference to the Estate in question, without proof of authority to make such examination. Provided the letters of introduction from Junius Smith, Esq., to Smith and Grover, lawyers in company in Hemel Hempstead, he proceeded by railway to the place in question ; went to the office of Smith and Grover, found Mr. Grover, to whom he delivered Mr. Junius Smith's letter. After reading it, he remarked that the property he was inquiring about in behalf of the heirs of John Burwell, was the property Mr. Rugder had lately obtained possession of. He said Lord Narrowby bought a large tract of it some years ago, and Mr. Rugder (a son of Lord Narrowby) had now obtained the remainder. He said his partner, Mr. Smith, could give every information concerning the property, for he was one of the administrators of Bachelder's Estate, fa person who had lately had the Burwell Estate in possession ) that at Bachelder's death, there was wood and timber cut from off the Estate to the value of 8 or 10,000 pounds. The next da)' Lambert called again, and found Mr. Smith. Mr. Grover said the gentleman introduced to their notice by Mr. Smith, of London, wished to make some inquiries concerning the Burwell Estate or Rugder's place. Ah, isaid he to Lambert) are you any way interested in that property, or from what motive do you make the inquiry ? Lambert told him that he was authorized by people interested, to make inquiries about the property. He replied, if he (Lambert) was seeking information about that business, he must say that he was not at liberty to give any advice or information concerning it ; for he was solicitor for Mr. Rugder, the present pos- sessor of the property. He said it was his opinion, however, that if Mr. Burwell ever did own the Estate, it did not belong to him now, or his heirs at law ; and it was not worth the trouble to inquire any further about it. " Lambert told Mr. Deacon, keeper of the King's Arms Inn, in Hemel Hempstead, about the management of Smith and Grover, who advised not to place much reliance on what they might say in the matter, for one of them had been interested in the affair, and might fear he would be called to account for the avails of the timber cut off the land soon after the death of Bachelder. Mr. Deacon told Lambert he had better see Perkins, (the same above mentioned) who had been in possession of a part of the Bovingdon property, and was surreptitiously removed from it ; thought from a feeling of retaliation he would be apt to tell what he knew about it ; but might rely on what he said, as he was considered a man of veracity. Lambert saw him soon after and obtained the same information prev- iously communicated to Mr. Lemon; said he had seen several papers about the land, and particularly mentioned the old parchment lease, signed ' John Burwell.' He said there was an inquiry made by the Lord Chancellor a long time since who the legal heirs were, and that a Receiver was appointed, and rents paid annuallv until the death of the Receiv- er, after which the rents were not called for, and that Bachelder at the time of his death, had the money laid up for several years' rent; said that he, after he married Bachelder's widow pa,d • qurt rent to the Lord of the Manor.' He said that the family of Bachelder became d.ss.patcd. and that Mr. field got a mortgage on the Estate for money lent Bach- I I I I XOKWA LK elder. He said that he had heard his wife say that the owner of the land w ent to Amer- ica, but that they never heard of him after, and that his name was John Bur well. "Lambert soon returned to London, and with Mr. Junius Smith again applied to the Office of the Steward of the Lord of the Manor of Heme! Hempstead, but even- ob- stacle was put in the way of their investigation. They made another call at the same of- fice, and were informed that Mr. Briggs had gone to France, and would not return in a number of weeks. The}' explained the business to the clerk left in the office; he said the old Court Rolls of the Manor were at the office, but were locked up, and could not be got at until Mr. Briggs returned. Lambert called there a number of times afterwards, but Mr. Briggs had not returned when he left London. He made arrangements with Junius Smith, Esq., before leaving London to carry forward the investigation of the claim, but was unable to make any progress in the affair," Burwell, born Apr. 14, 17 1 5, second son of John and Hannah (Bur well) Betts, mar- ried, Nov. r, 1740, Thankful, born Oct. 24, 1719, daughter of Thos. and .Sarah Ravmond and grand-daughter of JohnlsUand Mary (Betts) Raymond. These had four children. The wife died Dec. 3, 1749, and Mr. Betts married, second, Sarah, daughter of X a than Bur- well, and had a daughter, Molly, born April 4, 1757. who married Oct. 21, 1780, Heze- kiah Whitlock,1 whose daughter Fanny, born Aug. 4, 1799, married, April 4, 1X21, James Stevens,' of Norwalk. Betsy, born Jul}' 3, 1772, sister of Molly Betts, married, as his