Anyone know about St. Messuage, Wales?

+2 votes
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Found reference to a 1624 Essex, England property Deed to a relative residing in "St. Mes- suage". I know the relative lived in Llandough, Penarth and Cardiff, Wales. I don't know why the author printed the record as St. Mes-sauge. Could be St. Messauge? -- I can't find the town under either spelling in Wales or England. I'm wondering if someone can make sense of this town reference.
WikiTree profile: William Collins
in WikiTree Help by b Paulson G2G5 (6.0k points)

I think this may be a transcription/interpretation  error. A messuage is the term used for a house, its outbuildings and attached land.  In the quote on the profile ... of Stanstead (Essex) was conveying to his son in law of S. a messuage that was at the time tenanted by John Talcott late of Braintree. (i.e John had previously lived in Braintree(Essex)

I suggest that S. may be  Stanstead and may actually be the transcriber's shorthand. (Stanstead Hall and estate at Halstead is not that far from Braintree and Stansted Monfichet just a bit further. Either might have been spelled Stanstead).

Where does the record come from? I tried searching for it in the Essex archives with no result (but there are quite a few  records with people surnamed Lewys/Lewis and lots of Talcotts.) I did find one record of a John Lewis of Stanstead in 1634 https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/result_details.aspx?ThisRecordsOffSet=2&id=317266

And a John ap Lewis of Hurdley or  Symons Castle Montgomery owned the rectory of Stansted (Montfitchet) before 1620. link This time occupation doesn't mean he lived there. He was entitled to the large tithes. Rectories were sold like property.

Helen,

This Deed info starts 4th line down, right hand page, under "William Lewis 1st"

Lewis with Collateral Lines : Barnes, Harriet Southworth Lewis : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I would dearly love learning how to search for such records in 1561-1632 Wales. It seems the link you provided may be an entry for such research.

1 Answer

+5 votes

I agree with Helen; it's a mistranscription.  I have several records for ancestors in Shropshire that use the term. 

Messuage definition: A plot of land as the site for a house; later, a residential building taken together with its outbuildings and assigned land

Property law a dwelling house together with its outbuildings, curtilage, and the adjacent land appropriated to its use

by M Ross G2G6 Pilot (746k points)
... and looking at records from the site linked in Helen's comment, the term is in nearly every deed summary. I'm very new to searching deeds in old England. Clear to me that finding the 1624 deed record I seek this surely require more learning. Thank you for taking the time to provide the answer.

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