NRA-L-000027 / 1841

Letter from R. C. Campion to J. Phillips concerning property conveyancing, 1841-10-11

English legal correspondence from R. C. Campion in Exeter to J. Phillips at Beach Cottage, Hastings, dated 11 October 1841. The letter concerns a possible property transaction and detailed questions of conveyancing, leases, possession and stamp duties, followed by a brief personal postscript.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000027

NRA-L-000027 image 1 showing the address to J. Phillips at Beach Cottage, Hastings, with Exeter and Hastings postal marks from October 1841.
Image 1Address panel with Exeter and Hastings postal marks.
NRA-L-000027 image 2 showing page 1 of R. C. Campion's English letter from Exeter to J. Phillips, dated 11 October 1841.
Image 2Letter text - Page 1.
NRA-L-000027 image 3 showing page 2 of R. C. Campion's letter discussing lease and release, livery of seisin and the chain of title.
Image 3Letter text - Page 2.
NRA-L-000027 image 4 showing page 3 and the postscript of R. C. Campion's letter concerning property conveyancing, stamp duty and his son's career.
Image 4Letter text - Page 3 and postscript.

Transcript and readable English text

working scholarly aid

Address Panel

Original transcript

J. Phillips Esqre
Beach Cottage
Hastings

Address Panel

Readable English text

J. Phillips Esqre
Beach Cottage
Hastings

Letter Text

Original transcript

Exeter 11 Octr 1841
Dear Phillips,
I am sorry to say that I
can't find your former Letter containing
the particulars of the Policy & Mr Moore says
that he has destroyed my former letter to
him, so that we neither of us know the
particulars _ He will not make an offer
till after you have given him a price _
If therefore you will send me the parlars
& the price you intend to ask, I will
endeavour to get him to purchase or
make an offer _ I am afraid that he wants
to make too [crossed out: easy?] favorable a bargain for
himself, but I will do all I can .
As to my Conveyce of the Reversion in fee _ Shod
not the origl Lease be recited, & agreemt for sale subject to the sd Lease without taking any
notice of the Mortgage, to Vendors & then the Conveyce, to Hold the
Premes "with the benefit of the Rents & Covts contd in the sd recited Indre of
"Lease, but subject to the sd Lease," unto & to the Use of the Purchr his Hrs & Asss?
You say a Com law Lease _ which is done I suppose by
using "demise & grant," instead of Bargn & Sale, & all the
rest will be like the lse & Rlse for a year, except
the latter pt referring to the Statute, & stating the intent to be
to take a Release of the Revon _
[crossed out: Don't you think] I understand that the Town Council can't
make the use Bar & Sale for a Year.
If a Common Law Lease be made, must
there be Livery of Seisin. This will be troublesome
as the origl Lease is mortgaged to me, I suppose
it can't be said that the purchr will be in possn
under that Lease _
Cold not this Revon be conveyed by Grant
without any Lease for a Year
If Livery of Seisin be made, I suppose it must be
stated to be done (by indorsemt) with consent of the Lessee
of the present Lease _ Mr Rowe was the origl Lessee &
he assigned to Mr Gliddon, who mortgaged it to me
and intends to buy the Revon in fee _ Mr Gliddon
now occupies the premises _ The Indorsemt wold
state that possn was taken by the Com Law Lessee
with the consent of _ _ who? _ Mr Gliddon or Mr Campion
the Tenant in possession _
By 4 Vict ch 21 (passed this Year) Every Release without a
Lease for a Year, which shall be expd to be made in pursce
of this Act shall be as effectl as if the Releasor had
exed a Lease for a Year the Rels havg the same Stamp
as the Lease for a Year - As this Stat does not say
Bargn & Sale for a Year, does not the word Lease
for a Year include a Com Law Lease as well
as a Bargn & Sale for a Year -
I shd like to avoid the Com Law Lease
if it cd be done with safety.
The progressive duty for a mortge is 20/ & for a Deed
25/. - If both Deed & mortge Stamps be taken, I suppose
the highest progressive (25/) wd be best, but not both
progressive Stamps
I am very much obliged to you for
your advice herein.
As you do not complain in your letter I
conclude you are tolerably well & am
glad, you find Hastings agree, notwithstanding
the Weather is so unfavorable -
Yours very truly
R C Campion
I don't think there is a chance of doing any thing at the Bar
without very extraordinary abilities, therefore I think I
shall prepare my son for the Church.

Notes

Authorial revisions: interlinear insertions are integrated at the position intended by the writer. Canceled wording is identified in square brackets as crossed out; no canceled reading is silently adopted.

Letter Text

Readable English text

Exeter 11 Octr 1841
Dear Phillips,
I am sorry to say that I
can't find your former Letter containing
the particulars of the Policy & Mr Moore says
that he has destroyed my former letter to
him, so that we neither of us know the
particulars _ He will not make an offer
till after you have given him a price _
If therefore you will send me the parlars
& the price you intend to ask, I will
endeavour to get him to purchase or
make an offer _ I am afraid that he wants
to make too [crossed out: easy?] favorable a bargain for
himself, but I will do all I can .
As to my Conveyce of the Reversion in fee _ Shod
not the origl Lease be recited, & agreemt for sale subject to the sd Lease without taking any
notice of the Mortgage, to Vendors & then the Conveyce, to Hold the
Premes "with the benefit of the Rents & Covts contd in the sd recited Indre of
"Lease, but subject to the sd Lease," unto & to the Use of the Purchr his Hrs & Asss?
You say a Com law Lease _ which is done I suppose by
using "demise & grant," instead of Bargn & Sale, & all the
rest will be like the lse & Rlse for a year, except
the latter pt referring to the Statute, & stating the intent to be
to take a Release of the Revon _
[crossed out: Don't you think] I understand that the Town Council can't
make the use Bar & Sale for a Year.
If a Common Law Lease be made, must
there be Livery of Seisin. This will be troublesome
as the origl Lease is mortgaged to me, I suppose
it can't be said that the purchr will be in possn
under that Lease _
Cold not this Revon be conveyed by Grant
without any Lease for a Year
If Livery of Seisin be made, I suppose it must be
stated to be done (by indorsemt) with consent of the Lessee
of the present Lease _ Mr Rowe was the origl Lessee &
he assigned to Mr Gliddon, who mortgaged it to me
and intends to buy the Revon in fee _ Mr Gliddon
now occupies the premises _ The Indorsemt wold
state that possn was taken by the Com Law Lessee
with the consent of _ _ who? _ Mr Gliddon or Mr Campion
the Tenant in possession _
By 4 Vict ch 21 (passed this Year) Every Release without a
Lease for a Year, which shall be expd to be made in pursce
of this Act shall be as effectl as if the Releasor had
exed a Lease for a Year the Rels havg the same Stamp
as the Lease for a Year - As this Stat does not say
Bargn & Sale for a Year, does not the word Lease
for a Year include a Com Law Lease as well
as a Bargn & Sale for a Year -
I shd like to avoid the Com Law Lease
if it cd be done with safety.
The progressive duty for a mortge is 20/ & for a Deed
25/. - If both Deed & mortge Stamps be taken, I suppose
the highest progressive (25/) wd be best, but not both
progressive Stamps
I am very much obliged to you for
your advice herein.
As you do not complain in your letter I
conclude you are tolerably well & am
glad, you find Hastings agree, notwithstanding
the Weather is so unfavorable -
Yours very truly
R C Campion
I don't think there is a chance of doing any thing at the Bar
without very extraordinary abilities, therefore I think I
shall prepare my son for the Church.

Notes

Authorial revisions: interlinear insertions are integrated at the position intended by the writer. Canceled wording is identified in square brackets as crossed out; no canceled reading is silently adopted.

Postal Marks and Annotations

Original transcript

EXETER / OC 12 / 1841 / B
HASTINGS / OC 14 / 1841 / [A?]
[manuscript marks:] [1/2?] / 11

Postal Marks and Annotations

Readable English text

EXETER / OC 12 / 1841 / B
HASTINGS / OC 14 / 1841 / [A?]
[manuscript marks:] [1/2?] / 11

Discovery Terms

  • Historical correspondence
  • Legal correspondence
  • Property law
  • Conveyancing
  • Stamp duties
  • Professional careers
  • English language
Historical context Conveyancing reform in an 1841 legal letter 4 sources

The transaction under discussion

R. C. Campion's letter of 11 October 1841 to J. Phillips discusses the conveyance of a reversion in fee. It refers to Rowe as the original lessee, Gliddon as assignee and person in possession, and an intended purchase of the reversion. Campion says that he holds the original lease as security.[1]

Lease and release after the 1841 Act

Lease and release was a two-part method of conveying freehold land: a lease for a year first placed the buyer in possession, followed by a release of the seller's remaining estate. The Conveyance by Release Act 1841, formally 4 & 5 Vict. c. 21 and enacted on 18 May, allowed a release to operate without the preceding lease for a year. Campion wrote less than five months later and expressly considered the effect of the new Act.[1, 2, 3]

The letter also weighs older language and forms, including livery of seisin and the words 'demise and grant'. Its question is practical: which instrument and wording would safely complete this particular chain of title?[1, 3]

Stamp duties

Campion compares stamp charges of 20 shillings on a mortgage and 25 shillings on another deed. The Stamp Duties Act 1815 supplies the broader statutory setting, but the letter alone does not establish which duty was legally correct for the proposed instrument.[1, 4]

Evidence and limits

The context identifies the Act by its formal regnal citation, 4 & 5 Vict. c. 21, without silently altering the manuscript transcription. The final conveyance, the Town Council's position and the correct stamp assessment have not been located in a related deed or case file.[1, 2, 4]

Sources & evidence (4)
  1. Primary source · manuscript Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000027, digital images and reviewed transcript of R. C. Campion's letter dated 11 October 1841. View the archive record Supports the parties, chain of title, legal questions and stated stamp amounts.
  2. Primary source · legislation Conveyance by Release Act 1841, 4 & 5 Vict. c. 21, enacted 18 May 1841. Read the enacted Act Confirms the formal citation, date and abolition of the preceding lease for a year.
  3. Archival research guide University of Nottingham, Manuscripts and Special Collections, 'Lease and Release'. Read the research guide Explains the historical two-document conveyancing mechanism.
  4. Primary source · legislation Stamp Duties Act 1815, 55 Geo. III c. 184, enacted text. Read the enacted Act Provides the wider statutory context for the stamp-duty discussion.

Reviewed 2026-07-29 · Context version 1.0

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