Tuesday 3 December 2013

Cecil Chubb's Deed of Gift of Stonehenge

I couldn't easily find a copy of Cecil Chubb's Deed of Gift with which he gave Stonehenge to the Nation online. So I have combined several sources and think this is the most accurate version available now. 






This Indenture made the 26th day of October one thousand nine hundred and eighteen Between Mary Bell Alice Chubb of Bemerton Lodge Salisbury in the County of Wilts the wife of Herbert Edward Chubb of the same place Esquire Barrister at Law and the said Cecil Herbert Edward Chubb (hereinafter called “the Donors”) of the one part and The Commissioners of Works of the other part Witnesseth that the Donors being seized of the hereditaments hereinafter described as joint tenants for an estate in fee simple in possession free from encumbrances and being desirous of giving the same to the Commissioners of Works for the benefit of the Nation hereby in exercise of the power for that purpose conferred by the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913 and by virtue of their estate convey unto the Commissioners of Works All and singular the hereditaments described in the Schedule hereto which hereditaments are delineated on the plan drawn hereon and are thereon coloured pink and are situate on Stonehenge Down in the County of Wilts and comprise the Ancient Monument known as Stonehenge and the site thereof and such part of the adjoining land as is required for the purpose of fencing and preserving the same from injury (together constituting an Ancient Monument within the meaning of the said Act) To Hold the same unto and to the use of The Commissioners of Works in fee simple And the Commissioners of Works hereby in exercise of the power for this purpose conferred on them by the said Act accept the gift hereby made to them and hereby covenant and agree with the Donors and each of them First that the public shall have free access to the premises hereby conveyed and Every part thereof on the payment of such reasonable sum per head not exceeding one shilling for each visit and subject to such conditions as the Commissioners of Works in the exercise and execution of their statutory powers and duties may from time to time impose Secondly that the premises shall so far as possible be maintained in their present condition Thirdly that no building or erection other than a pay box similar to the Pay Box now standing on the premises shall be erected on any part of the premises within four hundred yards of The Milestone marked “Amesbury 2” on the northern frontage of the premises and Fourthly that the Commissioners of Works will at all times save harmless and keep indemnified the Donors and each of them their and each of their estates and effects from and against all proceedings costs claims and expenses on account of any breach or non observance of the covenants by the Donors to the like or similar effect contained in the Conveyance of the premises to the Donors Dated the thirty first day of December One thousand nine hundred and fifteen In witness whereof the Donors have hereunto set their hands and seals and the Commissioners of Works have caused their Common Seal to be affixed the day and year first above written

The Schedule above referred to
Number on 1/2500 Ordnance Map Description Acreage
Part 22 Stonehenge and Down 30.730

Signed Sealed and Delivered by the above named Mary Bella Alice Chubb and Cecil Herbert Edward Chubb in the presence of George Herbert Engleheart, Little Clarindon, Dinton Wilts, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London

A pdf of the original is available - https://www.facebook.com/download/184442658409081/Deed%20of%20gift.pdf  



An early copy:



Click any to embiggen.

2 comments:

  1. I have edited Cecil Chubb's Wikipedia entry, so that the single word "be" is now there in the second covenant. It could be that the text you've provided here is the source of the omitted word, which is plainly there in the .PDF you've very kindly provided. Thank you for doing that, and perhaps you will kindly edit this blog too.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks - I have now corrected the OCR text here.

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