The table below gives details about who owned and occupied the house. The sources for information vary; the records pre 1800 are mainly manor court rolls. Every time a property changed hands, even between family members, the transaction had to be recorded at the manorial court. The names of those who surrendered and those who were admitted and the entry fines they paid were written in the rolls of parchment by the clerk. An entry fine was paid to the lord of the manor and the new owner was given a written copy of the transaction, hence the term copyhold.
All records were in abbreviated medieval latin until 1752 except for a short period during the commonwealth between 1650 and 1660.Freehold property is rarely mentioned but can sometimes be found in the manor rentals. It is difficult to trace the history of a house as addresses are never given ad therefore the only way is to use the owners name or very occasionally the name of the house.
Post 1800 there are many more sources of information although actual addresses are not used until mid 20th century. One method of identifying a house in the records is by the description of the land that went with it or the annual rent paid to the lord of the manor which often didn’t change over a hundred years.
The table is arranged over five columns. The first gives the year of the record and the second is the source document sometimes with a reference number. The next two columns record the transfer of ownership and the occupier of the property. Click on the names to link to the people database. Sometimes there is no link to the database so go to the people page on the top navigation bar and simply type in the name you are searching for. The search function returns all documents where the name searched for appears in that document. Click on a name match to view the document in which that name appears. When viewing a record that contains other names, it is possible to perform a new search on that name by clicking on the name link.
The last column shows information about the property and any comments.
It is exceedingly difficult to trace the history of these houses before 1811 and the table may be inaccurate. I know that this area of the village belonged to the Manor of Pirton. Information about these houses was only recorded in Manorial Rolls when the whole estate changed hands unlike copyhold houses. Looking at manorial rentals and estate papers leads me to think that the Lord of the Manor Docwra, Warburton and later Radcliffe sublet, which is more difficult to trace. All these properties then passed to Priory Estates in Hitchin because the Delme Radcliffes lived at the Priory. After 1811 the pre-enclosure plan and book the properties identifies owners and tenants
| date | source | owner/buyer | occupier | comment |
| 1504 | VCH | Thomas Docwra | This house was leased by the manor and estate | |
| 1597 | lay subsidy national archives | Thomas Docwra | ||
| 1599 | VCH | Thomas Docwra transferred ownership to Thomas Docwra | Docwra. married Jane Periam | |
| 1617 | Manor of Pirton Court roll/HALS | Agnes Richte transferred ownership to Thomas Docwra | Messuage. Chepyng Grene 0 | |
| 1620 | VCH | Thomas Docwra transferred ownership to Periam Docwra | Thomas died father to son | |
| 1642 | VCH | Periam Docwra transferred ownership to Thomas Docwra | Died and left to his son Thomas | |
| 1663 | Hearth Tax/ National Archives | John Field | John Field 5 hearths | |
| 1680 | VCH | Thomas Docwra transferred ownership to Martha Warburton | It passed from Thomas to his only daughter Martha wife of Sir Peter Warburton of Cheshire. Martha died 1707 and the Pirton estate passed to her son George. | |
| 1706 | Delme Radcliffe collection / HALS | Thomas Docwra transferred ownership to Dorothy Docwra | Messuage. | |
| 1726 | VCH | George Warburton transferred ownership to Ralph Radcliffe | Ralph Radcliffe bought the manor of Pirton and its estate | |
| 1811 | pre enclosure plan/Hofton | Emilius Radcliffe | William Abbiss | Docwra manor |
| 1818 | Enclosure award/HALS | Emilius Henry Delme Radcliffe | House and garden old enclosure 3 rood 23 perch | |
| 1851 | Census 1851 | William Males | William Males – Carpenter age 38 | |
| 1855 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | William Males | Old Hall. beer retailer & carpenter | |
| 1861 | Census 1861 | William Males | William Males – Carpenter age 47 | |
| 1863 | Rates/HALS | Radcliffe | William Males | Beershop. Great Green rateable value £8 0s 0d |
| 1864 | Cassey – trade directory/HALS | William Males | Beer retailer & carpenter | |
| 1871 | Census 1871 | William Males | William Males – Carpenter & beerhouse keeper age 57 | |
| 1874 | Licensees/HALS | William Males | Old Hall. Pirton 27 Aug 1872 – 25 Aug 1874 | |
| 1877 | Sanitation report/HALS | Messrs Lucas | William Males | Old Hall. Old Hall with Yard & Garden. Well, drainage-into main. 5 inmates sharing 3 living rooms, 3 sleeping rooms and privy |
| 1880 | School Admission Register/HALS | George Males | James Males born 8/3/1877 enrolled 22/3/1880 | |
| 1880 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 24 Aug 1880 | |
| 1881 | Census 1881 | Lucy Males | Lucy Males – Beerhouse keeper age 66 | |
| 1885 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 25 Aug 1885 | |
| 1886 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | Lucy Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1887 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 23 Aug 1887 | |
| 1888 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 21 Aug 1888 | |
| 1889 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 20 Aug 1889 | |
| 1890 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | Lucy Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1891 | Census 1891 | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Lucy Males – Beerhouse Keeper age 75 | |
| 1891 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 25 Aug 1891 | |
| 1893 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 29 Aug 1893 | |
| 1893 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 23 Aug 1893 | |
| 1894 | Licensees/HALS | Lucy Males | Old Hall. Pirton 28 Aug 1894 | |
| 1895 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | George Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1895 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton 27 Aug 1895 | |
| 1895 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton 11 Jun 1895 | |
| 1897 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton 24 Aug 1897 | |
| 1898 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | George Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1899 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton 22 Aug 1899 | |
| 1901 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton | |
| 1902 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | George Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1903 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton | |
| 1905 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton [07 Feb 1905] | |
| 1907 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton | |
| 1909 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton | |
| 1910 | Rates/HALS | W Lucas | George Males | Beer house & garden. Old Hall 2 rood 2 perch gross value £17 10s rateable value £13 10s |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | George Males | Old Hall. 5 rooms. 3 in household George Males Carpenter – age 58 | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Emma Males | Old Hall 5 rooms. 3 in household Emma Males Housekeeper – age 60 | |
| 1911 | Census 1911 | Jane Males | Old Hall. 5 rooms. 3 in household. Jane Males Servant – age 27 | |
| 1911 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall. Pirton 01 Feb 1910 – 07 Feb 1911 | |
| 1912 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | George Males | Beer retailer | |
| 1913 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall Pirton | |
| 1914 | Register of electors/HALS | George Males | House Old Hall | |
| 1915 | Register of electors/HALS | George Males | Old Hall | |
| 1916 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall Pirton | |
| 1918 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall Pirton | |
| 1919 | Delme Radcliffe collection / HALS | Old Hall. Great Green Pub sold by Priory Estates Hitchin | ||
| 1919 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall Pirton | |
| 1922 | Licensees/HALS | George Males | Old Hall Pirton | |
| 1929 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | William Thomas Winkworth | The Old Hall private resident,m.a.vicar | |
| 1935 | Original rates/Hofton | Rev William Winkworth | house and premises gross value 35 rateable value 26 | |
| 1935 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | Henry Albert Chidson | The Old Hall gentry | |
| 1937 | Kelly – trade directory/HALS | Henry Albert Chidson | The Old Hall private resident | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Arthur Jg Lindsell | The Old Hall. married DOB 9/9/1880 Solicitor Age 59 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Frances May Lindsell | The Old Hall. married DOB 17/3/1884 Unpaid domestic duties Age 55 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Lena Slater | Married. DOB 20/2/1892 Teacher of domestic study Age 47 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Elizabeth B Lindsell | The Old Hall. single DOB 1/7/1909 Private secretary Age 30 | |
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | The Old Hall. single DOB 1/7/1909 private secretary Age 30 | ||
| 1939 | National Registration Identity Cards/National Archives | Margaret Rose Turner | single DOB 6/12/1892 Cook general Age 47 |
