The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-10
CURIOUS LEASES.
Flowers and Animals Paid in Place of
Yearly Rent.

Considering recent leases in Manhat-
tan amounting to millions of dollars in
the aggregate and rents at S3O,O0o a
year for a small Broadway store, IL is
hard to realize that often, in the good
old days. rent was merely nominal and
paid with some curious trite.
That poetry could enter into the sor-
did real estate world seems strange, yet
in Mannheim, Pa. stands a little house
of worship known as the Red Rose
On the annual payment of one red rose"
to the family of Henry Spiegel, by each
member of the congregation.
In 1772. when the lease was made,
such was the stipulated price, so, every
year on the first of June, the congrega
ton of the church calls at the Spiegel
house and pays its rent. In addition
to roses the congregation as whole
must pay five shillings in money.
That doesn't mean the equivalent in
American money; the contract specified
'shillings" and SO shillings must be
paid Needless to say, this annual pay
ment of rent is picturesque proceeding
and attracts thousands of visitors to the
little Pennsylvania town.
In England cases of this sort were
quite common at one time, and some
such leases are in operation to this day.
On Easter Monday morning, in the par
ish of Colehill, in WarwickShire, if the
young men of the parish catch a rabbit
before 10 o'clock and take it to the vicar,
they receive, or should receive from him
according to the lease, a calf's head and
100 eggs for breakfast. 1t is on this
condition that he holds his plot of land
Another freakish tenure is that of the
tenants at Hampton Bishop in Hereford
county. BY their original leases they
must get every year six horse loads of
stakes at Hay Wood, near by, to make
hurdles for penning sheep at Hereford
| Fair, whenever they may be required to
| do so. One-half penny sterling is to be
| paid for each load.
A plot of ground in London was once
let to the British admiralty on condition
| that a ship was to be always on the
| stocks. Failing to do this, the land
would revert to its former owner, and
in the deed a clause was inserted to this
| effect.
After a great many years the admir-
| atty gave up the shipyard and sold the
| land to the city of London, which erected
| the present Deptford Cattle Market on
/ the site. Recently descendant and
| heir of the original owner applied TO the
court of common council TO inspect the
| corporations title to this property.
/ Then the conditional clause was dis
/ covered, much to the CONSERVATION of
| the corporation counsel Later the mat
| ter was peacefully settled and a sub
stantial sum of money changed hands.
Bury House in the New Forest,
/ Hampshire. remains in the possession of
the tenants on condition that they pre-
sent to the reigning monarch when he
or she visits the forest pair of milk
white greyhounds.
A small farm in Scotland, until a gen.
| Grafton ago was held by its owner on
the simple tenure of presenting to the
sovereign of Scotland, when in the neigh
borhood. one white rose. This rose was
| last paid on the visit of Queen Victoria
and the prince consort to the Duke of
! Roxburghes estate near by.