Catalogue description ESTATE

This section contains a large and fairly comprehensive collection of deeds, plans and related papers which relate mostly to properties and land in Greenwich from the 15th to the 20th centuries. They illustrate the way in which the Roan family acquired their lands, and how the Roan Charity (later the Roan Schools Foundation) increased their land holdings and raised funds through gifts and the lease of lands for the succession of Roan schools. The collection also presents an excellent resource for family and local historians with an interest in the people living in Greenwich.

The properties, including the Black Bull, the Mitre Tavern and Coffee House and other Public Houses, are concentrated close to Saint Alfege in Church Street and Roan Street in central Greenwich, although deeds also relate to marsh land in Greenwich and houses in Deptford, Lee and Lewisham. Several deeds contain plans and there are four 17th and 18th century surveys and plans showing the interior layout of houses and their gardens including rooms, privies, workshops and the positions of fruit and rose trees.

The records also contains the original will of John Roan, founder of the school, and court papers dating from 1658 relating to disputes over the property left in his will following his death, including accounts of Roan's imprisonment during the Civil War.

The second series (LMA/4442/01/02) contains two deeds from John Roan School Library relating to property in Ash next Sandwich, Kent and Petworth, Sussex. They do not appear to relate to the main Roan Estate collection (LMA/4442/01/01)

The records are arranged in two series:

Property deeds and related papers from Roan Schools Foundation LMA/4442/01/01;

Property deeds from School Library LMA/4442/01/02.

THESE RECORDS ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION, ALTHOUGH RECORDS CONTAINING PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE SUBJECT TO CLOSURE PERIODS

The Roan Foundation Estate records (LMA/4442/01/01) were held at Alton, Batchelor, Solicitors, Greenwich Church Strict, Greenwich until 1969. However some estate records were initially deposited at Kent County Record Office in 1945 by the Solicitors, but were transferred to the London Metropolitan Archives (formerly the Greater London Record Office) in 1970. LMA/4442/01/02 was held by the John Roan School Library

Duplicate copies were not considered worthy of long term preservation and have been returned to the depositor

All levels of data available on this system

The Roan family had been landowners in Greenwich from before 1598. John Roan, founder of the school, inherited his property and lands in Greenwich from his father John Roan, and increased his holdings during 1630s by purchasing part of his brother Robert's share. In his will of 1643, John Roan left his property first to his wife Elizabeth, then to the daughters of his friend Richard Wakeman during their lifetimes, and then to the founding of the school.

The Charities Commissioners agreed in 1677 that funds from the Roan Estate (including the leasing of property) would be used maintain the new Grey Coat School and that the Vicar, the Churchwardens and the Overseers of the poor of Saint Alfege, Greenwich as the Trustees of John Roan's will were to manage the Estate. They formed part of the Feoffees of the Roan Charity who were later renamed the Governors of the Roan Schools Foundation. During the 18th century revenues of the Roan Estate rose dramatically. In the thirty years after 1775, the rentals trebled and by 1814 the Estate could afford to educate and clothe 100 boys.

The Roan Estate was concentrated in the centre of Greenwich and included property in the following places:

Airy Street,

Armory Mill,

Brooks Marsh,

Churchfields,

Church Street,

Claremont Place,

Claremont Street,

Cold Bath Street,

Cottage Place,

Crooms Hill,

Devonshire Road,

East Lane (later Eastney Street),

Haddo Street,

Halford's Row,

Hog Lane,

London Street (later London Road),

Marsh Lane,

Old Woolwich Road,

Olive Place,

Plume Place,

Randall Place,

Roan Street (formerly Skeltons Lane),

Royal Hill,

Royal Place,

Saint Alfege Place,

Saint James Place,

Skelton Street,

South Crescent,

Stable Street,

Straightsmouth,

Stockwell Street,

Vanburgh Fields,

Union Street.

The estate also included Eltham Road, Lee, and property in Lewisham and Deptford.

The significance of the revenues from the Roan Estate declined during the 20th century. Property was sold to the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich and the London County Council. The Education Act 1944 made secondary education free and fees were abolished at the Roan Schools. Funds from the London County Council increasingly paid for almost all of the cost of running the schools, the original Roan endowment not being sufficient to run the schools independently.

In the 1980s the Roan Trustees still administered the funds although the new John Roan school had became a voluntary controlled school after its reorganisation as a mixed comprehensive.