Farebrother, Ellis and Co , chartered surveyors

The origins of the firm are obscure, but trade directories suggest it was in existence by 1805 when Charles Farebrother, auctioneer, was acting from premises at 16, Old Bond Street. In 1827, the style was changed to Farebrother, Wilson and Lye. In 1836 the partnership was renamed Farebrother and Lye. In 1845 it became Farebrother, Clark and Lye. It reformed as Farebrother, Clark and Co in 1867, and as Farebrother, Ellis, Clark and Co in 1877. In 1898 it was renamed Farebrother, Ellis and Co, a style it retained until 1980 when it became known simply as Farebrother, chartered surveyors.The firm has had premises at: 16 Old Bond Street 1805; Beaufort Buildings 1806-24; 6 Wellington Street 1825-6; Lancaster Place 1827-84; 29 Fleet Street 1885-1986; and 7/9 Bream's Buildings 1987- .

From the mid 19th century the firm appears to have specialised in the collection of fee farm rents, small annual sums payable by the owners or occupiers of particular properties scattered throughout England and parts of Wales. These rents had originally been payable to the Crown, but had been sold into private ownership in the 17th century. Farebrothers acted for a great many of the owners of these rents, arranging the collection of payments all over England and not just in the London area. In addition, the firm inherited a number of 17th and 18th century fee farm rentals (Mss 22367-87 and 33848-9). It seems that many of these records were received in the form of slender gatherings relating to the estates of a few rent-owners in one or two counties at a time, and that Farebrothers had them bound together as large volumes, and annotated and indexed, to suit their own requirements (for example, Ms 33848).