Memorandum of a contract or Agreement made this day of March one thousand eight hundred between John Donne of Milbank in the Liberty of Westminster Nurseryman and Jeremy Bentham of Lincolns Inn in the county of Middlesex and also of Queen Square Place in the City of Westminster Esquire.

Whereas under and by virtue of an Act passed in the 34 th Year of his Majesty's reign and intitled an Act for erecting a Penitentiary House or Houses for confining and employing convicts (34.G.3.c.84 7 th July 1794) powers are given to the Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being to fix upon a proper spot of Ground for the purpose of such Penitentiary Establishment as aforesaid, and to appoint a Feofee by whom and in whose name such spot shall be purchased and holden in perpetual succession in Fee simple. —

And whereas under and by virtue of the said powers a spot of Ground late the Estate of the Marquis of Salisbury at Milbank aforesaid hath lately been purchased in manner aforesaid of the sair Marquis by the said Jeremy Bentham as sole Feofee appointed by the said Commissioners —

And whereas in and by the said Act it is further provided that such Feoffee shall over and above the purchase money for the Owner or Owners of such Ground, make or tender such satisfaction, in money or otherwise, to the several Occupiers being Tenants for Years or from year to year or at Will of the same, or of any parcel or parcels thereof, in respect of their several rights and interests in the Premises, as such Feofee shall in his discretion think fit —

And whereas the said John Donne is one of the Occupiers of the said Estate viz: as a Tenant for Years under a Lease granted to Francis Elton by the said Marquis then Earl of Salisbury which said Lease will expire on the 25 th day of March one thousand eight hundred and one —

And whereas the parcels comprized in the said Lease consist of a Nursery-Ground, containing by admeasurement several Acres, one Road and few Perches or thereabouts in the occupation of him the said John Donne, and of divers Tenements holden of him by divers persons as Tenants at Will, which said Tenements, together with the names of the respective Occupiers, and their respective Rents are exhibited in the Schedule marked X, and hereunto annexed.