THE MANOR OF ABNEY. 135 



The elder of the two brothers, Francis, had married, nearly 

 thirty years before, when not ten years of age, one of the 

 daughters and co-heirs of Humphry Stafford, of Eyam, and had, 

 with his wife, acquired large estates at Eyam and Bretton.^ The 

 manor of Abney marched with these estates, hence, probably, 

 the cause of this new purchase. In 1610 his brothers share 

 of Abney was acquired. The conveyance of the manor of 

 Abney is dated 26th October, 35 Elizabeth (1593), and is from 

 Nicholas Bagshawe, of Farewell, co. Stafford, gentleman, to 

 Godfrey Bradshawe, of London, and Francis Bradshawe, of 

 Eyam, gentlemen, in consideration of ^1,000 to be paid by 

 them. This deed includes all the lands wnthin the manor which 

 were purchased by the said Nicholas of Godfrey Foljambe, 

 deceased; but not all the lands passed on this occasion with 

 the manor, as several messuages and lands were acquired at 

 later dates. The manuscript citing the boundaries in 1736 

 was written the year after George, the last of the Bradshawes, 

 had died, when Ellen, his widow, was lady of the manor. At 

 her death the estate passed to her husband's nephew — the son 

 of his only surviving sister — Pierce Galliard, of Bury Hall, co. 

 Middlesex. At his death, in 1789, the manor was inherited by 

 his daughter Mary, who had married, in 1774, Charles Bowles, 

 of Sheen House, co. Surrey, second son of Humphry Bowles, of 

 Burford, co. Salop, and Wanstead, co. Essex. He died during 

 his year of office as High Sheriff for co. of Surrey, 1795, and was 

 succeeded by his son, Humphry Bowles, who, dying 1859, left 

 the estate of Abney to his eldest son, Charles Bradshaw Bowles, 

 the father of the present lord of the manor. 



There is no evidence that the Great Court Baron of Abney 

 was ever held since its purchase in 1593, except on four occa- 

 sions. The results of these Courts Baron are written on one 

 skin, which is in the possession of the writer of this article, and 

 appear sufficiently interesting to be published. 



I. — The first was held by Francis Bradshawe, of Bradshaw, 

 grandson of the original purchaser of the manor. He was the 



1 Vol. XXV., pp. 35 to 37 of this Journal. 



