A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



to hold by a rent of ;^20 a year. After Thomas's death 

 Henry was to hold the manor of his heirs by a nominal 

 rent.*-' Thomas died in 1294. His heir was his grand- 

 son Thomas, Lord Multon (d. 1322) who was suc- 

 ceeded by his son John, Lord Multon (d. 1334)-*'' 

 At his death John was mesne lord of an estate in 

 Kelvedon Hatch which consisted of a messuage and a 

 carucate of land, and which was held of him by the 

 service of J knight's fee.*5 John's heirs were his three 

 sisters: Joan widow of Robert Fitz Walter, Elizabeth 

 wife of Walter de Birmingham, and Margaret wife of 

 Thomas, later 2nd Lord Lucy (d. 1365).** It was 

 agreed that Joan, Margaret, and Elizabeth should each 

 hold J of the J fee.*' No further reference has been 

 found to the mesne lordship of the heirs of John de 

 Multon. In the i6th century the tenants in demesne 

 were said to hold the manor directly of Westminster 

 Abbey. 6 8 



Henry de Multon, tenant in demesne from 1277, 

 was still living in 13 14 but was dead by January 1322.*' 

 His heir was his daughter Juliane wife of Richard de 

 Welby.'o In 1333 Richard and Juliane made a settle- 

 ment by which the manor was to pass, after their deaths, 

 to their male issue with successive remainders to their 

 daughters, Elizabeth de Welby and Joan wife of John 

 de Haugh.7' Juliane still held the estate in 1338.'^ 

 Afterwards the manor passed to the heirs of her 

 daughter Joan de Haugh. John de Haugh, son of 

 Joan, was living in 1347.73 Thomas de Haugh, son of 

 John, came into possession of the manor during the 

 life-time of his father.''' In February 1370 Thomas 

 conveyed it to his father and other trustees to hold, 

 apparently during the minority of his own heir John.'s 

 By 1383 the last named John de Haugh had reached 

 his majority.'* He was lord of the manor until after 

 1395." Before 1406 he was succeeded by Thomas de 

 Haugh, probably his son.'* Richard de Haugh was 

 lord of the manor before the end of I4i7.'9 In 

 November 1427 he conveyed the manor to trustees 

 who were to hold it first apparently for John de 

 Haugh, probably his son, and then (presumably if 

 John had no issue) for Richard's daughters, Joan, 

 Katherine, then or later wife of John BoUes, and Agnes, 

 then or later wife of William Haltoft.*" John de 

 Haugh was described as lord of the manor in November 

 1450 and afterwards until May 1456." He presented 

 to the church in April 1457. ^^ He was evidently dead 

 by 1459.83 In 1461 John Hardbene, the sole surviving 

 trustee appointed by Richard de Haugh in 1427, con- 

 veyed the manor to Katherine Bolles, Agnes Haltoft, 

 and Joan Haugh. 84 In 1466 these sisters agreed that 

 Katherine and her husband John Bolles should have 

 sole rights in the manor, with remainder in default of 

 her issue to Agnes and her issue. 8s John Bolles was 

 alive in November 1482 but dead by November 

 1495.8* Katherine survived him and was succeeded 



by her son Richard, who died in 1 5 2 1 leaving as his 

 heir his son John. 8' In 1526 John mortgaged the 

 manor for £200.88 He redeemed the mortgage and 

 died holding the manor in 1533.8' His heir was his 

 brother Richard, who in 1538 sold the manor to John 

 Wright of South Weald, yeoman, for £493.'° 



The descendants of John Wright held Kelvedon 

 Hatch for nearly four centuries. There were ten suc- 

 cessive John Wrights." The last of these died in 1826 

 and was succeeded by his grandson John Francis 

 Wright, who died without issue in 1868. The manor 

 then passed to J. F. Wright's nephew, Edward 

 Carrington Wright, who died in 1920, leaving it to 

 his own nephew Sir Henry J. Lawson.'^ From 1891 

 Kelvedon Hall had been occupied by John Algernon 

 Jones as tenant and in 1922 it was bought by his widow 

 from Sir Henry Lawson. After her death it was sold 

 in 1932 by her son J. W. B. Jones to the Mother 

 Superior of St. Michael's Roman Catholic School. 

 Mr. Jones bought and moved to the old rectory (see 

 Church). '3 Owing to a succession of misfortunes the 

 school did not prosper and the house acquired the 

 reputation of being haunted.'* Much of the timber 

 in the grounds was felled at this time. '5 In 1937 the 

 property was bought by Mr. Henry and Lady Honor 

 Channon who restored the house and built the entrance 

 gateway and lodges.'* From 1941 to 1945 it was used 

 as a Red Cross convalescent home." It is now again 

 the residence of Mr. Channon. 



In 1838 J. F. Wright owned 880 acres in Kelvedon 

 Hatch; the estate appears to have remained sub- 

 stantially intact until after the death of Sir Henry 

 Lawson. '8 



The manor house was entirely rebuilt by the seventh 

 John Wright (d. 175 1)." Later in the i8th century 

 the garden front and parts of the interior were altered, 

 but otherwise the building has remained almost un- 

 changed. The house as it stands today remains a very 

 good example of one of the less grandiose country seats 

 of the Georgian period. The restoration of 1937—8 

 was carried out to the designs of Lord Gerald Wellesley 

 (later Duke of Wellington) and Trenwith Wills' and 

 in sympathy with the original. 



The entrance front has a three-story central block 

 with seven windows to each of the upper floors. On 

 either side curved screen walls connect this with 

 identical two-story pavilions. These are set forward, 

 giving a three-sided forecourt. The pavilions have 

 hipped roofs, surmounted by clock turrets and cupolas. 

 On their front face two round-headed panels are painted 

 to simulate sash windows. Above oval panels are 

 similarly painted. The basement windows have 

 wrought-iron grilles and the principal doorway has a 

 Roman Doric order with engaged columns and a pedi- 

 ment. The rainwater heads on this front are dated 

 1743. The garden front of the main block is of similar 



*3 feet of F. Essex, ii, 14. 



*< Complete Peerage, n, 403-4. 



'5 Cal. Inq. p.m. vii, p. 431. 



*' Complete Peerage, ix, 405. 



" Cal. Inq. p.m. vii, pp. 435-7; ibid. 

 viii,pp. i^i-z; Cal. Close, 1337-9,366-7, 

 476, 486, 494. 



68 Ci42/36/7i;Ci42/55/6i. 



M E.R.O., D/DFa T33/14; Cal. Fine 

 R. 1319-27,89. 



'" Cal. Fine R. 1319-27, 89. 



" Feetof F.Essex, ill, z&. 



'2 Cal. Close, 1337-9, 366-7, 476, 486, 



+94- 

 '3 Feet of F. Essex, iii, 28 ; Lines. Pedi- 



grees (Harl. Soc. Iii), iii, 1055. 

 7* E.R.O., D/DKT229. 

 '5 Ibid. 



76 Newcourt, Repert. ii, 351. 

 " E.R.O., D/DC 2/1. 

 '8 Newcourt, Repert. ii, 351. 

 " E.R.O., D/DBm M77. 

 8" E.R.O., D/DK. T229. 

 8' E.R.O., D/DBm M77. 



82 Newcourt, Repert. ii, 351. 



83 E.R.O., D/DKT229. 



84 Ibid. 85 Ibid. 



8* E.R.O., D/DBm M78. 



87 C142/36/71 ; E.R.O., D/DK T229. 



88 E.R.O., D/DKT229. 



66 



8' C142/55/61. 



»o E.R.O., D/DK T229. 

 " For the pedigree see Burke, Land. 

 Gent. (1894), 2275-6. 



92 Country Life, Ixxxix, no. 23 1 1 (May 

 1941), p. 388. 



93 Inf. from Mr. Jones. 



'4 Country Life (May 1941), p. 386. 

 95 Inf. from Mr. Jones. 

 9* Country Life (May 1941), p. 386. 

 " Inf. from Mr. Jones. 



98 E.R.O., D/CT 197; Kelly's Dir. 

 Essex (1922). 



99 Hist. Essex by Gent, iv, 56. 



' Country Life (May 1941), p. 389. 



