A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



Thomas's heirs. On this occasion Alice Spynay put in 

 her claim.'* It will be seen that this fine differed in 

 detail from that concerning Theydon Garnon levied 

 at the same time. In 1450-1 Simon Wythiale alleged 

 that one Tylby, a clerk, had enfeoffed John Wythiale, 

 citizen and goldsmith of London, and his heirs of the 

 manor of Gregories and that Simon Wythiale his son, 

 entering the property after his father's death, had been 

 disseised by John Prince. Prince, however, won the 

 case, the jury finding that Wythiale had not been so dis- 

 seised." About 20 years later John son of the above 

 John Prince was defendant in a suit brought by William 

 Floure, which was apparently an echo of the above. In 

 1472 Floure granted to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, 

 and two others the manor of Gregories, which he 

 claimed to have held jointly with John Kilpek, also 

 a goldsmith of London, by feoffment of Thomas 

 Wythiale, another goldsmith.^o Floure entered the 

 lands and when Prince re-entered upon them brought 

 an action against him and John Jenyn, the farmer of 

 the manor. The evidence suggests that an attorney had 

 delivered seisin of the manor to Thomas Averry by 

 virtue of an alleged feoffment from Floure to Richard, 

 Duke of Gloucester, Averry, Thomas Wythiale, and 

 another. Averry was a violent man and three times 

 attacked Prince, once actually within Theydon Garnon 

 church. Prince finally appealed to the mother of the 

 Duke of Gloucester (who was also the mother of the 

 king) and she wrote to the duke, whose men had 

 participated in these assaults. It was then agreed that 

 the matter should be submitted to arbitration. The 

 details of the settlement have not been discovered, but 

 they were clearly in Prince's favour.^' It was during 

 this dispute that the documents proving the separate 

 identities of the manors of Theydon Bois and Theydon 

 Bois alias Gregories and setting out the early descent 

 of Gregories were drawn up. 



On the division of Elizabeth Hampden's estate 

 Gregories passed to Christopher Carleton in right of 

 his wife Jane. He died in 1 549 or 1550 and Jane later 

 married Francis Michell." In 1591 it was presented 

 at the manor court of Theydon Bois that Jane Michell 

 had died holding 200 acres of the manor by knight 

 service. This was almost certainly Gregories. Her 

 heir was found to be John Carleton, a son by her first 

 husband. The jury added that part of the land, the 

 exact quantity being unknown, had been conveyed to 

 the use of Francis MicheU.^' In 1638 Gregories was 

 held by George Carleton and was settled upon him 

 and his wife Olive for their lives with remainder to Sir 

 Ralph Freeman, who paid ^^1,000 to Alexander 

 Carleton.^ In May 1643 Freeman convenanted to 

 stand seised of the manor of Gregories for life, with 

 remainder to his youngest son George. George 

 Carleton may have been dead by this time; he was 

 certainly dead by April 1644, when his will was 

 proved.^5 In 1649 the settlement of 1643 was revoked 

 and the property, subject apparently to the life interest 



of Olive, now the wife of John Rivers, was sold to 

 Fulk Wormlayton of Wapping (Mdx.) distiller, and 

 William Hiccocks of Southwark, brewer, for jri,690. 

 It was agreed between Wormlayton and Hiccocks that 

 each should enjoy half the property with no right of 

 survivorship and that within 30 days after the death of 

 Olive Rivers the property should be divided between 

 them according to the disposition of four arbitrators. 

 It was further covenanted that neither party should 

 attempt to buy out Olive's life interest.^* In 1650 John 

 and Olive Rivers leased to Wormlayton for Olive's life 

 and for ^^240 certain rooms, including the hall, the 

 great parlour with the larders or butteries adjoining, 

 two cellars, and three chambers, part of the house called 

 Gregories, with other buildings and about 200 acres 

 at an annual rent of j^6o. In 1652, presumably on the 

 death of Olive Rivers, the property was divided, 

 Wormlayton taking the lands included in his lease and 

 Hiccocks the remainder, together with the manorial 

 rights. 



Fulk Wormlayton was dead by 1676 and was suc- 

 ceeded by his son John (d. ante Sept. 1680)" and grand- 

 son of the same name who in 1727 sold the property to 

 Jacob Houblon of Bobbingworth for ^^3,000. During 

 the lives of the two John Wormlaytons mortgages 

 were often raised on the property. In 1735 ^^ 

 property was settled upon the marriage of Jacob 

 Houblon with Mary Cotton, becoming subsequently 

 absorbed in the Coopersale estate in Theydon Garnon 



(q.V.).^8 



The other half of Gregories, including the manorial 

 rights, descended from William Hiccocks (d. 1674) 

 to his grandson of the same name.'" In 1 709 it was 

 conveyed by a John Hiccocks to John Hyett, who died 

 in 17 19 leaving it to his grandson John, son of his 

 deceased son Thomas.^o In his will John Hyett the 

 elder provided that the manor should be charged with 

 an annuity for apprenticing poor boys.^' The manor 

 was still held by the Hyetts in 1759, when Elizabeth 

 Hyett was party to a conveyance, but by 1777 it was 

 apparently owned by the Crewe family.s^ In 1783 it 

 was sold by John Crewe of Bolesworth Castle (Chesh.) 

 to John Tysoe Read of London, banker, whose assigns 

 sold it in 1785 to Daniel Giles of London. '3 Giles 

 died in 1800 and was succeeded by his son, Daniel 

 Giles of Youngsbury (Herts.).3< In 1849 the manor 

 was owned by Lady Louisa Giles Puller of Youngs- 

 bury.35 It had presumably descended with the manor 

 of North Weald (q.v.). In 1850 Lady PuDer's estate 

 consisted of i 59 acres in Theydon Bois, then occupied 

 by Thomas Mills.s* 



About 600 yds. east of the end of Gregories Lane 

 is a rectangular moat which probably represents the 

 site of the medieval manor house of Gregories. A 

 field beyond the end of the lane was known in 1 848 as 

 'Gregory's Garden'.'' The present farm of Great 

 Gregories was in existence in 1 848 but the farm-house 

 appears to have been rebuilt early in the 20th century. 



'• feet of F. Essex, iii, 78. ' 



>• E..4.T.K.t.v,7. 



" Cal. Close, 1468-76, 259. 



" E.^.T.K.t.v, 7-17. 



" Carleton 's will was dated June 1549 

 and proved Jan. 1550: P.C.C. i Coodc. 

 For the litigation in connexion with the 

 ettates after Elizabeth Hampden's death 

 see Theydon Garnon. 



" E.R.O., D/DBx Mi. 



M E.R.O., D/DB T91. This large 

 bundle of deeds relating to Gregories 



covers the period 1638-1735. These 

 deeds, and the single deed D/DB T86, 

 have been abstracted in E.R.O., D/DWv 

 T51. Unless otherwise stated the follow- 

 ing descent is derived from D/DB T91. 



" Archd. Essex 139 Whitehead. 



" E.R.O., D/DB T86. 



" Arch. Essex Act Bk. 51. 



" E.R.O., D/DWVT51. 



" P.C.C. 107 Bunce. 



30 CP25{2)/9Z3 East. 8 Anne; P.C.C. 

 184 Browning. 



3* See Charities, below. 



32 CP43/704; CP25(2)/i3o8 Mich. 18 

 Geo. in. Evidently they acquired it by 

 marriage : Complete Peerage, v, 247— 

 8. 



33 E. Ogborne, Hisl. Essex, 260. 



3< F.C.H. Herts, iii, 358; Ogborne, Hht. 

 Essex, 260. 

 35 E.R.O., D/DTc T7. 

 3' E.R.O., D/CT 349. 

 3' Ibid. 



254 



