sporting mid Rural Records of the Cheveley Estate. 17 



parish of Cheveley, on which Sir John claimed commonage. It 

 contained by estimation three score acres, " eared about with a 

 plough in part towards the town of Newmarket from Moulton, 

 abutting upon Moulton Heath towards the east, and upon the 

 Queen's highway leading from Moulton towards Newmarket towards 

 the south," which piece of ground Sir John and his ancestors "held, 

 occupied, and enjoyed as part of the manor of Cheveley for sheep, 

 pasture, and warren ground without interruption until Thomas 

 Stutvill, wrongfully pretending title of common of pasture, put and 

 kept three hundred sheep there, alleging rights for certain tenants 

 which he had in the town of Cheveley within a parcel of the manor 

 of Bansted, which he contended appertained the privilege of 

 commonage there as established by certain deeds and charters 

 made in the time of Richard III. and Henry VII." There were 

 many interesting disputes relating to the rights of common on 

 this piece of ground, which was claimed from time to time by the 

 successive owners of the manors of Cheveley and Bansted 

 respectively. 



Chevf.ley. 

 1575- 



Bansted. 



The Cotton Family. 



The name of this family is said to be derived from the manor 

 of Cotton, anciently called Cotes, in the hundred of Wetherley, 

 and deanery of Barton, about three miles west of Cambridge, of 

 which Sir Henry Cotton, lord of the manor of Cotton Hall, in this 

 county, or, according to other authorities, of Cotton Hall, Exning, 

 CO. Suffolk, was seated. At any rate, it is admitted that he married 

 Anne, daughter and heir of Sir Henry le Fleming, by whom he had 

 issue Thomas, his son and heir, father of Humphrey, who by Anne, 

 daughter of Sir Thomas Holbroke, had issue Sir Thomas Cotton, 

 who married Alice, daughter and heir of John de Hastings, of 

 Landwade and Fordham, co. Cambridge, who possessed that 

 estate, and left issue John Cotton, who was M.P. in several 

 sessions for Cambridge in the reign of Richard II., and died in 

 1393. He married Bridget, daughter of Richard Grace, of 



D 



Sir Henry 

 Cotton. 



Sir Thomas 

 Cotton. 



John Cotton, 

 M.P. 



