RISBOROUGH HUNDRED 



manor or farm of Mesles or Druels." The only trace 

 of this manor to be found in recent times was a wood 

 named Druels Wood, near Bledlow Ridge, which 

 has now been grubbed up. 



In the 1 4th century the family of Fresel held an 

 estate known as FR4TSELLES in Bledlow. James 

 Fresel in 1316-17 made a settlement, by which he 

 settled this on himself for life, with remainder to 

 James his son and his issue ; in default with remainder 

 to another son, Thomas." This James Fresel was a 

 man of some importance in the county, being a 

 knight of the shire in I 329." 



He also obtained an indult from Pope John XXII, 

 that his confessor should give him plenary remission 

 at the hour of death, 64 and by his will left valuable 

 bequests to the church of Bledlow." His father's 

 name was Robert, but he does not appear as tenant 

 of land in Hledlow." In his will dated 1341 James 

 Fresel named only two sons, Edmund and James, 87 

 but Thomas appears in the settlement mentioned 

 before, and was probably his father's heir, since he 

 succeeded to the greater part of the 'estates before 



'343" 



Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Fresel claimed 

 various tenements that her father had held in neigh- 

 bouring parishes in 1364 or 1365, and presumably 

 was his heiress." Some years later Richard ap Yenan 

 held lands and tenements called 'Freselles,' in Bled- 

 low," but it does not appear how he obtained them. 

 In 1524 Walter Curzon died seised of the manor of 

 Frayselles, 71 which afterwards came into the possession 

 of George, Earl of Huntingdon, who sold it to Sir 

 Michael Dormer and John Goodwyn in 1537." 

 The Dormers held the manor" till 1584-5, when a 

 sale took place of the site of the manor of Frayselles, 

 which came into the hands of Edward East. 74 This 

 sale probably included the whole manor, which was 

 held from this time by the lord of the Rectory Manor 

 (q.v.), and was apparently united with it." In the 

 i 5th century the manor was held of the Rector of 

 Bledlow, 76 at that time the Dean and Chapter of the 

 Free Chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster." After 

 the Dissolution, however, it was apparently separated 

 from the rectory, and held, in Queen Elizabeth's 

 reign, of the honour of Ewelme by fealty and 

 rent." 



There seems to have been a RECTORT M4NOR 

 of considerable size in Bledlow. There is no specific 

 mention of it until after the Restoration, though the 

 Fresels' property was said to be held of the rector in 

 the I 5th and l6th centuries." It evidently belonged 

 first to the abbey of Grestein, and subsequently to the 



BLEDLOW 



Free Chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster." After the 

 Dissolution the Rectory was granted to Thomas East 

 and Henry Hoblethome, who, however, surrendered 

 their lease in 1552." 



Edward VI then gave a lease for twenty-one years 

 to Thomas Forster, 8 * but in 1562 or 1563 Queen 

 Elizabeth granted the Rectory to William Revett and 

 Thomas Bright and their heirs to hold in chief." 

 The following year, however, they had licence to 

 alienate it to Edward East." He made a settlement 

 in 1609,** by which it was held by him for his own 

 life, then to the use of Cecilia his wife for her life, 

 then to the use of the executors of his will for one 

 year, and then to the use of Edward Fitz Herbert." 

 Fitz Herbert predeceased Edward East and Brigit 

 Fitz Herbert,* 7 probably his widow. She seems to 

 have married Sir Edmund Windsor, and to have held 

 the Rectory in 1630." William Fitz Herbert is men- 

 tioned at the same date," and he and his wife Anne 

 held it afterwards. He was sequestered during the 

 Civil War as a recusant, and compounded for Bled- 

 low Parsonage for 200 in 1647.** He seems, how- 

 ever, to have sold it to William Brereton and James 

 Blanks." The former was one of the trustees of Sir 

 John Fitz Herbert, father of William Fitz Herbert." 

 Great efforts seem to have been made by William 

 Fitz Herbert to preserve his lands by various sales," 1 

 but William Starbuck, minister of Bledlow and his 

 parishioners made complaints against him for com- 

 pounding for his estates in the parish at an under- 

 valuation.* 4 



Their object seems to have been to obtain posses- 

 sion themselves, for they offered to pay 300 for the 

 Rectory. 95 After many inquiries Brereton and Blanks 

 succeeded in establishing their claim, and their lease 

 was judged good by Chief Justice St. John at the 

 Assizes. They were, therefore, discharged by the 

 Committee for Compounding." John Blanks re- 

 tained possession of the Rectory after the Restoration, 97 

 when the estate was called ' the manor of the Rectory of 

 Bledlowe.' * His granddaughter and heiress married 

 Johnshall Crosse. 99 She was succeeded by her son 

 Henry, 100 who married Elizabeth Jodrell,"" and their 

 fourth son Thomas held the manor in 1745."" He 

 died without children, his heir being his sister, the 

 wife of William Hayton." 8 Her daughter married 

 Samuel Whitbread, who succeeded to the estate on 

 the death of his mother-in-law. 104 Their son, another 

 Samuel, sold the manor in 1801 to Lord Carring- 

 ton, 104 whose successor holds it at the present day. 



At the time of the Domesday Survey there was 

 one mill in the parish, which yearly yielded to the 



' Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. l), cccczciv, 

 no. 48. 



Feet of T. Buckt. HiL 10 Edw. IL 



Col. Chit, I 317-30, p. 528. 



M Col. if Papal Ltmrt, ii, 391. 



Hiit. MSS. Com. Rip. a, App. i, 47* 



"Ibid. 



Ubid. 



* Ctl. Pat. 1 343-5, p. 91 ; Awize R. 

 1431, m. cod. 



" Ibid. 1451, m. 4;. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 4 Hen. V, no. 57. 



"' Exch. Inq. p.m. bdle. 22, no. 6. 



* Feet of F. Buclci. Mich. 19 Hen. 

 VIII ; Recov. R. Mich. 29 Hen. VIII. 



Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. z), liiiii, 

 no. 10 ; Feet of F. Bucks. Eatt. 4 Edw. 

 VI ; Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), XCY. no. 5j 

 ibid, cln, no. 2. 



7 Feet of F. Buck*. HiL 17 Eliz. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccxxxv, 

 no. 24 ; Feet of F. Buck*. Trin. 6 Chai. 

 I ; Trin. 1649; Mich. 165?. 



7* Chan. Inq. p.m. 1 1 Hen. V, no. 7. 



77 Exch. Inq. p.m. bdle. 72, no. 6. 



7* Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), clxx, no. 2. 



" Ibid. 4 Hen. V, no. 57, file 254 ; 

 Exch. Inq. p.m. bdle. 12, no. 6. 



" See 'Advowton.' 



Aca of P.C. 1552-4, p. 109. 



Ibid. 



* Pat. J Elir. pt. 3. 



Ibid. 6 Eliz. pt. II. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), CCCXZZT, 

 no. 24. 



"Ibid. 



? Ibid. 



Feet of T. Bucks. Trin. 6 Chat. I. 



249 



Ibid. 



Cal. of Com. for Compounding, 68. 



11 Ibid. 1489. * Ibid. 1488. 



Feet of F. Buck*. Trin. 1649 ; ibid. 

 Mich. 1653. 



Cal. of Com. for Compounding, 1489. 



* Ibid. Ibid. 



7 Feet of F. Buckt. Mich. 18 Chat. II. 



Ibid. 24 Chat. II. 



n Ibid. Eait. 32 Chat. II ; Trin. 

 IX Will. III. 



Ibid. 



" Ibid. Div. Cot. Trin. 13 Ceo. II. 



' Recov. R. Mil. 19 Geo. II. 



1M Feet of F. Di. Cot. Mich. 13 

 Geo. II ; cf. pedigree, Lipicomb, Hat, of 

 Bulks, v. 



' Ibid. 



l <* Lyiont, Mapii Britannit, 



32 



