282 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



any destruction of the said fowles or beastes of warranty to 

 be done by any person or persons . . . 



" Also, it is agreed that the said Francis Mann, and 

 Peter Mann, his son, shall find beddings and other housel- 

 ment of household as shall be necessary for the said Abbot 

 and Convent, and other his brethren and servants coming 

 with him, to the said Manor of Thorpe, at such times as 

 the said Abbot, his brethren, and servants shall tarry and 

 lodge there for their solace and benefit, so that it be not 

 continually. . . ." 



Abbot John de Eipon died here in 1434 while sojourn- 

 ing in the Manor House. 



The descendants of " Francis and Peter Mann, his son," 

 continued to live here until the early years of the present 

 century. There is rather a romantic story of the way it 

 became the property of the Eobinson family. Late one 

 winter's night a chaise drew up to the door of Thorpe 

 Green, and a belated traveller craved lodging for the night. 

 She was a pretty young widow, with a little son, whose 

 husband had died, leaving her with very little to live upon. 

 She stated that she was on her way to stay with her 

 husband's cousin, Mrs. Eobinson, of Studley Park, the 

 ancestress of the present Marquis of Eipon ; but that, as 

 darkness had come on, she felt afraid to proceed further 

 that night ; and her husband having told her to seek the 

 aid of his old friend, Mr. Mann Horsefield, if in need of 

 help, she had now done so, on finding herself in his neigh- 

 bourhood. The visitor ingratiated herself so much that 

 she was begged to return after her visit to Studley, and 

 accordingly did so, the sequel of the story being that the 

 old gentleman left all his estate to her son, the grandfather 

 of Mr. Eobinson. The latter eventually sold it to my 



