A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



Add LET. Quarterly 

 palnviie indented or and 

 azure a bend azure 

 charged luith a fret be- 

 fween two martlets or 

 •with two eagles or in the 

 azure quarters. 



Trinity an eleventh part of a knight's fee in Alswick, 

 and in 1239 the prior granted them certain lands 

 with a mill in Alswick to hold 

 of him and his successors." 

 These lands remained with 

 Holywell until the i6th cen- 

 tury," when they were farmed 

 of the convent by Holy Trinity 

 for £s ^'- 8<^." The lands of 

 Holy Trinity passed to Sir 

 Thomas Audley after its dis- 

 solution in 1 53 1, and he con- 

 tinued to farm the manor of 

 Giberack of the nuns of Holy- 

 well until 1537, when he 

 purchased it of the convent." 

 From this date Giberack de- 

 scended with Sir Thomas's 

 manor of Corneybury in 

 Wyddial " (q.v.). It is mentioned in conveyances of 

 that manor as late as 181 1." 



In the 1 7th century there are records of a manor 

 called DOfTNHJLL in Layston. This was held by 

 John Crouch with the manor of Alswick in 1605," 

 and it is possible that it consisted of lands held by 

 the convent of Holy Trinity in the neighbourhood of 

 St. Bartholomew's Church." Downhall descended 

 with the manor of Alswick," the last reference to it 

 occurring in 1720, and it is probable that after that 

 date the two manors became merged. 



In the 13 th century certain lands in Alswick were 

 held by Gilbert de Sanford, lord of the manor of 

 Great Hormead." They descended through his 

 daughter to the Veres," and in 1328 were assessed 

 at one-third of a knight's fee." No record of this 

 as a separate holding occurs after this date and it was 

 probably included in the manor of Great Hormead. 



In the Domesday Survey several holdings are 

 recorded in HICHINTON (Ichetone, xi cent. ; 

 Hitchentuna, xii cent. ; Ykinton, Hygenton, xiii 

 cent.), which apparently lay within the area comprised 

 by the later parish of Layston." 



In the reign of Edward the Confessor i hide of 

 land in Ichetone was divided among four sokemen, 

 one a man of Archbishop Stigand, two the men of 

 King Edward, who paid by custom zd., and the fourth 

 a man of King Harold.'" By 1086 this land had 

 become the property of the Bishop of Bayeux and 

 was held of him by Osbem." This holding appears 

 afterwards as a half-fee belonging to the Ports," and 

 apparently descended with the manor of Pope's Hall 

 in Buckland (q.v.). It is lost sight of after the 14th 

 century and was probably absorbed into the manor of 

 Buckland, which, according to later entries, lay partly 

 in Layston.'' It was probably on account of this 



holding that Elizabeth de Burgh, lady of Pope's Hall, 

 was able to transfer her market from New Chipping 

 to Buntingford in 1360. 



Another Saxon holding at Ichetone was the half 

 hide of Godid, a ' man ' of Asgar the Staller. After 

 the Conquest this land came into the hands of Count 

 Eustace of Boulogne and was held of him by Rumold,** 

 the tenant of Alfladewick, and it appears with Alflade- 

 wick in the settlement made by Bernard son of 

 Rumold ** (see above). In the 1 3th century it appears 

 with Alfladewick among the fees of the honour of 

 Boulogne." No separate record of it occurs after 

 this time. 



Twenty acres of land in Ichetone, which had been 

 held by Godid, also came into the possession of Count 

 Eustace, but were held of him separately by two 

 knights." 



Another half hide which had been held by the 

 Saxon Ethelmsr of Benington passed with his other 

 lands to Peter de Valognes after the Conquest and 

 was held of him by Humfrey." This holding was 

 probably attached to the neighbouring manor of 

 Stonbury, which was also held by Peter de Valognes," 

 for it cannot be traced in Layston after this date. 

 A small holding of 3 virgates and 6 acres, which had 

 been held by two sokemen, who paid the sheriff 3<^. 

 yearly, had passed by 1086 to Hardwin de Scales and 

 was held of him by Theobald.*" It was probably 

 part of the Scales' holding in Throcking, of which 

 Theobald was also tenant in 1086," for at the begin- 

 ning of the 15 th century Geoffrey de Bermingham 

 was holding land in Ichington near Buntingford of 

 the manor of Throcking." Six acres of land also in 

 Ichetone were held under Edward the Confessor by 

 Aldred, one of his thegns, and after the Conquest 

 passed to Eudo Fitz Hubert and were held of him by 



MJ7 



Knightb Tkmplarb. 

 Argent a cross gules and 

 a chief sable. 



Khightb Ho«pital- 

 LXB8. Gules a cross 

 argent. 



Walter." These small holdings probably were 

 absorbed into neighbouring manors. 



In the 1 3th century the Knights Templars held 

 land in Buntingford. In 1296 Robert de Gone- 

 wardby granted them id. rent there which was held 



" Dugdale, Mon, iv, 394. 



" See Feud. Aids, ii, 431 ; Valor Eccl. 

 (Rec. Com.), i, 394. 



" Valor Eccl. loc. cit. 



'» L. and P. Hen. VIII, xii (2), 1027. 



" Feet of F. Herts. East. 3 2 Hen. VIH ; 

 Hil. 14 Geo. II ; Clian. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), 

 clxi, 79 ; ebcii, 167. 



'' Feet of F. Herts. East. 51 Geo. III. 



^ Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccclvii, 50. 



** It is improbable that the convent 

 would have the advowson of a church 

 surrounded by alien territory. Its appear- 

 ance at such a late date suggests that it 

 was monastic land. 



** See references under that manor. 



»« Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 284 

 Feud. Aids, ii, 431. 



" For this descent see manor of Great 

 Hormead. 



'* Cal. Inq. p.m. 1-9 Ediv. Ill, 129. 



*^ See Cal. Pat. 1225-32, p. 368, from 

 which it is apparent that Hichinton was 

 close to Corney. In the 12th century a 

 branch of the Hakun family lived at 

 Hichinton and took their name from it 

 {Rot. Cur. Reg. [Rec. Com.], i, 160, 

 165 ; AncL D. [P.R.O.], A 994). 



»» V.C.H. Herts, i, 3 loi. 



" Ibid. 



84 



" Red Bk. of Exch. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 

 506 J Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 270. 



^ Pat. 12 Elii. pt. ix i Chan. Inq. 

 p.m. (Ser. 2), cclxxxiv, 96. 



" V.C.H. Herts, i, 32li. 



85 Add. Chart 28344, 



•o Red Bk. of Exch. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 502, 

 576 ; Testa dt Nevill (Rec Com.), 270, 

 273. 



" V.C.H. Herts, i, 32 li. 



»8Ibid. 337i, 268. 



"Ibid. 337*. 



« Ibid. 340a. " Ibid. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 12 Hen. IV no. 37. 



" Ibid. 329a. 



