BIGGLESWADE HUNDRED 



ASTWICK 



ASTWICK 



Estwiche (xi cent.), Estewike (xii cent.), Asswyk 

 (xiii cent). 



The parish of Astwick, covering 664 acres, lies 

 midway between Biggleswade and Baldock. The 

 ground slopes from the north — where the highest point 

 is 249 ft. above the sea level — to the south, where it 

 reaches only 1 3 8 ft. The soil and subsoil are clay, the 

 chief crops being wheat, barley, peas, and beans. Of 

 the acreage 504! acres are arable land, 145J per- 

 manent grass, and 8 woods and plantations.' The 

 village itself, watered by a tributary of the Ivel, lies 

 concentrated in the south of the parish, off the 

 Roman road which forms the eastern boundary. On 

 the west side of the road which approaches the village 

 a lane leads to the corn-mill. After passing Ast- 

 wick Bury, which also lies on the west, the road 

 takes a sudden downward trend, and a lane on the 

 east leads to the church of Saint Guthlac, and to 

 the Church Farm. Around the village the land is 

 well timbered, chiefly with elm. Astwick is five 

 miles south-south-east from Biggleswade station on 

 the Great Northern main line, and four miles north- 

 north-west from Baldock on the Hitchin and Cam- 

 bridge branch of the same line. 



Among place-names may be mentioned the follow- 

 ing : — Gews Pightell occurs in a fifteenth-century 

 court roll.* It reappears in the following century as 

 le Pytyll.' Temple Ground and Temple Leyes in 

 the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries * are reminiscent 

 of the claim of the Knights Templars to view of frank- 

 pledge in Astwick.' A fifteenth-centiiry lease refers 

 to a vinery belonging to the manor of Astwick.' 

 Traces of this are to be found in the Vine Farm, 

 which occupies an isolated position at the extreme 

 corner of Langford abutting on Astwick.' 



Other place-names occurring are Willkytmede,' 

 Willkytholme ' (xiv cent.), Hempwyk, Floggate (xv 

 cent.), None Lane, Portemyllebrygge, Whelersmede, 

 Twyshill, Le Strebe, Le Butte (a messuage) (xvi cent.)." 

 At the time of the Domesday Survey 

 MANORS the land that afterwards became JST- 

 WICK MANOR was held by Hugh de 

 Beauchamp." He had at that time three tenants, 

 Bernard, holding one hide and one virgate ; Wene- 

 linc holding half a hide, and Ledmar, who held half 

 a hide, including a mill, which he had held in the 

 time of the Confessor as man of Earl Tosti." The 

 Beauchamp overlordship continued to be exercised in 

 Astwick, for in 1 166 Simon, son of Payn and heir of 

 the Hugh of Domesday, exacted feudal service in Ast- 

 wick," and in 1 198 he was quitclaiming the advowson 

 of Astwick to Chicksands Priory.'* 



1 Returns of the Bd.of Agric. (1905). 



2 Add. R. 34993. 

 8 Ibid. 



4 Ibid. 35001 ; Add. Chart. 34975. 



5 Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 59. 

 « Add. Chart. 34975- 



7 Beds. N. and Q. ii, 126. 'The Vine 

 House was a strongly built place with 

 walls and foundations of great thickness 

 (in very early times a castle) surrounded 

 by a moat on three sides, and on the 

 fourth flanked by a river.' 



8 Add. R. 34989. 

 » Ibid. 34993. 



10 Ibid. 34994i 35004. 35005. 

 U y.CH. Beds, i, 2^1 b. 



William de Beauchamp, grandson of Simon, was 

 overlord in 1 26 1, in which year he had the wardship 

 of Elias de Astwick (cf. the descent of mesne manor "). 

 In 1265 John de Beauchamp, the last feudal baron of 

 Bedford, was slain at Evesham, leaving sisters as co- 

 heiresses. Of these Beatrice, who married William 

 Monchesney," inherited the overlordship of Astwick, 

 for in 1284 feudal service was due to her husband 

 there." Maud, the daughter of Beatrice, married 

 John Botetourt," and in 1328 received a licence to 

 grant Astwick manor to William le Latimer (who 

 had married her daughter Elizabeth) with remainder 

 to the right heirs of Elizabeth." In pursuance of 

 this settlement John de Nevill of Raby (whose wife 

 Elizabeth was granddaughter of William le Latimer 

 and suo jure Baroness Latimer) is found seised at his 

 death of a knight's fee in Astwick.'" 



Richard Neville Lord Latimer was holding this 

 overlordship in 1495," and four years later conveyed 

 it by fine to John, archbishop of Canterbury, and 

 other trustees." One later reference has been found 

 to this lordship in an inquisition of 1 608, which states 

 that George Kympton held this manor of the earl of 

 Shrewsbury as of his manor of Lanthony." 



From Domesday onwards Astwick was held under 

 the Beauchamps by a family who took their surname 

 from this property, and who gradually acquired most 

 of the land in the parish, becoming lords of the 

 manor. In 1 1 66 Richard de 

 Astwick already held half a fee 

 of the Beauchamp honour," and 

 thirty years later Elias de Ast- 

 wick renounced all claim to the 

 advowson in favour of his over- 

 lord." John de Astwick re- 

 ceived in 1202 quitclaim from 

 Edith, daughter of Payn, of 

 half a virgate of land in Ast- 

 wick,'° and by 1 241 had given 

 place to Elias, son of Henry de 

 Astwick, who is mentioned in 

 a plea between William de Beauchamp and the prior of 

 Chicksands as under age, and in the custody of the 

 former." William de Astwick, probably a brother, 

 appears to have succeeded Elias, and in 1252 brought 

 a suit respecting lands in Astwick to a successful issue.'* 

 Walter de Astwick owed feudal service for one and a 

 half hides of land in 1 284,'' and at his death in 1290 

 left a son Simon as heir,™ who two years later did 

 homage for all lands and tenements which he held in 

 Astwick of the king." In 1 3 1 1 Simon of Astwick 

 made a settlement of his property in Astwick with 



<|><|> 



Astwick. Argent 



three crosslets sable. 



12 Ibid. 



" RedBk. of the Exch. i, 321. 



'■• Hunter's Fines, i, 21. 



15 Abhrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 120. 



15 G.E.C. Complete Peerage. 



17 Feud. Aids, i, 3. 



18 G.E.C. Complete Peerage. 



19 Cal. of Pat. 1327-30, p. 337. 

 '" Chan. Inq. p.m. 12 Ric. II, No. 40. 



21 Cal. of Inq. p.m. Hen. VU, 47 1 . 



22 Feet, of F. Beds. Trin. 15 Hen. VII. 

 About this time Lord Willoughby de 

 Broke made a claim to the barony of 

 Latimer. 



2» Chan. Inq. p.m. (Sef. ii,) vol. cccxvi. 

 No. 27, 



203 



2< Red Bk. of Exch. i, 321. 



2* Hunter's Fines, i, 21. The same 

 year John of Astwick acquired 2 acres of 

 land in Astwick from Thomas le Ferur j 

 ibid. 20. 



26 Ibid. 39. 



27 Ahbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 120. 



28 Feet of F. Beds. 37 Hen. Ill, 

 m. 2. 



29 Feud. Aids, i, 3. 



8° Chan. Inq. p.m. 19 Edw. I, No. 3. 



81 Ahbrev. Rot. Orig. (Rec. Com.), 69. 

 The overlordship was temporarily in 

 the king's hands owing to the * trespass 

 done by William Munchesnay* j Chan. Inq, 

 p.m. 19 Edw. I, No. 3. 



