BIGGLESWADE HUNDRED 



DUNTON 



Millo is marked by the old Gravel Pits, beyond 

 which lies Millowbury. At Millow Hall Farm, still 

 on the same side of the road, a branch road leads 

 down to Dunton Lodge in the south-east of the 

 parish. The road, leaving Millo behind on the west, 

 passes the point of intersection with that leading to 

 Dunton, and approaches the hamlet of Newton, 

 whence a footpath leads northward to Newton Bury. 

 The road from Eyworth on the north-east leads down 

 into the small village of Dunton, which is near the 

 centre of the parish. The church, standing a little 

 back, is in the middle of the village, and the rectory 

 lies on the opposite side on the outskirts of the village, 

 where the road — hitherto running south — takes a 

 turn due west. A footpath approaches Middlesex 

 Farm, and shortly after the 

 road crosses that running north, 

 and passes to the western boun- 

 dary of the parish. This parish 

 was inclosed by Act of Parlia- 

 ment in 1797.' 



At the time of 

 MANORS the Domesday Sur- 

 vey, Richard Pun- 

 giant held in Dunton 8 hides 

 and I virgate of the king in 

 chief. This manor, part of 

 which became later known as 

 DUNTON CHJMBERLJIN 

 or NEWTONBVRr, had for- 

 merly belonged to Archbishop 

 Stigand.' In 1200 the king 

 granted the overlordship of this 

 manor to William Brewer,* 

 but after his death in 1227," 

 it reverted to the crown, of 

 whom it was henceforth held 

 by the service of one-tenth of a 

 knight's fee.' 



No trace of the descent of this 

 manor can be found during the 

 next hundred years, but the 

 Chamberlains, from whom the manor derived its 

 distinctive name, appear to have acquired it some 

 time in the twelfth century, for in 12 10 William 

 Brewer acquired the wardship of Geoffrey Cham- 

 berlain, who held 2 carucates of land in Dunton,' 

 and whose father Robert had already preceded him 

 in Dunton.* In 1284 Hugh, probably a grand- 

 son of the above Robert, held the manor,' and 

 was succeeded by Robert Chamberlain," who in 1307 

 alienated the manor, under licence from the crown, 

 to Richard de Grymstede, retaining only a life interest 

 for himself." Richard was probably followed by 

 Thomas de Grymstede, who at his death in 1328 

 was seised of the manor.'* He left a son John, aged 



two, who only survived his father a few months, and 

 the manor passed to Katherine sister of Thomas 

 Grymstede." Katherine was married twice, first to 

 Ralph de Boklond, who died in 1332,'* and secondly 

 to John Avenel. She died in 1334, leaving a daugh- 

 ter Mary by her second husband," and the latter was 

 holding the manor for her in 1346." Mary married 

 Warin de Bassingbourne, and was holding the manor 

 in 1367." 



Between this date and 1403 the manor passed to 

 Ivo de Harleston, who held it at his death in that 

 year, though the method of the transference has not 

 been discovered." He left a son John, who was an 

 infant." 



Another gap here occurs in the descent of this 



DuNTOM Church, East End 



manor, which next appears in the possession of John 

 Manyngham, who in 1474 was attainted and his 

 lands granted by Edward IV to his wife's kinsman 

 Anthony Grey.'" The attainder was, however, almost 

 immediately reversed and the manor restored ; and 

 two years later the manor was alienated by fine to 

 Thomas Rotherham, archbishop of Canterbury," who 

 granted it for a term of years to the prior of Hun- 

 tingdon, with reversion in fee to Thomas son of John 

 Rotherham, the archbishop's brother." Thomas 

 Rotherham at his death left a son Thomas, who in 

 1535 alienated the manor to John Gostwick,** on the 

 death of whose son William in 1 546 the manor 

 passed to his uncle William Gostwick." His son 



3 Acts Priv. and Local, 38 Geo. Ill, 

 cap. 47. 



8 F.C.B. Beds, i, 252J. 



4 Cal. of Pat. 1225-32, p. 308 ; Testa 

 de Ne-vill (Rec. Com.), 243* ; Rot. Lit. 

 Claus. (Rec. Com.), ii, 279. 



' Dugdale, Baronage, i, 701. 



8 Feud. Aids, i, 3, 19, 23 ; Ablrev. 

 Plac. (Rec. Com.), 250 ; Cal. of Pat. 

 1307-13, 156; Cal. of Close, 1330-3, 

 478 ; Chan. Inq. p.m., 2 Edw. Ill, 

 Nos. 36, 58 ; 6 Edw. Ill, No. 26 ; 7 

 Edw. Ill, No. 15 ; 5 Hen. V, No. 33. 



7 Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 243^. 



The Testa says that Geoffrey held of 

 William Brewer by serjeanty. Rot. Lit, 

 Claus. (Rec. Com.), ii, 279. 



8 Ibid ; Harl. Chart. 83 A. 49. 



» Feud. Aids, i, 3. 



1" Abbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 250. 



" Cal. of Pat. 1307-13, p. 156 ; Feud, 

 Aids, i, 19. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 2 Edw. Ill, No. 

 36. 



"Ibid. No. -58. 



" Ibid. 6 Edw. Ill, No. 26, 



" Ibid. 7 Edw. Ill, No. I J. 



" Feud. Aids, i, 23. 



219 



17 Feet of F. Beds. 41 Edw. Ill ; Hoare, 

 JVilts. V, pt. i, 80. 



^ Chan. Inq. p.m. 5 Hen. IV, No. 33. 

 The manor was worth j^io at this time. 



" Cal. of Pat. 1401-5, p. 367. 



"" Ibid. 1467-71, p. 485. 



^ Feet of F. Div. Cos. 16 Edw. IV, 

 file 76, No. T08. 



^ Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xvii. No. 

 92. 



^ Feet of F. Beds. Trin. 27 Hen. 

 VIII. 



"•• Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), Ixxiii, 

 No. 13. 



