BIGGLESWADE HUNDRED 



EYWORTH 



of Roger de ClifFord." The consequent division of 

 the manor into two parts leads to some complication 

 in its history ; what appears to have happened is as 

 follows: Roger Leyburne died in 1283," and Ida 

 married John de Cromwell," 

 and on her death in 1334 the 

 manor passed under a settle- 

 ment made during her life- 

 time " to Hugh le Despenser 

 and his son Edward succes- 

 sively," who in 1343 died 

 seised of the manor held 

 jointly with his wife Anne, 

 who was the daughter of 

 Henry Ferrers, lord de Groby ." 

 She held the manor in 1 346, 

 her son Edward being still 

 under age." In 1428 Anne Despenser is described as 

 holding by feudal service in Eyworth ' quod quondam 

 ' eadem Anna tenuit,'"" but by i486 these lands had 

 become reunited to the other part of Eyworth manor, 

 for the Despenser lands were included in a grant of 

 the manor in i486 to John Fortescue." 



With regard to Isabel de Clifford's share, her hus- 

 band at his death in 1283 was described as holding 

 the manor of Eyworth in right of his wife and left a 

 son Robert," who was slain at Bannockburn in 

 1 3 1 4, and whose son Roger de Clifford was executed 

 for high treason after Boroughbridge in 1322. This 

 may account for the alienation of this manor, which 

 next appears in the family of Francis. 



Adam Francis was holding in Eyworth as early as 

 1 3 7 1 ," and his son Adam at his death in 1 41 7 was 

 seised of the manor." He 

 left two daughters, of whom 

 Elizabeth, wife of Sir Thomas 

 Charleton, succeeded to Ey- 

 worth manor, and was followed 

 at her death in 145 1 by her 

 son Thomas." He died in 

 1463,'^ and his son Richard, a 

 supporter of Richard III, was 

 attainted of treason in the 

 reign of Henry VII. His 

 estates fell to the crown, and 

 in i486 were granted by 

 Henry VII to John Fortescue, 

 'in recompense for services done to him.' " His son 

 John succeeded him in 1 5 1 o, and held the manor till 

 his own death in 1 5 1 8, when he left a son Henry, 

 then two and a half years old.'' The grant of the 



Fortescue. Azure 

 a bend engrailed argent 

 between cotises or. 



manor was reconfirmed to Henry Fortescue by letters 

 patent in 1 543, because, as stated in the preamble of 

 the confirmation, owing to some informality the grant 

 was found valid only for the life of the late Sir John 

 Fortescue." 



Henry Fortescue on his death in 1576 left a son 

 Francis,'" whose son John" in 1594 alienated the 

 manor to Sir Edmund Anderson, who shortly after 

 acquired the second manor in Eyworth with the 

 advowson of the church, both formerly the property 

 of St. Helen's Priory, London, and after this date both 

 manors became merged into one. Sir Edmund Ander- 

 son, when he died in 1 605, left Eyworth to his widow 

 Magdalen for life," and Francis their son, who died in 

 1 6 1 6, settled the manor on Edmund with remainder 

 to Stephen, both sons by his first wife Judith daughter 

 of Sir Stephen Soame.'' Edmund Anderson died in 



Anderson. Argent 

 a cheveron between three 

 crosses paty sable. 



P E L H A M . Axure 

 three pelicans argent 

 quartered ivith Gules two 

 pieces of belts argent pale^ 

 wise with their buckles. 



1638," and Stephen, whose son Stephen was created 

 a baronet during his father's lifetime in 1664, held 

 the manor after him as heir male.''. Sir Stephen 

 Anderson died in 1 707,'* and was followed by a son 

 Stephen, whose son Stephen died without issue in 

 1773, and the baronetcy became extinct," when 

 the Eyworth estates reverted to Charles Anderson 

 Pelham, heir male of Francis Anderson, younger 

 brother of the first baronet,'' who was created Lord 

 Yarborough in 1796, and who in 1804 conveyed the 

 manor by fine to Lord Ongley," whose son Lord 

 Ongley was holding the property in 1854."' Ten 

 years later it had passed to Arthur Peel,'"' whose 

 descendant. Viscount Peel, is at the present day lord 

 of the manor. 



A second EYWORTH MANOR is an offshoot of 

 the larger manor, and originated in a charter of Maud 

 daughter of William de Bussy granting to the priory 



IS Feud.Aids,i,n. 



1* Chan. Inq. p.m. 12 Edw. I^ No. 17. 



1» Cal.of Pat, 1^01-7, f.^0 ; Chart R. 

 2 Edw. II, m. 14, No. 50. 



15 Feet of F. Div. Cos. 14. Edw. II, No. 

 S. 



V Chan. Inq. p.m. 8 Edw. Ill (ist 

 Nos.), No. 66. 



18 Ibid. 16 Edw. Ill, No. 49a. 



19 Feud, Aids, i, 22. 

 2" Ibid. 37. 



21 Pat. I Hen. VII, pt. 3, m. 21 ; 32 

 Eliz.pt. 18, m. 18. 



s> Chan. Inq. p.m. II Edw. I, No. 36a. 

 The extent of the property is here given 

 as a messuage, a garden, 100 acres of 

 arable land, 4 acres i rood meadow, 4 

 acres pasture, loi. lod, rent from free 

 tenants, 2J virgates of land in villeinage, 

 two cottages, and half a mill. 



^ Chan, Inq. p.m. 45 Edw. Ill (ist 



Nos.), No. 24. In this inquisition Richard 

 de Goushill held a messuage, 16 acres 

 of arable land, and 2 acres meadow in 

 Eyworth of Adam Francis by service of 

 a garland of roses yearly. 



i"Ibid. 5 Hen. V, No. 53. In this 

 inquisition the manor, whose value was 

 ^20 per annum, was declared to be held 

 of Lord de Grey, service unknown, but 

 the name of the overlord is an inter- 

 polation in a strange hand on the original 

 document. 



25 Ibid. 29 Hen. VI, No. 33. 



^ Ibid. 5 Edw. IV, No. 31. 



^^ Pat. I Hen. VII, pt. 3. 



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

 65. 



2' Pat. 34 Hen. VIII, pt. 7. There 

 appear to have been further confirma- 

 tions in 1590, 1591; Pat. 32 Eliz.pt. 18, 

 m. 18 ; 33 Eliz. pt. 8, m. 22. 



231 



55- 



Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), clxxvii. No. 



" Harl. Soc, Publ, xiii, pt. i. 



*'' Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxciv. No, 

 107. 



»' Ibid.ccclx!i,No. 188. On Sir Francis 

 Anderson's tomb in Eyworth Church 

 Judith is described as daughter of Sir R. 

 Soane. 



'■* Ibid, ccclxxxvii, No. 175 ; Recov. R. 

 Mich. 4 Chas. I, rot. 84 ; Feet of F. Beds. 

 East. 1 3 Chas. I. 



85 Ibid. 25 Chas. II ; Recov. R. East. 16 

 Chas. II. 



86 Feet of F. Div. Cos. Trin. 2 Anne ; 

 G.E.C. Baronetage, iii, 294. 87 Ibid. 



8S Ibid. ; Com. Pleas Recov. R. Trin. 

 13 Geo. Ill, m. 30 ; Recov. R. ibid. 

 89 Feet of F.Beds. Hil.45 Geo. III. 

 89» Kelly's Directory, 1854. 

 89'' Ibid. 1864. 



