BIGGLESWADE HUNDRED 



WRESTLINGWORTH 



AAAA 



Hekeford. Or a chief 

 indented axure with three 

 rings argent therein. 



the last mention occurring in 1499 when Hereford's 

 manor was held as of the duchy of Lancaster, into 

 which Sutton manor (q.v.) had fallen." 



Elias Taillebois, who presented the advowson of 

 Wrestlingworth to Newnham Priory in the beginning 

 of the thirteenth century, appears as the earliest holder 

 of the manor." On his death before 1 2 3 1 it passed 

 to his daughter Cicely, wife of 

 Imbert de Hereford, from 

 whom the manor derived its 

 distinctive name." 



The Herefords continued to 

 hold in Wrestlingworth for 

 upwards of a hundred years, 

 for in 1 3 1 6 Robert de Here- 

 ford was rendering feudal ser- 

 vice in Wrestlingworth.'* His 

 son John acquired further 

 property in Wrestlingworth 

 through his uncle Alexander 

 de Crokedayke (whose sister 

 Juliana had married Robert de Hereford), who in 1 3 1 o 

 died seised of land here which went first to his nephew 

 John de Crokedayke, and at his death in 1322 to 

 John ' son of Robert, son of Roger de Hereford ' 

 called also John de Toweslonde." 



He died in 1341, and the inquisition taken at his 

 death gives, in addition to the land hitherto held as of 

 Cockayne Hatley, a messuage and 60 acres of land 

 held of William Latimer.** He left a son Reginald — 

 who died without issue — and a daughter Eleanor. 

 She married twice, first John de Raghton, by whom 

 she had a son Oliver, and secondly John Brown, and 

 died in 1407, her heir being her grandson John de 

 Raghton." He, on his death in 141 7, was succeeded 

 by his aunt Katherine Asplion, granddaughter of 

 Eleanor Brown." She died in 1437 and the manor 

 passed to her daughter Katherine, wife of Sir Thomas 

 Manningham.*' Sir John Manningham their son was 

 attainted in 1 474, and his estates were temporarily 

 granted to Anthony Gray, kinsman of Edward IV,*' 

 but the attainder was reversed in the following year, 

 and John Manningham allowed free entry into all his 

 possessions," and he accordingly is found in possession 

 of this manor at his death in 1499." 



He left a son William then aged forty to succeed 

 him,*' and a gap here occurs in the descent of this 

 manor which next appears in 1583 as the property of 

 Lord St. John of Bletsoe," who in 1593 alienated 

 Wrestlingworth manor to Thomas Hewett," who in 

 1600 transferred it to John Harris and Mary his 

 wife,*' and they and their descendants continued to 

 hold until towards the end of the century." John 



Downing. Barry of 

 eight pieces argent and 

 vert a griffon or. 



Harris, who died, before 1670, had three daughters, 

 each of whom took one third of the manor as her 

 portion. Of these daughters Rebecca became the 

 wife of Richard Oilman, Elizabeth of John Catlin, 

 and Sarah of John Hill.'" The thirds of the manor 

 thus divided were re-united and became the possession 

 of Sir George Downing who acquired two parts by 

 fine from Richard Gilman and John Hill and their 

 wives in 1678," and the remaining third in 1 71 7 

 from William Wightman," who had become possessed 

 of John Catlin's share in 1 707." From Sir George 

 Downing, who died in 1 749, this property passed to 

 his cousin and heir at law Sir Jacob Downing, who 

 on his death in 1764 left part 

 of his estate in Wrestlingworth 

 towards the endowment of 

 Downing College, Cambridge." 



Two thirds of this manor 

 appear to have been devoted 

 to this purpose. The other 

 third followed the same descent 

 as Kendals (q.v.) and passed to 

 Jacob John Whittington. 



In 1838 Thomas Ryder 

 conveyed it to Mr. Washing- 

 ton and Mr. Humphreys, and 

 in 1885 it was transferred to 

 Mr. H. F. Cust of Cockayne Hatley, and was sold with 

 that estate to Mr. Lomax in 1903.'* 



Two mills are found mentioned in Wrestlingworth. 

 One, a windmill of which the ancient site is still to 

 be identified, was appurtenant to Kendals manor, and 

 references to it are found in extents of the manor 

 given in 1270, 1373, and 1375.'* 



The second, a watermill, belonged to Herefords or 

 Wrestlingworth manor in the seventeenth and eigh- 

 teenth centur'es " 



To Kendals manor belonged a charter of free 

 warren granted in 1251 and confirmed in 1379.'' 



The lords of Kendals manor also had a right to 

 view of frankpledge within the manor," but no 

 manorial courts have been held for many years. 



The church of ST. PETER consists 



CHURCH of chancel 25 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., nave 



36 ft. 6 in. by 19 ft. with north and 



south aisles, south porch and west tower I oft. by 



I oft. 6 in. 



The earliest building of which any portion remains 

 had an aisleless nave 2 1 ft. 6 in. wide over all by 

 42 ft. 6 in. long, and a chancel of the same width as 

 at present, but probably slightly shorter from east to 

 west. This church was enlarged in the early part of 

 the thirteenth century by the addition of a south aisle 



S8 Chan. Inq. p.m. 15 Hen. VI (Ser. 

 2), xiii. No. 72. 

 8< Harl. MSS. 3656. 

 85 Ibid. ; Feet of F. Beds. 15 Hen. III. 

 »« Feud. Aids i, 19. 



87 Chan. Inq. p.m. 3 Edw. II, No. 32 ; 

 16 Edw. II, No. 73 i 7 Edw. Ill, No. 5 ; 

 10 Edw. Ill, No. 24. This last inquisition 

 is held on Isabel who was the wife of 

 Alexander de Crokedayke and held a third 

 of the Wrestlingworth property. 



88 Ibid. 15 Edw. Ill, No. 32. 



89 Assize R. 1494 m. 10 d.; Chan. Inq. 

 p.m. 8 Hen. IV, No. 59. 



<0 Ibid. Hen. V, No. 24. 



« Ibid. 15 Hen. VI, No. 51. She had 

 already by a charter dated 5 Hen. V(reserv- 

 ing a chamber and a stable in the manor) 



settled the manor on Sir Thomas Man- 

 ningham, who paid yearly 10 marks and 

 six dozen young pigeons after Kaster, such 

 rent to cease on her death. In 1428 he 

 held half a fee in Wrestlingworth, de- 

 scribed erroneously as * what Edward de 

 Kendale formerly held ' {Feud. Aids, i, 37). 



42 Cal. of Pat. 1467-77, p. 485. 



48 Ibid. p. 570. 



** Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xiii, No. 72. 



« Ibid. « Cott. MSS. Cleo. C. iii. 



*! Com. Pleas Recov. R. East. 35 

 Eliz. ; Feet of F. Beds. East. 35 Eliz. 

 Hereford's manor is from this time on- 

 wards called Wrestlingworth only. 



■•8 Feet of F. Beds. Mich. 42 Eliz. 



« Ibid. Hil. 15-16 Chas. II ; Recov. 

 R. Hil. 15-16 Chas. II. 



^o Gilman Family, io8a ; Feet of F. 

 Beds. East. 23 Chas. II ; Trin. 27 

 Chas. II i Trin. 30 Chas. II. 



51 Feet of F. Beds. Trin. 30 Chas. II. 



62 Ibid. Hil. 4 Geo. I. 



68 Recov. R. Mich. 6 Anne. 



6* Lysons, Magna Britannia, i, 155. 

 Information supplied by Mr. G. E. Smyth. 



66 Ibid. 



'8 Chan. Inq. p.m. 55 Hen. Ill, No. 

 13 ; 47 Edw. Ill, No. 20 ; 49 Edw. Ill, 

 No. 74. 



67 Feet of F. Beds. Trin. 27 Chas. II ; 

 Hil. 32-3 Chas. II ; Recov. R. Mich. 6 

 Anne. 



68 Cal. Rat. Chart. (Rec. Com.), 69 j 

 Chart. R. 3 Ric. II, No. 23. 



69 Ct. R. bdle. 153, No. 52. 



33 



