A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



The priory's possessions in Campton increased con- 

 siderably in value, for in 1291 its manor was worth 

 ^18 14J. 7a'.,*' and during the fourteenth century the 

 estate was augmented by various donations." In 

 1445 the priory received in rents from the bailiff of 

 Campton [fi 13/. 4^. at Easter and jf 13 6/. 8</. at 

 Michaelmas,*' and in 1535 the value of the property 

 in Sheiford was jfiz 10/. dd., and of that in Camp- 

 ton ^8 6s. SJ."' 



After the Dissolution the value of the possessions in 

 Campton and ShefFord was £15 i6s. 2</." The manor 

 was taken into the king's hand at the Dissolution and 

 was granted, together with the manor house, to Sir 

 Thomas Palmer by Edward VI in 1548." Sir 

 Thomas Palmer was convicted of treason and executed 

 m 1553," his possessions being 

 forfeited to the crown, and 

 Elizabeth in 1560 granted the 

 site of the manor to Joan the 

 widow of John Ventris and her 

 heirs." The manor remained 

 in the possession of the Ventris 

 family for over two hundred 

 years. Sir Francis Ventris 

 Joan's grandson, who suc- 

 ceeded her, died seised of the 

 manor in 1627, having made 

 a settlement on his second son 

 Charles, on the occasion of 

 the latter's marriage with Mary 



daughter of Sir Lewis Pemberton of Rushden." 

 Francis the eldest son held the manor for the term of 

 his life, and on his death in 1 631, Charles entered 

 into possession." Charles fought for the king in 

 the Civil Wars, and was knighted by him in 1645. 

 Charles died before 165 1, when his estates were 

 sequestered." 



The manor afterwards passed to his son John, 

 who died in 1 706. His son Charles died in 1 7 1 9, 

 leaving a son John who died a few months later. 

 Francis brother of John inherited the manor, but on 

 his dying without issue in 1 743 it passed to his sister 

 Henrietta, who had married John Field of Cranfield." 

 From John and Henrietta descended Sir Charles 

 Ventris Field," who sold the manor between 1778 and 

 1803 to Sir George Osborn, bart.®" The latter, or 

 his descendants, sold their rights to Mr. John Lewis 

 ffitche, who was lord of the manor in 1877. Mr. 

 ffitche dying in 1902, these rights are now vested in 

 his trustees. 



The earls of Norfolk had an estate in Campton 

 held by the services of half a knight's fee in 1307, 

 when Roger le Bygod died seised of it.*' In 1433 it 

 was held from the priory of Chicksands," and in 

 1 46 1 was held by Eleanor duchess of Norfolk, as 

 her dower, after the death of John duke of Norfolk, 



Ventris. Awtre a 

 dolphin fwimming bt* 

 tween nvo Viaved bends 

 argent. 



by the services of a quarter of a knight's fee," but after 

 this date no further trace of the property can be found. 

 The hamlet of SHEFFORD possessed a market 

 from a very early date ; the first mention of it 

 occurred in 1225 " when the king, hearing that the 

 market at Sheiford was harming that at Bedford, 

 commanded the sheriff to make inquiries and tc 

 suppress it if he found the allegations to be true ; 

 evidently the rumour was unfounded, for Henry son 

 of Gerold in 1229 was granted a market on Friday 

 at his manor of Campton 'in the place called 

 Shefford.'" It was on the strength of this charter 

 that Warine de Lisle claimed a market in the reign 

 of Edward I ; ^ at the same time he justified his 

 claim to free warren by a charter granted to Warine 

 son of Gerold by Henry III, in 1253, and stated 

 that a view of frankpledge belonged to the manor. 

 The market continued attached to the manor, and in 

 1 3 1 2 Robert de Lisle was granted a yearly fair to be 

 held at the Feast of St. Michael for seven days." 

 Later on in the reign of Edward III, Robert was 

 called upon to prove his title to the market, fair, free 

 wuiren and view of frankpledge.'' In 1 6 14 the tolls 

 were granted to Laurence Sampson,*" and Henrietta 

 Maria, in 1625, bestowed the tolls and profits of the 

 weekly market and yearly fair on James Sampson of 

 Henlow, probably a relative of Laurence, for twenty- 

 one years at an annual rent of ^^12." It was stated 

 in 1649 '''*' ^^ ^°ll5 were worth £i(>.^ In 1636 

 Humphrey Sampson, son of James, brought an action 

 against Thomas Stephens, Oliver Thody and others, 

 who persisted in destroying the stalls which he had 

 erected." The tolls of the market and fairs were 

 granted to Timothy Wilson and Elizabeth his wife, 

 who held them in 1681," and in 1 71 3 the mar- 

 ket and three annual fairs were granted to Robert 

 Bruce, earl of Elgin." The market in the eighteenth 

 century became comparatively unimportant," but in 

 the beginning of the nineteenth century it was revived, 

 and is still held on Friday." 



The royal manor of Campton-cum-Shefford had a 

 court-leet and court-baron ; the court-leet was granted 

 to Laurence Sampson in 1 614." In a Parliamentary 

 Survey of 1 649 it is stated that the court-baron was 

 usually kept at Shefford at the will of the lord and 

 that the court-leet was held at the usual times. The 

 freeholders had to pay as a relief, upon descent and 

 alienation, a year's quit-rent and only three heriots 

 were due from one tenant, who held by lease. They 

 were due on the death of the persons mentioned in the 

 lease, and consisted of the best beast or chattel upon 

 the land." 



In 1839 the court-leet was held annually, but in 

 1 85 1 it was stated to be held once in two years. 



There was a mill in Campton at the time of the 

 Domesday Survey on the land belonging to Walter 



« Pope Nick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 496. 



■■8 Thus in 1327 John Elundel and 

 Matilda late the wife of Roger Lestrange 

 gave to the priory 2 messuages and lands 

 in Campton of the yearly value of i6j. 

 4</. (Cat. of Pat. 1327-1330, p. 168), and 

 in 1356 Adam de Pulhanger bestowed 

 upon them 4 messuages in Shefford (Inq. 

 a.q.d. File 320, No. 4). 



^' Mins. Accts. Bdle. 11 19, No. 4. 



'" Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv, 195. 



" Mins. Accts. 3 1 Hen. VIII, Aug. 

 Off. 



M Pat. 2 Edw. VI, pt. 5. 



*" Diet. Nat. Biog. 



'^ Pat. 2 Elii. pt. 3. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. vol. 451, No. 96. 



" Ibid. vol. 464, No. 107. 



*^ Cal. of Com. for Compounding^ i, 554. 



*s Blaydes, Beds. N. and Q. ii, 220 ; 

 Blaydes, Gen. Bed. 78; Beetham, Baronage, 

 ii, 127. 



'" Close, 44 Geo. Ill, pt. 23, No. 4. 



^^ Lysons, Mag. Brit, i, 63. 



"1 Cal. of Inq. p.m. (Rec. Com.), ii, 

 217. 



" Ibid, iv, 147. 



68 Chan. Inq. p.m. i Edw. IV (46) ; 

 Pat. 9 Edw. IV, pt. ii, m. 3. 



*■■ Rat. Lit. Claus. (Rec. Com.), ii, 27. 



268 



30. 



' Close, 13 Hen. Ill, m. 15. 

 1 Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 7. 

 Chart. R. 5 Edw. II, m. 2, No. 10. 

 ' Plac. de Quo. War. (Rec. Com.), 29, 



' Pat. 12 Jas. I, pt. 16. 

 ' Cal. ofS.P. Dom. 1636-7, p. 270. 

 • Pari. Surv. 1649, Beds. No. 18. 

 ' Cal. ofS.P. Dom. 1636-7, p. 270. 

 ' Feet of F. Beds. Trin. 33 Chas. II. 

 ' Pat. 1 2 Anne, pt. 4, No. 9, 

 ' Camden, Brit. 145. 

 ' Add. MSS. 9408. 



Pat. 12 Jas. I, pt. 16. 

 ' Pari. Surv. 1649, Beds. No. 18. 



