A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



The manor was held in 1757 by their son Joseph/' 

 whose nephew George held the property till his 

 death in 1 861.*' His son, George Musgrave, was 

 succeeded by a sou Edgar, whose son Horace Edgar 

 Musgrave at present owns the property." 



A manor oi LITTLE HOLWELL, sometimes called 

 NETHER HOLWELL, existed in this parish in the 

 thirteenth century, the earliest holders of which assumed 

 the place-name as surname. It appears to have been 

 held in chief, though no mention of the overlordship 

 has been found, but on the forfeiture of Robert Bel- 

 knappe in 1388, it fell into the king's hands." In 

 1200 Stephen de Holwell held property in Little 

 Holwell, for in that year he alienated a virgate here to 

 Ralph de Standon," and in 1203 Simon de Holwell 

 alienated a virgate to Robert son of Ascelin." An- 

 other Stephen de Holwell granted the manor to 

 William of Holwell for life in 1257," whilst John de 

 Holwell held Holwell in 1272 by a fortieth part of a 

 knight's fee." In 1 3 1 4 Walter de Holwell held the 

 manor," which was alienated by his son Nicholas in 

 1342 to John Avenel." He transferred it in 1 364 to 

 John of Buckingham bishop of Lincoln," who in 

 1383 granted it for fifteen years to Robert Belknappe." 

 Robert Avenel son of John, who married Juliana 

 daughter of Robert Belknappe, disputed the claim of 

 the bishop to the manor, ** and it was finally arranged 

 that Robert and Juliana should have the manor, which, 

 failing their heirs, should revert to Robert Belknappe. 

 They subsequently died without heirs, and the manor 

 fell to Robert Belknappe," and he having been found 

 guilty of treason in 1 388, Little Holwell escheated to 

 the crown." 



Reginald Braybroke received a grant of the manor 

 in the following year on payment of an annual rent of 

 20 marb, which was afterwards remitted."' In 1492 

 Elizabeth daughter of Gerard Braybroke, who married 

 first William de Beauchamp of St. Amand, and after- 

 wards Roger Tocotes," died in possession of the 

 manor," which then passed to her son Richard Beau- 

 champ of St. Amand, who died in 1508 without 

 issue.** Further traces of this manor are scanty ; in 

 1528 Thomas Brook of Cobham, as kinsman and heir 

 of Gerard Braybroke, relinquished his right in the 



*°RecoT. R. East. 30 Geo, II, rot. 

 262. 



■•'Feet of F. Beds. Mich. 59-60 Geo. 

 Ill ; Recov. R. ibid. rot. y ; Burke, Landed 

 Gentry f 1900. 



<" Burke, op. cit. 



*' Chan. Inq. p.m. 11 Ric. II, No. 130. 



M Feet of F. Beds, i John. 



" Ibid. 4 John. 



«» Ibid. 41 Hen. Ill, m. 5. 



*® Ibid. I Edw. I, m. 2. John here re- 

 cognized the right of Master Roger of 

 Sebon to the manor, who in return re- 

 leased him from debts amounting to ;^330. 



M Ibid. 8 Edw. Ill, m. 9. 



«Ibid. 16 Edw. Ill, m. 13. 



*' Assize R. 1494, m. 1 1. 



^^ Chan. Inq. p.m. 12 Ric II, No. 166. 

 This inquisition concerned rent, for which 

 Robert Belknappe made himself responsi- 

 ble, due from the manor to the abbess of 

 Elstow during the life of Elizabeth Ave- 

 nel, one of the nuns. 



'8 Feet of F. Beds. Hil. 8 Ric. II. 



'9 Cat. of Pat. 1391-6, p. 47. 



'" Chan. Inq. p.m. 11 Ric II, No. 130. 

 The extent of the manor at this time in- 

 cluded two gardens valued at 65., one 

 * grovet ' worth 45. 4*^., assize rent of free 

 tenants ,^9, 112 acres worth io</. an 



acre, and pasture for 300 sheep valued 

 at find. 



" Memo. R. (L.T.R.), Mich. 3 Hen. IV, 

 rot. 32. Nicholas Kynbell appears to have 

 claimed certain rights in the manor be- 

 tween 1413 and i4i6(Feet of F. Div, Cos, 



1 Hen. V, Nos. 5, 10), which he eventually 

 resigned to Nicholas Conyngestone (Close 

 R- 3 Hen. V, m, 6), who later relinquished 

 them to John Meppershall and others (ibid. 



2 Hen. V, m. 9), but no further trace has 

 been found of this interest. 



®^ Dugdale, Baronage^ i, 252, 



M Cal. Inj. f.m. Hen. Vll, No. 730. 

 Holwell was worth 10 marks, and declared 

 to be held of George earl of Kent. 



" G. E. C. ComfUte Peerage. He left by 

 will land in Beds, to Anthony his illegiti- 

 mate son. " Harl. Chart. 46, H. 49. 



«6Ibid. 55, H.4I. 



W y.CH. Beds, i, 229J. 



«8 Cart. Rameiei. (Rolls Sen), i, 458. 



^^ Feud. Aids, i, 13. 



'» Ibid. 3 1. The land was held for half 

 a knight's fee. 



T- Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xlii, No. 168. 

 This is the first time Holwell Bury is found 

 as a manor, and it is said to be held of the 

 abbot of Ramsey. The Hobards held of 

 the abbey as early as 1420, when Simon 



296 



manor to John Foule,** and in 1532 Thomas Pares 

 and others gave up their right in Little Holwell to 

 James Dod of London, haberdasher," but nothing 

 further has been discovered of the history of this 

 manor, which appears to have become extinct. 



The manor of HOLWELL BURT appears to have 

 originated in the 3 J hides of land which the abbot of 

 Ramsey held in Holwell at the time of Domesday 

 (1086)," though no mention of it as a manor is found 

 until the fifteenth century. About 1255 William de 

 Holwell held 2 hides of the abbot, for which he gave 

 10/. per annum and suit at the courts of Broughton 

 and Shillington." In 1302 one of the same name 

 was holding by feudal service of the abbot in Little 

 Holwell,*' as also in 1346." 



Thomas Hobard in 1 5 1 3 enfeoffed Edmund Jenney 

 and other trustees of Holwell Bury manor to the use 

 of George Ashfield and Margery his wife (probably 

 daughter of Thomas). Margery Ashfield died in 

 1525, leaving a son Robert as heir," who in 1553 sold 

 Holwell Bury to Thomas Snagge for;^ 5 30," and his son 

 Thomas sold the manor in 1576 to John St. John of 

 Bletsoe." Oliver St. John, his son, again sold it in 

 1 60 1 for ;f 1,800 to Richard Hale," who held it till 

 his death in 1620," being followed by his son Wil- 

 liam " and his grandson, another William, the latter 

 holding Holwell Bury in 1670." The Hales con- 

 tinued to hold this property until the middle of the 

 nineteenth century, when it was purchased by Mr. 

 Dodwell. The property has since been dispersed, 

 and that portion which includes the old farm-house 

 and buildings has been purchased by Mr. Hartley 

 of Liverpool, and is now used as a fruit-growing 

 firm."' 



The hamlet of PEGSDON (Pechesdone, xi cent. ; 

 Pekesdene, xii cent.) gave its name to a manor which 

 was assessed at the time of the Survey at 10 hides, and 

 was worth ;^lo." It appears to have become merged 

 in the abbot's manor of Shillington at an early date 

 (q.v.), for in 1 311 the abbot claimed the hamlet of 

 Pegsdon as member of his manor of Shillington." 



At the time of the Survey the abbot held half a hide 

 in LOWER STONDON,'" which afterwards became 

 attached to the manor of Shillington." 



Hobard was a suitor at the abbot's court 

 (Ct. R. bdle. 179, No. 56), 



7" Add. Chart. 352H-13 ; Feet of F. 

 Beds. Mich, i & 2 PhiL and Mary. In. 

 1 567 Thomas Snagge granted the manor ta 

 his son Thomas on the occasion of hi& 

 marriage with Elizabeth Dicons (Add. 

 Chart. 35217; Feet of F. Beds. Hil. la 

 Eliz.). 



" Add. Chart. 35220 ; Feet of F. Beds. 

 East. 18 Eliz. 



" Feet of F. Beds. Mich. 43 Eliz. } 

 Add. Chart. 35227. 



'' Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccdxrvi. 

 No. 126 ; ccclxxxvii. No. no. It is here 

 called ' a manor or farm.' 



'^ Ibid, cccclxxvi, No. 148. 



T! RecoT. R. Trin. 22 Chas. II, rot. 45. 



^' Information supplied by Mr. Hans- 

 combe. 7» KC.H. Beds, i, 228A. 



" Plac. de Quo JTar. (Rec Com.), 64 ; 

 Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A. 1 39 i Testa de Ne^ill 

 (Rec Com.), 243 ; FeuJ. Aids, i, 14 ; Cart. 

 Ramesei. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 2 1 2, 307, &c 



8" KC.H. Beds, i, 229a. 



81 Feet of F. Beds. 8 Hen. Ill, m. 10 ; 

 36 Hen. Ill, m. 8; Anct. D. (P.R.O.), 

 A. 5804, A. 8191 ; Plac de Quo ITari, 

 (Rec Com.), 19 ; Cart. Ramesei. (RoU^ 

 Ser.), i, 460 ; iii, 212, &c. 



