CLIFTON HUNDRED 



UPPER STONDON 



Ralph Taillebois.' Like all his lands, this estate 

 passed to the Beauchamps and became part of the 

 barony of Bedford.* 



Engelar held 2 J hides of Azelina in 1086/ but 

 there is no further record until izoi, when William 

 Briton alienated a virgate of land in Stondon to 

 Stephen de Holwell,' and a few years later conveyed 

 to Roger Briton half a virgate of land, and a messuage 

 in the same place/ In iz6l Richard Briton was 

 holding in Stondon, in which year he conveyed the 

 advowson of the church to the prior of Merton.' 

 Documentary evidence is scanty, but the Britons 

 apparently continued to hold the manor, and in 1302 

 William Briton held one knight's fee in Upper Stondon 

 of the barony of Bedford.' Forty years later the same 

 fee was held by John Briton.^" Some time in the 

 latter part of the fourteenth century the manor was 

 transferred from the Britons to the Wenlocks by the 

 marriage of Margaret Briton to William Wenlock, 



Bmton. Aaure thret 

 scallops or. 



Wenlock, Argent a 

 eheveron betnveen three 

 blackmoors* heads razed 

 sable. 



who was knight of the shire in 1404." As in the 

 case of the manor of Someries in Luton (q.v.), Upper 

 Stondon, on the death of Sir John Wenlock in 1471, 

 passed to the family of Rotherham," and was alien- 

 ated in 1565 by George Rotherham to William 

 Huls," who, in 1592, sold it to Henry Grey earl of 

 Kent." From this point onwards the descent of 

 Upper Stondon follows that of Wrest in Flitton-cum- 



Silsoe (q.v.), and it is now held by Lord Lucas and 

 Dingwall." 



In 1287 the prior of St. John of Jerusalem claimed 

 view of frankpledge as appurtenant to his manor of 

 Clifton.'* Judgement was on that occasion deferred, but 

 a similar claim made in 133 1 secured recognition." 

 Chicksands Priory also owned lands in Upper Stondon 

 which were parcel of their manor of St. Thomas Chapel 

 in Meppershall." These lands were granted in 1543 

 to Sir Henry Grey of Wrest," and are subsequently 

 found included in Upper Stondon manor (q.v.) which 

 came into his family some years later.™ 



The church oi JLL SAINTS was re- 

 CHURCH built in 1857, and consists of a chancel 

 1 8 ft. by 1 2 ft., nave 29 ft. by 16 ft., 

 north transept 1 7 ft by 1 6 ft., and a small tower with 

 one bell. The south doorway, which dates from the 

 fourteenth century, is the only relic of the former 

 church. 



The single bell is dated 18 19. 



The registers date from 1683, the first book con- 

 taining baptisms, marriages, and burials to 1787, and 

 the second those from 1787 to 1812. 



In 1 261 Richard le Breton con- 

 ADFOWSON firmed the advowson of the church of 

 Upper Stondon to Merton Priory.^' 

 No mention of it as part of the possessions of the 

 priory has been found at the Dissolution,^* but in 1 61 7 

 John Rotherham, who presented in 160 5,^^ and whose 

 family had recently alienated the manor of Upper 

 Stondon, conveyed the advowson by fine to Margaret 

 Lawrence.** Joanna Lawrence exercised the right of 

 presentation in 1679,*' and her daughter Joan married 

 Samuel Leach,** who presented in 1721.*' Lysons, 

 writing in the early nineteenth century, says Thomas 

 Leach, probably a son of Samuel, was the patron.*' 

 He was succeeded by John Smythe, who presented 

 till 1850,*' and from i860 the late Rev. Richard 

 Hull (who was rector from 1844 to 1890) held the 

 advowson, which is now in the hands of his trustees 



There are no endowed charities in this parish. 



8 V,C,H, Beds, i, 262^. 



< Ibid. 200; Feud. Aids, i, 13, 31. 

 Cf. also Astwick for the Beauchamp 

 lordship, 



s y.CH. Beds, i, 262a, 



* Feet, of F, Beds, 2 John, m, 4. 



^ Ibid, 16 Hen, III, m, 16, 



8 Feet of F, Beds, 45 Hen. Ill, m. 3, 



9 Fead. Aids, i, 13, " Ibid. 31, 

 11 Ibid, 46, Cobbe, Hist, of Luton 



Church, 354. 



1" Cobbe, Hist, of Luton Church, 196. 

 13 Feet of F. Beds. Mich. 7 Eliz. 



" Ibid. Trin, 34 Eliz, 



15 Feet of F. Div. Cos. Trin. 43 Eliz. ; 

 Mich, ly Chas. I ; Beds. East, 14 Jas. I ; 

 Mich, 22 Jas. I ; East. 1651 ; Recov. R. 

 Trin. 43 Eliz. rot. 92 ; Trin. 12 Geo, III, 

 rot, 247 5 Chan, Inq, p,m, (Ser. 2), cccxlix. 

 No. 172 ; Lysons, Mag. Brit, i, 136. 



" Plac de Quo War, (Rec. Com.), 6. 



1? Ibid. 19, 



18 Pat, 34 Hen. VIII, pt. 4, 



19 Ibid, 



'"> Chan, Inq, p.m. (Ser. 2), cccxlix, No, 

 172, 



21 Feet of F, Beds, 45 Hen, III, m, 3 ; 

 Dugdale, Mon. vi, 247, 



22 The Valor Eccl. does not mention 

 Stondon, 



28 Beds. N. and Q. ii, 232, 



^ Feet of F, Beds. East. 14 Jas. I. 



25 Inst. Bks. P.R.O. 



2" Blaydes, Gen. Beds. 273. 



27 Liber Regis. 



28 Lysons, Mag. Brit, i, 137. 



"^ Clerical Guides, 1829, 1836; Cler-'j 

 Lists, 1841-50. 



305 



