A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



wife of William Richardson, as his co-heirs. The 

 three former and their husbands immediately brought 

 an action in Chancery against Alice and William 

 Richardson and Thomas Fitz Hugh, alleging that the 

 alienation of the manor was illegal. In May, I547» 

 an arrangement was arrived at by which the plaintiffs 

 each secured one-sixth of the manor, one-third being 

 assigned to William and Alice Richardson and the 

 remaining sixth allotted to Thomas Fitz Hugh.*' 



During the next few years the greater part of the 

 manor came into the possession of Francis Morgan ; 

 in 1550 Richard and Elizabeth Rokes combined 

 with William and Joan Baker to sell their part, or 

 one-third, to Thomas Forster and Elizabeth his wife,'" 

 and the latter in 1554 sold it to Francis Morgan."' 



The half of the manor which had been divided 

 between William and Alice Richardson and Thomas 

 Fitz Hugh, in the proportions of one-third and one- 

 sixth, was alienated by them to Francis Morgan in 

 1552 ; " the latter, who thus acquired five-sixths of 

 the manor, died seised of them in 1558, leaving them 

 to his wife Anne for life, and after her death to his 

 second son Anthony, his son and heir Thomas in- 

 heriting other property." Anthony evidently died 

 shortly afterwards without issue, and this part of the 

 manor passed to his brother Thomas. In the early 

 years of the reign of Elizabeth, Thomas Sterne and 

 Susan his wife, who owned the remaining sixth, 

 brought an action against Thomas Morgan for the 

 rent of their sixth part which they had leased to 

 Thomas Forster, who had conveyed the remainder of 

 his term to Francis Morgan, from whom it had 

 descended to Thomas, the defendant." Thomas 

 Morgan had sold his interest to several persons, and 

 it was decided that these should pay the rent ; they, 

 however, failed to do so, and three years later Thomas 

 Sterne brought another action against the tenants of 

 the manor of Blundells, Richard Grey, Peter Richard- 

 son, Elizabeth Hill, Thomas Swayne, Roger Hill, and 

 John Weston, who held the manor at a rent of ;£io, 

 the sixth part of which and four years' arrears 

 amounted to [fi \%s. 4</." A settlement was evi- 

 dently arrived at, for no further proceedings were 

 instituted, and nothing further is heard of the tenants. 

 The last mention of the manor occurs in 1623, when 

 Charles, earl of Kent, died seised of it ; " after this 

 date it probably became absorbed into the manor of 

 Wrest. 



Another estate in this parish was owned by the 

 prior of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, who 

 obtained a charter in 1280, granting him view of 

 frankpledge in Flitton and Silsoe, and on this 

 ground he claimed the view from four tenants in 

 Flitton and eight in Silsoe in 1285." In 1330,11 

 was stated that the view was held twice a year in the 

 priory's manor of Silsoe."' The priory continued to 

 hold this estate until the Dissolution, when all its 



Sandys. Or a fate 

 dancetty between three 

 croiiUtz jitchy gules^ 



possessions were taken into the king's hand, and the 

 greater part granted to Sir Richard Long in 1 540 

 under the title of the Preceptory of Shyngay, in 

 which W.1S included lands in Flitton and Silsoe."' 

 The property under the name of the manor passed to 

 Elizabeth, the daughter and heir of Henry, son of Sir 

 Richard Long,"" who brought it by marriage to the 

 Russells, earls of Bedford,'"' who were holding it as 

 late as 1689.'°' By them it was apparently alienated 

 to the Sandys, barons of Ombersley, who were in 

 possession in 1768.'°' Lysons in 1805 mentions that 

 the marchioness of Downshire, 

 a descendant of the Barons 

 Sandys, owned a manor in 

 Silsoe at that date ; '"* there is 

 no further trace of the manor, 

 but it may probably have been 

 sold by the marchioness to 

 the Drapers' Company, as the 

 latter is one of the principal 

 landowners in Flitton at the 

 present day. 



The Butler family, who 

 owned Higham Gobion 

 manor, also held land in Silsoe, 



which they acquired in 1 3 1 1 from Thomas Paynel, 

 and 5 acres of meadow in Wrestmead, which were 

 held of the de Greys for the service of 2S. a year."" 

 This estate was in their possession from 1 3 1 1 to 141 3, 

 but after the latter date there is no further trace 

 ofit."« 



Another family who held land in Silsoe in the 

 thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was that of Bray ; 

 in 1 199 Roger de Bray held of Hugh de Bray 

 3 acres of land in Silsoe,"" and in 1253 Thomas de 

 Bray added 7 acres to his holding, which he held 

 from Robert de Parys and Amicia his wife, for an 

 annual rent of one root of ginger ; '"' in 1259 Thomas 

 brought an action against John de Grey, for having 

 unjustly disseised him of his common pasture, which 

 belonged to his free tenement in Silsoe ; "" the next 

 year Thomas acquired more land from Anselm de 

 Bray,"" and in 1275 he founded a chantry in the 

 chapel of Silsoe,'" increasing the endowment in 

 1 290.'" The de Brays held land in Silsoe as late as 

 1 36 1,'" but there is no later trace of their estate. 



Silsoe, which has now become a village of small 

 importance, used formerly to possess a market ; the first 

 market, held weekly on Tuesday, was granted to 

 Ralph Fitz Richard in 1318, in his manor of New- 

 bury, and at the same time he was granted an annual 

 fair on 30 April and i May, together with free 

 warren;"* in 1 3 30 he successfully defended these 

 rights by producing the charter.'" These privileges 

 apparently lapsed, for in 1 7 1 5 Henry, duke of Kent, 

 was granted an annual fair on 10 September, and a 

 weekly market on Wednesday."^ The market has 



" Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdle. 63, No. 

 10 ; Ct, of Requests, bdle. 54, No. 36. 



" Feet of F. Beds. East. 4 Edw. VI. 



91 Ibid. Mich, i & 2 Phil, and Mary, 



'^ Com. Pleas D. Enr. East. 6 Edw. 

 VI, m. 6 d. 



^ Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), voL 120, 

 No. 13. 



'* Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdle. 167, 

 No. 27. 



»» Ibid. bdle. 164, No. 18. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), vol. 476, 

 No. 144. 



»7 Phc. de Quo fTar. (Rec. Com.), 6. 



98 Ibid. 19. 



ML. and P. Hen. Fill, xv, 613 (i). 



lo» Fide Clifton, 



™ G.E.C. Complete Peerage, i. 



l»i Recov. R. East, i Will, and Mary, 

 rot. 54. 



™ Ibid. Mich. 9 Geo. Ill, rot. 140. 



'"•' Lysons, Mag. Brit, i, 84. 



"5 Feet of F. Beds. 5 Edw. II, No. 14. 



"« Ibid. 5 Edw. II. No. 17 ; Chan. 

 Inq. p.m. 16 Edw. Ill (ist Nos.), No. 28; 

 Col. of Close, 1341-43, p. 441 ; Chan. 

 Inq. p.m. 14 Hen. IV, No. 16. 



W Feet of F. Beds, i John, No. 4. 



™Ibid. 37 Hen. Ill, No. 13. 



•»» Abhrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 148. 



>l» Feet of F. Beds. 44 Hen, 111, No, 



111 Line. Epis. Reg. Rolls of Gravcsend. 



1" Inq. a.q.d. 18 & 19 Edw. I, file xv, 

 No. 10. 



"» Add. Chart. 697 ; ibid. 41,892 5 

 Chan. Inq. p.m. 35 Edw. HI, pt. 2 (ist 

 Nos.), No. 6. 



1" Chart. R. 12 Edw. II, m. 16, No. 

 57- 



1" Plac. de Quo fTar. (Rec. Com.), 44. 



1" Pat. 2 Geo. I, pt. 5, No. 28. 



