A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



it IS now consolidated," the present patron being 

 Mr. Page-Turner. Between 1652 and 1704 the 

 lords of Streatley manor claimed the advowson of the 

 church of Streatley." 



In the thirteenth century Sharpenhoe contained 

 a chapel of St. Giles, which was erected by James de 

 Cauz, who in 1234 founded a chantry there," at 

 which Bishop Repingdon (1405-20) granted the in- 

 habitants of Sharpenhoe licence to worship. In the 

 dry summer of 1775, an ancient stone font was dis- 

 covered in the moat of Sharpenhoe Bury, the old 

 m.inor-house, and a farm known as the Chantry Farm 

 still exists." 



Streatley has a Baptist chapel. 



Free school founded by will of 



CHARITIES Richard Norton, 1686, endowed with 



a rent-charge oi £10 issuing out of the 



manor of Sharpenhoe. See article on ' Schools,' 



above. 



Charity of Rodenham Rouse ; 10/. a year is paid 

 by the trustees of this charity in Barton le Clay, and 

 distributed among the poor at Christmas. 



The Rev. James Tyley by will proved 24 May, 

 1856, bequeathed ^'95 9/. 4//. in consols (with the 

 official trustees), the dividends to be distributed 

 amongst the most deserving poor of the parish. 



SUNDON 



Sonedone (xi cent.) ; Sonyngdon (xiv cent.) ; Sondon 

 (xv-xvii cent.). 



Sundon is a parish with an area of 2,150 acres, of 

 which 1,456^ acres are arable land, 517! acres per- 

 manent grass, and 56 acres woods and plantations." 

 The parish is situated on high land, sloping from 

 north to south ; the highest point reached is 533 ft., 

 the lowest 438 ft. above the ordnance datum. It is 

 wooded in the north-east ; in the north are old chalk 

 pits, and in the west cement and lime works. The 

 village, consisting of Sundon and the hamlet of Upper 

 Sundon, is in the centre of the parish. Main roads 

 from Bedford and Luton run through the parish from 

 north to south, and from east to south-west. 



The church of St. Mary is at some distance to the 

 west of the vicarage, and between them lies a farm 

 with a picturesque red-brick pigeon-house, rectangular 

 in plan, and a large pond round which the road makes 

 a slight curve, south of the village. 



The Midland Railway passes through Sundon, the 

 nearest station being Limbury, 2J miles to the south. 



The following place-names have been found in this 

 parish :—Borewellehull, Saleworthemed, Schepecoc- 

 wyk, in the fourteenth century ; ' Westbyes in the 

 sixteenth ; ' Colliers Hill, the Possessioning Acre, 

 Butter Path, Cane Hill Furlong, Deadman's Coome, 

 Haven Coome, Badger's Coome, Joan's Furlong, 

 Catts Knapp, Bullington, in the eighteenth ; * and 

 Fern Hill Wood, Holt Wood, Leyhill Lince in the 

 twentieth century.' 



There is only one entry in the Domes- 

 MANORS day Survey concerning Sundon. William 

 d'Eu held SUNDON MANOR, which 

 was assessed at 10 hides, and was held of the king in 

 chief. Until its alienation to the Badlesmeres it was 

 thus held, but afterwards owed certain nominal services 

 to the earls marshal, to whose fee it had formerly 

 belonged. In an inquisition taken in 1328, Bartholo- 

 mew de Badlesmere was declared to hold it by service 

 of a pair of gilt spurs yearly." Ten years later his son 

 Giles held of the same fee by service of a halfpenny,' 



" Clerical Guides ; Clergy Lists. 



" Feet of F. Beds. Hil. 1652 ; Mich. 



16 Chas. II ; East. 20 Chas. II ; Div. Cos. 

 Hil. 1658 ; Hil. 15 & 16 Chas. II ; East. 



17 Chas. II ; Recov. R. Mich. 15 Chas. II; 

 Mich. 16 Chas. II ; Hil. 26 & 27 Chas. II j 

 Hil. 3 Anne. 



" Ann. of Dunstable (Rolls Ser.), ili, 

 141 d. 



^* Information supplied by Mr. Towns- 

 end Bcnison. 



' Inform, from Bd. of Agric. (1905). 



' Chan. Inq. p.m. 12 Edw. Ill, No. 54^1, 

 » Ibid. (Ser. 2), xxv, No. 8. 



* From an eighteenth-century map of 

 the property in the possession of F. A, 

 Page-Turner. 



' Ord. Map. 1903, 



* Chan. Inq. p.m. 2 Edw, III, No. 23. 

 ' Ibid. 12 Edw. Ill, No. 540. 



8 Ibid. 41 Edw. Ill, No. 50 J 4.6 

 Edw. Ill, No, 64. " ' * 



' Ibid. (Ser. 2), xiii, No. 1 1. 

 1° Ibid, cccxxxvi. No. 71. 



and it was thus held in 1 367 and 1372 by John de 

 Tiptot and his son Robert respectively.' An inqui- 

 sition, bearing date 1498, states that John Scrope of 

 Bolton held this manor of the abbot of St. Albans, but 

 no reason has been found to justify his claim, though 

 the abbot owned a manor in the neighbouring parish 

 of Luton.' The last reference found to the overlord- 

 ship occurs in 161 3, when Sundon manor was held 

 of the king in free common socage by fealty.'" 



From William d'Eu this manor passed with his 

 other Bedfordshire property" into the possession of 

 the Earl Marshal, and formed part of the marriage 

 portion of Isabel, daughter of William Marshal earl 

 of Pembroke, who on the death of her first husband 

 Gilbert de Clare in 1230, married Richard, brother 

 of Henrj' III, and king of Germany. The latter held 

 it in right of his wife for upwards of forty years," 

 during which time the men of Sundon paid toll to 

 Dunstable Priory, but on his death in 1270 the manor 

 passed to Isabel's son by her first marriage, Richard de 

 Clare, earl of Gloucester, and from that time the prior 

 complained that, owing to his ovra weakness and the 

 strength of the earl, the men of Sundon withdrew 

 from paying toll." 



Richard de Clare died in 1 262, and his son Gilbert 

 alienated Sundon manor to his cousin Bartholomew 

 de Badlesmere, who had married Margaret daughter 

 of Thomas Clare, a younger son of Richard de Clare.'* 

 This alienation was accomplished without royal licence 

 before 13 14, in which year Bartholomew obtained 

 pardon for the omission." He was concerned in the 

 rebellion of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, in 1 3 22, when 

 Sundon manor escheated to the crown, and was 

 granted by the king in the same year to his niece 

 Eleanor wife of Hugh le Despenser." Bartholomew 

 de Badlesmere, however, obtained a general pardon 

 in 1327 with a restoration of his lands," and Sundon 

 manor in consequence reverted to his possession, and 

 was held by him at his death in 1328." 



Giles de Badlesmere, who was under age, succeeded 

 his father," but died ini338, leaving three sisters as 



" Cf. Edworth, Millo, &c. 



" G.E.C. Complete Peerage : Feud. Aids, 

 1, 14. 



" Ann. of Dunstable (Rolls Ser.), iii, 2? 2. 



» Ptac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 26 : 

 G.E.C. Complete Peerage, i. 



"F^.':°/^'"-'3«3-i7. p. .31. 

 « Ibid, 1321-4, p, ,83 i Chart. R. i6 

 Edw. II, m. i; ibid. No. 2 5. m. 7 

 J7C./,C/o«A,327-3o,p,76. 



Z S ,"• ^""l- P-""- * ^■'w. III. No. 2 7, 

 "Ca/, o/P^. ,33o-4,p. J. 3- 



