A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



of If'ESTBURr aRas GREAT OFFLET," which at 

 the beginning of the 15th century seems to have 

 been in the possession of Roger de Sapurton, as his 

 daughter and heir Elizabeth Venour, widow of 

 William Venour," was holding it in 1464," and in 

 1468-9 settled it on herself and her second husband 

 Robert Worth." Robert died seised in 1502, leaving 

 a son and heir Humphrey, aged sixteen.*' In 1537 

 the latter made a conveyance to John Sewster and 

 james Randall, probably in trust for John Bowles/ 6 

 who in 1543 acquired Westbury Wood from George 

 Ackworth," and in the same year died seised of the 

 manor called Westbury alias Great Offley. 35 His heir 

 was his grandson Thomas, ivho conveyed the manor 

 in 1564 to Robert Ivory." William Ivory was 

 holding in 161s, 30 and in 1642 John Ivory. 31 From 

 this date no further record is found of the manor 

 until 1778, when Thomas Hope Byde was holding 

 the manor of Great Offley " and at that date suffered 

 a recover)' of it." In 1785 it appears he was again 

 dealing with it." Later it was acquired by Dame 

 Sarah Salusbury from John Hope Byde, and descended 

 with the manor of Offley St. Ledgers" (q.v.) to 

 Mr. Herbert George Salusbury Hughes, M.A., J. P., 

 the present owner. 



The origin of the manor of OFFLET ST. 

 LEDGERS is somewhat obscure. It was said in the 

 14th century to be held of the Mortimers of Wig- 

 more," but this overlordship may only have been 

 assumed at a late date. It seems possible that the 

 manor was originally part of the manor of Delamers. 

 A Geoffrey de St. Ledger had some interest in the 

 church, which was appurtenant to the manor of 

 Delamers (see advowson), and William de St. Ledger, 

 probably his son," in confirming the title of the Prior 

 of Bradenstoke to the advowson in 1238, calls himself 

 great-grandson and heir of Amice Detamare. 



In 1265 Geoffrey de St. Ledger, possibly brother 

 of the William mentioned above,'" had a grant of free 

 warren in his demesne lands of Offley." The annals 

 of Dunstable record that in 1267 the steward of the 

 Earl of Gloucester came to Geoffrey's manor at Offley 

 and burnt it, w but the reason of this animosity does 

 not appear. In 1301 the grant of free warren was 

 confirmed to his son John and Isabel his wife." 

 John, their son," succeeded them, and left at his 

 death in 1326 a daughter Isabel, aged seven. 43 The 

 eluded a capital 



messuage, 3 21 



md, of which 96 lay i 



severalty and 204 in common, pastures called Le 

 Launde and Sonehull, and 41 acres of wood. Two 

 parts of the manor were taken into the king's hand) 

 during the minority of the 

 heir," the other third being 

 dower of the mother. In 

 1331 the king confirmed a 

 grant by Roger de Mortimer, 

 overlord of the manor, to 

 Richard de St. Ledger, a 

 younger brother of John, of 

 the custody of the manor 

 during his niece Isabel's 

 minority." Isabel married 

 Thomas de Hoo, who held 

 the estate in right of his 

 wife. 46 They settled it in ° r ' 

 1342 on their son Thomas, 



with remainder to his brother William." Thomas 

 the son died before 1377, when Thomas and Isabel 

 granted the manor to William and his wife Isabel." 

 In 1398 John de Hoo, a brother of William, con- 

 ceded to him all his claim in the estate." William 

 was succeeded by his son Thomas, 50 and he by 

 his son, also Thomas, who married first Elizabeth 

 Wickingham and secondly Eleanor daughter of Leo 

 Welles, kt., on whom he settled the manor in 1445. 41 

 In 1447 he was created Baron of Hoo and Hastings." 

 He died without male issue in February 1454-5. 

 His brother of the half-blood, Thomas Hoo, succeeded, 

 but died without issue in i486 



The manor descended to Sir William Boleyn, kt., 

 son of Geoffrey Boleyn and Anne eldest daughter 

 of Lord Hoo and Hastings. 53 His second son and 

 eventual heir Sir Thomas Boleyn, with Elizabeth 

 his wife, daughter cf Thomas Howard Duke of 

 Norfolk," sold the property in 1 518 to Richard 

 Fermour (Farmer). 16 Fermour forfeited his lands 

 in the next reign under the Statute of Praemunire, 

 but the grant of Offley was confirmed by King 

 Edward VI in I55o, S6 and again by Queen Mary 

 in 1553, to Richard's son John." He conveyed 

 the manor in 1554 to Thomas Spencer and 

 Edward Onley *« to the use of Sir John Spencer of 

 Althorpe, co. Northants, who died seised of it in 

 1586." He left it to his fourth son Richard, who 

 was knighted in i6o3. f, ° Sir Richard and his wife 

 Helen, daughter and co-heir of Sir John Brockett,* 1 

 settled the property on their son John on his marriage 



a Then 





manors, as Putteridgc, which had 



held of the Delamares, is said after this 



date to be held of Westbury. 



"Ctl.Pa,. HOW, p. St*. 



15 Chan. Inq. p.m. 4 Edw. IV, no. 15. 



» Feet of F. Div. Co. Hil. S Edw. IV, 

 no. 65 ; Chan. Inq. p.m. 14 Edw. IV, 



* Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xvi, 102. 



* Feel of F. Herts. East. 29 Hen. VIII. 

 ,; Ibid. 3; Hen. VIII. 



•'Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), txviii, 

 M- 



" Recov. R. Mich. 1564, rot. IC4.1 



» Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccl£, ,1, 

 144 ! Feet of F. Herts. Mich. 16 Jas. I, 



31 Ci. of Wards, Feod. Surv. no. 17. 



" This manor is at this dat; confused 

 with Delamers in Great Wymr.ndley. 



33 RecoT. R. Mich. 19 Ceo. Ill, rot. 

 436. 



M Ibid. 2; Ceo. II!, rot. 256 : Feet 

 of F. Herts. Triu. 2; Geo. III. 



" Cussans, Hui. efHim. Within HW. 



'"Ibid. 28721 i Feet of F. HiL 

 6 Hen. V ; Feud. Aid,, it, 449. 



*1 Feet of F. Div. Co. Mich. 24. 

 VI ; L. and P. Hen. Fill, iii (1), 



40 



