HITCHIN HUNDRED 



with Mary 8 ' daughter of Sir Henry Anderson, lit. 

 John and Mary succeeded at Sir Richard's death in 

 1624. M John was made a baronet in 1627,'"* and 

 died in 1633,°* leaving a daughter Alice, then fifteen 

 years old. The manor having been settled in tail- 

 male passed to his brother Sir Brockett Spencer, 66 

 bart. (so created in 1642). He was succeeded by 

 his son Sir Richard Spencer, and Sir Richard by his 

 son Sir John Spencer, who died without issue in 

 1699. His uncle and heir Sir John Spencer also 

 died without issue in 171 2." The manor then 

 descended to Elizabeth daughter of Sir Humphrey 

 Gore of Gilston, co. Herts., and Elizabeth eldest 

 daughter (and theonly one having issue) of Sir Brockett 

 Spencer. She married in 1 7 14 Sir Henry Penrice, fs 

 judge of the High Court of Admiralty. Their 

 daughter and heir Anna Maria, wife of Sir Thomas 

 Salusbury, succeeded to their estates. 6 ' She died in 

 1759. Her husband survived her and died in 1773, 

 leaving the property to his second wife Sarah, with 

 remainder to a distant relative, Sir Robert Salusbury, 

 bart., for life. He entered into possession in 1 804 on 

 the death of Sarah. Sir Robert and his son Thomas 

 Robert jointly sold the property in 1806 to the 

 trustees of Sarah's will, and they conveyed it to the 

 Rev. Lynch Salusbury, 70 a younger brother of Sir 

 Robert, who assumed the name of Burroughs. He 

 left an only child Elizabeth Mary, who could not 

 legally inherit, as the property had been left in tail- 

 male by Sarah Salusbury, but acquired the estate 

 by purchase from the heir male Charles thirteenth 

 Marquess of Winchester. 

 Elizabeth Mary married her 

 cousin Sir Thomas Robert 

 Salusbury, second baronet, 

 who died in 183;. Having 

 no children, she adopted as 

 her daughter and heir a cousin 

 Anne Salusbury Steward, who 

 married George Edward 

 Hughes, brother of Thomas 

 Hughes the author, who 

 wrote a biography of George 

 Hughes. Mrs. Hughes entered 

 the manor in 1 867 on the 

 death of Dame Elizabeth 

 Mary.' 1 The property is now 

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

 succeeded his father George Edward in 1872,'' and 

 is the present lord of the manor. 



The mmorotCOCKERNHOE (Qukerno, Cokern- 

 hohalle, Cokernho, xiv cent. ; Kokernhoo, xv cent.) 



Jb 



mds of Mr. 

 who 



OFFLEY 



on the south of the parish is an estate which was held 

 with the manor of Offley by the St. Ledger family. 

 It is mentioned as "an oxhouse called Qukerno ' in 

 an extent of the manor in 1326,' 11 but later docu- 

 ments always call it a manor. Its descent is identical 

 with Offley till 1813 (although it is not always 

 separately mentioned), when, according to Cussans, 

 it was sold to Richard Oakley of Hitchin." 



The manor of WELLES (Welle, xi cent. ; Welbery, 

 xiii cent.; Wellys, xiv cent.) was held at the time of 

 the Survey by a sokeman of King William and was 

 then assessed at I hide. In the time of Earl Harold 

 it had belonged to Leueva. It was attached by Ilbert 

 the Sheriff to the manor of Lilley, but after Ilbert 

 was deprived of his office of sheriff Peter de Valoines 

 and Ralf Taillebois took this manor from him and 

 attached it to Hitchin," to which the overlordship 

 henceforth pertained.™ 



The early history of this estate is difficult to 

 trace. It may, perhaps, be the hide in ' Weelberia ' 

 which Henry de Tilly granted in 1200 to his brother 

 William." In 1309 the manor was in the posses- 

 sion of William de Goldington and Margaret his 

 wife. They in that year conveyed it to William 

 Tuchet and Ellen de Danarston." William died in 

 February 1327-8, his brother Richard being his 

 heir." Ellen remained seised for life. Shortly after- 

 wards Isabel widow of Richard de Welles brought 

 an action against Ellen de Danarston for a third of 

 the manor which she claimed in dower and of which 

 she recovered seisin. 60 As Ellen called to warranty 

 John son of William de Goldington, possibly the 

 inquisition quoted above, which gives William's 

 brother Richard as his heir, is incorrect. The heir, 

 whether Richard or John, apparently conveyed the 

 manor to Giles de Badelesmere, who died seised in 

 1338, leaving as heirs his four sisters Margery, Maud, 

 Elizabeth and Margaret." Maud and her husband 



of Oxford took this manor. 

 . died in January 1359-60" and his 

 years later. 83 Their son Thomas suc- 

 He died in 1371, leaving as heir his 

 vho held the manor till his attainder in 



John de 

 John de Ve 

 wife about si 

 ceeded her. 9 ' 

 son Robert," 



February I387-8. 86 In 1393 the reversion of this 

 manor, after the death of Maud widow of Thomas, 

 was granted to Thomas Duke of Gloucester, 97 and 

 two years later he granted it to the master, warden 

 and chaplains of the college which he had founded 

 in the church of Pleshey, co. Essex. 65 It remained 

 with the college until its dissolution and was then 

 granted in 1546 to Sir John Gates. 8 ' He was 

 attainted in the next reign as 3 follower of the 



