A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



in 1 1 77, ri'ing only to a height of about i ft. 6 in. 

 above the ground. It measures about 4+ ft. by 

 41 ft. externally, the walls, which are of flint rubble 

 with ashlar dressings, being from 7 ft. to 8 ft. in 

 thickness with two pilaster buttresses about 4 ft. wide 

 projecting z ft. at each angle and one in the middle 

 of each wall. The bailey was surrounded by a curtain 

 wall, fragments of which have been found. 



Although the castle was abandoned, the lords of 

 Benington continued to have a residence here probably 

 on the site of the existing house. 



BEMNGTOS was the head of a Saxon 

 MANOR lordship of some importance, which ex- 

 tended apparently into Sacombe, Layston, 

 Ashwell, Hinxworth and Radwell. 8 It was held in the 

 time of Edward the Confessor by ^Imar or .Ethel- 

 mar, and before him possibly by ^Elfric of Ben- 

 ington.' William the Conqueror granted the lands 

 of ,-Elmar to Peter de Valognes, who was sheriff of the 



:nty i 



r de Va! 



j£lmar, made Benington the head of the Valog 

 barony, which was sometimes styled later the hon< 

 of Benington. Here we find he had 6£ hides 

 demesne and a park for beasts of the chase, 



In 1303 Alexander de Balliol conveyed the 

 manor to John de Benstede and his heirs. * This 

 John was king's clerk at the time of the grant, 

 and in 1307 keeper of the wardrobe." In 1309 

 he was appointed one of the six justice* for 

 the Common Bench, and held this appointment 

 until 1320.™ In 1311 he received leave of 

 absence to go to Rome on the king's business." In 

 13 1 5 he was again sent abroad with Thomas de 

 Cantebrugge to carry the king's instructions to Al marie 

 de Craon, Seneschal of Gascony, Amaneui Lord 

 of Lebrct, and other officials in Gascon/ and Aqui- 

 taine.-" In 1 3 i 7 he was appointed one of the two 

 commissioners of array for Hertfordshire." In 1310 

 he was again sent 'beyond seas,'" and died in 

 1323." His widow Parnel held Benington in dower 

 during her life," outliving their son Edmund, who 

 apparently died about I338, 35 her own death occur- 

 ring before April 1342. 3 * The custody of John, her 

 grandson, Edmund's son and heir, aged ten, was 

 granted to Walter de Mauny." Johndiedin I J 5 9,** 



cither Petet 

 Roger 



whop: 

 Petei 



Roger 

 abably died i 



built th, 



about 



( 58, "and whose wife's 

 vas Gundrea," and 

 who held the barony 

 ;nes d' 



Robe 



of V: 



of Henry II," 



about 1 194." Robert de 



Valognes was succeeded by 



Gunnora, his daughter. She 



married Robert Fitz Walter, 



but kept the name of 



Valognes, 18 and died before v 



1238. The estates next came nav - 



to Christiana de Valognes, 



Gunnora's daughter," who marriei 



Mandeville. Christiana died without issue in 1 a 3 3," 



when her estates were divided between three heiresses 



— Lora, who married Henry de Balliol, Christiana 



the wife of Peter de Maugne," and Isabel, who 



married David Comyn." Benington was apportioned 



to Lora and her husband," who died some time 



before 1272," and whose son Alexander de Balliol 



held it in 1278." 



Willia 



his widow Parnel retaining a third of the manor 

 in dower until her death in 1378. 39 The remainder 

 of the manor p.issed meanwhile from John's eldest son 

 John, who died in 1 376, to his brother Edward,* to 

 whom Parnel's portion reverted after her death in 

 1378." The manor was held at this time as a third 

 of two knights' fees." Edward died in 143a, and 

 Benington was held by his widow Joan during her 

 life, the reversion being settled on their son Edmund." 

 Edmund died in 1439, his heir being his grandson 

 John," to whom the whole manor reverted on the 

 death of Joan in 1449." John's son William, who 

 succeeded his father in 1471, being then a minor," 



' r.C.H. Hen 



" Round, Gttffrcv .it -1/j- 

 " RtJBk. Ex<h. (Rol'sScr 

 «* Ibid, i, 362. 

 16 PUt. A 0B3 Wirr, (Re c 



A m „,ar („ 

 thowed thai 

 daughters, of 

 de Valognes 



by Dug 

 that Qu 



1904. He there 



co-heir. 



= in, l-hiiip 

 iberbin of 

 He con- 

 de Maugne 



183) j G.E.C. Complete 



*f«* «*(**. Com.), 



known whose daughters 



■a Je Nivilt (Rec. Com.), 181. 

 -' G.E.C. Complete Pierage. 

 !S Pkc. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 sBi 5 Aliiae R. 313, ; z ; j Feud. Aids, 



5 Cal. Pat. 

 nation); Char 



-7. p- 165 (licence 

 R. 32 Edw. I, n 



, p. 508. 



of gran,). 



-. -507-lJ, p. ! 

 -J- i 1317-21 



7-11. P- 3*'- 



3-18, pp. -03, 303, jig, 



7+ 



" Ibid, i 317-21, p. 96. 



"Ibid. p. 317. 



88 Chan. Inq. p.m. 1 7 Edw. II, no. 43. 



3t Cat. Close, 1313-7, p- 296; Chan. 

 Inq. p.m. t6 Edw. Ill, no. 30. 



3i Cal. Close, 1341-3, p. 432. 



- s Ibid, j Chan. Inq. p.m. 16 Edw. Ill, 

 no. 30. 



"Cat. Close, l34>-3t P-41*- 



*'Chan. Inq. p.m. 33 Edw. Ill (iflii 



--Ibid. 2 Ric. II, no. 11 j for court 

 held bj- her see Ct. R. portf. 177, no. I. 



40 Chan. Inq. p.m. 50 Edw. IH (lit 

 no,.), no. 9. 



•' Clo.e, 2 Ric. II, m. 21. 



° Feud. Aids, ii, 443. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 11 Hen. VI, no. jl. 



« Cal. Pal. 1429-36, p. 251 ; Clou, 

 11 Hen. VI, m. 3. 



"Chan. Inq. p.m. 17 Hen. VI.00.4J. 



16 Ibid. 27 Hen. VI, no. *J. 



« Ibid. 1 1 Edw. IV, no. %J. 



