A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



rectangular two-storied timber-framed house of the 

 1 7th century. The construction, with brick filling 

 below and plaster above, is only seen at the back of 

 the house, the front being cemented. The kitchen 

 has an open timber roof supported by a beam. At the 

 back of the house is a small staircase wing. 



The Garden City Pioneer Company are now the 

 sole landowners in Letchworth parish, which is being 

 laid out by them for residential and business pur- 

 poses ; it is said that over 9 miles of new roads have 

 been made. 



The soil is sandy loam, in some parts clay with 

 beds of sand and gravel ; the subsoil is chalk. 



King Edward the Confessor. In 1086 it formed 

 part of the domain of Robert Gernon, and 

 was assessed at 10 hides. 1 Robert Gernon's estate* 

 were acquired early in the reign of Henry I by 

 William de Montfitchet,' who with his wife Rohai* 

 seems to have been holding Letchworth at the 

 beginning of the izth century. 1 Hit son William* 

 succeeded him before 1135 and married Margaret 1 

 the daughter of Gilbert Fitt Richard de Clare. 1 

 His wife outlived him and was still holding some of 

 the Montfitchet lands in 1 1 8 j. 7 The rest of William's 



lands seem to h; 

 Gilbert, 8 whose 1 



Litchworth Hall : Part of Stair. 



LETCHWORTH {HANCHETS or 



MANORS MONTFITCHETS).~Before the 



Norman Conquest Letchworth was 



held by Godwin of Souberie (Sonlbury), a thegn of 



ve passed about 1 167 to his son 

 life's name was Avelina." Gilbert 

 was succeeded by his son Richard 

 about i loo. 11 whose son, also 

 named Richard, 11 was one of the 

 confederate barons of 1115 who 

 demanded the Charter of Liberties 

 from King John. u He was among 

 those excommunicated by Pope 

 Innocent III in 1216 » and was 

 taken prisoner by Henry III at 

 Lincoln in my. 1 ' In 11+4 he 

 was one of the barons' deputies 

 chosen to consider the king's 

 demand for a subsidy. 1 " He ap- 

 pears in connexion with Letch- 

 worth in 1140. 18 He died without 

 issue about 1258, 17 his heirs being 

 his three sisters : Margery wife of 

 Hugh de Bolbek, Aveline wife of 

 William de Fortibus Earl of Albe- 

 marle, and Philippa wife of Hugh 

 de Pleyz. 18 The third of his in- 

 heritance, including the portion 

 held by his widow Joyce in dower 

 until 1174., was assigned to the 

 children of Margery de Bolbek, 

 the eldest sister, and was divided 

 between her daughters Philippa 

 de Lancaster, Margery Corbett 

 and Maud de la Val, 18 Letch- 

 worth being apportioned to the 

 second daughter Margery and her 

 husband Nicholas Corbett. 80 

 Margery afterwards married Ralph 

 Fitz William.* 1 She is known to 

 have conveyed her lands in Ayot 

 St. Peter to Robert Burnell, 

 Bishop of Bath and Wells and 

 chancellor of Edward I, and as 

 Philip Burnell, Robert's nephew 

 and heir, 2 * died seised of Letch- 

 worth in H94,* 3 it seems probable 

 that Margery conveyed Letchworth also to Philip's 

 aac } e - }? J29S Letchworth was assigned to Philip's 

 dower, M and passed after her death 

 5, and 



widow Maud ii 



to her son Edward, who died childless i 



' V.C.H. Hira. i, 323*. 

 ' V.C.H. Eiux, i, 34.7. 



' Dngdale, Afsi. ii, 229. 



Mbid. t, 586-7. 



* S. Grimaldi, Rut. dt Dm 



45- 



" Dngdale, Man. \i, 

 u Matt. Pari*, CAroi 

 Ser.), ii, 5 8 S . 

 u Ibid. 644. 



* Dngdale, Mm. t, 586-7 i R'd Bk. 

 Extk. {R0U1 Ser.), i, 349, 38. 



' Dugdale, Mon. it, 231. 



" Ibid i Rid Bk. ExcM. (Rolli Ser.), ii, 

 730. 



W, 362. 



of F. Herts. 24 Hen. 



" CIok, 52 Hen. Ill, 1 



120 



Complete Pierage ; Wrott 

 Iht Plea R. *. 



"Close, (2 Hen. Ill, 

 Huntercombe, a fourth 

 preiumablv died between 



** Cat. Clue, 1272-9, 



" Abbrev. Plat. (Rec. 



" Diet. Nat. Bier. 



n Chan. Inq. 



DO. 4;. 



" Ctl. Clot, 128: 



eiley, Ped. fram 



n. 8. Alice de 

 daughter, had 

 1268 and 1174. 



p. 82. 



Com.), joj. 



Edw. 1, 



