A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



this stair both from the hall and from the north-west 

 wing, and there is no indication of any larger stair 

 having existed, though a modern one has been placed 

 in the other wing beside a modern entrance. The 

 kitchen still retains its old fireplace, but it is quite 

 plain. On the side of the upper room next the 

 courtyard are the remains of an old three-light 

 window having moulded oat mullions. This window 

 is now blocked up. Most of the rooms on the upper 

 floor still retain their original wide oak flooring. 



Pin Green lies rather more than a mile west from 

 Chells. Sishes, near Pin Green, is the residence 

 of Mr. Julius Bertram. Whitney Wood, on the 

 Hitchin road, Is the residence of Mrs. Barclay. In 

 Whomerley Wood are slight remains of a homestead 



names of streets such as ' Pilgryms," * and a little later 

 ' Lycchenstret,' * Baldokstret,' ' ' Laschmerstrct,' and 

 ' Pavylane,' * which indicates a town of some size. It 

 is clear from the number of presentments relating to 

 innkeepers on the manor rolls 6 that by the beginning 

 of the 15th century it had become the resort of 

 travellers on the Great North Road. Possibly on 

 account of this prosperity and the increasing size of 

 the town we find that about 1405 a number of 

 London tradesmen purchased, probably as building 

 speculations, small plots of land here. Richard Foster 

 of London 6 had a messuage and 6 acres of land ; 

 John Sylam, citizen and pewterer of London, had 

 4 acres ' built upon " ; William Rendre of London 

 had land in Church field called 'Pyedelacre' ; William 

 Waldern, citizen and grocer, John Hamond, citizen 



Stevenage Bury : Back View 



Stevenage is a good example of the development 

 of the Teutonic type of settlement which is so 

 frequently met with in Hertfordshire. The old 

 church of St. Nicholas and the 'Bury,' with a few 

 cottages lying about half a mile off the Great North 

 Road, evidently formed the site of the original 

 Saxon village, consisting of an agricultural community 

 which desired to be in the midst of its territories. 

 Probably before the Conquest, but at all events before 

 the grant of a market and fair in 1281, a settlement 

 on the road-side was established, where at the fork 

 of the road was the natural position for the market. 

 The road-side settlement seems to have prospered, 

 and by the end of the 14th century we have the 



1 Ct. R. (Gen. Ser.), portt 17S, n. u . ;.,. * Ibid. 1 



and barber, William Marchford, citizen and mercer, 

 Edward Grymston, citizen and vintner, and others, 

 all of London, purchased small freeholds. 7 There is, 

 however, no evidence that Stevenage was ever anything 

 more than a manorial market town, though the gild 

 of the HolyTrinity, established probably in the early 

 part of the 15th century with a gildhall or brother- 

 hood house, may have had some powers in the 

 management of the affairs of the town. Early in 

 the 1 6th century we can tell from the evidence 

 of architectural remains that the road-side town 

 extended from the point where the Great North 

 Road forks, or a little northward, to the old work- 

 house, an interesting timber and plaster building, 



6 Ibid 



140 



