A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



possession of the Bishops of London* until the 

 Commonwealth. Upon the sale of lands pertaining 

 to bishoprics it was bought in 

 1649 by Thomas Ayres.' 1 

 The latter was still holding it 

 in i657-9» At the Resto- 

 ration Stevenage was restored 

 to the bishopric of London, 

 and remained in the possession 

 of that see until 1868, when 

 it was transferred to the 

 Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 23 

 who are the present lords of 

 the manor. 



A fair was granted to the 

 Abbot of Westminster at 

 Stevenage in iz8i, to be held 

 on the vigil, feast, and 

 Baptist 24 (23-25 June), and 

 Henry VI in 14.48. r ' 



Abiiiy. Gula Sr. Ptur't 

 ktysoriviikSl.Edv/ariC, 

 ring ar in lit chief. 



• of St. John the 

 in firmed by 

 In 1 624 the Bishop of London 



A warren is mentioned as belonging to the lord of 

 the manor in 1393, when John Wheler and others 

 were accused of hunting in it and taking partridges 

 and pheasants. 3 * It is mentioned again in 1408, 

 when William Rendre of London was granted the 

 'custody and profit of the warren for hunting and 

 chasing hares and rabbits.' M 



In 1187 the Abbot of Westminster claimed in 

 Stevenage view of frankpledge, return of writs, amend- 

 ment of the assize of bread and ale, infangentheof, 

 utfangentheof, gallows, tumbrel and pillory. 87 The 

 view of frankpledge extended into the tunings of 

 Holwell, Cadewell, Walton, Datchworth, Tewin 

 and Stevenage. 38 In the 13th century and early 

 14th century the abbot held five courts yearly for 

 Stevenage and its dependencies— two in the autumn, 

 two in early spring, and one in summer. In 1271-z 

 the profits amounted to 43;. 31/., and in 1320-1 to 

 691. 2o'. a9 From the middle of the 14th century 

 four yearly courts seem to have been usual. These 



was granted three fairs, to be held on Ascension Day, 

 St. Swithun's Day (15 July), and on the Friday 

 following. 2C In 1792 fairs were held for nine days 

 before Easter, nine days before Whit Sunday, and on 

 the first Friday in September." In 1 82 I the Sep- 

 tember fair was held on the 22nd of that month, 28 

 and it is now held on the 22nd and 23rd. 39 



A market was granted to the abbot in 1281, to 

 be held on Mondays, 3 " and was confirmed in 1448. 31 

 In 1624 the day was altered to Friday, 33 on which 

 day it was held as late as 1792. i3 In 1821 it is 

 said to have been held on Wednesday, 34 but it has 

 since been discontinued. 



77 Rep. o/Rij. Cm 



7TH-L 



were at first held at the feasts of St. Andrew 

 (30 November), St. Denis (9 October), St. Matthew 

 (21 September), and at Pentecost, but a little later 

 the first two were changed to St. Lucy (1 3 December) 

 and the Annunciation (25 March). At the end of 

 the 14th or beginning of the 15th century the number 

 of courts varied, one being held at the feast of the 

 Conception (8 December). The average value of the 

 courts in the 14th century seems to have been about 

 £3, but it dropped during the next century, the 

 profits in 1499-1500 only amounting to 28;. y4. i0 

 1409 it was presented at the view of frankpledge 



that the lord was bound to have withii 



his liberty a 



r.oi Mar hi, and Tolls, 

 buck, op. tit. ii, i),|n. 

 and Toll,, >iii (2). 



34 Clutterbuck, op. tit. ii, 441 



35 Ct. R. portf. 17g.no. 54. 



11 Pat. 26 Hen. VI, pt. i 

 ; Ibid. 2i Jan. I, pt. lv ii 



