BROADWATER HUNDRED 



pillory and a cucking-stool and that they were not 

 there to the damage of the community. The bailiff 

 was therefore ordered to supply them.* 1 In 1542 it 

 was ordered that the stocks should be amended and 

 ' le kuc king-stole and le pillarye ' newly made." 



In 1 3 10 the king had a prison at Stevenage within 

 the liberty of the Abbot of Westminster. In that 

 year an order was issued for the justices of gaol delivery 

 to release from the prison one Andrew Baron ' and 

 to lead him back to the church of Stevenage whither 

 he had fled for sanctuary for larceny, certain malefactors 

 having withdrawn him from the church and taken him 

 to the said prison.'" 



The manor of HALFHIDE, of which the overlord- 

 ship is not known, first appears in 14.08-9, when it 

 was held by John Chertsey of Broxbourne, who in 

 that year released his right in it to William Skrene," 

 probably for the purpose of a settlement. Edmund 

 Chertsey, son or grandson of John Chertsey "died before 

 1475, leaving a son William " ; Eleanor his widow, 

 however, conveyed the manor to John Northwood 

 and others, probably trustees in a sale, in 1478—9." 

 In the first half of the next century Halfhide came 

 into the possession of Matthew Ward and Alice his 

 wife, who in 1 5 5 J conveyed it to John Lord 

 Mordaunt." The latter was succeeded in 1561 by 

 his son John, whose son and heir Lewis inherited 

 Halfhide with the rest of his father's estates in 1 5 7 1 , ,B 

 and sold the manor in 1 601 to Rowland Lytton and 

 Sir Henry Wallop. 50 Sir Henry Wallop conveyed 

 his moiety to Rowland Lytton in i6io, s ' and it 

 descended in his family in the same way as the manor 

 of Kneb worth." 



Free warren in Halfhide was granted to William 

 Lytton in 1616 s3 and is mentioned with free fishery 

 in 181 1. The present farm-house called Halfhide 

 lies in the neighbouring parish of Shephall. 



The manor of HOMELETS probably took its name 

 from the family of Ivo de Homeley (Homlie), who held 

 land in Stevenage in 1275, 140 acres of which were 

 then held of him by Laurence de Brok." It appears 

 to have been held of the Abbot of Westminster of the 

 manor of Stevenage." In 1 305 Robert de Depedene, 

 who was holding the manor in right of his wife 

 Isabel, conveyed it to William de Chilterne. 56 In 

 the reign of Edward III it seems to have been held 

 by Alice Homeley, whose predecessor had been Robert 

 de Sutton." Probably it was among the possessions 

 of John Chertsey of Broxbourne at the beginning of 

 the 15th century, for his successor Edmund Chertsey 

 gave Homeleys to Thomas Skrene, with remainder in 



tail . 



Willia 



Skrene, brother of Thomas 



vith 



STEVENAGE 



remainder to the heirs of Edmund Chertsey." Upon 

 the death of Thomas Skrene without issue in 1466 

 the manor passed to John Skrene, grandson of his 

 brother William. 65 John died in 1474 without heirs, 

 whereupon Homeleys reverted to William son and heir 

 of Edmund Chertsey. 60 After this date Homeleys 

 followed the same descent as the manor of Halfhide." 



Free warren in Homeleys was granted to William 

 Lytton in 1616." 



The manor or tenement of BROMESEND was 

 held of the Abbot of Westminster of his manor of 

 Stevenage for rent and suit of court. 63 It seems to 

 have taken its name from the family of Brome, who 

 appear in Stevenage in the 14th century. Roger 

 atte Brome held a messuage and half virgate in the 

 reign of Edward II, and was living in 1 325," after 

 which he was succeeded by Robert atte Brome, who 

 held it in the time of Edward III. Anabill Brome, 

 who had held 2 acres in Chalkdellfeld before Robert's 

 time, 65 was doubtless one of the same family. In the 

 15 th century Bromesend came into the possession of 

 the Chertseys, and was given by Edmund Chertsey to 

 Thomas Skrene, 65 together with the manor of Home- 

 leys, with which it subseq 



Free warren in Brontes. 

 Lytton in i6i6. se 



CHELLS.— In the reign of Edward the Confessor 

 a hide and a half in ' Escelveia,' which had once 

 belonged to Welwyn, were held by Alwin, with the 

 exception of 10 acres and a toft which belonged to 

 Alwin Dode, a man of Aluric the Little. 69 Half a 

 hide in ' Scelva ' was held by Aluric, a man of Aluric 

 of Benington,' and a half virgate belonged to Aluric 

 Busch, who at that time v 

 of King Edward's soke. 71 

 and a half had come int 

 Valognes, of whom they i 



The half hide was held of Robert Gernon by the 

 William who held Letchworth and other lands," while 

 the half virgate had been retained by Aluric Busch, 

 but was held of Geoffrey de Bech." The Scelva or 

 Escelveia of these holdings has been identified with 

 Chells (Chelse, xv and xvi cent.), a manor in this 

 parish." The overlordship of Chells, however, does 

 not seem to have been held by the descendants of 

 any of these three, for in 1295 the manor was held 

 for a sixth of a fee of Roger le Strange.' 6 This 

 Roger, who was the son of Hamon le Strange, 

 married Maud widow of Roger Mowbray and co- 

 heiress of William de Beauchamp," so that this fee 

 may have been previously held by any of the three 

 families of Le Strange, Mowbray, or Beauchamp. 



fly descended. 5 ' 

 d was granted to Willia 



e of Swen's men and 

 By 1086 Alwin's hide 

 1 the hands of Peter de 

 held by Godfrey." 



143 



