BROADWATER HUNDRED 



baptisms 1 726 to 1 761, burials 172610 1755, marriages 

 1726 to 1753 ; (v) baptisms 1762 to 1812, burials 

 1756 to 1812 ; (vi) marriages 1754 to 1765 ; (vii) 

 marriages 1 766 to 1 8 I 2. 



The advowson of the church be- 

 JDFOffSON longed to the Abbot of Westminster. 

 In the 13th century the incumbent 

 paid a pension of 50/. to the abbey." The church 

 belonged subsequently to the Bishop of Westminster 

 until the surrender of that bishopric to Edward VI 

 in 1550." In that year the advowson and rectory 

 were granted by the king to Sir William Herbert, 

 K.G., ,; who was created Earl of Pembroke in 1551 

 and died in March 1 560.-70.^ His son Henry sold the 

 advowson in 1575 to Edward Wilson," who is said to 

 have conveyed it in the same year to Thomas Clerke. 

 Thomas had a son John," to whom he conveyed the 

 advowson in 1589,™ John having previously obtained 

 a release of the same from Edward and William 

 Clerke, 30 perhaps his brothers. He died in 1595, 

 leaving four sons, of whom Thomas was the eldest.' 1 

 The advowson is said to have been subsequently 

 acquired by the families of Smith and Chester." In 

 1 664 presentation was made by Francis Flexmere and 

 Allan Read, merchant tailors, 33 and in 1678 by 

 James Goulston," who perhaps obtained it for one 

 turn from Stafford Leventhorpe, who owned the 

 rectory about that time." Thomas Duckett presented 

 in 1689, 36 about which time the advowson and rectory 

 came into the hands of Joseph Bentham, D.D., who 

 presented in 1719." The latter sold the advowson 

 in 1720 to Charles Baron, 33 who presented with 

 George Whorton and Jacob JefFerey in 1723," and is 

 said to have sold the rectory and advowson to 

 Nicholas Cholwell in \~]i\. m The latter presented 

 in 1725, and he or his son, with Rowland Ingram, 

 in 1733." Ann Ingram, widow, presented in 1737," 

 probably for one turn, after which Nicholas Cholwell 

 the younger is said to have sold the rectory and 

 advowson in 1 761 to William Baker," who possessed 

 the advowson in 1 762," and whose son was holding 

 it in 1821." His grandson William Robert Baker 

 sold it in 1869 to John Allen, 16 who held it until 

 1 899, when it was acquired by the Rev. Canon Allen. 

 It was transferred to the Bishop of St. Albans in 

 1906." 



A fraternity of the Holy Trinity in the church of 

 St. Nicholas at Stevenage is mentioned in 1446." 

 Bequests were also made to it in 1483 and 1497. 49 

 In 1558 the Brotherhood House with 6 acres of 

 ground belonging was gran ted to Sir George 

 Howard. 50 There was a light to the Virgin in the 

 church mentioned in 1512. sl 



The church of the HOLY TRINITY, which was 



erected in 1861, is served from that of St. Nicholas. 



Meeting-places for Protestant Dissenters in 



STEVENAGE 



Stevenage were certified from 1698. In 1 814 a 

 chapel was opened in connexion with the Academy 

 at Wymondley" (q.v.). At the present time there 

 are in the parish chapels of the Wesleyans, Baptists 

 and Strict Baptists. 



Educational Charities.— For the 



CHJRITIES grammar school, endowed by will of 



the Rev. Thomas Alley n, 1558, and 



the English or Pettits School, founded in 1562, see 



article on ' Schools.' ia 



The National school, comprised in deed, 1834, is 

 endowed with £106 js. %d. consols, by will of Miss 

 Charlotte Amelia Hinde Whittington, proved in 

 1S67 ; £21 ioj. 4;/. consols, by will of Miss Susanna 

 Smyth, proved in 1867 ; and £321 5/. <)d. consols, 

 by will of George Smyth, proved in 1868. 



The several sums of stock are held by the official 

 trustees, producing in the aggregate j£i 1 41. ^d. 

 yearly. 



The Consolidated Charities are regulated by a 

 scheme of the Charity Commissioners, 26 March 

 1909, as varied by scheme of 26 April 1910. They 

 comprise the charities of — 



1. The almshouses founded by Stephen Hellard, 

 priest and rector, by deed, 20 November, 1 7 Henry VII 

 (1501), whereby certain lands and a newly-built 

 messuage, to be called 'All Christian Souls' House,' 

 were conveyed to the uses of donor's last will, bearing 

 date 20 December 1501. The trust property now 

 consists of eight almshouses in Back Lane and 

 13a. 3 r. 1 3 p. of land with messuage let at ^14 a 



2. George Clerke, will, 1556, being a rent-charge 

 of £2 ioj. issuing out of Boxbury Tithe, parish of 

 Walkern. 



3. Robert Gynne, by will, 1604, consisting of a rent- 

 charge of £1 issuing out of Ditchmore Mead, another 

 rent-charge of £ I 1 01. out of Maidenhead in Stevenage, 

 ^13 14/. So 1 , consols, and the right of the poor to 

 receive IO bushels of good grain (commonly called 

 Misleyne or Maslin) charged on Fisher's Green Farm. 



4. John Elmer, will, 1622, formerly consisting of 

 a messuage or inn in Ware, called the 'Black Swan,' 

 which has been sold, the share of Stevenage being 

 represented by X4 r 4 7 s - 3^ consols. 



5. Edward Swallow, will, 1629, being a rent- 

 charge of £1 issuing out of land at Cottered. 



6. Rev. Richard Cholwell, a former rector, by deed, 

 1773, formerly a poor-house, now occupied by the 

 premises of the Stevenage Gas Company at a rental 

 of £18 a year. 



7. Miss Charlotte Amelia Hinde Whittington, for 

 poor, by will proved 1867, trust fund, ^319 3/. 

 consols. 



8. Susanna Smyth, for poor, by will proved 1868, 

 trust fund, £162 y. 3^. consols ; and 



> Feet of F. Herts. Trin. 2. Geo. III. 



s Clutterbuck, loc. cit. 



s Cussans, op. cit. Broadwater HunJ. 



7 cisr gy '-'">> ! information kindly 



piied by Rev. W. Jowitt. 



» Archd. of St. Albans Wills, Stoneham, 



Ibid. 44 ; P.C.C. r; Home. 



Pat. 5 & 6 Phil, and Mary, pt. iii. 



■' Archd. of St. Albans Wills, Wall in-- 



