A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



Grelle, and Derorgill 

 and Walkern was as 

 In 1294 Robert Fit 



Argm 



e wife of Robert Fitz Walter, 

 icd to the latter in 1282. 10 

 z Walter went to Gascony on the 

 king's service and let the manor to farm in the mean 

 time to Reginald deSilverle. 50 Devorgill died in 1284. 

 In 1313a purpart/ of her lands was assigned to her 

 daughter and co-heir Christine,- 1 who granted her 

 reversion of this moiety to her father, 12 then holding 

 the manor for life ' by the courtesy of England ' of 

 the inheritance of his wife.- 3 Two years later Robert 

 Fitz Walter granted the re- 

 version of the manor after the 

 death of a life-tenant, John 

 Bensted, to John Lord Mar- 

 shal, 24 of Hingham, co. 

 Norfolk. 24 Upon his death 

 without issue in 1316-17 it 

 passed to his sister Hawise, 

 the wife of Robert, second 

 Lord Morley. 29 Robert died 

 In .360," leaving a son 

 William, the third lord, who 

 in 1 379 was succeeded by his 

 son Thomas, fourth Lord <ro ™" 

 Morley, 3 * his widow Cecilia 



holding a third of the manor in dower until her 

 death in ] 386. 29 The fourth lord, who was Marshal 

 of Ireland and a Knight of the Garter, died in 14 16, 

 being succeeded by his grandson Thomas. 50 Anne 

 widow of Thomas, fourth Lord Morley, married 

 secondly Sir Hugh Hastings, and held the whole 

 manor until her death in 1426. sl Thomas, fifth 

 Lord Morley, was succeeded in 1435 by his son 

 Robert, 33 who died in 1442, leaving an only daughter 

 Eleanor, at that time only forty-two weeks old. 33 

 She subsequently married William Lovel, who was 

 thereupon summoned as Lord Morley. They both 

 died within a month of each other in 1476. 31 The 

 custody of their son Henry during his minority, to- 

 gether with his marriage, was granted to Richard, 

 Bishop of Salisbury, and Peter Courteney. 35 He 

 died without issue in 1489, his lands passing to his 

 sister Alice, 33 who married first William Parker, and 

 secondly Sir Edward Howard, 37 afterwards Lord 

 High Admiral. Shortly after 1506^ Alice and Sir 

 Edward Howard sold the manor of Walkern to Sir 

 William Capell, Lord Mayor of London, who died 

 seised of it in 1 5 1 e," and whose descendant Arthur 

 Lord Capell of Hadham was created Earl of Essex 



after the Restoration. 40 Walkern has descended i 

 this family, 11 and is now held by the seventh earl. 



9 ** RORBV«^ 



Capell, Earl of Essex 



Walkern Park is first mentioned in 1360." In 

 1 373 J onn Basset was keeper.* 3 His name perhaps and 

 that of his family survives in Bassus Green, called by 

 Cussans Bassett's Green. 41 In 1379 the park had an 

 area of 398 acres, 46 and in 1435 the 'agistment' 

 was stated to be worth z6j. Sn 1 . beyond the smtenta- 

 tion of the wild animals. 46 John Hotoft was keeper 

 in 1427 and John Humbcrston in 1428.*' It is now 

 of the extent of 30 acres and surrounds Walkern Hall. 



Walkern Mill was given to the church of St. Mary 

 of Walkern by Hamo de St. Clare in the reign of 

 Henry I 48 (see above). In 1313 a water mill was 

 pertaining to the manor, 15 and in 1360 a windmill is 

 mentioned. M There is still a water mill. 



View of frankpledge, amendment of the assize of 

 bread and ale, gallows, tumbrel, infangentheof and 

 free warren were claimed by Robert Fitz Walter in 

 1 287. 6I In 1 360 the court leet was held on Tuesday 

 in Whitsun week. 52 



The manor of BOX BURT or BOXE in Walkern 

 and Stevenage was assessed in the nth century at 



