A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



William Bacon, king's yeoman, in 1308.'° In 1316 

 Waller de Twynham granted to Roger de Luda or 

 Louth one robe at the price of £ 1, to be paid yearly 

 from the manor." In I 3 18 he conveyed Mardley to 

 Adam de Eglesfeld, who, however, died twelve weeb 

 later and was succeeded by his brother John. John 

 de Eglesfeld confirmed Walter's grant to Roger de 

 Louth, and afterwards sold the manor to John de 

 Sandale, who increased Roger's payment to 401. 

 John de Sandale was succeeded about 1320 by his 

 kinsman and heir John de Sandale, who immediately 

 conveyed Mardley to Bartho- 



Bartholomew was attainted 

 for rebellion and hanged in 

 1312, but his widow Mar- 

 garet, after having been im- 

 prisoned for a time in the 

 Tower, was released and 

 dower assigned to her. 7 * This 

 grant apparently included part 

 of Mardley, for in 1332 

 Beatrice widow of John de 

 Eglesfeld claimed from Mar- 

 garet one third of the manor 

 in dower." The result of 



the claim is not recorded, nor is there evidence to 

 show whether Beatrice had been holding the third 

 since the death of her husband. Giles de Badlesmcre, 

 son of Bartholomew, obtained a reversal of his father's 

 nd livery of his lands in 1333 '* ; 

 vithout issue in 1338, at which 

 ited to Roger de Luda was still 

 tnor." Giles's widow Elizabeth, 

 mdly Hugh le 

 after 1349, Guy de Brye 

 until her death in 1359." The manor was then 

 assigned to Margaret youngest sister of Giles de 

 Badlesmerc and her husband John, 19 second Lord 

 Tiptoft. Her eldest son John died in 1359- His 

 heir was his brother Robert, ,s whose widow Margaret, 

 after his death in 1372, held a third of Mardley in 

 dower, and married secondly John Cheyney.™ In 

 I 37+ John and Margaret Cheyney granted their third 

 of the manor to Geoffrey Sighlere, 8 ' but who was 

 holding the remaining two-thirds at that time does 

 not appear. Robert Tiptoft left three daughters- 

 Margaret the wife of Roger Lord Scrope, Millicent 

 wife of Stephen Scrope, and Elizabeth, who married 

 Philip le Dcspenscr,"' but, as Mardley does not appear 

 in the possession of either of these or of their 

 descendants, it seems probable that there was 1 sale. 

 No further tenant is recorded until the second half 



attainder in 1379 a 

 he, however, died 1 

 time the 40/. gran 

 charged on the ma 

 who married 

 thirdly, 



Despenser, and 

 held Mardley 



of the 15th century, when Mardley was held by one 

 William Toppesfeld, who left it by will to his wife Jane 

 for life (according to her own testimony), the rever- 

 sion to be settled by her upon one of their children. 

 Jane settled it upon her younger son Ralph, but the 

 manor was claimed about 1470-3 by William 

 Toppesfeld, her grandson, son of her elder son 

 Thomas. 83 Complaint had been made shortly before 

 by Ralph's two daughters and heirs, Margaret Bernard 

 and Jane Toppesfeld, that this cousin William had ' by 

 subtle means ' entered the said manor." Eventually, 

 either as a result of this claim or upon the death of 

 Margaret and Jane, the manor came to William 

 Toppesfeld, for it was held by his daughter Elizabeth, 

 who married Richard Garneys of Mendlesham." 

 Richard and Elizabeth conveyed Mardley in 1507 

 to Sir William Say , M among whose heirs it descended 

 in the same manner as Westington in Ayot St. Peter ■' 

 (q.v.), was forfeited to the Crown in 1539, and was 

 granted together with the above manor to Sir Nicholas 

 Throckmorton in I 546. M The latter sold Mardley, 

 or Magdaleynbury as it was then called, to Thomas 

 Nicholh, a mercer of London, in 1555,*° who sold 

 it in the following year to John Forster. s ° John 

 died seised of Mardley in I 5 58 and was succeeded, 

 after the death of his widow Margery, by their son 

 Humphrey," who in 1563 conveyed the manor to 

 Jasper and Antonia Warren. ' The latter sold it in 

 1567 to John and Joan Spencer." John Spencer 

 settled Mardley on his wife Joan for her life, with 

 remainder to their youngest son Henry Spencer, to 

 whom it came upon Joan's death in 1 599, although 

 his elder brothers Robert and William seem to have 

 retained portions of the estate. 6 ' Presumably Henry 

 it issue, for in 1616-17 his eldest brother 

 sneer was seised of the 'liberty' of 

 and his son Robert held parcels of the 

 manor in 1632-3." John Spencer was lord of the 

 manor in 1697—8," almost immediately after which 

 it seems to have been sold to Sir William Lytton of 

 Knebworth, who possessed it in 1 700. S8 Mardleybury 

 has since descended with the manor of Knebworth," 

 Lord Lytton being the present lord of the manor. 



View of frankpledge is mentioned as pertaining to 

 the manor in 1614.'°° William Lytton obtained a 

 grant of free warren there in 1616. 1 



The FRTTHE formed part of the possessions of 

 Holywell Priory, Shoreditch, and it therefore seems 

 probable that it was given to that monastery, together 

 with the advowson of Welwyn Church, by Gunnora 

 daughter of Robert de Valognes. 



In 1523 William Wilshere (Wiltshire) obtained a 

 sixty years' lease from Holywell Priory of the Frythe, and 



died with! 

 Robert S 

 Mardley,' 



