BROADWATER HUNDRED 



After the dissolu- 

 wo tenements, wit! 



a messuage called the Boarshead.' 

 tionol Holywell in i 5 39 3 these 

 50 J acres of land, were 

 granted in March 1539-40 

 to Sir John Gostwick and 

 Joan his wife.' Sir John died 

 in April 1545, and at his in- 

 quisition in October 1546 it 

 was stated that Wilshere had 

 collected the profits of the 

 estate during the interval,' so 

 that it seems probable that he 

 had remained as occupier of Gostwick. Arrtnta 



the Frythe. Sir John Gost- bout cetiuJ gulu betwuH 

 wick's heir was his son «* Coniish choughs, 



William, who, however, died 



almost immediately after his father, his lands passing 

 to his uncle William, Sir John's brother. 6 William 

 Gostwick the elder sold the Fry the in 1546 to William 

 Wilshere, 7 who alienated it to his son Thomas in 

 1549 8 and died in 1558.' From Thomas Wilshere, 

 who died in I 570, 10 the Frythe descended to his son 

 Thomas, who was a minor at his father's death, 1 ' and 

 whose son John Wilshere inherited the estate in 

 March 1620-1." This John granted the Frythe to 

 his eldest son John, who, however, predeceased him ,s ; 

 Thomas Wilshere the second son therefore succeeded 

 his father at his death in February 1646—7 

 died in 1666 or 1667, and his eldest sc 

 shortly afterwards, when the Frythe came to the 

 second son John, who was succeeded by his only 

 in g son William in 1711. William Wilshere, 



Thomas 

 Thomas 



Wilshere of the Frythe 



1 of the last William, inherited the property in 

 86, and his son, also named William, in 1708. 



WELWYN 



This third William died in 1824, having settled the 

 Frythe in tail-male upon the children of his youngest 

 brother Thomas Wilshere. William the eldest son 

 succeeded his uncle, but died unmarried in 1867, 

 when the Frythe came to his brother Charles Willcs 

 Wilshere, who died in 1906, leaving three daughters, ' 

 the eldest of whom, Miss Edith Elizabeth Marie 

 Wilshere, inherited this estate. The Frythe is now 

 the residence of the three Misses Wilshere. 



The farm of WELCHES was held in the first half of 

 the 1 5 th century by Richard Welch (Walsh), whose son 

 and heir Edward Welch conveyed it in 1454-5 to John 

 Fortescue, chief justice, to the use of John Barry and 

 his heirs. 10 In the following century it came into the 

 possession of John Warde, citizen and grocer of 

 London, who with his wife Mary and his son William 

 conveyed it in I 596 to Edward Fitz John,' 7 who died 

 seised of it in 1610, holding it of the king as of the 

 honour of Richmond. He settled the reversion of 

 Welches in 1602 on his nephew Edward Pennyfather, 

 to whom it came at his uncle's death. 19 Welch's 

 Farm is now the property of Col. A. M. Blake. 



The parish church of ST. MART 



CHURCHES stands to the north of the village, and 



is built partly of flint rubble and 



partly of modern brick, with stone dressings. It 



1 of a 



icel, 



>rth : 



uth . 



north organ chamber, south chapel, south porch, 

 and south-west tower. Of these, the north aisle, 

 organ chamber, chapel, and tower are modern. The 

 plan of the nave is probably that of a 12th-century 

 nave, and the chancel dates from a late 13th-century 

 enlargement. The south aisle, which was probably 

 built about the same time as the chancel, was rebuilt, 

 probably in the 15th century when the south porch 

 was added. In 1 663 19 a heavy storm did great 

 damage, destroying the tower, which had stood on 

 the north side of the church, and laying open that 

 side and the vestry ; the whole building was at this 

 time tied and strengthened at a cost of about .£2,000. 

 In 1910 considerable alterations were carried out and 

 the tower was rebuilt. 13a 



There is hardly any original detail left in the 

 chancel, the only old work being a blocked lancet in 

 the north wall, of late 13th-century date ; the high, 

 pointed chancel arch, which is of two chamfered 

 orders, with octagonal responds, and moulded capitals ; 

 and a much restored double piscina with ogee-shaped 

 trefoiled heads, and a thin jamb between the two bowls, 

 which are set eastward of the centres of the recesses. 

 The sedilia are modern, and the rest of the south 

 side is taken up by a modern arcade of two bays 

 opening to the south chapel. The east window is of 

 three grouped lancets, and there is a wide single light 

 in the north wall, and also a door to the vestry. 

 All these are modern. 



The south arcade of the nave is of four bays of late 

 13th-century work, much restored. The arches are 

 pointed and of two chamfered orders, resting on 



igonal columns with plain moulded bell-capitals, 

 arth arcade, which is 



The bases are modern. 



2 Aug. Off. Convent. Leas. 

 ' Dugdale, Man, iv, 392. 



* L. W P. Hen. VIII, xv, g. 436 (9). 

 '- Chan. In,. p. m . (Ser. 2), l™ii, 95- 

 6 V.C.H. Hera. Families, i +5 . 



'Pat. 37 Hc n .vni,pt. vi, m. 12. 



* KC.H. Htrts. Families, z 4 t. 



37- 



3 Will, P.C.C. 47 Welles 



10 Chan. Inn. p.m. (Ser. ; 



11 Ibid. 



1! Ibid, dclv, 97. 



13 Ibid, dexxxiv, 46. 



" V.C.H. Htr„. Familiei, 



l69 



', 33 I. 



1. VI, 1 



\ Herts. Trin. 3 8 Eli*. 



'* Char,. Ino. p.m. (Ser. 2}, dcxlv, S i. 



u Sin,R. (Herts. Co. Rec.), i, ,58. 



'9a By Mr. Charles Blomfidd, R.I.B.A., 

 at the sole cost of the Misses Wilshere, 

 of the Frythe. 



22 



