A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



n B hi, 

 Alington held Wymondley 

 until 1 521," after which it 

 was held by his widow Mary 

 in dower until her death in 

 1540," when it passed to 

 their son Giles." Sir Giles 

 outlived his son Robert and 

 his grandson Giles and was 

 succeeded in 1 ;86 by his 

 great-grandson, also named 

 Giles, then aged fourteen. 53 

 At the coronation of James I 

 both Giles Alington and his 

 mother Margaret Elrington 

 claimed the service. u " 

 manor descended in 

 whom he had settled 

 the latter's marriage 

 In 1642 William 

 Killard in Ireland 



Grosvenor, husband of Diana's daughter Diana," and 



Nathaniel Napier, widower of Catherine. " It seems 



to have been performed by 



Sir Richard, to whom Diana 



Warburton had conveyed her 



third of the manor upon his 



marriage, and to whom the 



other two thirds subsequently 



came. He died childless in 



1732, and his brother and 



heir Thomas in the following 



the younger Giles the 

 638 to his son William, on 

 in 1631 on the occasion of 

 vith Elizabeth Tollemache." 

 as created first Lord Alington of 

 id died in 1648." Hisson Giles 

 held Wymondlcy until 1659," when he died a minor 

 and unmarried, and his brother William succeeded." 

 He inherited the Irish title, and in 1682 was also 

 created Lord Alington of Wymondley." He died 

 in 1684, leaving an infant son Giles, for whom his 

 mother Diana (Verney) claimed the service at the 

 coronations of James II and William and Mary. 



formed in 1685 by Giles's uncle Hildebrand Alington, 

 and in 1689 by John Jacob, stated to be the nearest 

 relation." 



Upon the death of Giles Lord Alington without 

 issue in 1691 the barony of Alington of Wymondley 

 became extinct, while the Irish title passed to Hilde- 

 brand Alington, uncle of Giles and brother of William 

 Alington. 81 Hildebrand claimed the English estates 

 also, but Wymondley was sold upon a decree passed in 

 Chancery to Elizabeth Hamilton or Hambleton, 

 widow, 5 * daughter of John Lord Colepeper, who 

 claimed to perform the service at the coronation of 

 Anne and was allowed, William Hamilton her son 

 executing the office. 63 Hildebrand, Lord Alington, 

 bought back Wymondley from Mrs. Hamilton in 

 1704," but died childless in 1J22-5,*' leaving the 

 manor by will to his three nieces, daughters of William 

 Alington and sisters of Giles." These three ladies 

 were Juliana Viscountess Howe, Diana wife of Sir 

 George Warburton and Catherine wife of Sir 

 Nathaniel Napier ; at the coronation of George II the 

 service was claimed by Juliana Howe, Sir Richard 



The 



t brothei 



garb « 



: obtained i 



Robert Grosvenor, who thus 

 inherited the estates,' is said 

 to have acquired Wymondley 

 from Sir Richard in 1730," 

 two years before he would other 

 His son Sir Richard Grosvenor, who succeeded him in 

 1 7 5 5," sold the manor in 1 767 to the Hon. Mordaunt 

 Cracherode," from whom it descended in 1773 to his 

 son Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode, the well-known 

 collector of books and prints." He is said to have 

 been of such a retiring disposition that his dread test 

 he should at any time be called upon to undertake the 

 service of cupbearer embittered his whole life." Upon 

 his death in 1799 his lands passed to his sister Anne," 

 who left Wymondley by will to Shute Barrington, 

 Bishop of Durham, in trust for sale." The latter sold 

 the manor in 1 806 to William Wilshere of the Frythe, 

 Welwyn, who performed his service at the coronation 

 of George IV," the last occasion upon which it has 

 been necessary. William Wilshere was succeeded in 

 1824 by his nephew William Wilshere, who died in 

 1867." Charles Willes Wilshere, brother and heir 

 of the latter, 80 lived until 1906, and was survived by 

 three daughters, the eldest of whom, Miss Edith Marie 

 Wilshere, is the present lady of the manor. 



Sac and soc, toll, team and infangentheof were 

 granted to John de Argentein by King Stephen, and 

 confirmed to William dc Argentein in 1400." In 

 1278 Giles de Argentein claimed view of frankpledge 

 and amendment of the assize of bread and ale. 11 ' 



The manor of DELAMERE (Lammers, xv cent.; 

 Delamers, xvii cent.), now Delamere House, was 

 held of Great Wymondley, 8 * and evidently took its 

 name from the family of Delamare ; John Delamare 

 is mentioned as living in Great Wymondley in 

 1308." The manor is first mentioned in 1487, 

 when John Pulter died seised of it." He was 

 succeeded by his son William, who held it by service 

 of 401. yearly, and it remained in the Pulter family. 

 In 1600 Edward Pulter, whose father Edward held 

 it before him,* 6 settled it on his son Litton, on the 



