A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



Adam Fitz Hubert of the Bishop of Bayeux. 1 The lands 

 of Adam Fitz Hubert, brother of Eudo Dapifcr, went 

 in other Hertfordshire cases to the Valognes family, 

 but there is nothing to show what happened to them 

 here. The Gernon lands forming the manor of Little 

 Wymondley came to the Montfitchet family (see Letch- 

 worth), and were divided about 1258 between the 

 three sisters and heirs of Richard de Montfitchet, to 

 the second of whom, Aveline, Little Wymondley was 

 apportioned. This Aveline married William de 

 Fortibus Earl of Albemarle, 6 who was starved to death 

 in the Levant in 1241, and who was succeeded by his 

 son William. The latter died in 1256 and his two 

 children died during the lifetime of their mother.' 

 The earldom of Albemarle being thus ex:inct, Little 

 Wymondley was thenceforward held of the king in 

 chief of the honour of Albemarle for 20*. rent yearly 

 to be rendered at the ward of Craven Castle." By 

 1419 the service was reduced to 6s. Sd.* 



with the reversion of all the lands belonging to the 

 priory, was granted to James Necdham, 'accountant, 



surveyor -general and clerk of 

 the king's works,"* to be held 

 of the king in chief by the 

 service of a tenth part of a 

 knight's fee." James obtained 

 a licence to entail the manor 

 on his son John," who suc- 

 ceeded his father in 1545. 11 

 George Needham, son of 

 John, settled the manor on 

 his son Eustace on his marriage N 



in 1615, and in 1623 it was g jJJ™*™ 

 settled on George the son of ^ta™ rwo h 

 Eustace. takod-.td table. 



George Needham the first 

 died in 1626. I6 George the younger died i 



;eded by another George, 17 his s 



1669 



who 



Liitle Wymondley Priory: North Front 



Before the end of the ijth century the manor of 

 Litdc Wymondley was held in sub-tenancy by the 

 Argentein family ; it is first mentioned in the pos- 

 s.ssion of that family upon the delivery of the lands 

 of Giles to his son and heir Reginald in 1282-3. '" 

 From that date it has followed the same descent as 

 the manor of Great Wymondley (q.v.). 



l/1'MONDLEr PRIORI' was founded during the 

 reign of Henry III by Richard de Argentein, lord of 

 the manor of Great Wymondley, some time previous 

 to 1218." It was suppressed in 153/and the site, 



died without male issue in I725- 19 His heirs were his 

 daughters, Barbara, who married John Sherwin, and 

 Martha the wife of Thomas Browne, 19 the eminent 

 land surveyor, who for a while resided at his wife's 

 manor in Little Wymondley. In 1733 the manor 

 was sold to Samuel Vanderplank,™ from whom it is 

 said to have descended," through his daughter Anna, 

 who married Gilbert Joddrell, to Anna Joddrell," 

 the wife of Christopher Clitherow of Essendon, who 

 sold it in 1806 to Samuel Heathcote. In 1812 it 

 came by the will of the latter to his grandson 



