A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



John of Crc 



capons yearly. 11 Ralph son of William also held 3 

 acres of the demesne,*' which he had in exchange for 

 land given for the site of the manorial windmill, J and 

 half a virgatc held in villeinage 'for Robert, servant 

 of Nicholas the Archdeacon.'" From Ralph the 

 manor apparently descended to Roger of Cromer and 

 to his daughter Sabina, who married Ralph son of 

 Roger of Westover (Westoouer), for they surrendered 

 122 acre? in Ardeley, Cromer and Luffenhall to the 

 lord of Ardeley in 1258-9." 



The history of the manor during the following two 

 centuries is obscure. Chauncy ss identifies Cromer 

 with the 'manor' in Ardeley held in 1278 by Roger 

 de la Lee, together with a warren which had been 

 made by Philip Lovell" ; but it seems more probable 

 that Roger's manor was Lite's." Possibly the later 

 tenants again took their name from their holding, for 

 ,er was living in Ardeley in 1290-1, M 

 —3 Alice of Cromer paid towards a 

 subsidy in Ardeley. 60 



In 1526 Hugh Brabham with his wife Margaret, 

 in whose right he was evidently holding, sold the 

 manor of Cromer to Thomas Catesby and others for 

 £100." This Thomas appears to have been the 

 younger son of Sir Humphrey Catesby, kt., of 

 Northamptonshire. 6 ' His heir was his elder brother 

 Anthony Catesby of Whiston, co. Northants," who 

 in 1540 sold Cromer Hall to George Clerke of 



In 1550 the homage presented George Clerke for 

 cutting down trees in the highway at Cromer." He 

 transferred the manor in 1557 to his son Thomas 

 Clerke of Stevenage, 64 whose title was disputed by 

 John Austen, citizen and haberdasher of London, who 

 called himself great-grandson of William Austen and 

 his wife Katherine, who was daughter of Sir John 

 Clerke, kt. B Thomas Clerke retained the manor 

 until his death about 1597, when his next heir was 

 his son William." Thomas and William Clerke and 

 Beatrice Clerke, widow, dismembered the manor," a 

 process already begun by the alienation of the wind- 

 mill in I 576/" The manorial rights with a messuage, 

 possibly the hall, were purcha 5 ed by Matthew 

 Scrivener of Walkern and his wife Grace." Cromer 

 Hall was ultimately acquired by John Shotbolt/' 

 Courts having ceased to be held, 'some of the copy- 



holders took up their lands in Ardeley Manor, some 

 ceased to perform any of the customary dues. 



The family of Shotbolt had long resided in Ardelc-y, 

 where they held a tenement called Cowards. In 

 1618 John and Philip Shotbolt granted an annuity 

 of £ +00 out of their ' capital messuage and demesnes ' 

 in Ardeley (? Cromer Hall) to Lady Elizabeth Griffin," 

 who is also said to have purchased Cowards through 

 the agency of Thomas Taylor.' 1 Lady Elizabeth 

 Griffin, ' une.isie in this place,' " perhaps owing to the 

 difficulty she experienced in obtaining her annuity 

 from Cromer Hall, surrendered her copyhold tene- 

 ments (Cowards, &c.) to Sir Edward Bacsh, kt., and 

 his wife Mary and to Edward Adkyns in 1637." 

 In 1619 Lady Elizabeth had sought to enter upon 

 the capital messuage and demesnes of Cromer Halt, 

 since John Shotbolt had failed to pay the annuity due 

 to her ; but she was * defeated ' in consequence of a 

 conveyance made to Mary Shotbolt, mother of John." 

 Shortly afterwards the house was acquired (probably 

 by purchase) by William Half hide, who in 1630 

 conveyed it to his son John Halfhide, 78 whose family 

 had long resided at Ardeley. 80 



Cromer Hall is a late 16th-century house, now- 

 divided into two cottages. It is of two stories con- 

 structed of timber and plaster on a brick base. It 

 still retains the oak ceiling beams, some oak doors, 

 and the original staircase. 



LITE'S MANOR (Leightes, xvi-xviii cent. ; 

 Lights, xvii-xix cent.) is possibly identical with the 

 manor of Ardeley which Roger de la Lee held in 1278. 

 Philip Lovell had made there a warren which Roger 

 held with the manor." 1 It may be that ' Little Lye 

 Grove,' near the site of Lite's, is identical with this 



Towards the end of the 13th century Lite's was 

 held by Richard de Harwcdune, who was succeeded by 

 his daughter Maud. About 1322 she conveyed the 

 manor to Theobald de Bridcbrook. 8 * Theobald's 

 name does not occur among the inhabitants who paid 

 to a subsidy in 1322-3, but there was then living 

 at Ardeley a ' Robert Lithe.' 83 



In 141+ John Morris of Ardeley sold the manor of 

 Lite's to John Hotoft and others. They transferred 

 their rights to John Bardolf and his wife Joan, who 

 afterwards married Robert Carleton. 8 ' How long it 



' Dom. of Sr. JWi (Can 



