A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



In 1086 Peter de Valognes held '2 hides as 1 

 manor' in Ashwell, these having been pari of the 

 possessions of the Anglo-Saxon thegn Athelmar of 

 Benington." In ihe reign of Henry II (115+- 

 89) Robert de Valognes, grandson of Peter, held 

 '14 librates of land' here, which descended to his 

 daughter Gunnora, the wife successively of Durant de 

 Osielli and Robert Fitz Walter." Christina daughter 

 of Robert and Gunnora married William de M.inde- 

 rille Earl of Essex, and possibly Ashwell was settled 

 on her, for she granted ' all her men in the vill of 

 Ashwell ' to the priory of Walden in Essex." On 

 her death without issue in 1233 the overlordship 

 apparently passed to her brother Walter Fitz Walter, 

 for his grandson Robert Fitz Walter died seised of 

 one fee in Ashwell in 1328," and his grandson 

 Walter Fitz Walter died seised in 1386." No 

 further trace of Walden Priory in connexion with 

 Ashwell has been found, and it seems reasonable to 

 identify this holding with the manor of ASHWELL, 

 which, in 134$, was settled upon Henry Gernet and 

 Joan his wife. 1 " She and her husband held lands in 

 this parish (perhaps the same holding as that after- 

 wards termed a manor) in 1338." Under the 

 settlement Henry and Joan were to hold for life with 

 reversion to John Dartv le Fitz and his wife Margery, 

 to Thomas de Charncl; and his wife Maud, and to 

 Margaret sister of Maud, successively, Margery, 

 Maud and Margaret being daughters of Henry and 

 Joan. Henry Gernet died the same year." It was 

 specially reported that he held his lands jointly with 

 Joan his wife not of the king in chief, but 'of others,' 

 probab'y the Fitz Walters. 18 Joan survived her 

 husband," and in 1345 received a quitclaim of the 

 manor from Thomas de la Have and Elizabeth his 

 wife, who were possibly holding it in dower." The 

 tenement (or part of it) subsequendy descended to 

 Thomas Brydd, possibly heir of one of the daughters, 

 who in 1428 was holding 'a quarter of a knight's fee 

 in Ashwell, which Henry Gernet formerly held." 1 



The county historians are unanimous in identifying 

 this manor (which is not again heard of as Ashwell 

 Manor) with a manor of DIGSli'ELL in this parish," 

 though the descents they give after this date vary 

 considerably, Cussans (alone) maintaining that it was 

 held by the family of Bill in Ashwell in the 1 6th and 

 17th centuries." The litter theory is supported by 

 the will or John Bill in 1537, whereby he leaves his 

 ' m.inor of Dixwell aim Diggewell with 

 called Wattes, and land in Glitton and Ashwell 

 his son James." A few years later there wa 

 complaint over unlawful entry into a messuage 



Mill Street in Ashwell,' which the father of the 

 complainant (Thomas Rooke) had held 'of James Bill, 

 by copy of court roll of his manor of Dykeswell.' *" 

 When Chauncy was writing in 1700 there was a 

 manor of Digswel! in Ashwell parish, owned by 

 Samuel Gatward, and said to have been acquired by 

 him from Sir William Whitmore, hart. 1 ' According 

 to Clutterbuck he sold it in 17 16 to Christopher 

 Anstey, and it descended to his son Christopher," 

 who in 1805 suffered a recovery of this manor.* 9 He 

 sold it, according to Clutterbuck's descent, to William 

 Heath in 1808, and after the death of the latter 

 it- became the property of Richard Westrope of 

 Ashwell." Since that date the manor has disappeared. 



In 1086 Theobald held half a hide in Ashwell 

 of Harduin de Scales, which may be identified as 

 WESTBURr.* Harduin is said subsequently to 

 have divided his lands between his two sons Richard 

 and Hugh, the latter's son Hugh being in possession 

 of three knights' fees in several places in Hertfordshire, 

 including Ashwell, at the close of the 12th century." 

 Beyond this date the tenure of the Scales family is 

 not traceable. 



In 1 198 the nuns of Holywell (Middlesex) im- 

 pleaded Fulk son of Theobald (possibly son of the 

 Theobald of 1086) for a rent of I mark in Ashwell 

 which had been granted to them by charter of the 

 said Theobald." There is no trace of a grant of land 

 in Ashwell to the nunnery, but it has been suggested 

 that the ' virgate of land in Hinxworth of the gift of 

 Theobald son of Fulk ' confirmed to the nuns by 

 Richard I in 1195" really lay in the neighbouring 

 parish of Ashwell." There is no subsequent trace 

 of property held by the Holywell nuns in Hinx- 

 worth, whereas they were possessed of a manor of West- 

 bury in Ashwell at the Dissolution, at which time it waf 

 held on lease by one John Bailey." The nunnery 

 held tithes in Ashwell from at least the reign of 



Richard II, 1 



the Dissolution to £2." 



The subsequent descent 

 difficult to trace. Setting : 

 manor of Westbury Nernew 

 is given below) there is no 

 I granted 'a me 



ch tithes : 



<ounting at 



to Thomas Norwood, 



the manor of Westbury N 



conveyance of Westbury was 1 



widow, by Thomas Bromfield, Lai 



a number of persons who were evident 



In 1678 a settlement was mad< 



Hutchinson,™ in whose family it 



of this manor is very 

 .ide the references to the 

 ;es (of which the descent 

 record of it until 1606, 

 iuage called le Westbury' 

 (1 ready possessed of 

 ■tes. In 1664 a 

 de to Elizabeth Sone, 

 flarsh and 



by 



3- heirs." 

 Richard 

 until at 



«" I'.C.H. Hcra.i, n-.*, 176. 

 » Rtd BL Exch. (Roll! Ser.), -8, 94, 

 ,7, 175 1 Ahhrt*. PUc. (Rec Com.], 29. 

 " Karl. MS.3697 (ChjraiL. ofWalden), 



« Ci.hih, HU of H,ru. 



"«K"">K 



<• Will, P.C.C. 28 Mellershe. 

 "Chan. Proc. (Ser. i), b-lle. z h 



Com.), 37. The ni 



in 1117. 



, H,„. of H. ra . ,44. 



Pro- 



i*tij. of 



bably a. 3u ..... atHU „ c , 

 holders of Westbury Nerocwtei, for ii 

 later times this encate is taid to be hel 

 of Westbury Nernewte. (ibid.). 



* Misc. Bks. (Ld. Rev. Rec), cclii: 

 fol. 60 d. 



of F. Div. G 

 . Hil. 29 & p Q:i 



