A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



manor to Robert Leete and Christopher Browne." 1 

 Possibly the latter were trustees for St. John's College, 

 Cambridge ; at all events, it was in the hands of that 

 body in 1565, when it was leased by the college to 

 1 Alice Browne, late the wife of Andrewes,' for twenty- 

 one years. 83 The estate is henceforward found con- 

 tinuously in the possesion of the college and leased 

 out by them. Kirbby's Manor Farm is situated in 

 the north of the parish. The Xorthfield Road passes 

 close by it and connects it with the village. 



A few traces exi,t of a manor of STASES aisai 

 IfJFRIES in this parish. Possibly its origin is to be 

 found in the tenure of John de Stanes, who in 1303 

 held one quarter of a knight's fee in Ashwell of 

 William Fitz Ralph 81 (for whose family see Broad- 

 field Manor). The earliest mention of a manor 

 extant is in 1567, when William Bourne and his wife 

 Margaret conveyed it to John Burgoyne. 85 In the 

 conveyance it is called Stanes alias Walries, though it 

 is not until forty years later that it is found held by an 

 owner of the name of Wafercr. 66 In 1570 Thomas 

 Ward was apparently in possesion. 87 In January 

 1609-10 Arden Waferer, who had been a member 

 of the Inner Temple and a recusant, 88 died seised of 

 this manor, having already by his will bequeathed it 

 to his wife Elizabeth for her life, with reversion to 

 his son James, then a minor. It was at thisdate said 

 to be held of the Bishop or London's manor of 

 Ashwell by fealty, suit of court and a rent of 

 I 21. I qJ.*» In 1 636 it was held by Edward Greene w 

 and in 1703 by Samuel Gatw.ird, 91 who acquired a 

 considerable amount of land in this parish about this 

 date. It then descended with Digswell (q.v.). The 

 last trace of the manor to be found is in 180;, 

 when a recovery of it was suffered by Christopher 

 An s ley "" 



Mil 



this 



invariably found together, were those of SON If 'ELL 

 and OTIIAIS. The earliest notice of them is in 

 i;o8, when they were held by Elizabeth Orrell, 

 widow.* 1 In 1528 James Orrell of Ashwell is men- 

 tioned in connexion with Son well," and in 1563 

 Thomas Orrell, called of Walsokcn, co. Norfolk, sold 

 both estates to Ralph Dixon of Doddington, hie of 

 Ely. es After this date the prnperty followed the 

 same descent as West bury. It was acquired by tliza- 

 bcth Sonc in 1664," and passed to the Hutchinson; 

 and Lehcups. The last mention of it is in 18:9, 

 when it was held by Michael Peter Lchcup. 



A manor of SUMNGS appears in I 585 held by 

 Thomas Meade,* 7 but it is not found again. 



The church of ST. MARY has a 

 CHURCH chancel 50 ft. 6 in. long by 19 ft. 6 in. 

 wide, nave 89 ft. 8 in. by 24 ft., with 

 north aisle 89 ft. 8 in. by 1 3 ft, 8 in., and south aisle 

 90 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft. 6 in. j there is a west tower 

 16 ft. square and a north and south porch. There 

 was formerly a vestry or chapel on the north side of 

 the chancel. All dimensions are taken internally. 

 The church is built of flint rubble and clunch, the 

 tower being faced with clunch. 



The nave is the earliest portion of the church, the 

 first four bays from the east, together with the clear- 

 story and chancel arch, helong to the middle of the 

 14th century ; the chancel, west tower and western 

 bay of the nave, together with the side aisles, were 

 constructed some thirty years later. The south porch 

 was built about 1420 and the north porch about the 

 middle of the 15 th century. During the 19th century 

 new roofs were put on the nave and chancel and the 

 chancel was repaired. 



The east window is of five lights, and the three 

 windows on the south side of the chancel and the 

 two on the north are of three lights each. All the 

 tracery is of a late 14th-century type, and much of it 

 has been renewed. On the north side are two 

 blocked 14th-century doorways, one partly under a 

 window; the other, to the east, was the entrance to 

 the chapel probably of the Holy Trinity, 08 the 

 piscina of which still exists on the outer wall. On 

 the south wall is a triple sedilia and piscina, each 

 under an ogee cinquefoiled arch with crocketcd labels 

 and finials, dating from about 1 380. There are 

 small plain recessed niches on the eastern jambs of 

 two of the side windows, on north and south respec- 

 tively, one having a small carved bracket at its base. 



The lofty chancel arch is of two moulded orders 

 supported upon engaged shafts with moulded capitals 

 and bases, all of 14th-century work. The built-up 

 doorways to the rood loft arc visible, but there is no 

 trace o a rood stair. 



The nave consists of five bays. The eastern four 

 (c. 1350) have piers of clustered shafts with moulded 

 capitals and bases, the latter somewhat mutilated. The 

 arches arc of two moulded orders, with labels in nave 

 and aisles. The details of the western bay differ a 

 little from the others and the span is wider, and they 

 abut on solid walling covered with lofty traceried 

 panels, which form eastern buttresses to the tower. 

 There are six windows to each side of the clearstory. 

 The two westernmost windows on each side belong to 

 the later 14th century, the two middle ones on the 



