A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



and in the yard behind is an 18th-century square 

 dove-house of brick, now used as a granary. 



The fact that the hall stood empty for nearly thirty 

 years during the 19th century 5 evidently tended to 

 lessen the prosperity of the village. 



Foxholes Farm, a name which occurs as early as 

 1591.* lies in the south of the parish. Although 

 much repaired, the house appears to date from the 

 beginning of the 1 8th century. 



In the time of Edward the Confessor 

 MANOR Broadfield was divided between the Arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury and Queen Edith. 7 

 The lands of the former, assessed at z J hides, were held 

 of him by Ledmaer, Ansgot and two brothers. 8 Queen 

 Edith's lands, assessed at half a hide, were held of her 

 by Goda. 9 By 10S6 the three holdings of the arch- 

 bishop had passed to three separate overlords, Sigar de 

 Cioches, 10 Hardwin de Scales » and Robert Bishop of 

 Chester, 12 the last holding a virgate only. Earl Roger 

 de Montgomery had obtained possession of the lands 

 of Queen Edith. 13 It is probable that the lands of 

 Roger de Montgomery formed the estate in Rushden 

 which was given by his daughter Sybil to the Knights 

 Hospitallers. 14 Sigar de Cioches held also the manor 

 of Rushden (q.v.), and probably his lands in Broadiield 

 were attached to th.it manor. 



In 1086 Hardwin de Scales had obtained possession 

 of the chief holding in Broadfield, viz. a hide and 

 one-fourth of a virgate, and this appears subsequently 

 as the manor of BROADFIELD. The overlordship 

 of the manor remained with the Scales family, 15 and 

 descended to Sir John de Scales, who died seised of the 

 manor in I 3 8 8 . 1H * It was apparently attached to his 

 manor of Throcking (q.v.), for this in i486 was in 

 the hands of Robert Hyde, of whom Broadfield at 

 that date was said to be held. 17 



Of the tenants in demesne it appears that in 1086 

 Theobald was holding this manor under Hardwin de 

 Scales. m He seems to have had a son Fulk, who 

 had two sons Theobald and William. 19 About 1 159 

 Theobald was holding Broadfield, and with the 

 consent of his brother William leased it to the abbey 

 of Warden (co. Beds.).*> The latter Theobald had a 

 son Fulk, who had succeeded to his lands by 1 1 98-9, 

 when he disputed his father's gifts to the nuns of 

 Holywell. 21 On the death of Fulk, Broadfield 

 descended to his son Ralph, who levied a fine of 

 the advowson in 12-32." Ralph had a son of the 

 same name, who appears to have forfeited about 1 266, 

 when the king granted Broadfield to Maud his wife 

 for the maintenance of herself and her children.- 3 

 Ralph was still living in 1 2 8 3 . 21 His lands were held 



s Emr Htm. Arch. Sic. Tram, ii 

 170 ; CuBsans, Hat. a f Htm. Hund. 

 Odsty, 17S. 



6 Com. Pleas D. Eur. Mich. 33 & 3 



by William Fitz Ralph in 1 303,*° from whom they 

 probably descended to his son William {see Aspenden). 

 In 1356 Margaret and Sybil, daughters and heirs of 

 William, are mentioned."" But a William Fitz Ralph 

 was holding Aspenden in I 383, when he granted it 

 to his son William. 26 The manor of Broadfield 

 apparently also remained with the heirs male, for on 

 the death without issue of a William Fitz Ralph 

 (probably the last mentioned) before 1428 it went 

 to his co-heirs, John Hughessene of Ashwell and 

 John Clerk, senior, of Ardeley." These both quit- 

 claimed their right to John and Thomas Clerk, who 

 apparently conveyed to Richard Whapled, vicar of 

 Steeple Mordcn, and John Suttrey, for they in 14+9 

 granted the manor to John Dunstable and Margaret 

 his wife, Ralph Grey and Henry Wells. 28 Margaret 

 Dunstable died seised of the manor in 1486.*° 

 Henry Wells survived the other feoffees, and on his 

 death it passed to his cousin and next heir John 

 Fayrewayre. He conveyed it to Henry Snow of 

 London and Magdalen his wife. 30 It descended to 

 their son John Snow, whose daughters and co-heirs 

 Elizabeth and Dorothy 31 conveyed it in 1537-8 to 

 Edward Brocket!. 3 * 



In 1571 Edward Brockett settled the manor on 

 himself with remainder to Ellen his wife for life with 

 remainder to John Brockett of Brockett Hall and Ellen 

 his wife. 33 On Edward Brockett's death his executors 



nveyed the manor to his widow Ellen and her 



1580 John Brockett, 



kinsman Richard Bardolf. 

 who had been knighted in 

 1577, and his wife Ellen, 

 released their interest in the 

 manor to Edward Pulter 81 of 

 Great Wymondley, 86 and in 

 1 592 Ellen Brockett and 

 Richard Bardolf conveyed their 

 interest. 80 Edward Puller 

 held the manor until 1600, 

 when he settled it on his son 

 Litton Pulter in consideration 

 of his marriage with Penelope 

 daughter of Sir Arthur Capell, 

 kt. 37 Litton Pulter died in 

 1608, in his father's lifetime, 



leaving a son Arthur, then aged four years. 38 Arthur 

 Pulter held a prominent position in the county, 

 acting as justice of the peace, a captain in the militia, 

 and high sheriff for Hertfordshire, but at the out- 

 break of the Civil War he resigned all these offices, 

 led a retired life, and at the instigation of his wife 

 Lady Helen Ley, daughter of James Earl of Marl- 



■. 339, >42- 



' V.C.H. Htm. i, 3 it, 



9 Ibid. 311, 339, 341. 



» Ibid. 3*2. 10 Ibid. 342 



11 Ibid. 339. a ibid. 311. 



» Ibid. 3*2. 



11 See land of the KnUhta Hospitallers 

 in Rushden. 



15 Abbrw. Plat. (Ret. Com.), 99 ■ 

 Feud. Aids, ii, 433 . Cat. Uq. p.m. (Rcc 

 Com.), iii, 93. See manor of Challers, 

 Reed, for Scales pedigree. 



U W l*q.p.m. (Rec. Com.), ii 



! Che 



. 37- 



l history of 



11 Abbrev. Flat. (Rec. Com.), %. 



» Feet of F. Herts. 6 Hen. Ill, no. 4;. 



8 Cat. Par. 1258-66, p. 526. 



" De Banco R. 55, m. 101. 



* Feud. Aid,, ii,i 3i . 



B = Cat. Pat. 1354-8, p. 647 ; J. Harvey 

 >om, Cartae AnU^j: ofU-r,t l!'di-,u«hi>> 



Broke, ii, 7. 



* Anct. D. (P.R.O.), E 154. He 



s Chaiincy, Hill, and A> 



» Chan. Inc.. p.m. (Ser. 2 



* Chimney, loc. lit, 



1 Ibid.; eee Clone, 30 



1 Chauncy, loc. cit. ; 

 n. VIII, pt. vi, no. 5. 



, of Hen 



' Chan. Inq. 

 5 V.C.H. Her, 



m. (Ser. 2), 1 

 ". 3 39- 



Bloom, Cartas. Ash 



136. (J. Harvey 

 tofLordrVilUghby 



. Div. Co. Mich. 41 ft 4.3 

 !. Inq. p.m. (Ser. z), CCC7, 



