A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



alienated from the 

 Adam de Somery 



Joan in dower," and it afterwards passed to Richard 

 de Bachesworth," one of the sons of Maud, sister and 

 co-heir of Stephen de Somery." No later trace of 

 the mesne lordship has been found. 



John de Somery was succeeded as tenant of the 

 manor by Adam de Somery, who had a grant of a 

 market, fair and free warren on zo October 1256. " 

 His widow Margery claimed dower in Bygrave in 

 1 272." His heir appears to have been another 

 Adam de Somery, who gave a life interest in the 

 manor to Master John de Wengham, Precentor of 

 St. Paul's." 



In 1287 the manor was again 

 direct line of the Somery family, 

 granted his reversionary rights 

 upon the death of John de 

 Wengham to John son of John 

 de Somery, reserving only to 

 himself and his own son John 

 two mills, 4 acres of meadow 

 and iooj. rent." John son 

 of Adam was in 1312 charged 

 with breaking the park of the 

 Earl of Pembroke at Bishop's 

 Hatfield." It is not clear 

 whether it was this John de 

 Somery or the actual lord of 

 the manor (John son of John) 



who as 'John de Somery of Bygrave' received pardon 

 in October 1313 for adherence to the party of Thomas 

 of Lancaster and complicity in the murder of Piers 

 Gaveston.™ 



The manor was held in 1327 by Sir Richard dc 

 Somery, fct., poisibly the heir of John son of John, 

 He then settled it upon himself and his wife Eliza- 

 beth." According to the statement of Richard de 

 Somery, Robert de Prestbury, the king's yeoman," 

 and others of his ill-wishers came to his manor and 

 carried off goods and chattels, horses, oxen, sheep and 

 pigs to the value of £200. This they did under the 

 pretext that he was an ally of Robert de Baldock the 

 chancellor, who in 1326 suffered imprisonment for 

 his support of the Despcnsers. Somery maintained 

 that he had even suffered grievous wrong at the hands 

 of Baldock, and prayed the king to compensate him 

 from the profits of Orwell Manor (co. Cambs.), the 

 custody of which had been given to the same 'Master' 

 Robert [f de Baldock]. 1 ' 



Richard de Somery was succeeded by his son John, 

 to whom a certain Geoffrey Somery surrendered all 



right in the manor on 8 June 1 349." In 1357 

 John de Somery settled the manor upon himself and his 

 wife Margery (or Margaret) for life with remainder 

 to their son John in tail-male and remainder in 

 default of heirs male to their daughter Elizabeth." 

 Margery de Somery seems to have survived her 

 husband and her son and to have taken a second and 

 a third husband, Sir John Maynard, kt.," and Thomas 

 Paynell." The daughter Elizabeth married Sir 

 William de Elington, kt." In 1379 sir Alexander 

 de Walden, kt., and his wife Elizabeth (probably 

 Elizabeth Somery) sa made a settlement of the manor 

 upon themselves and their heirs with contingent 

 remainder to the right heirs of Elizabeth." Four 

 years later they sold Bygrave to Sir John Thornbury,™ 

 the 'king's knight,'" and one of his justices of the 

 peace in Hertfordshire." 



In 1386 Thornbury had licence to crenellatc his 

 two houses within the manor of Bygrave." He served 

 as commissioner of array in the county in 1392, 

 when it was feared that the expiration of the truce 

 with France might be followed by invasion." He 

 was succeeded before 1428 by Sir Philip Thorn- 

 bury, kt.,* 5 who ;n 1435 obtained confirmation of 

 the liberties formerly granted to Adam de Somery.' 6 

 In 1457 Thornbury settled the manor upon himself 

 for life with remainder to his daughter Margaret and 

 her husband Nicholas Appleyard ; after their death 

 it was to pass to their son John in tail-male with 

 contingent remainder to the heirs male of Margaret." 



John Bensted, heir of Edward Benstcd (who had 

 apparently held the manor in trust for either John 

 or Philip Thornbury),'" surrendered all claim in 

 it to Nicholas and Margaret Appleyard in 1458." 

 Roger, son of a Nicholas Appleyard, inherited 

 the manor from his father and died seised of it in 

 1528, leaving an infant son John.™ In 1550 this 

 John Appleyard with his wife Elizabeth conveyed 

 the manor to Hugh Stukeley, gent., of London," 

 evidently agent in a sale to Laurence Warren and 

 his wife Joan." The latter survived her husband, 

 who died 4 August 1556." Their son William 

 Warren apparently took the name of ' Bygrave,' for 

 in the visitation of 1586 'Jane' (for 'Juliana') 

 Needham is said to have married William 'Warren 

 alias Bygrave.'" He settled an annuity out of the 

 manor upon her, and died 3 February 1588-9, 

 leaving a young son William. 61 The latter entered 

 upon the manor about 1602. SG During his long 

 minority his debts had accumulated and he was 



« Cat. hq. f. 



" FoJ. Aids, 



n See the ac 

 V.C.H. Him. ii, 151. 



!l Confirmed 1 + 55 ; Col. P. 

 p. 4.61. » Cur. Reg. R. 



*M«. di Quo Warr. 

 278 ; Assize R. J2J, 



- 1, 448. 



-f North Minima, 

 4.19-36, 



(Rec 



8 A, a 



(Mi 



t: ,::=. ' 



! «i- ; '■- :1 



»90l 



Herts. .; Edw. I, n 



» .Feet of F. Herts, loc. eit. 



^CaLPor. 1307-13, p. 541. 

 in 1187 warranted to John de "V 

 the liberties of which his father 

 Somery died seised in Bygrave 

 R. 325, fol. 17 et seq.). 



» CoLPat. 1313-17, P . 24. 



30 Feet of F. Herts, i Edw. II 

 De Banco R. 260, m. lid 

 I Edn. III). 



11 Cat, Chu 

 31 Feet of 

 10. 4 eg. 



i. 46 Edw. Ill, no. 640. 



" [ Ric. II, no. ■ 

 ■J. from P, 



-ler first husband was dead 



of F. Div. Co. 1 Ric. II, no. 6, '9). 



,s Sir E 

 (C— , 



' Ibid. 



IU Ibid. Her 



:. II, 1 



rts. 6 Rie. II, do. ;j. 

 "CLP.,. .385-9, p. 535. 

 13 Ibid. t;88-92, p. 137. 

 M Ibid. 1385-9, p. 235. 

 " Ibid. 1391-6, pp. 68, 92. 

 ,s Feud. Aids, ii, 447, 

 48 Ca\. Pal. 1429-36, p. 461. 

 '■F«r of F. Hem. 35 Her 



214 



son of Richard Thornbury, 

 r of Thomas and to Richard 

 in tail-male ; then to the 

 largarct, then to Thomas 

 man of Philip, and to tbe 

 f Philip. 



iard Bensted and other) pre- 

 :tor to the church in 141J 

 . of flirt,. OdstyHund. 54). 



-, 37 Hen 



* Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. z), .lix, )J>. 



11 Ibid, eir, 30 ; Recov. R. Hit. . 

 w.VI.m. ,55. 



'* Feet of F. Herts. Mich. 4 Edw. VI 

 a Chan. In,, p.m. (Ser. 1), cix, 80. 



* Htrtu V.M. (Hart. Soc. ixii), 77 . 



A Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. i), ecu 



