ODSEY HUNDRED 



CA.ciy ■:■ 



gales 



further burdened with the maintenance of his brothers 

 and sisters. In order to make fitting provision for 

 them he sold Bygrave Manor about 1613 to William 

 Whettell of Thetford and Sir 

 John Heveningham, lit.," of 

 Ketteringham, Norfolk, en- 

 deavouring to raise the price 

 by hints that the estate was 

 desired in high quarters. 

 Warren had apparently re- 

 sided at Eygrave, only moving 

 to London after its sale ; but 

 to Whettell the value of the 

 estate was diminished by its 

 distance from his own home, 

 yet he refused to accept 

 Warren's offer to retain the t/urein, 

 ' mansion house dovchouse 



buildings gardens and orchards ' on a ten years' 

 lease. 68 Whettell seems to have transferred all his 

 rights to Sir John Heveningham, for whom he may 

 possibly have acted from the beginning. iS 



In November 1627 Sir John Heveningham was 

 imprisoned with Sir Thomas Darnel and others, by 

 special command of the king, for refusing to con- 

 tribute to a forced loan. 60 This case was among the 

 immediate causes of parliamentary assertion of the 

 liberty of the subject in the Petition of Right. 

 Released in January 1627—8, Sir John Heveningham 

 settled Bygrave on his eldest son William in the 

 following March. 61 



Upon Sir John's death in 1633 the estate passed to 

 William Heveningham, who took sides with the 

 Parliament at the outbreak of the Civil War. He 

 try the 

 7 January 1649, 



er of the 

 i present : 



king, 

 when 

 the death- 

 he sold Bygrave to Francis 

 Cleaver, citizen and draper of 

 London, 63 who already resided 

 in the parish." He trans- 

 ferred the estate to his son 

 Charles Cleaver," who was 

 knighted at Whitehall 7 June 

 l66o. 66 It was, however, 

 seized by the Crown with the 

 other lands of William Heven- 

 ingham the regicide, owing 

 to some flaw in the convey- 

 ance to Francis Cleaver. 67 Sir 

 Charles petitioned for its res- 

 received a grant from the 

 Crown six days later. 69 About 



" Feet of F.' Herts. Trin. II Jas. I; 

 Trin. 14 Jas. I. 



*» Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdle. 3 27, no. ;, 

 *» Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), dxv, 68. 



60 Cobbett, State Trial,, iii, 1. 



61 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. z), dxv, 68. 

 » Diet. Nat. Biog. 



* Le Neve, Knight, (Harl. Sac), 66. 



M Com. Pleas D. Enr.Mich. 165 1, m. 26. 



<* Recov. R. East. 165S, m. 200 j 

 Com. Pleas D. Enr. East. i6;8, m. 10. 



» Le Neve, loc. cit. 



67 The Attorney-General stated that 

 the deed of purchase had not been en- 

 rolled, hut the enrolment :b given above. 



firmed, but he refused to sign p< 



BYGRAVE 



manor at the (then) large price of £13,000 to James 

 third Earl of Salisbury, who thus consolidated his 

 estate in the neighbourhood of ' Quicksett Hill."* 

 Bygrave has since remained with the direct descendants 

 of the earl." 



There was probably a mansion or manor-house at 

 Bygrave at an early date. Possibly it was at the house 

 of Master John de Wengham that Edward I stopped 

 on his way to St. Albans in January 1299 and April 

 1302. 71 It has been shown that a John de Somery 

 was resident at Bygrave in 13 13." In 1386, as 

 already stated, Sir John Thornbury seems to have had 

 two houses at Bygrave." The mansion house in 

 which William Warren lived 74 was probably the capital 

 messuage sold with the manor and with Bygrave Farm 

 to Francis Cleaver in 1651." Manorial works still 

 exist at Bygrave House and at the adjacent site of the 

 so-called ' Palace.' 



The lords of Bygrave had court baron, but the 

 Crown held the view of frankpledge by the sheriff", 

 who either received 5/. or at his departure 'partook 

 with the lord of whatever stood on the table." 6 



The market granted to Adam de Somery in 1256 

 was held on Mondays. The fair lasted three days, 

 beginning on the eve of the feast of St. Margaret." 

 The date of the fair had been changed by 1880 ; it 

 was then held on Easter Monday.' 9 It is now extinct. 

 In 1286 John de Wengham claimed amendment of 

 assize of bread and ale. He likewise made good the 

 right of the lord to infangtheof and gallows, and 

 asserted a claim to pillory and tumbrel. 13 



Free warren was also granted to Adam de Somery 

 in 1256, and with the market and fair was confirmed 

 to Sir Philip Thornbury in 1435, and the right of 

 free warren is recited in later records relating to the 

 manor. 90 John de Wengham twice complained of 

 who fished in his stews at Bygrave. 61 Free 

 fishing is mentioned as pertaining to the manor in 

 1658." 



In 1086 there was one water mill at Bygrave, 63 

 possibly on the River Ivel, near Baldock. Two mills 

 were reserved by Adam de Somery in granting the 

 manor to John son of John de Somery in i287, si 

 but a water mill belonged to the manor at the death 

 of Laurence Warren." It was excepted from the 

 sale to Sir John Heveningham. 86 No mill exists 

 at present. 



MONKS' LJNDS, an estate comprising a house and 

 500 acres of land (measuring 1 6ft. to the perch), 87 with 

 a roadway from the land, was acquired by Adam the 

 Cellarer of St. Albans from William ' de Wedona ' at 

 an unknown date. The estate is at the same time 

 enumerated among the lands acquired by Adam the 

 Cellarer from Elias de Somery. It is therefore possible 

 that William de Wedona held the land of Elias as 



163, 



68 Cal. S. P. Don. 166;-. 

 167; Orig. R. 13 Chas. II, p 



69 Feet of F.Herts. Mich. 19 Chaa.Il"; 

 Hil. 28 & 29 Chas. II ; Recov. R. Hil. 

 28 & 29 Chas. II, m. 47 j Buccltack 

 MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com.), i, 338. 



™ See the account of Hatfield. 

 71 Cat. Close, 1296-1302, p. tzq ; Cal. 

 P«fci 3 oi-7,p.* 7 . 



»&t Pat. .385-9, p. 23;. 



;,0>#W.(Rec.Com.),2 



. i4 2 9-36, p. 461. 



, op. tit. OJuy //„,„/. 52. 

 ! Que tVarr. (Rec. Cci 



11 Col. Pat. 



■\\Oi 



8E Recov. R. East. i6;S, rn. 200 



83 V.C.H. Hint, i, j 1 1. 



84 Feet of F. Herts. 1 1 Edw. I, n. 



85 Chan. Inq. p.m. {Ser. z), eh, 

 8S See Com. Pleas D. Enr. Mich. 



■■ m;-l 



Eks. (Aug. Off.), cclixii, 



