A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



a massive oat moulded tie beam, with a considerable 

 camber, a tree with a natural bend having evidently 

 been utilized for the purpose. The upper floor in 

 the main building contains some four-centred door- 

 ways of stone, in several of which the original iron 

 studded door remains, and in the north bedroom is a 

 stone fireplace of the usual early 17th-century type, 

 with moulded four-centred arch inclosed by a square 

 moulding above, and with the usual ornamental stops 

 to the mouldings. 



There is no trace of any main stair having existed, 

 access to the upper floor being by two narrow 

 wooden ones. All the chimneys are of brick, and 

 are plain modern rebuildings. The roofs are tiled. 

 Preserved in the house are two large iron spring 

 man-traps, and the original notice to beware of 

 them may still be seen on one of the barus. 



Bury End, which is situated nearly opposite the 

 church, at the point where the Ridgeway joins the 

 village street, is of interest, as it is partly surrounded 

 by a fragment of a homestead moat. 6 



Goldsu 



Hinxworth Place : Pri 



, Entrance Doorway 



There is a Wesleyan chapel in Hinxworth, which 

 lies on the south side of the village. Its site was 

 purchased in 1831 for £7 by public subscription 

 among the Methodists. 7 The village school was 

 built in 1876. h stands on the north side of the 

 village street west of the church. 



Among those who have held the living of Hinx- 

 worth may be noted the Rev. Percival Stockdale 

 (1756-1811), who in 1756 accepted a commission 

 in the army and was attached to the expedition sent 

 by Admiral Byng to relieve the garrison of Minorca. 

 — > ordained deacon in 1759, and coming to 

 intimate with Johnson, Garrick, 



London becam 



and other literary men. In 1779 he 

 mplaint, probably groundless, that the 

 to bring out the lives of the English 

 poets had been originally entrusted to him. In 

 1780 he was presented by Sir Adam Gordon to 

 the rectory of Hinxworth. 8 



In the time of Edward the Confessor • 

 MANORS HINXWORTH was divided between 

 Ethelmer of Benington and his tenants, 

 the sokemen of the king, the archbishop and others. 

 After the Conquest it was held by three tenants in 

 chief, William de Ow, 10 Hardwin de Scales," and 

 Peter de Valognes.' 1 Peter de Valognes's holding 

 was a b ere wick of his holding at Ash well, and the 

 overlordship descended with his manor there (q.v.) 

 until the death without issue of Christine de Mande- 

 ville Countess of Essex in 1233. Her lands in 

 Ashwell seem to have reverted to Robert Fitz Walter, 

 her brother, but the overlordship of her lands in 

 Hinxworth appears to have remained with Maud, 

 her husband's sister and heir, whose son Humphrey 



de Bohun was created Earl of 



Essex, 13 for in 1345 Hum- 

 phrey de Bohun appears as 

 overlord of a manor of Hinx- 

 worth which was held of him 

 by Henry Gernet and Joan 

 his wife- 1 * These were the 

 tenants also of Ashwell, with 

 which manor Hinxworth had 

 descended in sub-tenancy until 

 this date, after which there is 

 no further trace of it as a 

 separate property. 



Hardwin de Scales's lands 

 were divided between his ;ons 

 Richard and Hugh. Their 

 descendants were still holding 

 pare of a knight's fee in 

 Hinxworth in 1107-8 when 

 William grandson of Richard 

 de Scales claimed possession 

 of the holding against Hugh 

 grandson of Hugh. The suit 

 was decided in favour of 

 Hugh. 16 No further record 

 of the Scales in Hinxworth 

 appears. Theobald was 

 tenant of this fee in 1086, and his descendants the 

 Fitz Ralphs appear subsequently as holding a third 

 of a fee. In 1303 this was held of William Fitz 

 Ralph by Henry de Aula. 16 It descended to 

 William de Aula, from whom it passed to William 

 Zerde, who was holding it in 1428. 17 After this 

 date the fee can be no further traced. 



The land of William de Ow in Hinxworth (held 

 under him in 1086 by two knights) was apparently 

 granted with other estates by Henry I to Walter son 

 of Richard de Clare, 18 on whose death they passed to 

 his nephew Gilbert de Clare, 18 who was created Earl 

 of Pembroke in 1138.2° He was succeeded by his 



"Ibid. 338a. 



u G.E.C. Campleu Peerage, «.y. Emm. 



14 Chan. Inq. p.m. 19 Edw. Ill, no. 36. 

 The Gernet) held land in Hiniworth as 

 early as 1323 (Co/. CUle, 13*7-30, 

 P- 574)- 



11 Abbrev. plat. (Rec. Com.), 99. 



234 



" Feud. Aidt, ii, 43*. For Jeicent of 

 Fitz Ralph! .ee manor of Broadfitld. 

 17 Feud. Aid,, ii, 474.. 



( Q <™ >".), STiii, ■«?. 



■' lb: i. 



. Pern- 



