A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



The priory to the south of Mel bourn Street was 

 founded within the manor of Newsells in Barkway 



parish. 74 Eu ? t..ce de Merit, kt., lord of Newsdb, 

 built a chapel tor three chaplains on the site of the 

 present priory. 7 "' His nephew Ralph of Rochester 

 established a house of Austin canons on the same 

 spot.™ It was dedicated in honour of St. John 

 the Baptist and St. Thomas the Martyr. Ralph 

 of Rochester erected the buildings and gave the 

 land on which they stood, the soil of the inclosed 

 precinct, the green space (probably heathland) ex- 

 tending from the priory gate to ' Holewey ' and 

 'Cawden,' 140 acres of arable land in 'Eldefeld,' 

 rights of pasture over all the rest of Eldefeld and 

 the homage and service of his men and tenants there 

 and in Royston." 7 The endowment took place 

 within the lifetime of Eustace, between 1163 and 

 1184. 7 * William of Rochester, the founder's son, 

 added 40 acres more in ' EldefielJ,' extending from 

 the path from Barley to Royston, next the canons' 

 mill. 73 The Popes Lucius III and Celestine III con- 

 firmed their possessions to the canons. m Richard I 

 granted them extensive liberties within their lands. 81 

 Successive priors obtained confirmatory charters from 

 Henry [II, 82 Edward III," 3 Richard II, S1 Henry IV» 

 Henry V," Henry VI 87 and Edward IV.<« The 

 house now known as the Priory was possibly part 

 of the house erected on the site of the priory after 

 the Dissolution. There is some 17th-century brick- 

 work on the south-west side. 



The charter of Ralph of Rochester 

 MANOR proves that the greater part of Royston 



originally lay within the manor of 

 Newsells in Barkway. The latter was held in 1086 

 by Eudo Fitz Hubert. 88 Itwas attached later to the 

 honour of lioulogne, 9 '' of which it was held by Eustace 

 de Mert and subsequently by his nephew Ralph of 

 Rochester. 91 Ralph endowed the Priors of Royston 

 with manorial rights over the lands which he granted 

 to them.''- 



The manor of ROYSTON thus formed was re- 

 tained by the priors until the dissolution of their 

 house,'-" which took place in 1 5 36. 91 The priory 

 buildings, the demesne lands an.! the scattered lands 

 in ' Elfeld Clcpitsholte Redfeld Tharfeld Milbourne- 

 feld and Newsells' were leased to Robert Chester 



1. MS. 7^4 



Eidct 



1 el 1 n 



1537. The market rights were 

 irs to Richard Cromwell, who acted 

 ,e manor, 86 and was probably the 



U t f,.U, , 



Jjr .«/ B . 



before Mi 



let for twenty-one; 



also as steward of 

 person by whose ' 

 labours ' Dr. Wendy, physician 

 to the Earl of Northumber- 

 land, was prevented from 

 obtaining a lease of the de- 

 mesnes and market rights.'-" 5 



Robert Chester had a new 

 lease of the priory 20 May 

 i,39, n7 and in 1540 he re- 

 ceived a grant in fee of the 

 house and site of the priory, 

 the lordship and manor of 

 Royston and all the lands of 

 the late prior in the counties P*""" argent a 

 of Hertfordshire and Cam- 

 bridgeshire. 93 He was gentleman usher of the cham- 

 ber to Henry VIII and in July 1544 left Royston 

 with twenty-five archers, who formed the king's body- 

 guard when he left Calais for the siege of Boulogne. Ba 

 551 Chester (who was knighted about this 

 ' entertained Mary of Guise at Royston on 

 her return to Scotland from France. 1 In 1565 he 

 served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire. 3 In 

 November 1564 there took place at Royston a double 

 marriage between Sir Robert Chester, then a widower, 

 and Lady Magdalene, widow of Sir Jaques Granada, 

 kt., and between Sir Robert's son and heir Edward 

 and Katherine daughter of the Lady Magdalene by 

 her former husband. 3 At the same time Royston was 

 settled upon Edward and Katherine in tail-male.* 

 Sir Robert Chester died 25 November 1 574.* Shortly 

 afterwards Edward Chester, ' getting greate credytt in 

 respect of his good service' in the Low Countries, 

 received an annuity from the Estates of 400 marks to 

 himself and his eldest son for life. He died 

 15 November 1577 beyond the seas, having trans- 

 ported 3 band of volunteers to the Netherlands at his 

 own cost. 8 His son and heir Robert was then aged 

 twelve. 7 He had livery of Royston Manor about 

 1586, 8 and was engaged in continual litigation in 

 respect of the annuity due to his grandmother Lady 

 Magdalene, the extent of the possessions of the late 

 priory and the market rights of Royston. 9 He was 



In 



date) ll 



. MS. 70+1. fol. 7) 



charter of R.ilph of 

 M original. The word 



liihop 



essed by Gilber 

 t6j-t ■ 



»' Red Bk. of Exch. (R 

 Harl. MS. 7041, fol, 7. 

 *> Harl. MS. 7041, fol. 7. 

 W Mini. Accts. Hen. VIII, n 

 91 L. and P. Hen. fill. 



Ser.), JO 



is III i 



ctu querr. 

 Jem sub 

 idem plac 



8 KaL May "*+■ — 

 foundation took place before ] 

 the account of the church). 



?9 Harl. MS. 7041, fol. 7*. 



B Con. MS. Aug. ii, 124, 13 



81 Cart. Antiq. R. 6 ; Dugd 

 vi, 4=5 (■« below). 



a Cal. Chart. R. 1226-57, P- ] 

 Chart. R. 56 Hen. Ill, no. 5. 



- 1 Chart. R. 18 Edw.III.no. 2. 



"Cal. Pit. 1377-8", p- i!l. 



*-Ibid. ij99-l4oi,p. 198. 

 ■ 36. 



it/ the 

 70 (see 



Mm 



Her 



VIII, 



I P. Hen. fill, *ji (i), 



" Ibid, xiv (t), p. 606. 



'■" IW. xvi, 579 (°°)- 



w Ibid. m(z}, 4*4. SMW- 



m Shaw, Knights of Engl, ii, 65, 

 » AtUofP.C. ICCO-I, p. 406. 

 ' Li,s of Sheriffs {P.R.O.), ± S . 

 1 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), el**, 



"' Ibid 



2-9, p. . 



1. ei 



— 1467-77, p. 433. 



*» V.C.B. Hens. ;, 329. 



* Can. Mm. S. P.hanni, dt CUeistria 

 (Ro.burghe Club), i, 47 ; cf. Red Bk. „f 

 Exch. (Roll. Ser.), ;«. 



26Q 



'- Ibid. 



s Ct. of Req. bdle. 60, 



q. p.m. (Ser. 2), dxxiv,, „. 



' Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2,, dxxi 



a Ct. of Wardu, Misc. Bk. dexviii 



9 Ct. of Req. bdle. 60, no. (i ; 



ep.East. 5 ja.. I, no. ,6,A, 



roc, J;. 



