A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



>ad kno< 

 hich bra 



Rushden and Wellington jo ns th 

 the kknicid Way. Another road 

 off from this at Cumberlow Green and joins it again 

 near Redhill passe* through the Mill End. The 

 church of St. Mary stands a little to the east of it, 

 with the school close by. The vicarage is half a mile 

 to the east at Southend Green. To the south of the 

 church in the main part of the village called Church 

 End is a plastered timber building of the 1 6th or 17th 

 century, formerly used as a post office. It has a tiled 

 roof and one overhanging gable. It bears the date 

 1730, but this probably only refers to the plaster. 

 Near it stands the old Rose and Crown Inn, which 

 dates from the end of the 16th century. It also has 

 a tiled roof and is built of plastered timber which is 

 decorated with combed work. In addhion to these 

 there are some 1 7th-century thatched cottages and 

 farm buildings. The village smithy is at Mill End. 

 The parish of Rushden includes several small 

 hamlets. Shaw Green, on Shaw Green Lane, is a 

 mile to the north-west of the village, Mill End is 

 half a mile to the west, Southend Green half a mile 

 to the east, connected with the village by a road, 

 OfHey Green a mile to the north-cast between 

 Julians and Friar's Wood, whilst Cumberlow Green 

 is situated on the main road at the point where it 

 lile to the south-west of the 



villas 



: pan: 



i held 



The manor of RUSHDEN 

 MJNORS before the Conquest by two sokemen, 

 'men 'of Archbishop Stigand. 2 In 10S6 

 it was assessed at 5 hides and was held by Sigar de 

 Cioches. 3 The lands of the Cioches family lay for the 

 most part in Northamptonshire and were known as 

 the honour of Chokes.* These lands descended to 

 1 de Cioches, who forfeited under Henry I, 

 1130-I paid 170 marks of silver, five war- 

 and three palfreys for the restoration of his 

 He was succeeded by his 

 cs or Chokes. 6 Robert was the last i 

 line to hold this honour, which on his d 

 to William of Bethune, advocate of Arras, 

 Baldwin de Bethune Earl of Aumale, who in I ZOO 

 paid £100 to have seisin of the lands in England 7 



and i 



lands.* 

 Cio 



Robert de 

 n the direct 

 :ath passed 



ich had be 

 he claimed 1 

 Robert. 8 In 



Baldwin died in izu, 111 

 have died shortly after, a 

 allowed full seisin of his 1, 



1 of hi! 



. Robert de Cioches and which 

 iephew of An .elm father of 

 aldwin was granted the lands 

 brother William in England. 9 

 and William de Bethune must 

 as in I 2 1 4 his son Robert was 

 RoL-en was succeeded 



by his brother Daniel in 1217, 13 and the latter before 

 1223 by Robert de Bethune, advocate of Arras," 

 presumably his son. Robert granted the honour 

 of Chokes to Robert Count of Gisnes, who became 

 the advocate of Bethune. 11 He was holding 3 hides of 

 land in Rushden when he died." After this the 

 ovcrlordship of Rushden appears to have lapsed. In 

 was said to be held of George Hyde 

 is was possibly an error, as seventeen 

 s said to be held of the king in 



1 46 1 tht 



years lat 

 chief. 17 



ib-tenant in the manor of Rushden of 

 whom there is any trace is William Basset, who held 

 it at the beginning of the 13th century. ,a In 1239 

 a William Basset, probably his son (see advowson), 

 was holding a carucate of land in Rushden of Thomas 

 de Breautc. 16 This William paid £6 yearly for the 

 lands which he held in Rushden of the honour of 

 Chokes. 20 In 1272 Peter Basset was evidently lord 

 of the manor,- 1 but before 13 10 he had been 

 succeeded by Robert Basset, 2,a of whom there is 

 mention in 1313, 1353, and 13S4. 22 



With La More in Sandon (q.v.) Rushden came soon 

 after to the Bealknaps and in 1390 was in the king's 

 hands by the forfeiture of Sir Robert Bcalknap. It 

 was granted with other lands to Juliane, wife of Robert, 

 for the support of Robert, then in exile in Ireland, and 

 of juliane and her children. 23 Hamon son of Robert 

 waj holding the manor in 1419 and sold it in that 

 year to John Fray and Agnes his wife. 5 ' 1 John Fray 

 held it until his death in 1461," when by his will 

 it remained with his widow Agnes for life, with 

 reversion to their daughter Agnes and her heirs, with 

 contingent remainder to their youngest daughter 

 Katherine and their other daughters in succession." 

 Agnes Fray died in 1 478, 27 their daughter Agnes died 

 without isiue, M and Rushden passed to Katherine, 

 then wife of Humphrey Stafford. 23 In 1482 

 Katherine died, 30 her husband only surviving her for 

 four years, 3 ' and Rushden descended to her young son 

 Humphrey, aged eight. 32 He was knighted before 

 I 53 I, 33 and died in 1545, his son Humphrey, aged 

 forty, being his heir. 31 This Humphrey (of Kirby 

 Hall, co. Northants) was knighted in February I 546-7 

 at the coronation of Edward VI. 38 He held the 

 manor 30 until 1574, when he sold it with a wood 

 called Westhay to Robert Newport of Sandon (co. 

 Herts.). 37 Robert Newport died in 1583, 38 and 

 Rushden passed to Edward Newport, 39 apparently his 

 son. 10 He with his wife Anne sold it in 1604 to 

 John and William Rowley. 41 By 161 5 it had come 



' r.C.fl. Hir 



i, 342-;. 



* Biker, Hin. of NarthjnO, ii, 1-1. 



« Rt.i Bi. ,/ExA. {Roll. Sir.), i, 334,. 

 ' RM.dc Ostitis ttFh. (Rec Com.}, ; 9 : 

 M. Lu. Pal. (Rec. Com.), i, 7. 

 s Sec Baker, Hin. of Xatihaan, ii, 2-2. 

 » Ubtratt R. (Rec. Com.), 4.1. 



10 Du;dale, Baronage, i, 63. 



11 Rot. Lit. Clam. (Rec. Com.), i, zoSb, 

 u Ibid. 3iS, 319. 



,r Ibid. 18 Edw. IV, eo. 4.; (file 54.6). 

 » Tata it Nfuill (Rec. Com.), 170. 

 " Feet of F. Herti, Mich. 24. Hen. Ill, 



* Misc. Chan. lot;, p.m. file 18, no. 10; 

 ;ta it Nruill (Rec. Com.), 270. 



id. 5-4A 

 c Chan. 



t Hei 



III, 



26 Early Chan. Proc. bJle. ■ 

 " Cal. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Com 

 " Early Chan. Proe. bdle. ; 

 15 Ibid. ; Chan. Inq. p.m. 1 

 ■45 (me 67). 

 M Cal. Uq. p.m. Iltn. VII, 



3a Feet of F. Djy. Co. Hil. 23 Hen. VIII. 

 * Chan. Inq. P .m. (Ser. 1), Uiii, 

 86 (t). 



35 Shaw, Knight, of Engl, ii, 60. 



t of I 



Hei 



:o. East. 5 Elii. 

 lose, 16 Eliz. pt 

 :han. Inq. p.m. ( 

 'at. 28 Eliz. pt. 1 

 "he name of the 



h.ir is illegible i 

 Trio. 1 J«. L 



