ODSEY HUNDRED 



this manor 

 that they ki 

 there was 

 th« 



lOnastery ll 

 /ice due ti 

 hat of fou 



ancient demesn' 



nothing of its ali 



foundation for 



:. 33 The manor 

 was kept in hand by the abbot 

 and convent 31 until the dis- 

 solution of the 

 i S39 » The* 

 the Crown was 

 knights' fees. 86 



The 'farm' due from the 

 manor of Therfield to the 

 abbey was sufficient to sustain 

 the monks for a whole fort- 

 night. 37 It was rendered in rami- heads argent tktrtan 



October, February, April, and having hams or. 

 August. 58 It included flour, 



meal, malt, peas, cheese, bacon, honey, butter, 

 herrings, eggs, hens and geese, sheep and lambs, 

 and beef, in addition to a money payment. 39 



It is recorded that Abbot Walter (113 3-60) alienated 

 portions of the demesne lands to his sister's son 

 Ralph of Therfield, kt.*> In 1386 the abbot added 

 to the manor lands to the value of £20 in part satis- 

 faction of a licence to acquire property to the value 

 of £60 41 which had been granted to the abbey by 

 Edward II at the instance of his wife Isabel. 



Among the records of this manor is a late 

 13th-century custumal. 42 The villein tenants were 

 tallaged by the monks of Ramsey at £4, which was 

 rated according to the property of each tenant, and 

 was assigned to the cellarer by Abbot Hugh Folliot 

 (1216— 31). 43 They had numerous carrying services 

 to Ramsey, Cambridge, Ware and London, and it is 

 interesting to notice that the tenants were already 

 beginning to compound for these and other services. 

 After the dissolution of Ramsey Abbey, Therfield 

 Manor was seized by Henry VIII, and remained in his 

 hands until 14 January 1540— I, when he gave it to 

 his queen, Katherine Howard, as part of her jointure. 44 

 After her execution in February 1542 the manor 

 reverted to the king, 46 and in June 1544 he granted 

 it in frankalmoign to the Dean and Chapter of 

 St. Paul's in exchange for certain manors in Essex and 

 Middlesex. 46 



The first court of the dean and chapter was held in 

 July iS44- 4r In 1642 the cathedral was closed and 

 the Mayor and Aldermen of London were appointed 

 sequestrators of the property of the dean and chapter. 4 - 



THERFIELD 



Therfield Manor was purchased from the trustees for 

 the sale of the lands of deans and chapters in March 

 1649-50 by Samuel Pen n oyer of Loudon.' 10 After 

 the death of Pennoyer his widow Rose succeeded to 

 the property and held courts in April 1655. m In 

 the same year she evidently married Samuel Disbrowe, 

 who was still holding in her right in 1657. 61 The 

 manor was recovered by the Dean and Chapter of 

 St. Paul's at the Restoration with their other confis- 

 cated estates. 6 - They remained lords of the manor 

 until 1872, when all their estates, including Therfield, 

 were vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners." 



In 1542 Thomas Ucnett was tenant of the manor- 

 house, styled the 'manor or Bery Stede.' M It was 

 afterwards held at will by John Wenham the elder, 

 who surrendered it to the use of his brother John 

 Wenham the younger in 155 z. 6S The dean and 

 chapter reserved right of accommodation for their 

 receiver, steward and bailiff, when they should hold 

 courts, and also a room for the use of the bailiff at the 

 time of his rent-collecting. sfl In 1578 John Wenham 

 conveyed his rights in the ' Bury Stede ' to John 

 Wood, who held it at his death in 1587. He left as 

 heir his son John, aged three years. 67 



In the 17th century the site of the manor was let 

 to members of the family of Fordham, 58 who have 

 resided in the parish ever since. 69 Mr. F. J. Fordham 

 of Royston is the present owner of Park Farm, which 

 is in the occupation of his son, Mr. H. J. Fordham. 



The Abbots of Ramsey had extensive liberties within 

 their manors including Therfield. Under a confirma- 

 tory charter of Edward the Confessor they claimed 

 soc and sac, toll, ' mundbryche, feardwite, fihtwite, 

 blodwite, mischenninge, fritsocne, hamsocne, forstalle, 

 forhpheang, withpheang, heangwite, gridbriche, 

 uthleap, infangentheof, scipbriche, tol and team.' 6 " 

 William I added the right of gallows, and it is said of 

 infangtheof. el King John granted view of frank- 

 pledge, amendment of the assize of bread and ale, 

 tumbril and free warren. 6 - To these privileges 

 Henry III added freedom from scot or geld and 

 exemption from the shire and hundred courts, 83 

 which the abbot's tenants at Therfield were wont to 

 attend until about 1267. 64 The abbot proved his 

 claim to all the above liberties within the manor of 

 Therfield in 1287. M 



The manor of HAT (la Haye, xiv cent. ; Heye or 

 Haye, xvi cent.) was held of the main manor of 

 Therfield. 66 Its early history is obscure ; it may be 



« Bund. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 193. 



43 See, however, the carrying services 

 mentioned below, which may point to its 

 having been once ancient demesne. 



"Add. R. (B.M.), 39+73, 39584. 

 39656 ; cf. Mins. Accrs. (Gen. Ser.), 

 bdle. 108, no. 27 ; Cariul. Mon. dt 

 &«««,>, ii,3iS; iii, 226, 325. 



35 Dugdale, Men. ii, 550. 



* Tata dt tfruitt (Rec. Com.), 270 ; 

 Feud, Aidij ii, 444. 



87 Cariul. Man. dt Ramtstia (Rolls Ser.), 



2,4-C 



16B. 



Pipe R. 6 John, m. 3 d. 



"Ctl.Pat. 1385-9, p. 2 



42 Cartul. Mon. de Ramitc 

 i, 45.-8. 



"Ibid, ii, *ig. 



** L. and P. Htn. Fill, i 



(MSS. D.and C. of St. Paul's 



K L. and P. Htn. VIII, xii (1), g. 

 (»*}■ 



" MSS. D. and C. of St. Paul'n 

 box 39. 



<« V.C.H. Land, i, 417 ; courts • 

 held in the name of (he sequestrator 

 164.5 and 1648 (D. and C. of St. Pa 

 B, bo* 41) ; in the name of the trut 

 in ,64.9 (ibid.). 



,s Close, 1650, pt. Ixvi, no. 30. 



*• Pennoyer held courts there in 1 

 (MSS. D. and C. of St. Paul's, B, 



" Therfield Ct. R. (MSS. 

 of Si. Paul's, B, box 39), 



1542 



'•'• MSS. I 

 < 39- 



■' Cl:.-njnc : , 



and C. of St. Paul's, 

 Hiil. /Inli<j. o/Htrl! 



1 a quoted 



by Clutterbuck {Hist, and Antia. of Hern. 

 iii, 593), and V.C.H. Htrls. FamUts, 10. 

 * Cariul. Man. dt Ramtstia (Rolls Ser.), 



ii, 76. 



C1 Plat, dt Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 287 ; but cf. the list of liberties including 

 infangtheoi quoted above from the (pro- 

 bably spurious) charter of the Cnnfeasor. 



S! Ibid. A new grant of free warren 

 was made in 1251 (Cat Chart. R. 1226- 

 57. P- 366). 



63 Cartul. Mon. dt Ramtstia (Rolls Ser.), 



