A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



identical with the place tailed ' Hah ' associated with 

 ' Bradcnach,' co. Huntingdon, and mentioned in a 

 1 ith-century account of the increase in the lands 

 of Ramsey Abbey.*' 



In the 14th century it was in the possession of the 

 family of Scropeof Masham. Sir Geoffrey Scrope, kc, 

 founder of that family and 

 justice of the Common Pleas, 

 was associated with Hertford- 

 shire through his marriage 

 with Laura daughter of Sir 

 Gerard Furnival of Munden 

 Fureival" (c,.v.). In 1338 

 Thomas of Brancaster granted 

 the manor of Hay to Sir 

 Geoffrey Scope in return for 

 100 marks silver, and shortly 

 afterwards Sir Geoffrey granted 

 a life-interest to Thomas. 69 

 The latter is included among 

 the tenants of Ramsev Abbey 

 in Therfield who owed suit at Broughton. 70 The 

 manor apparently reverted to Sir Geoffrey Scrope 

 within a few years, for he held at his death before 

 13+1 a tenement in Therfield with pleas of court 

 and a capital messuage. 71 In or before the time of 

 his son and heir Sir Henry Scrope, la., of Masham, 

 a sub-enfeoffment was possibly made to the family of 

 Sir John Scrope, 73 a younger son of Sir Richard 

 Scrope of Bolton, and great-ncphew of Sir Geoffrey.'- 1 

 The rights of the Scropes of Masham as mesne lords 

 had evidently lapsed by 156 1. 71 



The lenant. Sir John Scrope, was succeeded by 

 two daughters Joan and Elizabeth," who married 

 respectively Sir Richard Hastings, fct., and Thomas 

 Clarell of Aldwark, co. Yorks. 7 * Apparently Eliza- 

 beth Clarcll succeeded in time to the whole of 

 Hay, 77 for in 1474 it was evidently inherited in 

 entirety by her daughter Elizabeth wife of Sir Richard 

 Fitz William, fct. In that year a settlement was 

 made on Sir Richard and Elizabeth for their lives 

 with remainder to Sir Richard's third son Edward. 7 " 

 Probably a further settlement was made later, for the 

 manor descended to Thomas Fitz William, 7 '- 1 Sir 

 Richard's eldest son, who was slain at Flodden Field 

 in i 5 1 3 . H> His young son and heir William Fitz 



William died under age 16 August 1515, and was 



succeeded by his two sisters, Alice wife of James 

 Foljamhe and Margaret wife of Godfrey Foljambe. 81 

 Godfrey and Margaret Foljambe sold one moiety of 

 the manor to Robert Pakenham of Streatham, 83 from 

 whom it was purchased in February 1 549-5° b X th « 

 tenant, John Berncrs of Therfield. 83 Thomas Berners 

 apparently united the two moieties by purchasing the 

 second from George Gill in 1562.^ Gill had 

 acquired this moiety from Sir Godfrey Foljambe, kt., M 

 probably the eldest son of James and Alice Foljambe. su 

 John Berners, gent., resided in Therfield about 

 1 64 1, 87 and probably retained this manor, but the 

 subsequent history of the estate is unknown. 



Hay Farm lies on the high ground to the east of 

 the village, presumably on the site of the capital 

 messuage held by Sir Geoffrey Scrope. 88 A windmill 

 belonged to the manor in the 14th century.* 19 



GLEDSETS, known also as BUTLERS, 90 was held 

 of the main manor of Therfield 91 apparently by 

 service of one-fourth of a knight's fee. 9 - Abbot 

 William of Ramsey (1267-85) assigned to the 

 almoner of the abbey a tenement lately acquired 

 from John of Gledsey. 93 About 1278 Joan wife 

 of John of Gledsey demanded of Robert of Gledsey 

 the custody of one quarter of a knight's fee in 

 Therfield, the heir to which was still a minor." 1 

 Elias of Gledsey owed suit to the Abbot of Ramsey 

 at Broughton early in the [4th century. 95 This 

 Elias was witness to a lease of land in Therfield in 

 1 3 3 3 ■ 3S The tenement called Gledseys was occupied 

 by John Butler in 1444." 



In the time of Henry VIII the Hyde family were 

 in possession of this manor, 98 In I 544 John Hyde 

 and Margaret his wife and Thomas their son con- 

 veyed it to John Gill and Margaret his wife. 9 " John 

 Gill was succeeded in 1546 by his son George.""' 

 The latter assigned this manor to his wife Anne as a 

 portion of her jointure, 1 and died in i 568, leaving a 

 son John as heir. s John Gill died in 1600 and the 

 manor passed to his son George, 3 who sold it in 1 607 

 to William Gierke.' 1 In 1638 William Gierke, gent., 

 was ordered in the court of the main manor to keep 

 his flocks for Gledseys and Five Houses within the 

 ancient bounds. 1 He was apparently succeeded by 

 his son Thomas Clerke," whose property was divided 



