BRAUGHING HUNDRED 



columns having moulded capitals and bases of the 

 latter pare of the 13th century. 



The east window in the north aisle is modern. In 

 the north wall is a two-light window of late 13th- 

 century date ; the other windows are of modern 

 stonework. The north doorway, which is blocked, 

 is a good example of early 13th-century work; it 

 has a moulded arch and label and detached shafts in 

 the jambs ; the capitals have moulded abaci and 

 bells carved with early leaf ornament ; the bases are 

 gone. The south aisle is modern. 



The west tower has a modern embattled parapet 

 and a small octagonal timber spire covered with 

 lead ; on the south side is an octagonal projecting 

 turret stair, which is finished at the belfry stage 

 with a brick roof. The tower arch is of late 1 6th- 

 century date ; the arch is of two splayed orders ; the 

 jambs are shafted and the capitals and bases roughly 

 executed. The west doorway has a pointed arch of 

 four moulded orders and shafted jambs ; it is of 

 late 13th-century work much worn. The west 

 window is of two lights with old splayed jambs and 

 a modern traceried head. In its head is a 15th- 

 century painted glass shield with the arms of Sir 

 William Estfield, Sheriff of London in 1422 . Sable, 

 a cheveron ermine between three maidens' heads cut 

 off at the shoulders argent with hair dishevelled or, 



and the inscription 'Orate p [ ] Willi Estfeld, 



militis.' The belfry windows are of two trefoiled 

 lights with cusped opening in the heads ; they have 

 been repaired with cement and may be of 1 4th-century 

 date. 



The bowl of the font is of the 12th century ; it is 

 hexagonal and on each face are three shallow sunk 

 plain panels ; the bowl rests upon a 14th-century 

 stem with moulded cap and base. 



The oak chancel screen is of special interest, as it 

 has incorporated with it remains of a late 13th- 

 century screen. The old work consists of arches with 

 trefoiled heads under pointed arches, with rosettes 

 carved in the spandrels between the arches ; the shafts 

 are an inch in diameter and have moulded capitals 

 and bases and central bands. 



On the floor of the north aisle are two stone coffin 

 lids, probably of 14th-century date ; one bears a 



HUNSDON 



floreated cross in relief on its face with an illegible 

 inscription ; the cross of the other stone has been 

 almost obliterated. On the north chancel wall is a 

 large mural monument of marble to Sir John Gore, 

 who died in 1659 ; on the south wall is another to 

 Bridget Gore, his daughter, who died in 1657 ; a slab 

 on the floor marks the place of her burial. 



There are two bells ; the treble by Anthony 

 Bartlett, 1663 ; the tenor, inscribed ' Jcsvs be ovr 

 spede,' by Robert Oldfeild, 1628. 



The communion plate consists of cup, 1562, and 

 cover paten, the marks of which are erased ; flagon, 

 1697, and paten of the 17th century. 



The registers of baptisms, marriages and burials 

 begin in 1558. 



Geoffrey de Mandeville, lord of 

 JDFOIFSON Gilston and founder of the abbey of 

 Walden in Essex, who died in 1 144, 

 included the church of Gilston in his foundation 

 charter to that monastery.' 9 It remained with 

 Walden until the first half of the 13 th century, when 

 the right of the abbey was contested by the Bishop 

 of London, and the arbitrators appointed to decide 

 on the rival claims assigned the patronage to the 

 Bishop of London and his successors. 80 The 

 advowson remained vested in the see until 1852, 

 when it was transferred to Rochester. 31 In 1874 

 it was transferred to St. Albans. 62 



In the Parliamentary Returns of 



CHARITIES 1786 it is stated that the following 



donations were given for bread to 



the poor and for teaching poor girls, viz. : — Thomas 



Gore, Sir John Gore, £50 ; Lady Tyrrell, £60. 



The Gilston estate was charged in respect of these 

 gifts with annuities of £2 \zs. for bread and £1 for 

 catechizing children. These charges were redeemed 

 in 1869 by the transfer of stock to the official trus- 

 tees, which with accumulated income now amounts 

 t0 £ 2 4-3 l V- 5^- consols, producing £6 is. %d. 

 yearly. 



By an Order of the Charity Commissioners I 5 July 

 1904 the sum of £120 consols was assigned to 'The 

 Gore and Tyrrell Educational Foundation,' and 

 £123 13/. 5,/. consols to 'The Gore and Tyrrell 

 Eleemosynary Charity.' 



HUNSDON 



Hunesdone (xt cent.) ; Honesdon, Hamesdun, 

 Hunnesdon (xiii cent.}; Hunsdon (xiv cent.). 



Hunsdon parish lies on the high ground which 

 divides the valleys of the Rivers Ash and Stort, having 

 a southward slope from a height of about 266 ft. in 

 the extreme north of the parish down to the latter 

 valley, where the land is little more than 100ft. 

 above sea level. The area of the parish is 1,971 acresj 

 nearly half of which is arable, about a third pasture 

 and only a small portion woodland. 1 The soil is very 

 varied, the subsoil chalk or gravelly loam. There is 

 no line of railway in the parish, the nearest station 

 being Roydon in Essex, on the Great Eastern 



railway, rather less than a quarter of a mile from 

 the south-western boundary of Hunsdon parish. 



The church lies close to Hunsdon House and the 

 village is about a mile to the north on the road to 

 Widford. There are a few houses along the road 

 between the church and the village called Acorn 

 Street, one of which is Nine Ashes, the property and 

 residence of Mr. Samuel Shott Death. In the village 

 are several 1 7th-century cottages of timber and plaster 

 with tded roofs. The Wheatsheaf Inn, now converted 

 into two cottages, u an interesting timber and plaster 

 gabled building with a tiled roof. Within there is a 

 large fireplace bearing the date 1681 or 1687 The 



» EM, MS. 3 6 97 , H. ,g. t^e i, an bspexim,,, b 7 Geoffrey 



Cm. Kip. h, App. i, j6a. The .econd of 



323 



B1 Land. Can. 4 June io; 2 , 

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