A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



it of £80. In I57S 



of ground where the 



reserving to herself a yearly re 

 he acquired the park and pieci 

 disused fish weir had been 

 from the earl," who in I 581 

 sold him also the reserved 

 rent, 54 and in 1 587 he bought 

 the two water-mills and a 

 fulling-mill from Robert 

 Lennard." 



Fanshawe was Remem- 

 brancer of the Exchequer, 

 was M.P. for Rye in 1571, 

 in the five succeeding Parlia- 

 ments for Arundel, and in 

 1 597 for Much Wenlock in 

 Shropshire. He died in 1601 

 at his house in Warwick Lane, 



London. 56 His son Henry Fanshawe, M.P. for 

 Westbury, co. Wilts., in 1 588, and for Borough- 

 bridge, co. Yorks., in 1597, succeeded him as 

 Remembrancer of the Exchequer. He was a friend 

 of Prince Henry, and was knighted in 1603. 57 

 His garden at Ware became famous for its fruit, 

 flowers, and herbs, 68 and many of the trees in the 

 park were planted by him. He was also a collector 

 of pictures, prints, drawings, medals, and stones, 

 which he placed first in his house at Warwick Lane, 

 bat by his will of 1600 bequeathed to Ware Park, 

 to be placed in the gallery or other fit place and not 

 to be dispersed. S8 He died at Ware, and was buried 

 in the church, March 161 5— 16, 60 when the manor 

 descended to his eldest son Thomas, who also held 

 the office of Remembrancer of the Exchequer. He 

 was made a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of 

 Charles I in February i6z5-6, el and was M.P. for 

 the county of Hertford in 1661. During the Civil 

 War he fought on the king's side, and his property 

 was sequestrated by Parliament. He was allowed to 

 compound for Ware upon the Articles of Barnstaple, 

 having resided in the town and garrison within seven 

 months of the surrender of the garrison. cs Charles II 

 shortly after his accession raised him to the peerage 

 a* Viscount Fanshawe of Dromore in Ireland, 83 but 

 the sequestration of hi- property had nearly ruined 

 him, and in 166S he sold the manor to Sir Thomas 

 Byde," M.P. for Hertford in 1671. Skinner Byde, 

 the eldest son of Thomas, died in 16S4-5 during his 

 father's lifetime. Thorn is son of Skinner succeeded 

 to the manor ; he married Kalherine daughter of 

 John Plumcr of Blakesware. 85 His son, Thomas 

 Plumer Bvde, suffered a recovery of the manor in 

 I 7+9-** The latter's sons, Thomas Hope Byde and 

 John Hope Byde, did the same in 1774. 67 Thomas 

 Hope Byde built the present manor-house on the site 

 of the older one. 68 John Hope Byde, who succeeded 

 him, by will of 1819 devised the manor to trustees 



for sale ; a decree in Chancery was obtained for this 

 purpose, but it was not until 1 84.6 that Ware was 

 bought by James Cudden of Norwich. He sold the 

 manor in 1853 to Daniel de Castro, who died in 

 1867. Two years later it is said by Cussans to have 

 been conveyed by his trustees to George Rastwjcit of 

 Woking," but it is doubtful whether this is correct. 

 Mr. William Parker was owner in 1858 or earlier, 

 and was succeeded by his son Mr. J. H. E. Parker. 

 His son, Mr. W. F. Parker, is the present lord of the 



The manor-house, an 18th-century building, stood 

 in Ware Park, which lies on high ground and contains 

 very fine avenues of elms and limes. The house was 

 destroyed by fire in 191 1 and is now being rebuilt. 

 The estate is skirted by the mill stream, the mill 

 being situated at the junction of this stream with the 

 Lea and Rib. 



A full list of the liberties belonging to the lord of 

 the manor appears upon a quo warranto brought 

 against Thomas Fanshawe in 1585, when he claimed 

 inter aha market, court of pie-powder, view of frank- 

 pledge, assize of bread, wine, ale, and other victuals, 

 election and nomination of constables and other 

 officers in the court leet, waif and stray, pillory and 

 tumbrel, park, free warren, goods and chattels of 

 felons, deodands, treasure trove, return of writs of the 

 Exchequer and of the Pleas of the Crown. 



A book containing copies of the court rolls of 

 Ware from 1665 to 1706 is among the additional 

 manuscripts at the British Museum. 71 Separate 

 courts were held (on the 9ame day) for Ware Infra 

 and Ware Extra. Possibly the former was originally 

 held for the burgage tenants. At the view of frank- 

 pledge held for Ware Extra, the tithings of Ware 

 Extra, Thundridgc, and Ware Upland presented ; a 

 constable and headborough were chosen for each of 

 these tithings. At the view held for Ware Infra a con- 

 stable and headborough were chosen, also two ale- 

 conners. A custom of the manor was for tenants to 

 grant customary lands from three years to three years 

 up to nine years. It was also customary for tenants 

 to cut down and carry away trees growing on their 

 lands without leave from the lord. There are still 

 two manors of Ware Infra and Ware Extra, but no 

 courts have been held of late years. 



All the manors described below were held of the 

 manor of Ware. 



BLAKESWARE (Blakyswarc, Blacksware, Blakys, 

 Blacks, Blages), an estate lying on the north-east of 

 Ware, took its name from the family of Blake, who 

 belonged to this parish. Stephen le Blake was 

 assessed at Ware in 1307." John le Blake, sen- 

 John le Blake, jun., and Nicholas le Blake were aU of 

 some note locally at the beginning of the 14th 

 century. 73 Nicholas le Blake had leases of the manor 



* n i). 



Ib[i. 28 Eliz. pi. 

 .Mich. 23 4 14. ELz. 



Feet of F. Hens. Hil. 19 Elii. T! 



rn^j whn:h Thomas C11 brought 

 .gairiBt Robert Leimard in 157 

 1. Proc ;Ser. 1], Idle. 1 



___.'. Nat. Bug.; Cu^hb, op. cit. 

 Sraugimg Huxd. 4.0 (quoting Sir Henry 



of F. Woti-mVdes. 



; Chai 



-iption of ihe garden). 



:., of rlu Fanikatut family. 



"Chan. Ino. p.m. (Ser. 2), 



01 Cal.S.P.Dom. 1648-9, p. 32: 

 Cow. /or Comp. 18G4. 



a Cat. S. P. Don. 1661-2, p. 6; 



H Feel of F. Herts. Eaat. 2c CI 

 Reccv. R. E a! t. 20 Chan. II. m. 1 



& ij G«o. II, 



427. 

 ■augiixg Hun<l. 



: Inq. No*. (Rec Cora.), 431 



