HERTFORD HUNDRED 



sold by John Spencer to Thomas Fanshawe " of Ware 

 Park, in Ware, Braughing Hundred. From this 

 point the descent is the same as that of Ware. Mr. 

 William Francis Parker of Ware Park is the present 

 lord of the manor. 



The manor of TEMPLE CHELSIN (Chelse, xiii 

 cent.) was evidently one of the manors held by 

 Geoffrey de Been, in Bengeo in 1086," for the over- 

 lords in the I 3th century, the Tanys, held under the 

 lords of Bourne, who had succeeded Geoffrey de Bech 

 elsewhere." In I z 10-12 Richard de Tany held two 

 fees in Eastwick and Bengeo of the honour of Bourne." 

 By the middle of the 13th century the manor was 

 held by the Knights Templars, who received a grant 

 of free warren in their demesne lands in 125,3. !6 

 From a line levied in 1269 it appe/rs that the Tanys 

 had previously enfeoffed the Abbot of Warden of the 

 manor, to hold by a rent of £12 ; the abbot had 

 enfeoffed Simon Fitz Adam of Almshoe, to hold by 

 the same rent, whilst the latter in his turn had 

 enfeoffed the Master of the Knights Templars to hold 

 also by a rent of £iz. By the fine of 1269 the rent 

 was released to Imbert de Peraud, Master of the Knights 

 Templars, 37 who was henceforth to hold the manor of 

 the king by the service of half a knight's fee. It is 

 possibly this transaction that is spoken of in the 

 Hundred Rolls as the sale of Chelsin to the Templars 

 by Peter de Tany, the father's name being mentioned 

 instead of that of the son.- 8 In 1278 and 1287 the 

 Templars claimed, with other liberties, view of frank- 

 pledge, amendment of assize of bread and ale, and 

 gallows in their demesne lands in Chelsin." 9 In I 3 1 3 

 a mandate was issued in compliance with the decision 

 of Pope Clement V and of the Council of Vienne 

 for the delivery of the English possessions of the 

 Templars to the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. 30 



At the time of the Dissolution the manor was held 

 at farm of the Hospitallers by Nicholas Thurgood, 

 under a lease made in I 5 24. 

 for forty years." In I 542 it 

 was granted by Henry VIII 



> Sir Ralph Sadl. 

 the king's chief 

 Sir Ralph Sadie 

 1587, leaving th. 

 his son Henry, wit 

 to his son Thoma: 



: of 



;nd hei 



and in 1595 Henry Sadleir 



sold the manor to Sir Philip 



Bolder. 31 When the latter t*wm. Or a im 



died in 1606 the manor passed farad fauwiu aaurt 



to his grandson and heir Robert *""* B 1 ' 1 "* 



Boteler," who was succeeded 



in 1622 by his daughter Jane, then three years old. 56 



In 1637 a warrant was issued to the judges of the 



K Add. MS. 27979 (Wart, co. Herts. 

 Abstract of Evidences, 1570-1668), M. 

 19 ; Feet of F. Herts. Trin. 36 Eliz. 



"See^.C.H. Htru. i, 354. 



14 See Eastwick. 



35 Red Bk. ,f Exch. (Roll, Ser.), ii, 



So;. 



86 Cd. Chart. R. 1226-57, p- +15. 



17 Feet ofF. Herts. 53 Hen. Ill, no.6 1 5. 



ffi See Hund.R. (Rec. Com.), i, 191, 



" s P/«.Ap»^.(R K .Com.)' I 8,, 



BENGEO 



Common Pleas to admit Jane, who had married John 

 Belasis, to levy fines and suffer recoveries, by her 

 guardian, of Temple Chelsin and other manors, for 

 the payment of the debts of her father and mother." 

 John Lord Belasis sold the manor, probably about 

 1650, 38 to Sir John Gore, from whom it passed by 

 sale in 1688 to trustees for Sir Thomas Rolt, 13 who 

 had been President of the East India Company at 

 Surat.*" From Sir Thomas Rolt the manor descended 

 to Edward Rolt, his son, and from the latter to 

 Thomas Rolt, who possessed it In 1728." The elder 

 son and daughter of Thomas Rolt died unmarried, 

 and he was succeeded by his younger daughter Mary, 

 who married Timothy Caswall. On the death of 

 Mary's son George Caswall in 182; the estate was 

 sold to Samuel Smith, from whom it has descended 

 to Mr. Abel Henry Smith," the present lord. 



The manor-house, now a farm-house standing off 

 the road to Ware, is a 1 7th-century building of timber 

 and plaster. 



The manor of CHELSIN alias SMER.EMONGERS 

 appears first in the 15th century; in 1469 John 

 Shelley, citizen and mercer of London, received licence 

 to grant the manor of Chelsin, held in chief, to John 

 Say and others to hold to the use of John Shelley and 

 heirs.'* A settlement was again made in 14.83, when 

 the manor was granted to trustees for the use of John 

 Shelley, the son, and Elizabeth his wife, and theirheirs. 41 

 John Shelley, the son, died in January 1 5 26-7, leaving 

 a son and heir William Shelley, who was a justice of 

 the Common Pleas," and was knighted in 1529." 

 By the will of the latter, which was proved in 

 February 154.8-9, the manor of Chelsin was left for 

 life to Thomas,* 7 his fifth son.' 9 The reversion of 

 the manor after the death of Thomas belonged to 

 John Shelley, the eldest brother of Thomas, who by 

 his will proved in 1551 left it to be held by his exe- 

 cutors until the majority of his son William Shelley." 

 The Shelleys, however, appear to have forfeited the 

 manor, for in 1573, when it was leased to John 

 Bedingneld, it was described as being in the Crown 

 by the forfeiture of Thomas Shelley. 50 After this 

 there is no trace of the manor until 1625, when 

 Robert Hemming, yeoman, died seised of the manor 

 of Chelsin alias Smeremongers held of the Crown in 

 socage, his heir being his son Samuel. 41 The latter 

 died in 1639, leaving an heir John Hemming. The 

 descent of the manor from this point is very obscure. 

 By 1698 it had apparently passed to George Nodes." 

 Eventually by 1802 the manor of Chelsin or Smere- 

 mongers, passing with Temple Chelsin, was held by 

 George Caswall." 



The manor of REBEL'S HALL first appears 

 mentioned as a manor at the end of the 15 th century. 

 It probably formed part of Geoffrey de Bech's lands 



* Cai. Pat. 



'3'3-' 



