HERTFORD HUNDRED 



Before 1643 Hertingfordbury Park was purchased 

 by Thomas Keightley," who seems to have built a 

 house there, where he received a visit from his 

 cousin John Evelyn the diarist in March 1643." 

 He was succeeded by his son William Keightley," 

 whose widow Amy married secondly John Belson and 

 continued to live at the house during her lifetime. 19 

 After her death the park descended to her son 

 Thomas Keightley, who sold the estate in 1681 to 

 John Cullinge. 13 John Cullinge, son of the latter, 

 was holding it in 1700,'° but died childless shortly after, 

 his lands passing to his sister Elizabeth, whose heirs 

 sold Hertingfordbury Park to Spencer Cowpcr before 

 1727. 61 The latter died in 1727" and was succeeded 

 by his son William, and his grandson of the same 

 name in 1740. 61 The latter died in 1769, and his 

 widow Maria Frances Cecilia joined with William son 

 of William Cowper in conveying the park to Richard 

 Baker in 1773." Richard Baker, who died in 1780, 

 bequeathed it to his brother William Baker of Bayford- 

 bury. The latter gave it to his younger brother 

 Samuel, who lived there until his death in 1 804, and 

 later it was occupied by William's eldest son William, 

 who died in 1863." His son was the heir ofWilliam 

 Baker of Bayfordbury, and also held the manor of 

 Roxford, with which Hertingfordbury Park subse- 

 quently descended. The old house at Hertingford- 

 bury Park was pulled down in 1 8 1 6, with the 

 exception of part of the kitchens and cellars, which 

 were left until the present house was built by 

 Mr. R. W. Partridge, who resides there. 



Christine de Valognes claimed in Hertingfordbury 

 sac and soc, thol, theam and infangentheof, by 

 charter of Henry I, and also view of frankpledge, 

 amendment of the assize of bread and ale, and 

 tumbrel 'of ancient custom.' Christine de Maule 

 claimed also free warren, and made a claim to have 

 gallows, which was not allowed. 66 Agnes de Valence 

 obtained a fresh grant of free warren in 1309.™ In 

 1446—8 John Treoylian was farmer of the 'warren 

 of conies ' for Queen Margaret at 70/. yearly, 66 and in 

 1517 Sir Edward Benstede was granted an annuity 

 of £3 from it. 69 



Hertingfordbury possessed two mills in 1086,'° 

 but only one is mentioned later. In 1247 Peter de 

 Maule and Christine de Valognes his wife granted 

 their mill to Henry de Neketon, saving to themselves 

 free multure for the use of their household in their 

 manor of Hertingfordbury, also the meadows adjoining 

 the mill and the fishery in the mill-pool. 11 They 

 seem to have paid 20/. rent from the mill to the 

 Master of the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalene at 



Hertford, for Ch 

 1 279. 7a Possibly 

 to the hospital at 1 



HERTINGFORDBURY 



bought back this rent in 

 of the mill had been made 

 2 of its endowment, and the 

 lords of the manor had subsequently rented the mill 

 from the hospital. In 1354-5 a rcnC was st '" P a '^ 

 to the same hospital." The farm of the mill and 

 fishery adjoining amounted to 43.1. \d. in 1383— 4." 

 In 1491 the king leased it to Edward Benstede for 

 seven years,' 6 and again for a term not stated in 

 1501-2." In 1619, when the manor was granted 

 by James I to his son Prince Charles, the mill was 

 reserved," and seems to have been let to Thomas 

 Docwra. 78 In 1633 the king granted it, at the 

 request of Sir John Heydon, to William Scriven and 

 Philip Eden and their heirs, at which date it was 

 a the River 

 »e. There 



worth £4 yearly.' 



. that 



The mill is situate 

 them end of the villa* 

 a second mill stood on the Lea 

 300 yds. north-cast of Water Hall Farm, where 

 there was a house within living memory and where 

 there is still a floodgate. 



Before the Conquest ROXFORD (Rochesforde, 

 xi cent. ; Rokesforth, Rokkysford, Roxeforth, xvi 

 cent.) was held by Goduin, a thegn of King Edward ; 

 in 10S6 it formed part of the lands of Geoffrey de 

 Bech, of whom it was held by Guy the Priest, and 

 was assessed at half a hide. 80 With other lands of 

 Geoffrey de Bech this fee came to the Wake family," 

 and the overlord ship descended with Stapleford" (q.v.). 



In the 13th century lands in Roxford were held 

 by the families of Moyne and Valognes, 8J but the 

 manor of Roxford seems to be the eighth of a fee 

 held in 1303 of Lady Wake by Nicholas de Paris. 94 

 In 1304 he conveyed his lands there with the advow- 

 son of the chapel of Roxford to Herman de Bricken- 

 don, 85 who in 1330 settled them on his son and 

 daughter-in-law, Philip and Hawise. 66 The immediate 

 successors of Philip de Brickendun are not known, 863 

 but in the following century the estate seems to have 

 come into the possession of the Louth family. A 

 Robert de Louth, who was M.P. for Herts, in 1382, 

 was holding land in Hertingfordbury in 1406," and 

 is again mentioned in connexion with the parish 

 in I434. 9S It is probable that this Robert held 

 Roxford, as another Robert de Louth died seised of it 

 in 1484. He left three sisters and co-heirs, Gille 

 the wife of John Gryme, Christine, aged thirty-four 

 and unmarried, and Alice the wife of John Wigge. 89 

 The manor seems to have been divided between these 

 three, but apparently Christine sold her share to 

 Alice and John Wigge, for Thomas Wigge, son of 

 Alice and John, sold two-thirds of the manor in 



465 



