A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



i 541 to Hugh Mynors." In 1 550 Mynors conveyed 

 them to William Southwood." In the following year 

 William Southwood sold the property to William 

 Caldewell," who before 1557 cornered it to William 

 Coventry. 8 ' The last William left directions in his 

 will that the two thirds of the manor should be sold 

 after his death, and they were accordingly sold to 

 |ohn and Anne Myston, in spite of the protests of 

 William's daughter Joan." The Mystons, however, 

 did not keep the estate for long, as in 1569 they sold 

 it to William Kympton. 94 The two thirds then or 

 subsequently seem to have been divided between 

 John Baylie and William Kympton, William keeping 

 one third, including the manor-house, for life, with 

 remainder to John Baylie, 96 the other third being 

 delivered to John by George Kympton in 1605. 

 John Baylie the elder died in [611 and was succeeded 

 by his son John, then a minor. 98 John was holding 

 the two thirds in 1622," but before 1651 there 

 must have been a sale to Thomas Fanshawe, since the 

 latter had united these two thirds with the other 

 third and was holding the whole manor in that 

 year. 100 



Ol the third of Roiford apportioned to Gille and 

 John Gryme nothing is known for a hundred years 

 following. In 1586 John Knighton died seised of it, 

 having settled it upon his son George, 1 after which it 

 descended in his family in the same manner as 

 Bay-ford* (q.v.) and came before 1651 to Thomas 

 Fanshawe.' The Fanshawes appear to have sold the 

 manor soon after to John Cox,' who presumably 

 conveyed it to George Chalncombe. 5 In 1700 

 Princes Chalncombe, widow of George, joined with 

 her daughter Frances, wife of Patrick Crawford, in 

 conveying Roxford to John Brassey.' Nathaniel 

 Brassey, successor of John, was succeeded in 1765 by 

 his son Nathaniel,' who died in 1798.' Richard 

 John Brassey, son of the latter, sold the manor in 

 1801 to William Baker' of Bayfordbury (q.v.), in 

 whose family it has since descended. 



IVOOLMERS PJR K evidently took its name from 

 the family of Wolmer. John Wolmer is mentioned 

 in Hcninglbrdbury between 1185 and I289 lo and 

 Thomas Wolmer in 1358." In 1518 Woolmerswas 

 said to be held of the king as of his duchy of Lan- 

 caster, 1 ' so that it had probably always been held of 

 the manor of Hertingfordbury. Sir Edward Benstede, 

 who died in 1518, held * 'tenement or farm called 

 Wo!mers,' which he left to Joyce his wife for her life 

 with remainder to his nie^e Alice Ferrers, daughter 

 of his sister Katherine." Joyce married secondly 



Willia 



If 



Purdy, and was still living in 1 

 Alice Ferrers died without issue the property was to 

 pass to her elder brother John Kcrrers, who wai 

 Sir Edward Benstede's nearest male heir, but there it 

 no evidence to show whether it did so. Woolmers ii 

 not heard of again until the beginning of the 19th 

 century, when it was in the possession of Francis 

 Duke of Bridgewnter. He died in 180;, leaving it 

 to his nephew George Granville Earl Gowcr and 

 Duke of Sutherland," who died in 1833." It is said 

 to have been afterwards sold to Sir John St. Aubyn, 

 hart., and to have been subsequently possessed by 

 Sir Gore Ouseley, bart., and Rear-Admiral the Hon. 

 George Frederick Hotham." In 1842 it was bought 

 by Mr. William Herbert Wodehouse," who in 1903 

 was succeeded by his son Mr. Charles Edward 

 Wodehouse, the present possessor. 18 



The manor of BIRCHHOLT now BIRCHAIL 

 was composed of lands granted at various dates to the 

 Prior and convent of the Holy Trinity, London,* 1 

 including the service owed by Roger de Esscndon for 

 land in Birchholt granted by John de Rochcford 

 between 1316 and 1325." These continued in the 

 hands of the convent of the Holy Trinity until its 

 surrender in 1531," after which Birchholt was 

 granted in 1534 to Sir Thomas Audley " of Walden, 

 Lord Chancellor. About 1539 the latter conveyed 

 it to William Cavendish and Margaret his wife." 

 It seems to have been re-conveyed to the Crown, for 

 in i ,99 Queen Elizabeth granted it to Henry Best 

 and Robert Holland." They sold it shortly after- 

 wards to Sir Robert Wroth,™ from whom it descended 

 to John Wroth and Maud his wife" in the same 

 manner as Tewin (q.v.). The latter sold it in 162 I 

 to Sir Thomas Trevor,* 6 afterwards chief baron of 

 the Exchequer. He died in 1656," leaving a son 

 Thomas Trevor, baronet and knight of the Baih, 

 who died childless in 1 676, w after which the history 



of the 



s lost. 



a) i 



:., Mid,. ■ 



Urn. VIII 



of F. Hem. Mich. 



93 Ibid. Mich. 5 Edw. VI, 

 93 Chan. Proc. (S«. 2), 

 10, 18. Wlhid. 



M Feel of F. Herts. Hi], i 

 * Cr. of Wards, Feod. Sur 



of Wards, Feed. Su 

 v. R. Mich. 20 Jas. 

 :ofF. Div. Co. Hil. 



5 Fed ol F. Div. Co. Hil. 

 ' Close, 42 Geo. Ill, pt. i 



ailed EPCOMBS (Epecaumpe, Epe- 

 thought to be the half hide in 'Thepe- 

 held both before and after the Conquest by 

 a priest, in alms, of the king. An estate of 100 acres 

 in Epcombs is said to have been held in the reign of 

 Richard I by one Lyving, and to have descended to 

 Luke son of William of Hertingfordbury, who claimed 

 it in 1281." Early in the 16th century it was in the 

 possession of the Lawrence family, and in 1519 was 

 held by Richard Lawrence and Agnes his wife and 

 William Lawrence." The latter, who was the son of 

 John Lawrence, had a son William, 3 ' who died leaving 



''■> Burke, Landed Gentry (1906). 

 '"And. D. (P.R.O.), A 5256, 5260, 

 !'. 5*57. S159. 5**1. 5250, J249. 



1 Close, 42 Geo. Ill, pt. rav, no. i. 



n Aoct. D. (P.R.O.), A 5247. 



1 Duchy of Uric. Anct. D. (P.R.O.), 



13 Ibid. ; P.C.C. 2; AylofTc. 

 " L. and P. Ht«. Fill, v, g. 

 13 P.C.C. 226 Marriott. 

 "C.E.C Cvmphtt Parap. 



4 'j 6 



