HERTFORD HUNDRED 





tenement to the manor of Watton" and 

 became merged in it." 



The manor of IVJTERFORD HALL was held of 

 the lords of the manor of Stapleford in socage, 19 and 

 was evidently formed from that manor as mentioned 

 above. At the beginning of the 14th century 

 Waterford was held by Geoffrey de la Lee, who is 

 found holding property in Stapleford in 1305, when 

 his houses and goods there were burnt. 10 In 1310 

 he received a grant of free warren in all his demesne 

 lands of Stapleford and elsewhere," a grant which 

 was confirmed to him and his heirs in 1320," By 

 a fine of 1316 he charged the manor ofWaterford 

 with a rent of I o marks to Robert Baard for the term 

 of his life." He appears to have been succeeded by 

 his son Thomas Lee (de la Lee), whose bailiff and 

 receiver in Stapleford was committed to the Fleet 

 Prison in 1341." Thomas was succeeded by his 

 brother Sir John Lee, kt., who died in 1 370, when his 

 lands in Stapleford passed to his son Walter." In 

 1379 Perceval Symeon, whose interest in the manor 

 was through his wife Joan, probably the widow of 

 Sir John Lee, quitclaimed all right in it to Walter Lee 

 and his son Thomas." Thomas died before his father, 

 and on the latter's death in 1395 his three sisters 

 became his co-heirs." The manor of Waterford fell to 



Hall iterv 



Newport, ' 

 lands were 



QQ 



W 



the share of Margery, who married Robert Newport." 

 From her it descended to William Newport, who 

 died seised of the manor in 1434.." His heir was 

 his son George, 30 who died in 1474.*' Waterford 



1? Chan. Inn. p.m. 3 Edw. Ill, no. 66 ; 

 Cal. Inq. p.m. 1-9 Ed w . Ill, 175 ; Ab- 

 krev. Rot. Oris. (Rec. Com.), ii, 44, 3*6 ; 

 Close, ;o Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 11, &e. 

 In 1378 William Bardolfs land, are 

 called ' the manor of Watlon and Staple- 

 fnri'(Cj/.P«. i,_77-8,,p. 207). 



Watton only the advowson of Stapleford 



STAPLEFORD 



irds came into the possession of Robert 

 ho died seised of it in 1 518, when his 

 herited by his son John." John New- 

 ly child Grace, the wile 

 r of Henry Lord Morley, 



port died in 1524. His ( 

 of Henry Parker, son and hei 

 was his heir. 31 



Henry Parker died in 1551, and his son and heir 

 Henry Parker succeeded his grandfather as Lord 

 Morley in 1555." In 15 64 Lord Morley conveyed 

 the manor of Waterford Hall to Sir John ISoteler 

 of Watton Woodhall," who sold it the same year 

 to George Grave, yeoman, who already held it 

 on lease. 18 The sale included all courts, view of 

 frankpledge and free fishery." George Grave held 

 the manor 36 until his death in 1 597, 39 when it 

 passed to his son Edward, who died in 1603. '" 

 His lands were inherited by his son Edward, aged 

 seven years,*' who in 1619 sold the manor ofWater- 

 ford Hall to William Reeve, haberdasher." On the 

 death of William Reeve in 1 62 5 it passed to his 

 daughter and heir Margaret, who married George 

 Bromley/ 3 George Bromley died at the beginning 

 of the Civil War, 11 and was succeeded by his son 

 George," who had to compound for his estates in 

 1644," and receiving, as is said, no recompense from 

 Charles II was finally compelled in 1696 to sell 

 Waterford Hall to Thomas Feltham of Ware West- 

 mill, co. Herts." 



Thomas Feltham was succeeded by his son John, 

 who was lord of the manor in I700. ,a From John 

 Feltham the manor passed to Ch.irles Feltham, brewer, 

 of London, whose son Ralph sold the manor in 1743 

 to Peter Walley and Thomas Sheppard" in trust for 

 Thomas Hall. 10 On the death of Thomas the manor 

 descended to his son Humphreyof Manaton,co. Devon, 

 who sold it with the capital messuage and the lands be- 

 longing and the fields called Fillies alias Phillhouse or 

 Phillhorse Close, the Warren called the Great Warren 

 and the Little Warren, in 1775 to John Kenrick of 

 Berners Street, co. Middlesex/ 1 He in 1778 sold 

 it to William Hewlett of the Strand, ironmonger," 

 apparently in trust for Richard Emmott. 63 In 1S11 

 Emmottsold it to Samuel Smith of Watton Woodhall M 

 (q.v.). It descended in this family to Mr. Abel 

 Henry Smith, who is the present lord of the manor. 

 The house called Waterford Hall lies cast of the 

 main road from Hertford to Stevenage, at the point 

 where it enters the parish of Stapleford, and is partly 



1J Chan 



Ino. 



|. Edw. Ill (is 



" Chart. R. 4 Edw. II, 1 



13 Feet of . 

 1. 232. 



H:r 



9 Edw. 



'* Cal. Pal, 1340-;, p. 187. 



M Chan. Inq. p.m. 44 Edw. Ill (iK 

 nos.), no. 37. See manor of Albury, 

 Edwinslree Hundred. 



M Close, 2 Ric. II, m. 7 i. ; Feet of F. 

 Her: 



11 Berry, Hir> 



Morant, 



477 



