HERTFORD HUNDRED 



Richard Bull left Benwick Hall to his wife Alice for 

 life with remainder to his son Henry Bull."* Towards 

 the end of the 1 7th century George Goldesborough 

 held Benwick Hall," and in 1698 it was in the 

 possession of Edward Goldesborough, who conveyed 

 it to Elisha Burgess and Richard Edwards." After 

 this date its descent is lost for a time, but in 1779 it 

 was the property of Elizabeth Willson, widow." In 

 1784. William Willson and his wife Mary conveyed 

 it to Richard Emmott, 87 lord of the manor of Water- 

 ford Hall. This sale included free fishing in the 

 water of Stapleford. In 1803 Richard Emmott 

 pulled down the house called Benwick Hall to erect a 

 dog kennel. 85 It was then described as being 'a com- 

 plete handsome strong brick house.' 6 ' 

 Its exact site is difficult to deter- 

 mine, but it probably stood near 

 Bull's Mill. Some old apple trees here 

 suggest the site of the orchard of the 

 hall." 1 Besides the general right of 

 commons Benwick Hall had attached 

 to it 2 several acres in Netherfield 

 Common and a strip of 2 acres in 

 Brocket's Bush." Between 179; and 

 1803 Thomas Blore, the well-known 

 topographer, resided at Benwick Hall 

 for several years. He collected a vast 

 mass of material referring to the topo- 

 graphy and antiquities of this county, 

 which was afterwards used by Clutter- 

 buck in his history. 3! 



A manor to which one or two 

 reference; occur, which lay partly in 

 Stapleford and partly in Bengeo and 

 Hertford, is the manor of RUSSELLS. 

 This in 1750 was in the possession of 

 William Willson and his wife Eliza- 

 beth, who were holding in the right 

 of Elizabeth. 91 Elizabeth Willson, 

 widow, and William Willson, junior, 

 suffered a recovery of this manor with 

 that of Stapleford in 17 79, ' and 

 William Willson conveyed it to Richard 

 Emmott in 1784." 



The church of ST. 

 CHURCH MARY THE VIRGIN 

 stands a little to the east 

 of the village. It consists of chancel 

 19ft. by 14ft. 6 in., large south vestry 

 19 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft., nave 52 ft. by 

 19 ft., north transept 15 ft. by 12 ft. 

 6 in., and north porch, over which is 

 a tower ; all the dimensions arc in- 

 ternal. The walls are of flint rubble 

 covered with cement with stone dressings ; the roofs 

 are tiled. 



The eastern part of the nave was built in the 

 12th century, and perhaps the chancel also. In the 

 early part of the 16th century the chancel arch was 

 rebuilt, the church re- roofed and new windows 

 inserted. In 1874. about 20ft. was added to the 

 west end of the nave, a north transept and south 



«^ Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxl, 188. 



91 East Herts, Arch. Soc. Tram, iv, IOO. 



65 Feet of F. Herts. Hil. 9 Will. Ill ; 

 Sis:. R. (Herts. Co. Rec), ii, 8. 



ss Recov. R. East. 19 Geo. Ill, rot. 

 297. 



STAPLEFORD 



vestry built, and a north porch with tower and 

 timber spire above erected. The window of three 

 cinquefoiled lights in the east wall of the chancel 

 is modern. In the north wall is a modern blocked 

 doorway, and a blocked window of 18th-century 

 ide, but within are the jambs and 

 irlier window, possibly of the 13th 

 the south wall is a modern door to 

 he two-centred chancel arch is of two 

 hamfered orders with jambs of the same section ; 

 the capitals are moulded ; it is of early 16th-century 



character 

 .try. 



In the north wall of the n 

 the transept, and in the nn 



motcr 



Stapleford Chu 



nave is a single-light wind 

 is of mid- 12th-century ds 

 arch of two orders, the 

 cheveron moulding, the in 

 the jambs have circular < 

 carved with leaf c 

 the doorway is i> 



>w. The north doorway 

 e, and has a semicircular 

 outer having a vertical 

 er a horizontal cheveron ; 

 igaged shafts and capitals 

 ; the bases are moulded ; 

 ate of preservation. The 

 tnd of the south wall has a thickness of about 



17 Feet of F. Herts. East. 2+ Geo. III. 

 5 East Herts. Arch. Soc. Trans, loc. cit. 



■» Ibid. 



1 88), but tbe-ff 



H Rec ov. R. East. 19 Geo. I 

 SJ Feet of F. Herts. East. ; 



rrin. 14 & : 

 "[S'er"!]^ 



479 



