A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



St Andrew's Church is first 

 JDFOIf'SONS mentioned by name in 1108, when 

 King John granted it to Master 

 Adam of Essex, his clerk, for lire. 1 The grant 

 mentions a perpetual vicarage, which never reappears.' 

 The advowson of the rectory descended with the 

 manor until the alienation of the latter to the Earl 

 of Salisbury. It still belongs to the Crown in right 

 of the duchy of Lancaster. 1 



The church of Al! Saints was probably one of 

 those held by Peter de Valognes in 1086, 6 for Robert 

 de Valognes gave it to Walt ham Abbey. 1 The gift 

 was confirmed by Richard I in December 1 1 89, 

 when the invocation is first mentioned, 6 The church 

 was confirmed to the abbey in 1227,' and a vicarage 

 ordained at the beginning of the 13th century. 10 

 The convent granted two turns of the presentation 

 to Richard Hey ham just before the Dissolution," 

 after which the king gave the rectory and advowson 

 of the vicarage to Thomas Knighton." Knighton's 

 widow brought it to John Allcyn, who held it in 

 1545," and on her death in 1551 it descended to 

 her nephew, Andrew Baynton." His heir Anne u 

 icems to have married William Anstee, with whom 

 she conveyed it to Richard Roberts in 1 5 80," possibly 

 in trust for Christopher Aleyn, who died seised in 

 1 ;8S, and whose heir, Edmund Aieyn," transferred 

 it to Stephen Soame in 1589. 1 * Sir William Soame, 

 son of Stephen, conveyed the rectory in 1626 to 

 who may have been trustees for 

 who bought the advowson for the 

 g the living with that of St. John's 

 and endowing it with the impropriate tithes. The 

 king was to be patron of All Saints, presenting 

 alternately with the patron of St. John's." The 

 arrangement was annulled by the House of Lords 

 before 1649, the patronage being then claimed by 

 the heirs of Mr. Barber"; but it must have been 

 reasserted, perhaps at the Restoration. n The alternate 

 presentations from 1709 to the present day have 

 been made by the Crown." 



A Fraternity of St. John celebrated in the church 

 of All Saints, and had a chaplain there in 149;." 

 After the dissolution of the brotherhood its property 

 passed to the Crown. In I 57; a ' ruinous house' in 

 the north of All Saints' churchyard, which had been 

 given for an obit and lamp, and the site of another 

 house called the Guildhall or church house were 

 granted to John Herbert and Andrew Palmer." 



Ralph de Limesy founded the priory of Hertford 



1 feoffee 

 Gabriel Barber, 

 purpose of uniti 



and endowed it with the church which he had built 

 there. 1 * It leemi probable that this was the church 

 of St. John, which was situated on the priory estate 

 to the north of Christ's Hospital." The church of 

 St. John belonged to the monks at the beginning of 

 the 13th century, when a vicarage was endowed." 

 It seems to be the church which served the parish 

 known as the ' parochia de Monachomm ' or M on ken- 

 church" or the parish of the priory,** and to be the 

 parish church within the priory mentioned in 1497" 

 After the Dissolution the rectory and advowson of the 

 vicarage of the church of St. John the Evangelist were 

 granted in 1 53S to Antony Denny" and descended 

 with the priory manor (cj.v.). 



In 1640 the vicarage was united to that of All 

 Saints," and it was proposed by Sir John Harrison 

 to endow it with the impropriate tithes. Sir John 

 Harrison was to have alternate presentation with the 

 king." Apparently the endowment did not stand, 

 for the rectory appears to have descended with the 

 advowson." This with the priory manor is now in 

 possession of Marouess Townshend. 



The poor's estate comprises the 

 CHARITIES charities of John Browne, Alderman 

 Card, the King's Mead, Standon 

 Green End Farm, the Herbage Money, and the 

 charity of Ann Dimsdale, which were formerly under 

 the administration of trustees for the poor created 

 under a decree of commissioners for charitable uses 

 13 September 1 708. 



In 1909 the gross income amounted to £290, or 

 thereabouts, of which £70 was derived from the rent 

 of 101 acres known ns the Green End Farm, Standon, 

 co. Herts., £112 from rent of the post office, £13 

 from the King's McaJ, and £83 10;. from other 

 land. A fixed payment of £1 a year is also received 

 from Balls Park and £i i>. lod. from the Lea Con- 

 In 1889 the 'Talbot Arms' was sold for £1,000, 

 and part of the Dimsdale Arms Inn for £300, and 

 the proceeds invested in stock with the official trustees, 

 which was subsequently sold out for effecting improve- 

 ments in the property and towards the cost of building 

 the post office. The official trustees now (1910) 

 hold £460 16/. %d. consols, which is accumulating 

 for the purpose of replacing a sum of £315 y. 1 id. 

 consols, also £305 17*. $d. consols for the replace- 

 ment of £1,289 '"'■ \ d - consols by annual instal- 

 ments of £29, and £21 5J. $d. consols to replace 

 £74 1 u. yd. consols by annual instalments of £4 5/. 



