- ReferenceHE
- TitleHanscombe of Shillington
- Admin/biog historyThe first mention of the name 'Hanscombe' occurs in the Cartulary of Ramsey Abbey in 1255, when Alan de Hanescompe is described as the holder of virgate and three roods in Pekesden [Pegsdon] in Shillington, and he also appears as a juror in the same year. In 1288 Reginald de Hannescompe was a suitor at the Abbot of Ramsey's court in Shillington, and after this the name occurs frequently in the court rolls. By the sixteenth century there were at least four or five different families of Hanscombes in Holwell alone, and other branches in Shillington and the neighbouring parishes in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, so that it becomes difficult to disentangle the history of the respective families who were nearly all yeomen and whose members had similar Christian names. The will of Matthew Hanscombe of Holwell, yeoman who died in 1592 is the first document which throws light on the origins of the Hanscombes of Pirton Grange [ABP/W1592/34.] Matthew may have been the son of Robert of Holwell, yeoman who died in 1573 but this cannot be established with certainty. Matthew, who owned a considerable amount of land in Holwell, Shillington and Pirton [Herts, no. 71737, 72197-8], devised three farms to his sons, establishing one branch of the family at Holwell, another at Shillington where they later occupied the Moat Farm, and giving Pirton Grange to his second son William. During the seventeenth century all three branches prospered, the heads of the families being described as 'gentlemen'. Some of these Hanscombes went to Cambridge, three of them taking Orders. [Alumnae Cantab.] William of Pirton Grange seems to have had two sons - Thomas, who became a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and died at Hildersham in Cambridgeshire in 1625 [Al. Cantab] and John, who was probably the John Hanscombe of Hertfordshire admitted to the same college in 1628. John died in 1647 leaving a son James as his heir. [will HE11]. This James who is described in the deeds as a yeoman, died in 1674 and was succeeded by his son James. The following monumental inscription in Pirton church shows that he was a man of outstanding character and abilities; 'A man of great natural endowments, especially remarkable for quickness of apprehension, solidity of judgement, and a complete knowledge in country affairs: to which was joined uprightness of dealing, and sincerity in friendship. He was of singular service to this neighbourhood by his impartial arbitration and composure of differences, and one of the best and most successful advocates in cause and merit or distress, as also of so peculiar and lively a turn in conversation as gained him esteem, not only of his intimate acquaintance, but of several persons of the highest distinction'. This is an epitaph which more famous men might have envied. The number of arbitration bonds in this collection is testimony to his work in settling disputes, and his lively mind is illustrated by several verses of his own composing. [HE258] The following is an example: 'When sterdi storms are past Shall quiet calms appear, I often find that ashes cold Ly hid in coales of fire. Withall if you do mind, You shall of strange mistri find’ These verses also appear on the fly-leaves of his 'Constable's Guide' which is now at the Bedfordshire County Record Office. References in his account books show that he served as parish constable, probably for both Pirton and Shillington. His marriage with Ann, sole daughter and heiress of John and Eleanor Hammond of Pirton, founded the fortunes of this branch of the family. A few small purchases of land had been made in the seventeenth century, but the first substantial increase in the amount of property owned by the family came when his wife inherited her father's property in Pirton. [Herts. deeds passim. and HE21-22]. Three of his children survived him, - Mary who died unmarried, Ann who married Matthew Lacy of Streatley, gentleman, and William, whose schoolboy Latin exercises are among the family papers in this collection. William married Mary, daughter of Thomas Smyth [HE21-22] and had a large family which threatened the prosperity of the Hanscombes, and on daughter at least seems to have married a labourer. [HE87]. Both William and his son James who inherited the estate carried on the traditional life as yeomen farmers without adding substantially to the estate. The Pump Farm, adjoining Pirton Grange, seems to have been acquired by James, but how and when is not clear from the deeds in this collection. The affluence of the family in the nineteenth century seems to have been the result of the marriage of William Hanscombe, son of James who died in 1821, with another heiress, Ann Kempson who inherited the property of her father Thomas, in Gravenhurst and Shillington. William Hanscombe and his son William mad important additions to the estate, purchasing land in Pirton and Shillington. Among the new property acquired was Shillington Bury and parts of the Moat Farm adjoining the Pump Farm and Pirton Grange. They also leased a farm from Trinity College in the neighbourhood, and embarked on new ventures like coprolite digging and made substantial improvements to the estate. Pirton Hall was built in 1877 - 1883 [Herts. nos. 71830-72035]. This scale of expenditure and investment in land reflects the 'golden age' of farming between 1850 and 1880. As a whole, the collection illustrates the history of the Hanscombes during the course of three centuries, and provides material, almost unique for this county, for tracing the development of a yeoman family.
- Deposited by R N Hanscombe and Miss H M Hanscombe via Messrs Hawkins & Co, Hitchin, solicitors, November 1953. Additional accessions January 1954, number 2220 (4 items), October 1954 (1 item)
- Part of the collection was transferred to Hertfordshire Record Office in 1954. The remainder was catalogued in 1960.
- Reference
- External document
- Level of descriptionfonds
- Persons/institution keyword
- Keywords
Hierarchy browser