MH

Mackintosh of Colmworth

The Dyers held Colmworth manor from 1567 (Victoria County History iii, 187), Sir Lodovick Dyer died in 1669 (Victoria County History, iii 187, n.54), and was followed by his nephew William Dyer (BS497), who in 1678 sold the property to Thomas Hillersdon of Elstow (BS499 and Ft.Fines 30 Car II, cited ibid.). With the manor went Lordship, Netherstead and Channels End farms Thomas Hillersdon die in 1679 (Blaydes, Gen. Bed., 330), and was succeeded by his son William, sheriff in 1700 (BNO i, 208). William was followed in quick succession by John (will 1719 – see BS531), who was followed again by his brother Richard (will 1725 – ibid) Richard Hillersdon devised the estate in trust to Thomas Browne and Denis Farrer, to sell it for the benefit of his niece Margaret Parslow (nee Hillersdon) (BS531), and it was sold in 1742 to Francis Astry D.D., and George Draper for £5,500 (BS531; MH3, MH4) Astry and Draper were investing money under the will of Dame Elizabeth Saunderson, who had owned property in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and South Bedfordshire. Her eventual legatees were her cousins Susannah, wife of Francis Astry of Westminster, and Margaret, wife of Richard Ray of Suffolk (Mi2). The property finally, in 1757, devolved on Richard Ray junior, son of Margaret (MH13) Richard Ray bought some other properties. In 1766 he bought from the trustees of Piggot Ince a farmhouse and about 400 acres (a moiety). This property (see abstract of title MH135) had apparently gone with the manor in the time of Hillersdon. In 1769 he bought from Fortune Fisher, a yeoman, descendant of a Colmworth yeoman William Knight, a messuage and 6 closes in Church End. In 1770 he bought from another Colmworth family, that of Fensham, (John Fensham, now a miller at St Albans, being in difficulties) a messuage and closes. Richard Ray however was himself constantly embarrassed, and sold the property in 1796 to the Reverend Leonard Towne of Leicestershire (MH35, MH36) The Reverend Leonard Towne in 1806 added to the property a farm in Mill End, Colmworth and 90 acres, bought from Thomas Taylor of Northampton whose wife had inherited it. His son, Leonard Elye Towne died soon after his father (MH57); and his sister, Sarah Elye [Towne] who had in 1809 married the Reverend Thomas Norris (MH40) seems to have succeeded. Kelly’s directory for 1854 gives Mrs Sarah Elye [Norris] as lady of the manor; and those for 1877 and 1914 give the Norris family as principal landowners. The estate was sold in 1918 (MH60) Court rolls of the manor are 1583-1633 (GA890). In 1795 it was said that the quit-rents amounted to £3 per annum, but had not been collected for many years (MH30). For surveys see MI29, 32-3, 61, 107; rentals MH50-53

Note: for other deeds of Colmworth Manor, see Z218; BS489-535 (1659-1797), some of them overlapping with this series. For Court Rolls (1583-1633) see GA890.

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