Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue

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POLHILL
Title
Polhill of Howbury (Renhold)
Date free text
1505-1940
Production date
From: 1505 To: 1940
Admin/biog history
Sir William Becher of Fotheringay and Howbury Hall, Renhold was baptised at St Christopher-le-Stocks on the 12 Sept 1574 and was knighted at Kirby 27 July 1619. He had purchased the Howbury estate from the Gostwycke family about the year 1603, in which year he presented Henry Gale to th living of Renhold. He served the office of Sheriff for Bedfordshire 1612-13. He married at Southill, Beds 25 Feb 1594-5, elizabeth, eldest daughter of Oliver, Lord St John of Bletsoe, and by her had 18 children. Sir William apparently maintained two homes as some children were baptised at Renhold and others at Fotheringay. He was buried at Renhold 22 December 1640 and elizabeth his wife was buried there 17 Sept 1658. Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son Oliver Becher of Howbury and Fotheringay, baptised at Bletsoe 31 December 1598. He married in 1627 Elizabeth daughter of Sir William Tate of De-la-Pre Abbey. They had five sons and four daughters. Oliver's eldest son, William, was baptised at Fotheringay in 1628 and knighted at Newmarket on 16 November 1660. He married at Renhold on the 15 Feb 1655-6 Frances daughter of Oliver, Lord St John of Bletsoe and they had a son and a daughter. He married secondly Elizabeth daughter of John Huxley of Eaton Bray and widow of Thomas Hillersden of Elstow, their marriage articles being dated 22 Dec 1659. They had 3 sons and a daughter. Sir William died 5 December 1694) Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son by his second marriage, William baptised at Renhold in 1662. This William was succeeded in 1724 by his only son another William (1697-1751) who with his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Clarke of Hackney, had only one daughter. On the failure of a male heir the Howbury property was sold in 1781 to Nathaniel Polhill, an eminent banker of Burwash, Sussex and Southwark, of which borough he was MP. [Account extracted from Bedfordshire Historical Record Society volume 5 p133, published 1920]. Howbury Hall then decended through the Polhill family from Nathaniel to his son, also Nathaniel (died 1802) and then to John, uncle of Nathaniel II and brother of Nathaniel I. Captain John Polhill served in the 15th (Kings) Light Dragoons but resigned his commission on inheriting Howbury. John Polhill was succeeded by his second son, Frederick in 1828. Frederick had also had a military career before inheriting Howbury. He entered politics and served as MP for Bedford from 1831-1847. Frederick was also interested in the theatre. In 1845 he moved to London and Howbury was leased out.
Level of description
fonds