Reference
BS40-146
Title
Deeds relating chiefly to Fielden in the parish of Flitton-cum-Silsoe
Date free text
1397 - 1809
Production date
From: 1495 To: 1853
Scope and Content
Received from the British Record Society from the office of Messrs Baileys, Shaw & Gillett, September 1931.
Arrangement
All deeds had been stamped 'B.S. & G. – British Record Society, 1931' before transfer to the County Record Office, together with the number of the bundle or loose deed. The original bundles and numbers have been retained; the deeds in bundles 5 [BS 41-103] and 6 [BS 104-136] have been arranged into order of date, as it was obvious that their original order had been completely broken.
The deeds in bundle 6 bear a contemporary numeration corresponding with their chronological order; most numbers not represented in this group will be found marked on certain of the deeds in bundle 5 [BS 41-103, e.g. 75, which is marked 'number 1']. These numbers are identical with those given in the abstract of title [BS 133]. It will also be seen from the catalogue that BS 81 and 113, and 94 and 132 are related. It is clear therefore that BS 41-103 should be studied with BS 104-136.
The bundles marked 'B.S. and G. 4 and 7' [BS 40 and 137-142] are evidently muniments of the Abdy properties, as bundle 7 relates to property of this family situated elsewhere in Bedfordshire.
The remaining bundles 1, 2, 3 and 8 [BS 143-146] are all single deeds which have no obvious relation to the rest.
Fielden
The greater number of these deeds represent a long series of purchases of lands in the open fields of Fielden by the Milward family, who owned the farmhouse on the site of the present Fielden House. Fielden (spelt earlier la Feeld, Feeld, Feldon, etc) is a very small 'hamlet' lying on the borders of the four parishes of Silsoe, Gravenhurst, Higham Gobion and Barton. It consisted of two ancient farms [BS 87], apparently corresponding with the present Fielden House and Fielding Farm. Several documents relating to a chancery suit in 1675-1676 between the owners of the two Fielden farms throw a great deal of light on the topography and agricultural system of this hamlet [BS 86-89]. From them it appears that Thomas Neale attempted to buy out Richard Milward. An exchange of certain lands in Fielden Field clearly took place in 1668 [BS 124,128], but Fielden descended from the Milwards through the female line to the Abdy family [BS 134-136], who remained owners for at least another century [See Flitton and Silsoe Enclosure Award, 1826]. The Richard Milward referred to above (died 1680) was the editor of Selden's 'Table Talk' [VCHii,326]. A series of terriers 1594-1706 [BS 40, 98-103] contain full descriptions of the open fields of Fielden.
Level of description
file