X95/90-204

Higham Gobion and Rowney

1613 - 1869

From: 1613 To: 1869

Note: These documents were found at Panshanger, marked "Deeds of Bedfordshire Estate". Their presence there is explained by the fact that George Augustus Frederick Cowper, 1806-56, 6th Earl Cowper, married Anne Florence, daughter of Thomas Philip (de Grey, formerly Robinson), Earl de Grey, who in 1859 on the death of her father became suo jure Baroness Lucas of Crudwell. She died in 1880. Their son was Francis Thomas, 7th Earl It seems that (although no deeds relating to the property have been found in the Lucas collection), Lady Lucas or her son, 7th Earl, in 1871 bought Faldo Farm, formerly known as the manor of Westhey and Faldo, then in Higham Gobion; but now under the South Bedfordshire Review Order, 1933, part of Pulloxhill [see letter, Hertfordshire County Record Office 1 xii 53: entry in old schedule: "Old title deeds of land at Pulloxhill, Higham Gobion, Streatley, bought 1871 from St John's College]; they bought it from St John's College, Oxford (who have deposited a map of the "College Estate in Pulloxhill" 1863, X217/1-2). The present owner, Mr E J Beechener, says that his father bought it in 1917, from the Wrest Park Estate The presence of the Rowney documents appears to be an accident. Rowney was bought by St John's College in 1663; and exchanged by them for Higham Gobion in 1774 with Viscount Torrington (though the Bursar says 1953, that the College still receives a rentcharge of £35 per annum therefrom). Apparently at the time of this exchange the College handed some deeds to Lord Torrington, which will be found as W1997--2028 (for the exchange see also W2177); but retained those in the present deposit. These latter, it would appear, were handed to Lady Lucas or her son with those of Higham Gobion, when the latter property was sold to them and thus came to be found at Panshanger

sub-fonds

HIGHAM GOBION, Rowney