Scope and Content
“This Manor and certain Lands there belonged at an early Period to the Priory of Newenham, but the Time when they were given to that religious House has not yet been ascertained, it is however evident they were possessed by Newenham Priory at least as early as the Reign of Henry the Sixth because of that date a Rental of the lands is preserved”
“This was one of the greater Monasteries, being valued at the Dissolution Temp. Hen 8 according to Dugdale’s Valuation at £293/5/11 and according to that of Speed at £343/15/5 yearly and being an Abbey which came to the Crown in pursuance of the Statute 31 Hen 8 is entitled to the benefit of the Clause in that Act, which conveys to the Grantees of the Crown the same Priviledges as were enjoyed by the Abbey previous to its Dissolution. In the 22nd Henry the Seventh a Rental was made of the Possessions then enjoyed by the Abbey in Stotfold”
Rental of Newnham Priory of rents and lands in Stotfold made in 22 year Henry VII [1507/08]
- of Prior of Chicksands for 3 roods of meadow and pasture at Nortonwell near lands of Reginald Bray as in rentals of 16 Richard II: 1d;
- of John Mordaunt for one messuage with croft adjacent of one acre and six acres of land late John Grene, before John Clerk junior and a messuage between tenement of John Lye as in roll of 1 Henry IV: 18d;
- of John Mordaunt for a messuage late of John Grene’s with 3 acres of land adjoining formerly Capsy: 2/4;
- of John Mordaunt for a messuage late of John Grene with 3 selions formerly of Thomas Brewnung: 6d;
- of John Mordaunt for 1½ acres in Chapel Street, late of Thomas Adams, before Thomas Pecke, formerly William Wedowson between tenement of the prior and tenement of John Mordaunt, late John Grene and for a toft called Pillokes in Up End and 1 acre of land in Oxmoredane and other lands late of William Wedowson: 3/4;
- of William Pulter for 3 acres - of which 1½ roods were in le Malme in South Field near lands of John Mordaunt; ½ acre was in Oxmoredane near lands of Reginald Bray; 1 rood was in Baldokewey near land of John Mordaunt; ½ acre was on Stangell at Dechesend near lands of John Mordaunt; 1½ roods were were at Wykelande near land of the Prior of Chicksands; 12 feet were on the same near land of John Munde; 1 rood was on Crowch Furlong near lands of John Mordaunt as appears in roll of 10 Henry VI: 16d;
- of William Frenshe (now Lorimer) for one messuage in Up End between croft of the prior S and toft of the Prior of Chicksands N and 7 acres of land in parcels in the common fields late of John Frenshe, before of Thomas Frenshe as in roll of 11 Edward IV: 18d;
- of William Frenshe for ½ acre on Howsen towards Balled Green near lands of prior, late of John Frenshe: 1/2 d;
- of Thomas Maundeville (now Richard Lorimer) for messuage late Thomas Phelipp, before James Garston, before Martha Wolleman, formerly Robert Clerke in Up End between messuage of Prior of Chicksands and highway as in roll of 3 Henry VII: 12d;
- of William Faddlot (now Robert Phelipp) for 1 acre late of Thomas Nicoll in Stangell between land of prior each side as in roll of 18 Edward IV: 2d;
- of Richard Lorimer for 1 acre in Up End Croft between lands of Sir Reginald Bray and land of prior, late William Phelipp before Thomas Mekes in rental of 4 Henry VII: 12d;
- of William Faddlot (now Nicholas Lylly) for curtilage between tenement of Prior of Chicksands and tenement of Nicholas, late Thomas Phelipp, before Nicholas Phelipp as in roll of 4 Henry VII: 12d;
- of Thomas Phelipp (now Richard Lorimer), son of Henry Phelipp for toft and 1 acre formerly of Belmaster in Marsh End between tenement of prior N and tenement of William Lylly S, late of Henry, before William Phelipp as in roll of 16 Henry VII: 18d;
- of Thomas Phelipp for 1 acre called Anhey Acre in South Field between lands of Reginald Bray S and prior N: 4d;
- of William Lylly (now Nicholas Lylly) for messuage in Up End between highway and messuage of William Lylly and one stale adjoining the messuage on roll of 16 Henry VII: 6d;
- of Richard Lylly for messuage with croft in Marsh End between tenement of Reginald Bray S and highway N extending from Marsh as far as Wikelond with lands adjoining messuage late of Nicholas Lylly the father, before Peter Mundeson as in roll of 9 Henry VII by name of Richard Lorimer and Margery, his wife: 7/-;
- of Richard Lylly for 4 acres late of Nicholas Lylly, formerly Eliott in parcels in the common fields as in roll: 20d but paying 8d;
- parcel of land with a mill called Frenshe’s Mill now in decay, late of Richard Endeby: 7/-;
Rents of Tenants at Will:
- of Richard Lorimer for 1 acre called Gaunt’s Acre in occupation of Thomas Phelipp in Wyklonde Furlong alias Calvesbalke between lands of Prior of Chicksands S and prior N abutting on Sheforde Way W and Church Path E: 4d;
- of Richard Lorimer for farm of manor and demesne lands;
- of William Mekes for messuage in Up End between tenement of the prior and tenement of Reginald Bray with 2 virgates of land adjoining in occupation of Thomas Gardiner: 16/6;
- of John Halle for toft with meadow adjoining in le Beynes between land and meadow of prior each side with half virgate formerly in the occupation of Isabel Lylly: 9/-;
- of Richard Munde for toft called Nicols in Up End between tenement of the prior and toft of John Mordaunt formerly in the occupation of John Mounde and ½ virgate adjoining; also ½ virgate and messuage in Up End called Bunes between highway and lands of the prior with 2½ acres adjoining: 18/4;
- of William Hawle for messuage in Marsh End between cottage of Abbot of Warden and Newnham Priory and ½ virgate adjoining: 9d;
- of Richard Lorimer for messuage between messuage of prior and lands of Reginald Bray containing 6 roods and ½ virgate formerly in the occupation of Richard Ferrour: 10/-;
- of Richard Lorimer for toft and croft adjoining formerly in the occupation of William Phelipp and ½ virgate adjoining: 8/-;
- of Thomas Phelipp for 2 messuages, 1 toft and 3 half virgates as appeared in a new terrier made in 10 Henry VII formerly in the occupation of Peter Phelipp, before of Robert Nicoll: £1/6/2;
- of Thomas Phelipp for 6 acres and 1 rood formerly in the occupation of Henry Phelipp as in roll of 5 Henry VII: 4/-;
- of Robert Morgan for 2 acres and for lands, tenements, meadows and pastures formerly in the occupation of Thomas Larkyn “and they were accustomed to pay per annum £1/18/4 and two harvest days in autumn”: £1/10/4
Sum total of rents: £8/10/5½
“This Rental being the nearest in point of Time to the Dissolution has been translated in reference to two others still preserved, one being in the 10 Henry 6th the other earlier in the Reign of Henry the Seventh than the present”
“On the general Suppression of Monasteries that of Newnham [lacuna] fate of the rest and the Possessions thereof became vested [in the] Crown”
“The earliest Account in the Augmentation Office after this Event is the 24th Henry 8th and is as follows”: [Latin text follows with English translation] from 29 September 1541 to 29 September 1542
“An Accompt of Robert Stucley Bailiff and Collector of the Rents there during the Time aforesaid”
“And for £14 for the Farm of the Manor there, with all Lands, Meadows, Feedings and Pastures, ways, Fines, Issues, Amerciaments, Perquisites and Profits of Courts to the said Manor belonging or appertaining as those which Thomas Foster and Elizabeth, his wife had and occupied on the day of the making of these Presents in the Fields and Meadows of Salford, Aspley and Holcutt, the advowson of the Parish Church of Salford excepted, in the Tenure of Thomas Foster, So to him demised by Indenture dated 4th day of October on the 19th year of the Reign of King Henry the Eighth [1527] to have for the Term of Sixty years Paying therefore yearly as above, payable at two Terms of the year equally. The Repairs at the Charge of the said Prior and his Successors except Splinting, Dawbing and Tiling, during the said Term, as in the said Indenture more fully appears”
“The Premises did not remain long in the hands if the Crown [lacuna] granted by King Henry the Eighth in the last Year of his Reign [26 June 1546] to Richard Kirke in Fee”
“The Particulars for this Grant is in the Augmentation Office and is as follows”
“Memorandum that I Richard Kirke do require to purchas of the Kinge’s Majestie by virtue of his Grace’s Commissioner of Sale the premises conteyned in the Particulars hereunto these Presents annexed beinge of Suche clere yerely Value as is comprised in the Same. In Wittnes whereof to these Presents I have subscribed my Name and putto my Seale the XXIIth of June in the xxxviiith Yere of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lorde King Henry the VIIIth by the Grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and in Eithe of the Churche of England and also of Ireland the Supreme Hedd”
Details of the sale of the manor to Richard Kirke as above
“It appears from a Search that has been made at the Rolls, that soon after this Grant to Kirke was made, he obtained a Licence from the Crown to alienate the Manor of Stotfold with its appurtenances to Edward Butler, his Heirs and Assigns for ever, the Licence of Alienation is entered upon the Patent Roll of the 4th Edward the Sixth [1550-1551], but it was probably granted some Years before, because there is a Court Roll of the said Edward Butler dated 1st Edward the Sixth [1547-1548] and styled his first Court”.
“In the Family of Butler the Premises remained until the 8th James 1st [1610-1611] when they were purchased by Thomas Ansell and in the 21 James I [1623-1624] it appears by a Court Roll of that date they had come into the Family of Lytton”