Long Stanton: Manors and other estates

Manors and other estates

. The 3 hides which later formed LONG STANTON or CHEYNEYSmanor were held in 1066 by 15 sokemen. One, a man of the king's thegn Sexi, held 1/2; hide unfreely, three had 1 hide from Ely abbey, and 11 sokemen held the remaining 1 1/2; hides. Their lands were given after the Conquest to Picot, sheriff of Cambridge, who had enfeoffed Guy de Reimbercourt by 1086. (fn. 1) The overlordship descended with Picot's successors, the Pecche barons of Bourn, until the barony was surrendered to the Crown by Gilbert Pecche in 1284. (fn. 2) The bishop of Ely claimed in 1304 that Gilbert had held certain knights' fees in Long Stanton from him, (fn. 3) evidently seeking to reclaim the 1 hide of Domesday sokeland, but was apparently unsuccessful. In 1489 and 1514 the manor was said to be held of the Crown as of the duchy of Lancaster. (fn. 4) Guy de Reimbercourt's interest passed with his barony of Chipping Warden (Northants.) until 1336 or later. (fn. 5)

The manor was said c. 1235 to be held of the barony of Chipping Warden by William 'de Chedwey', (fn. 6) probably an error for Cheyney. William Cheyney, presumably the same man, held 1/2; fee in 1242-3 (fn. 7) and remained in possession in 1247. (fn. 8) Henry son of Sir William Cheyney held it in 1279 and 1283, (fn. 9) Margery Cheyney in 1302-3, (fn. 10) and a series of John Cheyneys between 1316 (fn. 11) and 1377. (fn. 12) Sir William Cheyney of Fen Ditton held the manor by 1385 (fn. 13) and died after 1393; (fn. 14) by 1397 it had passed to his son John, (fn. 15) who entailed it in 1406 and died after 1428. Cheyneys descended through John's brother and heir male Laurence (d. 1461) to Laurence's son Sir John (d. 1489) and Sir John's son Sir Thomas. About 1473 it was occupied by Alice and Thomas Burgoyne and comprised 315 a. of arable and meadow. (fn. 16) The Cheyney family also held Walwyns manor by 1486. (fn. 17) Sir Thomas Cheyney (d. 1514) settled his Cambridgeshire manors in 1511 on the marriage of his daughter and heir Elizabeth to Thomas Vaux, later Lord Vaux of Harrowden. (fn. 18) Thomas evidently settled Long Stanton on his second son Nicholas, who sold it to his elder brother William, Lord Vaux, in 1561. (fn. 19) Under a settlement effected by William in 1585, his chosen heir George Vaux, his eldest son by his second wife, was on his marriage in that year without his father's permission disinherited in favour of his younger brother Ambrose. (fn. 20) George's wife and father-in-law, however, persuaded Ambrose in 1589 to convey his interest to George (d. 1594) and his heirs. (fn. 21) On William's death in 1595 the title and estates passed to George's son Edward. (fn. 22) The manors of Cheyneys and Walwyns were regarded as forfeit to the Crown from 1593 because of William's failure to pay fines for recusancy. (fn. 23) Edward, Lord Vaux, came of age in 1612, when he made a settlement which frustrated royal attempts to seize the estates again for recusancy. Long Stanton was formally restored by the Crown in 1612 and 1613. (fn. 24) Edward received a grant of free warren in 1616 (fn. 25) and sold Long Stanton in 1617 to Sir Christopher Hatton (d. 1619) of Kirby Hall (Northants.). (fn. 26) Hatton had bought Colvilles manor in 1616 and about the same time also acquired the lease of the rectory estate. (fn. 27) The Hatton family dominated Long Stanton as resident squires until the early 19th century.

Sir Christopher's son Sir Christopher was of age by 1630. (fn. 28) He and his mother Alice in 1633 sold their manors, named as Long Stanton, Cheyneys, Walwyns, and Colvilles, to his uncle Thomas Hatton (fn. 29) (cr. Bt. 1641, d. 1658). The estate descended with the Hatton baronetcy to his son Thomas (d. 1682) and Thomas's son Christopher, who died young in 1683, as did his brother and heir Thomas in 1685. Title and estates were inherited by their father's brother Christopher (d. 1720), passing from him in turn to his sons Thomas (d. 1733) and John (d. 1740). Under the will of John's son Thomas (d. 1787) (fn. 30) Long Stanton was left to his younger son Thomas Dingley Hatton, (fn. 31) who succeeded to the baronetcy in 1811 and died in 1812, when the title became extinct. (fn. 32) At inclosure in 1816 the Long Stanton estate was owned jointly by his six sisters, (fn. 33) being divided shortly afterwards among three who were unmarried, Frances, Elizabeth Ann, and Anne, who received 888 a., 550 a., and 318 a. respectively. (fn. 34) By will proved 1838 Frances left most of her share to Anne for life, with remainder to their distant relative Daniel Heneage Finch-Hatton, chaplain to Queen Victoria. (fn. 35) Under Anne's will, proved 1842, her enlarged estate was settled on Elizabeth Ann for life, (fn. 36) and it was only under Elizabeth Ann's will, proved 1845, that Finch-Hatton obtained possession. (fn. 37) He was succeeded after his death in 1866 by his son Edward Hatton Finch-Hatton, (fn. 38) who dispersed the land by sale in 1874 (fn. 39) but appears to have retained the manorial rights until he died in 1887. His brother and heir William Robert (d. 1909) was followed by his eldest son George Daniel, after whose death in 1921 (fn. 40) the ownership has not been traced.

The Cheyney family's manor house at Long Stanton had a private chapel licensed several times between 1351 and 1400. (fn. 41) Sir Christopher Hatton in 1627 occupied a manor house called 'Staunton alias Covells', (fn. 42) which lay on the high street north of All Saints' church. Later said to have been built in 1560, (fn. 43) it was recorded with 16 or 19 hearths between 1664 and 1674. (fn. 44) Part was pulled down c. 1792 but the rest was occupied by Sir T. D. Hatton until his death in 1812. The remainder of the house was demolished c. 1851. (fn. 45) The site evidently passed to one of the Hatton coheirs, Harriet, wife of the Revd. Philip Gardner, and remained in the family of Gardner of Conington Hall until c. 1919. (fn. 46)

COLVILLESmanor was derived from 4 1/4; hides held in 1066 by 12 sokemen of the lady Eddeva and 1/2; yardland held by a sokeman of Bishop Wulfwig of Dorchester, all of which were given by William I to Count Alan of Brittany, lord of the honor of Richmond. The count's undertenant in 1086 was Picot the sheriff. Another 1/2; yardland held by Hoc under Earl Waltheof in 1066 and by Picot under William son of Ansculf in 1086 (fn. 47) was not mentioned later and may have merged with the Richmond fee. The overlordship of the lords of Richmond was noted until the 17th century (fn. 48) and the interest of Picot's successors, the Pecche family and from 1284 the Crown, to 1345. (fn. 49)

In 1199 Alan de Feugeres held of the honor of Richmond 1 1/2; knights' fees in Long Stanton and Lolworth, (fn. 50) which he exchanged in 1202 with John son of William. (fn. 51) By c. 1235 1 knight's fee in Long Stanton was held by Philip of Stanton, (fn. 52) who settled it in 1239 on himself for life, with remainder to his daughter Maud and her husband Henry de Colville. (fn. 53) Philip of Stanton died c. 1268, (fn. 54) and by 1274 the holding had come to Philip de Colville, (fn. 55) presumably Henry's son. He held 1 fee of the honor of Richmond in 1282 and 1/2; fee c. 1285; (fn. 56) in 1286 he had a grant of free warren. (fn. 57) By 1293 the manor was held by his son Henry de Colville (fn. 58) (d. by 1296), (fn. 59) whose heir was his son Philip (fn. 60) (d. c. 1311). Philip in 1304 or 1305 assigned Long Stanton as dower to his mother Emma (fn. 61) (d. after 1344). (fn. 62) It passed with Philip's manor of Tadlow to his son Sir Henry Colville (probably d. 1360) and then to Anne, presumably Henry's daughter, and her husband Dedric of Somerton, (fn. 63) who sold it in 1362 to Sir Robert Thorpe. (fn. 64) Thorpe was licensed in 1372 by John of Gaunt as lord of Richmond to alienate it to the college of 'the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mary' in Cambridge, (fn. 65) presumably Corpus Christi Col lege. He conveyed the manor, effectively only an overlordship, to feoffees who included a future master of Corpus, (fn. 66) and died in 1372; his nephew and heir Sir William Thorpe (fn. 67) released it in 1383 to a group of men which included one of his uncle's feoffees. (fn. 68) The overlordship was not recorded later.

Philip of Stanton enfeoffed William Cheyney of Steeple Morden before 1250 with land in Long Stanton to be held as 1/4; knight's fee. (fn. 69) It did not include the whole of Colvilles manor or its manor house (fn. 70) and was at first known as FRENCH LADYSmanor. William may have been identical with the contemporary and namesake who held Cheyneys, but if so the two manors descended in different branches of his family, since French Ladys passed to the Cheyney family of Steeple Morden. (fn. 71) In 1274 it was in the queen mother Eleanor's hands as guardian of Nicholas, heir of William Cheyney (d. 1269). (fn. 72) Nicholas held 1 fee with Philip de Colville in 1302-3, (fn. 73) and was succeeded after his death in 1326 by his son William, (fn. 74) who proved his age in 1328 (fn. 75) and died in 1345. William's heir was his elder son Edmund, (fn. 76) who came of age in 1347 (fn. 77) and died in 1376. Under a settlement of 1374 the manor passed successively to his widow Catherine (d. 1422) and his great-nephew, another Edmund Cheyney, (fn. 78) who obtained possession in 1424 (fn. 79) and died in 1430. Edmund's heirs were his three infant daughters, (fn. 80) the youngest of whom died in 1431. (fn. 81) The manor passed to the middle sister Anne, wife of Sir John Willoughby (fn. 82) (d. 1477), who was succeeded in turn by his son Sir Robert, later Lord Willoughby de Broke (d. 1502), and grandson Robert Willoughby (d. 1521). After the younger Robert's death the manor was said to be held of Colvilles. (fn. 83) By an Act of 1536 French Ladys was assigned to Robert's granddaughters Blanche and Elizabeth Willoughby, and came on Blanche's death without issue wholly to Elizabeth and her husband Sir Fulke Greville (d. 1559), whose heir was his son Sir Fulke (d. 1606). The lessee in the 1580s, Thomas Burgoyne, usurped the lordship and sold parts of the manor, but Greville recovered them under a Chancery decree of 1591, (fn. 84) and the manor passed successively to the third Sir Fulke Greville (later Lord Brooke, d. 1628), and his sister and heir Margaret (fn. 85) (d. 1631), wife of Sir Richard Verney. It then descended in the Verney family, Lords Willoughby de Broke. (fn. 86)

John Peyto-Verney, Lord Willoughby de Broke, in 1814 obtained an Act vesting the manor in trustees for sale, an action made necessary by the strict terms of the entail of 1536. (fn. 87) John died in 1816 and his eldest son, also John PeytoVerney, in 1820, when the heir was his brother Henry. (fn. 88) Henry sold the manor, comprising the 345-a. Grange farm, to Salmon Linton of Westwick in 1828. (fn. 89) Linton (d. 1860) and his son and namesake (d. 1882) (fn. 90) bought additional land. (fn. 91) Following several legal actions the farm was put up for sale by order of the High Court in 1891 and was bought by Queens' College, Cambridge, (fn. 92) which sold it in 1921 to J. W. Mitcham. (fn. 93) The Grange is an L-shaped house facing St. Michael's rectory, probably of 17thcentury origin but much altered. (fn. 94)

Another part of COLVILLESmanor, known under that name, was in the hands of the lords of Cheyneys manor by 1406 and still in 1428, (fn. 95) but was later acquired by the Burgoyne family, John Burgoyne perhaps holding it in 1432. (fn. 96) Thomas Burgoyne, an under-sheriff of London, (fn. 97) left it by will proved 1470 to his widow Alice for life, with remainder to their son Thomas. (fn. 98) In 1473 Alice and Thomas claimed to hold it as heirs of the survivor of the feoffees of one of John Cheyney's trustees of 1406. (fn. 99) Sir John Cheyney, lord of Cheyneys, was then preventing Alice and her late husband's feoffees from entering upon the manor. (fn. 100) Alice Burgoyne died in 1473 (fn. 101) and her son was resident at his death in 1507, (fn. 102) as later was his son Thomas (d. 1521). (fn. 103) Thomas's son Thomas died without issue and the father's interest in Long Stanton passed to his brother Christopher. (fn. 104) Although Thomas, Lord Vaux, of Cheyneys manor was still disputing the title in the 1530s, (fn. 105) Christopher Burgoyne was de factolord in 1524 (fn. 106) and probably remained resident in Long Stanton until his death in 1562. (fn. 107) Christopher's son George settled the manor in 1572 on the marriage of his son Thomas, (fn. 108) who held it in 1580. (fn. 109) In 1596 half Thomas's estate was delivered to his creditors and in 1613 the surviving creditor conveyed his interest to Henry Holford of Long Stanton, (fn. 110) who granted it in 1616 to his stepsons Sir Christopher (d. 1619) and Robert Hatton. Holford's wife Joan evidently retained at least some of the lands to 1626, (fn. 111) but after her death in that year the estate descended in the Hatton family. (fn. 112) The Burgoynes appear not to have retained any land in Long Stanton and by 1628 Sir Christopher Hatton's son and namesake was in possession of the whole of Colvilles manor. (fn. 113)

In the early 13th century Colvilles manor house stood next to Bacon dole on the eastern parish boundary. (fn. 114) The site included earthworks in 1851 (fn. 115) but none survived in 1984. The late medieval manor house perhaps occupied the site of the Hattons' house. (fn. 116)

In 1251 Philip of Stanton gave William Cheyney a 3-a. plot for a house, (fn. 117) which in 1326 was said to comprise only a chamber and an oxhouse. (fn. 118) No later reference to it has been found.

In 1279 William Gringley held a small estate of the Richmond fee. (fn. 119) His descendants were recorded as holding land in 1288 and 1329, (fn. 120) and GRINGLEYSmanor was conveyed in 1439 by Thomas Gringley of West Burton (Notts.) to John Pulter. (fn. 121) It was later, perhaps in 1476, held by the lord of Colvilles. (fn. 122) As no further record has been found, it was presumably merged with that manor.

TONYS FEEand the manors held from it were derived from the largest pre-Conquest holding in Long Stanton, 4 1/2; hides belonging to the king's thegn Sexi. William I gave it to Gilbert son of Thorold, (fn. 123) from whom the overlordship passed to the Tony family. (fn. 124) It was held by Ralph (IV) de Tony c. 1235, (fn. 125) by Ralph (V)'s guardian Richard de Braose in 1269, (fn. 126) and by Ralph (V) himself in the 1280s. (fn. 127) It passed with the Tony barony of Flamstead (Herts.) on the death of Robert de Tony in 1309 to his sister Alice (d. 1324 or 1325), wife successively of Guy Beauchamp, earl of Warwick (fn. 128) (d. 1315), and of William la Zouche, Lord Zouche of Richard's Castle (d. 1337). (fn. 129) The lordship afterwards belonged to the earls of Warwick and their successors as a member of Kirtling, though from 1361 or earlier they had only a quitrent of 10s. (fn. 130) The rent was appurtenant to Kirtling when given to the Crown in 1488 by Anne, countess of Warwick. (fn. 131) Kirtling was sold by the Crown to Edward North (cr. Lord North 1554) in 1533, and the overlordship of the latter's greatgrandson Dudley, Lord North, was noted in the 1620s. (fn. 132)

Gilbert son of Thorold's undertenant at Long Stanton in 1086 was Hugh Hubald, (fn. 133) whose interest descended to Hugh Hubald (d. c. 1219) of Barford (Warws.) and from Hugh to his sister Denise and her son Henry of Nafford. (fn. 134) Henry held 1/2; knight's fee of the Tony family c. 1235. (fn. 135) He died c. 1250 (fn. 136) and seems to have been succeeded by another Henry, who was ejected after the battle of Lewes by Simon de Montfort, (fn. 137) evidently in favour of William of Nafford, the elder Henry's successor elsewhere and probably his nephew. (fn. 138) William forfeited his estates as a Montfortian and Long Stanton was granted in 1266 to Roger de Moels, a royal servant. (fn. 139) No intermediate lord was recorded on Tonys fee c. 1285. (fn. 140)

The manor later called WALWYNSwas held of Tonys fee in 1279 as 1/4; knight's fee by Robert de Caen. (fn. 141) He or another Robert de Caen had view of frankpledge in Long Stanton in 1298-9 with Philip Vaudeneye, (fn. 142) who held 1/2; knight's fee with his partners in 1302-3. (fn. 143) In 1316 the manor was settled in tail on John de Caen (fn. 144) (d. after 1326). (fn. 145) Robert de Caen was alleged in 1339 to be liable to pontage on 2 1/2; hides, (fn. 146) but although members of the Caen or Camp family lived at Long Stanton in the 1360s (fn. 147) the manor had passed to Sir John Walwyn by 1342 and probably by 1322. (fn. 148) It was settled in 1347 on Walwyn for life, with remainder to John Engaine of Teversham and his wife Joan, (fn. 149) and in 1383 on a different Sir John Engaine, (fn. 150) whose son William granted it in 1410 to William Cavendish, (fn. 151) the lord in 1428. (fn. 152) By 1486 it had passed to Sir John Cheyney, (fn. 153) a descendant of Elizabeth, coheir of another branch of the Engaine family. (fn. 154) On Sir John's death in 1489 it and 200 a. of arable were held of Kirtling. (fn. 155) Walwyns thereafter descended with Cheyneys manor. Sir John Walwyn appears to have had a manor house at Long Stanton in 1331 (fn. 156) but no other reference to it has been found.

John Lorchun died in 1486 seised of the manor of CAMPES, presumably named from the Caen family and held as 1/4; knight's fee of Walwyns; his heir was his second cousin Joan Ade, then an infant. (fn. 157) By 1504 it was in the hands of the lord of Walwyns and Cheyneys manors, Sir Thomas Cheyney, (fn. 158) whose heir Elizabeth and her husband Thomas, Lord Vaux of Harrowden, were apparently forcibly disseised by Christopher Burgoyne c. 1538. (fn. 159) No later reference to Campes manor has been found.

After the dissolution under Edward VI of the collegiate church of Astley (Warws.), its rectory estate of All Saints was granted to Henry Grey, marquess of Dorset and later duke of Suffolk (d. 1554). On the death of his second daughter and eventual heir Mary in 1578, the manor reverted to the Crown, (fn. 160) which granted it to the bishop of Ely in 1600. (fn. 161) The estate, covering c. 80 a., was sold by the parliamentary commissioners in 1652 (fn. 162) and restored after 1660. The dean and chapter of Astley had in 1537 granted a 46-year lease to Christopher Burgoyne, (fn. 163) which by 1572 was in the hands of Godfrey Burgoyne of Cambridge. After passing through several hands in the 1570s and 1580s, the lease was bought in 1583 by John Hatton of Oakington, a relative by marriage of the Burgoynes. (fn. 164) His son and heir Sir Christopher (d. 1619) later acquired other leasehold interests in the estate. Sir Christopher's widow Alice sold the lease in 1624 to Thomas Hatton. (fn. 165) Apart from an interruption between 1661 and 1670, the Hattons and later the Finch-Hattons were lessees until 1858, (fn. 166) when D. H. Finch-Hatton's trustees bought the freehold of the 329 a. allotted at inclosure in 1816. (fn. 167) The land was sold with the rest of the Finch-Hatton estate in 1874. (fn. 168) The parsonage house was thatched with straw and had a chimney when it was repaired in 1620. (fn. 169) In the mid 17th century the small dwelling presumably served as the farmhouse for the Hattons' tenants. It stood immediately north-east of the vicarage in a close occupied in 1984 by an orchard belonging to the glebe. (fn. 170)

The estate later belonging to Magdalene College, Cambridge, originated in 1582-3 with the purchase of land by William Howgrave. Howgrave's son and heir Henry sold c. 120 a. in 1620 to Edward Breese, (fn. 171) whose nephews held it in 1627 (fn. 172) and sold it in 1629 to Roger Thompson. Thompson conveyed it in 1630 to John Smith, a fellow of Magdalene, (fn. 173) who bought another small plot of land in 1631, (fn. 174) and by will proved 1638 left the estate to his college. (fn. 175) Magdalene owned c. 102 a. in the early 17th century (fn. 176) and 38 a. in All Saints parish and 64 a. in St. Michael's after inclosure in 1816. (fn. 177) It was sold in 1919 or 1920. (fn. 178)

Pembroke Hall (later College), Cambridge, with the help of Edward Story, bishop of Chichester and a former fellow, in 1500 acquired a small estate which had mostly been accumulated in the early 14th century by Roger le Lord and his son William. (fn. 179) After inclosure it amounted to 28 a., (fn. 180) sold in 1921. (fn. 181)

Henry Harvey, master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, by will proved 1585 left a house and land to the college on condition that they be leased to the rector of St. Michael's. (fn. 182) The college was allotted c. 10 a. in each parish at inclosure, (fn. 183) when the house was no longer standing. The land was sold in 1918. (fn. 184)