MILTON BRYANT OR BRYAN
Mydelton (xii cent.). (fn. 1)
The parish, which includes a small portion of
Woburn Park, covers 1,551⅓ acres, of which 863 are
pasture, 180 woods and plantations and 259 arable
land. (fn. 2) The soil is loam and gravel, with a subsoil of
clay. The ground rises gradually from 400 ft. on
the borders of the parish to a ridge 530 ft. high in
the centre, on which the village is placed.
The main road from Leighton Buzzard to Woburn
crosses the parish and is connected with the village
by two branches. These three roads, with a private
road for the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Inglis, leading
from the main road to the old inclosures of Hugh
Inglis in Milton Bryant and a footway to the church,
were appointed by the Act of Parliament of 1794, by
which the parish was inclosed. (fn. 3)
The village stands in the highest part of the parish
to the south of Woburn Park. It consists of two
parts, the uppermost, Church End, containing the
church, rectory and the Manor Farm, a modern
building, the property of the Duke of Bedford.
The schools and Leys Farm stand midway between
Church End and the main portion of the village,
where is the manor-house, dating from the last half
of the 17th century, surrounded by a small park.
Miss Henrietta Synnot, the sole surviving representative of the Inglis family, still resides there, but
the manor has been acquired by the Duke o
Bedford.
A Wesleyan chapel was erected about thirty years
ago over part of the village pond. There are a few
half-timber thatched cottages in the village.
A small copse in the parish, Palmer's Shrubs, is
mentioned under the form Palmer's Scrobs in 16th-century documents. Other place-names that are
found are:—Le Hadlond (xvi cent.); Malkinwick
(xvii cent.); Magway Furlong, Parson's Piece
(xviii cent.).
No trace now exists in the parish of the windmill which is found mentioned in 17th-century
documents. (fn. 4)
MANORS
The manor of MILTON—later known
as MILTON BRYAN or MILTON
BRYAN—was held by Anti, a house
carl of Earl Algar before the Conquest, and in 1086
consisted of 6 hides, forming part of the fief of Hugh
de Beauchamp. (fn. 5) It was afterwards held of the
barony of Bedford for the services due from one
knight's fee, (fn. 6) and on the division of the Beauchamp
lands the overlordship passed to the Mowbrays, Dukes
of Norfolk. (fn. 7) The last mention of their rights in
Milton Bryant occurs in 1470. (fn. 8)
No trace is to be found of the heirs of William
Froissart, who was tenant in fee of the manor in 1086. (fn. 9)
In the latter half of the 12th century it was in the
possession of the Bryan family, whose name was
adopted as an identification of their estate here. (fn. 10)
The Bryans continued to hold during the next century,
for in 1276 and 1284 Roger Le Strange the overlord
held Milton Bryant in his capacity of guardian of the
heir of Robert Bryan, (fn. 11) and in 1302–3 it was in the
hands of Peter Bryan, (fn. 12) who was returned as part
lord of the vill in 1316. (fn. 13) In 1315 he settled the
manor upon his son and heir John, (fn. 14) who in 1344
alienated it in mortmain to the Abbot and convent
of Woburn, Adam de Queldryck, vicar of Swanbourne, arranging the transaction probably as trustee. (fn. 15)
The abbey, as will be seen below, had previously
received grants of land in Milton Bryant, (fn. 16) and
further increased its possession there later in the 14th
century. (fn. 17)
Milton Bryant Manor, in which these other grants
became absorbed, remained in the possession of
Woburn Abbey until the Dissolution, when the
estate was valued at £24 6s. 3¼d. per annum. (fn. 18) In
1542 this property was annexed by the Crown to the
honour of Ampthill, (fn. 19) and in 1599 the manor was
granted by Queen Elizabeth to Michael and Edward
Stanhope and their heirs. (fn. 20) In 1601 Michael
Stanhope sold it to Christopher Estwick, (fn. 21) who in
1606 settled the whole estate on his wife Anne and
her issue, (fn. 22) and, dying in 1611, he was succeeded by his
son, another Christopher, who was then a minor, (fn. 23) but
who obtained a release of his father's lands in 1623. (fn. 24)
Three years later, however, he conveyed the manor
of Milton Bryant to Sir Francis Staunton, kt., (fn. 25)
whose younger son William obtained it by settlement
from his father in 1632, and
died seised of it in 1636. (fn. 26)
His son and heir, another
Francis, was then under age,
but he apparently sold the
manor circa 1655 (fn. 27) to
William Johnson, who in
1657 was engaged in a suit
with one of the tenants as to
the metes and bounds, the
latter declaring that Milton
Bryant was a reputed manor
only, and refused to attend
the court baron until shown
evidence to the contrary. (fn. 28)
Johnson. Argent a pile azure with three leopards' heads argent thereon.
Thomas Johnson succeeded to Milton Bryant on
the death of his father William, and dealt with the
property by fine in 1680. (fn. 29) He was High Sheriff of
Bedfordshire in 1702–3, (fn. 30) and died in 1707, leaving
the manor to his only son and heir Joseph. He was
also sheriff of the county in 1726, (fn. 31) but died in 1742,
when this branch of the family became extinct. By
his will Milton Bryant passed to his third cousin
Henry, descended from his great-grandfather's brother,
William Johnson of Olney. He remained lord of
the manor until his death in 1771, when he left the
estate by will to his only surviving daughter Catherine,
by his second wife Catherine, to the exclusion of his
two daughters by a former wife. (fn. 32)
Catherine married Sir Hugh Inglis in 1784, and
in the following year settled the manor upon her
husband and herself and her issue. (fn. 33) After her death
in 1792 it became the property of Sir Hugh, who
was a director of the East India Company and
was created a baronet in 1801. A monument by
Chantrey was erected to his memory in Milton
Bryant Church on his death in 1820.
His son and heir Robert Harry Inglis, for some
time M.P. for the University of Oxford, inherited
the estates of his mother, but died without issue in
1855. By his will he left
Milton Bryant Manor to his
widow Lady Inglis, (fn. 34) who
resided at the manor-house
in 1864. (fn. 35) Lady Inglis
bequeathed the property to
Miss Thornton, who was in
possession in 1885, and in
1898 Miss Henrietta L.
Synnot was lady of the
manor. (fn. 36) In 1906 it was
purchased from her by the
Duke of Bedford, who is
present lord of the manor,
and whose whole property
in Milton Bryant covers approximately 839 acres. (fn. 37)
Inglis. Azure a lion in a border argent and a chief or with three stars azure therein.
Four hides of land in Milton Bryant were held of
the Bishop of Bayeux by Ansgot of Rochester at the
time of the Domesday Survey, having been held
formerly by seven sokemen. (fn. 38) The bishop's lands
shortly afterwards escheated to the Crown, (fn. 39) and
many of his fees were then held of the royal barony
of Rochester. In the Testa de Nevill the overlordship
of this estate is assigned to William de Aubervill, as
part of his honour of Aubervill. (fn. 40) This is evidently
a clerical error, for though William did hold the
overlordship at this date it was as governor of Rochester
Castle, (fn. 41) and at the close of the 13th century it was
still parcel of the barony of Rochester. (fn. 42)
It has been found impossible to connect Ansgot,
the Domesday tenant of the Bishop, or his heirs with
the subsequent owners in fee. In the middle of the
13th century it was held in three portions by William
de Upton, Richard de Eversholt and Dionisia
daughter of Ralph. (fn. 43) William de Upton's (fn. 44) share,
comprising 2 hides, was granted by him to the Abbot
of Woburn, and may be represented by the 7 virgates of land which the abbot held in the reign of
Henry III. (fn. 45) Certain service was rendered to William
by the abbot for these 2 hides in 1276 (fn. 46) and 1284, (fn. 47)
but before 1302 Woburn held them in frankalmoigne. (fn. 48)
The portion held by Richard de Eversholt was probably united by him to his property in Eversholt,
held of the same barony, and also appears to have
been subsequently granted to Woburn Abbey. (fn. 49) These
two portions represent the lands and meadows, rents
and courts held by the abbey in 1291 and valued at
£4 15s. In fruits of flocks and beasts the abbey
had to the value of 66s. 8d. The abbey also received
a grant of free warren in these lands in 1299. (fn. 50)
Dionisia daughter of Ralph, to whom is assigned
the third part of this fee in Testa de Nevill, evidently
married Walter de Harlington, for in 1236 Walter
and Dionisia his wife quitclaimed certain lands in
Milton Bryant, held in right of the latter, to Woburn
Abbey. (fn. 51) The residue of their holding, comprising
a hide of land, was held by Robert de Harlington in
1276, (fn. 52) 1284 and 1302–3. (fn. 53) His heir John de
Harlington was in possession in 1346, (fn. 54) but before
1428 it was granted in mortmain to the monks of
Woburn, (fn. 55) who thus acquired the whole of the lands
held by Ansgot at Domesday, and their history is
henceforward identical with that of Milton Bryant
Manor (q.v.).
A so-called manor of MILTON BRYANT, which
is first mentioned in 1592, possibly originated in
lands and tenements called Auncells, parcel of the
chief manor of Milton Bryant, which were leased for
twenty-one years to George Bredyman in 1554, and
in 1556 granted in fee to him and his wife Edith
Brocas, one of the women of the Queen's Chamber.
Edmund Bredyman, son of George and Edith,
succeeded to the property on the death of his father
in 1581, (fn. 56) and in 1585 conveyed it under the title
of a 'manor' in Milton Bryan to Thomas Southwell
as trustee. (fn. 57) It is later, however, mentioned as rents
there, and as such was apparently annexed to the
manor of Podington held by Edmund, and shares its
subsequent history (q.v.).
The grant of Robert son of Bryan to Merton
Priory in the reign of Henry II included, besides the
church, 1 hide of land, which was evidently the
nucleus of the property known later as MILTON
GRANGE. The Abbot of Woburn obtained a
licence from the bishop to acquire 3 virgates of this
1 hide at an annual rent of 20s. from the Prior of
Merton before 1247, when William de Upton the
rector endeavoured to claim for himself as right of
his church the rent paid by Woburn. (fn. 58) The grange
of Milton in 1291 yielded an annual rent of 21s. to
the prior, (fn. 59) and in 1535 the abbey of Woburn was
still its tenant, paying the same rent of 20s. to Merton
Priory. (fn. 60) After the Dissolution the grange was
annexed to the honour of Ampthill, (fn. 61) and before
1584 had been granted to Christopher Estwick, (fn. 62)
who in 1596 settled it upon his wife Marion and his
son Christopher on his marriage with Anne daughter
of Arthur Brooke of Great Oakley (co. Northants).
The elder Christopher died in 1598, (fn. 63) and the
younger, his successor, purchased the manor of Milton
Bryant in 1601. From this date the grange shares
the history of the manor (q.v.) until its owner, Miss
Henrietta Synnot, sold it in 1892 to the Duke of Bedford, whose successor acquired the manor in 1906. The
grange farm property was then 126¼ acres in extent. (fn. 64)
The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem at Shingay
had a view of frankpledge belonging to their manor
in Eversholt, which extended into this parish. (fn. 65)
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER consists
of a chancel 24 ft. 10 in. by 15 ft. 9 in.
and nave 42 ft. by 21 ft., both of early
12th-century date, to which have been added in
modern times a north transept 12 ft. by 13 ft. 9 in.,
south transept 16 ft. 11 in. by 14 ft. 11 in., and a
north-west tower 15 ft. square; between the tower
and north transept is a modern porch.
The walls of the church are entirely covered with
plaster.
The east window, inserted in the 15th century,
has been restored; it consists of three cinquefoiled
lights with perpendicular tracery beneath a four-centred head. In the north wall of the chancel is
a small round-headed 12th-century window, and
there is another, renewed externally, in the south
wall, over a late 15th-century doorway; further to
the west in this wall is a square-headed window of
two lights in two chamfered orders. The eastern
part of the south wall is thicker than the rest, and
has an early 12th-century engaged shaft in the projecting angle, and it seems probable that the eastern
part of the chancel was originally covered with a
stone vault.
Milton Bryant Church from the South-west
The chancel arch is 12th-century work, but has
been very largely restored; it has an edge roll, above
which is a label of slight projection decorated with
billet ornament; in the angles of the responds towards
the nave are shafts with rude scalloped capitals and
cushion bases.
To the north of the nave is a transept with several
18th and 19th-century memorial slabs of the Inglis
family and a fine marble effigy of Sir Hugh Inglis,
bart., 1820. The transept is lighted at the north
end by a square-headed window of three cinquefoiled
lights, and over it a single pointed light. On the
opposite side of the nave is a south transept lighted
from the south end by a square-headed window of
three cinquefoiled lights. These transepts were built
in the last century, and are shown in a drawing of
1835.
The north doorway is of late 15th-century work in two moulded orders,
the inner of which is pointed, and
the outer has a square head with a
label over; in the spandrels are quatrefoiled panels with plain shields.
There is a modern porch over this
doorway taking up the space between
the transept and the tower, which
is also modern. In the south wall
of the nave are two small round-headed 12th-century windows, with
deeply splayed jambs on the inside.
The west window is modern, of four
cinquefoiled lights, with a square
head. Over it is a round-headed
12th-century window.
The tower is to the north of the
west end of the nave, and dates from
c. 1840. It is built in three stages,
with square buttresses at the angles
of slight projection; in each side of
the two lowest stages, except the
lowest where it adjoins the church,
is a single pointed light in two
chamfered orders. The belfry
windows consist of two pointed lights
side by side. The tower is crowned
by an embattled parapet.
The nave roof is steep pitched, of
14th-century date, in four bays.
There are brackets to the principal
rafters, carved with the heads of men
on the north side and of women on
the south. There are two purlins on
each side, and the panels thus formed are plastered.
There are three 14th-century trusses to the chancel,
but the rest of this roof is modern; both transepts
have plaster ceilings. The roofs of the church are
tiled.
The font is circular, dating from the 12th century,
with four rough pilasters on a modern pedestal.
In the porch are two old chests with wrought-iron
strapwork. In the tower is a 17th-century table and
in the chancel a 17th-century chair.
Near the entrance to the south transept is an
interesting and early coffin-lid, probably of the 10th
or 11th century, discovered when excavating for the
tower foundations.
There are three bells: the treble by I. K. (James
Keene), 1641, with a stamp a fleur de lis; the second
by Richard Chandler, 1636; the tenor by Taylor of
Loughborough, 1883.
The plate consists of a communion cup and paten
cover, the former having delicate embossed bands of
ornament to the stand, date letter 1611; a modern
electro-plated foot-paten and flagon; also a set given
by the Duke of Bedford in 1874, consisting of a
communion cup, glass flagon, paten, almsdish and
spoon, all silver gilt. There is also a pewter flagon,
with C B on four shields on the lid and the letters W L
on the thumb-piece.
The registers previous to 1813 are in nine books:
(1) all entries 1559 to 1653; (2) 1653 to 1684;
(3) baptisms 1678 to 1706; (4) marriages and
burials 1687 to 1705; (5) all entries 1702 to 1745;
(6) all (marriages to 1754) 1745 to 1788; (7)
marriages 1754 to 1787; (8) the same (printed)
1789 to 1812; (9) baptisms and burials (printed)
1789 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The church of Milton Bryant was
granted by Robert son of Bryan to
Merton Priory shortly after its
foundation, in the reign of Henry II, (fn. 66) and that
monastery continued to hold the patronage of the
rectory until the Dissolution, when it lapsed to the
Crown, with which it has since remained. (fn. 67)
In 1291 the church was valued at £6 13s. 4d., (fn. 68)
and in 1535 this sum had increased to £11 16s. 2d.,
after deducting the annual pension of 6s. 8d. paid to
the prior from the rectory. (fn. 69)
The farm of one tenement, 24 acres of land, a
close and half an acre of meadow in tenure of Henry
Field formed the endowment for an obit in Milton
Bryant Church annually, at the feasts of the Annunciation and St. Michael the Archangel, and the farm
of 2 acres of land in the tenure of the churchwardens
was given for the support of a light in the church.
At the time of the dissolution of the chantries by
Edward VI these lands, after payment of 5s. to the
poor of the parish, yielded clear by year 9s. (fn. 70)
CHARITIES
The Charity Estate consists of
eleven cottages and a farm of 33 acres,
net rental about £72 a year, applicable for the benefit of the town generally, and a sum
of £63 19s. 10d. consols, accumulating with the
official trustees until required. In 1907 a grant of
£10 was made to the wardens for lighting and heating and a sum of £34 4s. in augmenting subscriptions
to a coal club. Considerable expense is entailed in
keeping the cottages in repair. A disused gravel pit,
1 acre in extent, is let in allotments, producing about
£2 a year, which is carried to the general expenses.
In 1853 Miss Mary Louisa Inglis, by will proved
at London 17 November, left £100 for providing a
church clock and £100 for winding and keeping the
same in repair. Trust fund, £120 0s. 1d. consols,
with the official trustees, producing £3 a year.
The Inglis School Endowment, founded by Sir
Robert Harry Inglis, bart., and Dame Mary Inglis,
comprised in deeds of 26 November 1853 and
30 March 1867. (fn. 71) The annuity of £80 was redeemed in 1906 by the transfer to the official trustees
of £2,666 13s. 4d. India 3 per cent. stock, who also
hold a further sum of £63 11s. 8d. like stock arising
from sale of a school site. The charity is regulated by
a scheme of 10 June 1907. The annual income,
amounting to £81 18s., is subject to the repair and
preservation of two transepts in the parish church
and of the monuments to the memory of the Inglis
and Johnson families. Applicable for the benefit of
the elementary schools.
A certified Industrial School for boys, founded by
the Inglis family, formerly carried on at Clapham,
London, also exists in this parish.