GREAT AMWELL
Emmewell or Emwell (xi–xiv cent.); Ammewell,
Amewell or Amwell (xiii–xiv cent.); Amwell Magna,
Much Amwell or Great Amwell (xvii cent.).
The parish of Great Amwell lies on the right bank
of the River Lea to the south of Ware and the southeast of Hertford. A detached part surrounded by the
civil parishes of Little Amwell and St. John's Rural
lies to the north-west of Little Amwell. It includes
Gallows Plain, and its boundary passes through a
tumulus of unknown origin on the western side of
'Barrow Field.' (fn. 1)
The parish contains 2,264 acres, but was formerly
of greater extent. A considerable portion of the
hamlet of Hoddesdon lay within the ecclesiastical
parish of Great Amwell (fn. 2) until 1844, when Hoddesdon itself was consolidated into a separate parish. (fn. 3)
This part of Hoddesdon was known as 'Amwell
hamlet in Hoddesdon.' (fn. 4) The 'vill' of 1086 apparently included a part of Hoddesdon (fn. 5) and the lands
of Ralf de Limesy in Hertford. (fn. 6) The hamlet of
Amwell End, notorious for a disorderly fair established without licence in 1768, (fn. 7) was transferred to
the civil parish of Ware in 1858. (fn. 8)
About one-quarter of the parish is arable land.
The woods at Amwell Bury, Hertford Heath and
Hailey cover some 500 acres. Richard of Hailey
gave 5 acres of woodland in Amwell to the friars of
Easton, co. Wilts., (fn. 9) in 1301. Characteristic features
of the parish are the meadows or 'holmes' of the
Lea Valley. Several of these were attached to houses
in 'Nethenhostret' in the 14th century. (fn. 10) Star
Holme belonged to the house called 'the Star' in
Ware. (fn. 11) Hedenhoo Marsh and Amwell Marsh also
provided considerable pasturage. (fn. 12)
The parish lies at the junction of the Chalk with
the Reading Bed of clay and pebble. (fn. 13) The surface
soil is clay, chalk and gravel. The village is situated
on the western slope of the valley of the Lea, a little
to the east of the main road to London from Ware,
where Izaak Walton promised to meet 'Venator' for
an otter-hunt. (fn. 14) The village is on an 'outlier' of
the Reading Bed. On the hill-side above is the
church with the stocks now much repaired, and close
by are the vicarage, Home Lodge, the residence of
Rev. R. S. Mylne, F.S.A., and the school built in
1875. The Quaker poet John Scott built a grotto
near his father's house at Amwell End and entertained
among others Dr. Johnson. (fn. 15) The grotto is in the
grounds of a house called the Grotto, now the
residence of Mr. Sidney Harrington. In writing of
Great Amwell Scott describes how the
'Roofs of russet thatch
Rise mix'd with trees, above whose swelling tops
Ascends the tall church tow'r and loftier still
The hill's extended ridge.' (fn. 16)
Another poet connected with Amwell is William
Warner, author of Albions England, who died suddenly
in the parish 1 March 1608–9. (fn. 17)
At Amwell Magna Cottage there is let into the
wall a triangular panel bearing the date 1606 and
surmounted by a crown and thistle and the letters
I. R. 6. A. R., the initials of James I and his queen,
Anne of Denmark, and the king's favourite motto
Beati pacifici. This stone was formerly above the
central arch of Netherbow Port, Edinburgh, (fn. 18) and
was placed in its present position by Mr. Robert
William Mylne, F.R.S., of the Home Lodge, architect
and antiquary. The latter's grandfather, Robert
Mylne, F.R.S., architect to the Dean and Chapter
of St. Paul's Cathedral (where he is buried), and
designer of the bridge at Blackfriars opened in 1769,
settled in Amwell about 1770. He was engineer to
the New River Company for forty years, and was
succeeded by his son, William Chadwell Mylne of
Amwell, who also was engineer to the company, and
effected the alterations in the works of the New River
Company after the Metropolis Waterworks Act, 1852. (fn. 19)
Immediately below the village is 'Emma's Well,'
a spring utilized by Sir Hugh Myddelton as one of
the sources of the New River. It is said to have
been named after Emma wife of Cnut. (fn. 20) It seems
to have been called 'Amwell Well' in the 14th
century. (fn. 21) On an island in the New River is a stone
bearing a legend to this spring. On another island
is a monument to Sir Hugh Myddelton. Beyond
the river the Hertford branch of the Great Eastern
railway traverses the parish. The River Lea, which
forms the eastern boundary, was doubtless the
mediaeval route from Amwell to London. There
is record of the swamping of a boat on the way
to Westminster about 1289. (fn. 22) The Lea evidently
served also to turn the manorial mill which existed
in 1086. (fn. 23) It was damaged by the erection of a
new sluice by the Abbot of Waltham in 1281, (fn. 24) , and
was still in need of repair in 1289. (fn. 25)
Amwell Bury lies to the north-west of the village.
Between Amwell Bury and Ware is Presdales, (fn. 26) a
modern house, the residence of Mr. A. G. Sandeman, J.P.
Hailey is a hamlet in the south of the parish separated from Amwell village by Goldings Wood and
the parish of Stanstead St. Margaret's. Hailey Hall,
on the main road from Hoddesdon to Ware, is a
modernized house with a homestead moat. Near it
are brick-works, and the clay on the opposite side
of the road is still worked. The hamlet includes
Haileybury College, which stands on high ground
near the beautiful woodland of Hertford Heath.
The heath is crossed by Ermine Street. The college
was opened in 1809 for the training of civil servants
of the East India Company. (fn. 27) After the abolition
of the company the building was temporarily used
as a barracks for its army. In 1862 the college
was converted into a public school. (fn. 28) It is built in
the classical style after the designs of Mr. William
Wilkins, architect of the National Gallery. The
buildings, which are of brick with stone dressings,
surround a large quadrangle, having the chapel, library
and head master's house on the south. The chapel,
which was completed in 1877, occupies the centre
of this range. The chancel is on the north, projecting
into the quadrangle, and is surmounted by a lofty
octagonal dome. The southern portion of the chapel
is contained within the walls of the older buildings.
To the east is the library, a plain, well-proportioned
room, which formed the original chapel. The south
front of this range, facing on the terrace, forms the
principal elevation of the college, and, seen from
Hailey Lane, presents an imposing appearance. The
centre is marked by a hexastyle portico of the Ionic
order, above which rises the chapel dome, and near
either end of the elevation are tetrastyle porticoes of
the same order. The original perspective drawings
for the terrace front, both as first proposed and as
actually erected, are preserved in the library, having
recently come into the possession of the school authorities. Among the many alterations and additions made
to the buildings since 1862 the Bradby Hall, to
the east of the great quadrangle, designed by Mr.
Reginald Blomfield and erected in 1887, is the most
important from an architectural point of view. It
is a building of brick in the quasi-Jacobean style of
that period. In 1907 additional class rooms were
built on the west side of the quadrangle. Hailey
House, an 18th-century building of brick, is now
incorporated into the premises of the school.
The southernmost point of the parish is the little
hamlet of Woolensbrook, where there is a mission
church served from Great Amwell. The 15th-century form of this name was 'Wowelond.'
Westminster Abbey. Gules St. Peter's keys or crossed with St. Edward's ring or in the chief with its gem azure.
MANORS
Before the Conquest AMWELL,
AMWELLBURY or GREAT AMWELL was a 'berewick' or outlying
estate attached with two others at Hertford and
Hoddesdon to Earl Harold's manor of Hatfield
Broadoak. (fn. 29) All three berewicks were evidently
included in the 14½ hides at Amwell which constituted the holding of Ralf de Limesy in 1086. (fn. 30)
This holding probably extended over what is now
Little Amwell, part of which with Ralf's lands in
Hertford formed the endowment of his priory at
Hertford. (fn. 31) Ralf's holding at Hoddesdon was probably identical with the manor of Geddings and
other lands held of the manor of Great Amwell. (fn. 32)
About 1130 Ralf de Limesy was succeeded in his
Hertfordshire lands by his son Alan. (fn. 33) Gerard son
of Alan owed scutage for lands in Hertfordshire in
1161. (fn. 34) His widow Amice had two sons living in
1185. (fn. 35) The elder was John de Limesy. (fn. 36) Either
this John or one of his predecessors seems to have
made a sub-enfeoffment of Amwell Manor to a
younger branch of the family, the descendants of
Geoffrey, who was evidently a younger son of the
Ralf de Limesy of the Domesday Book. (fn. 37) Ralph de
Limesy, grandson of this Geoffrey, left a daughter
Felise, who apparently married Robert the son of
her guardian Ralph son of Nicholas. (fn. 38) Robert son
of Ralph son of Nicholas with his wife 'lady Felicia'
had licence, (fn. 39) and made an agreement in 1252 with
the Prior of Hertford to build
a free chapel in their 'court'
at Amwell. (fn. 40) Felise died without issue, (fn. 41) and her cousin
Ralph, the son of Alan her
father's brother, sold Amwell
Manor in or shortly before
1270 to Richard of Ware,
Abbot of Westminster, (fn. 42) reserving a rent of a clove gillyflower. (fn. 43) His nephew and
heir Peter de Limesy (fn. 44) released
all right in the manor as mesne
lord to the abbey in 1317. (fn. 45)
The abbot owed knight's service of one fee to the chief
lord, (fn. 46) which in 1303 was due to Hugh de Oddingselles, (fn. 47) grandson of Basile, one of the co-heirs of
John de Limesy. (fn. 48) Hugh afterwards sold to the
abbey all his rights in Amwell as chief lord. (fn. 49) A
rental of the late 14th century shows that the abbey
exacted the service of a half-fee from Robert son of
Robert de Gedding, who was then holding onequarter of the vill, (fn. 50) and of another half-fee from
the seven tenants of land which had been held by
Nicholas Usshel and John Percival, and also of a
quarter-fee from the nine tenants of the holding
formerly of Stephen de Aldingbourne. (fn. 51)
Abbot Richard promised to assign Amwell Manor
to the convent, from the goods of which he had paid
Ralph de Limesy 700 marks of silver (fn. 52) ; but it was
not until 1288 that Abbot Walter de Wenlak definitely assigned it to the cellarer of the abbey. (fn. 53) In
1535 the treasurer of outlying estates received the
profits. (fn. 54)
Denny, Earl of Norwich. Gules a saltire argent between twelve crosses formy or.
In 1289 the reeve accounted for the manor including the courts, and Brother Richard de Waltham
visited Amwell four times yearly to receive the
profits. (fn. 55) Early in the 14th century Sir William
de Goldington, kt., lord of the neighbouring manor
of Goldingtons, (fn. 56) had a lease of the manor for life. (fn. 57)
The courts were usually reserved in leases of the
demesne lands, (fn. 58) and in 1398 the profits of the courts
were farmed separately by a collector of rents. (fn. 59) In
1537 a reversionary lease of the demesne lands, contingent upon the death of Gilbert Rooks, was made
to Thomas Leigh, Master of the Hospital of Burton
St. Lazars, and to his nephew William Leigh, a
mercer of London, in survivorship. (fn. 60)
The abbey surrendered to the Crown in January
1539–40, (fn. 61) and in the following August Sir Anthony
Denny, kt., of Cheshunt, the
favourite of Henry VIII and
an ardent supporter of the
Reformation, (fn. 62) had a grant in
tail-male of all the estate of
the late abbey at Amwell. (fn. 63)
Dame Joan, Sir Anthony's
beautiful and accomplished
widow, purchased from
William Leigh his interest in
the manor in March 1552–3, (fn. 64)
and after her death her executor John Tamworth transferred
to Henry Denny of Dalonce,
co. Essex, the remaining years of Leigh's lease. (fn. 65)
Under the terms of the grant to Sir Anthony the
manor descended in tail-male to his son Henry
Denny of Cheshunt (fn. 66) and his grandson Robert, a
minor at his father's death. (fn. 67) The latter was succeeded in 1576 by his brother, Sir Edward Denny,
kt., who was created Lord Denny of Waltham in
1604 and Earl of Norwich in 1636. (fn. 68) In 1600,
desiring to build in a place with good air, Sir
Edward wished to cut off the entail and purchase
the reversionary rights of the Crown in the manor. (fn. 69)
Having met with opposition from his uncle, he
apparently changed his plans. (fn. 70) Sir James Hay,
kt., his extravagant son-in-law, (fn. 71) obtained a grant
of the Crown rights in the manor 11 February
1605–6, (fn. 72) and in 1607 joined with Sir Edward
in a sale to Thomas Hobbes the elder of Gray's
Inn. (fn. 73) Thomas Hobbes, possibly the son of the
last-named Thomas, settled the remainder of the
manor, failing his own children, on those of his sister
Martha Peyton. (fn. 74) He left an only daughter Susan,
who was aged ten at his death in February 1631–2. (fn. 75)
She married John Fiennes, second son of William
first Viscount Saye and Sele. (fn. 76) Upon his death in
1696 Amwell Manor passed to his son-in-law Thomas
Filmer of the Inner Temple, who had purchased
the reversion of it. (fn. 77) He died in 1701 and was
succeeded by his two daughters, Susan wife of Robert
Eddowes and Mary afterwards married to Edward
Trotman. (fn. 78) They sold the Amwell estate to Thomas
Burford, (fn. 79) and it descended to his brother John
Burford of King's College, Cambridge. (fn. 80) Upon his
death it was purchased by Bibye Lake of Edmonton,
whose only daughter and heir Anna Maria took it in
marriage to Colonel Charles Brown. (fn. 81) At his death
in 1836 it descended to his son Captain Henry
Brown, who had distinguished himself in the Peninsular War. (fn. 82) His widow, Mrs. Mary Anne Brown,
held it after his death, which took place in November
1873. (fn. 83) It was inherited by Captain Brown's
only child, Mrs. Charrington, from whom the lordship of the manor was purchased by the governors of
Haileybury College. (fn. 84)
A hall existed at Amwell in 1289. (fn. 85) It may have
been the 'capital messuage' with lands in 'Hallefeld'
held by Andrew de Godesfeld, one of the successors
of Stephen de Aldingbourne, in the latter half of the
14th century. (fn. 86) In 1398 the 'house' had to be
repaired after a strong wind. (fn. 87) Sir Edward Denny's
desire to build at Amwell implies that there was
probably no considerable house there in 1600. The
present Amwell Bury lies among woods about half a
mile to the north-west of the village. It has a modern
pigeon-house, the walls of which evidently encase a
late 17th-century building. The house is now the
property of Mr. E. S. Hanbury of Poles.
Henry III granted to the Abbot of Westminster
in Amwell all the extensive liberties which he possessed
in his other lands. (fn. 88) By virtue of this charter, and a
confirmation of it by Edward I, (fn. 89) the abbey had
return of writs, exemption from the sheriff's tourn,
view of frankpledge, amends of assize of bread and ale
and other royalties (fn. 90) within the 'liberty' of Amwell. (fn. 91)
A striking result of the abbot's privileges was the
difficulty experienced by the tenants of the manor in
bringing pleas of land against their lord. Hence a
plea between Peter de Limesy and the abbot in
1313 became a test case as to the right of the sheriff
to enter a liberty in the case of default upon the
part of the officers of its lord. (fn. 92)
There was a fishery in the mill-pond in 1289–90. (fn. 93)
This was probably the fishery farmed by Ellen de
Limesy in 1398. (fn. 94) At the present day the subscription waters of Amwell Magna Fishery, which have
been sold to the Metropolitan Water Board, are
among the best in the River Lea.
In 1086 Geoffrey de Bech held 2 hides at
HAILEY (Hailet, xi cent.; Heilet, xii cent.; Heyle,
xiv cent.; Heyleghe, xv cent.). They had formerly
been held by Wlwin, a man of Earl Harold, (fn. 95) and
with the rest of Geoffrey's fief had subsequently been
in the hands of Ilbert, the first Norman sheriff of the
county. (fn. 96) In 1086 the lord of the manor of Great
Amwell claimed woodland which Ilbert had attached
to this manor, and the canons of Waltham, probably
as lords of Brickendon, (fn. 97) also laid claim to woodland
in Hailey. (fn. 98)
Ralf the Butler ('Pincerna') (fn. 99) appears to have succeeded Geoffrey de Bech in Hailey, Cockenhatch and
Bengeo. In the time of Henry I, Ralf sub-enfeoffed
Aubrey de Vere, possibly the father of the first Earl
of Oxford, who died in 1141, (fn. 100) of all the land which
had been held of him by Roger de Burun in Hailey,
Cockenhatch and Bengeo. (fn. 101) Robert de Burun, possibly
the son of Roger, was to recover the tenancy under
Aubrey de Vere upon payment of £32. (fn. 102) The 2
hides of Geoffrey de Bech and the land held under
Ralf the Butler in Hailey apparently included the
manor known later as Goldingtons in Thele. (fn. 103) Of
the interest of Ralf the Butler nothing further is
known, (fn. 104) but the successive Earls of Oxford retained
the overlordship of the manors of Revells Hall in
Bengeo and Goldingtons in Thele. (fn. 105) There was in
1700 no distinct manor of Hailey, (fn. 106) but a reputed
'manor' of Hailey was held with Goldingtons by
Sir Andrew Ogard, kt., in the 15th century (fn. 107) and
was acquired with that manor by William Frankland
in 1560. (fn. 108) It probably became absorbed in the
neighbouring' manor of Goldingtons.
A part of Hailey lay within the lordship of Great
Amwell. (fn. 109)
CHURCH
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST
stands in the village and consists of a
round apsidal chancel 25 ft. by 16 ft.,
nave 39 ft. by 22 ft. 6 in., west tower 12 ft. by
10 ft. 6 in., and vestry; all internal dimensions.
The chancel and nave date from the close of the
11th century, (fn. 110) the west tower was built about
1420–30, the vestry is modern. The church was
restored in 1866. The walls are of flint rubble with
stone dressings; the roofs are tiled.
Plan of Great Amwell Church
In the north wall of the chancel is a narrow
window of the 11th century, with deeply splayed
jambs both inside and outside; it is round-arched,
but a slight point has been given to the outer arch at
some later period. The other windows of the chancel
are all modern lancets. The doorway to the vestry
in the north wall has a massive 15th-century oak
frame with four-centred head. Two recesses, one on
either side of the east window, now used as sedilia,
are of modern stonework. There is a modern piscina
in the south wall with an old basin, part of which
has been cut away. The chancel arch is round, of
two plain square orders towards the west, square
jambs and grooved and splayed abaci not returned
on east or west faces; it is probably of late 11th-century date. On either side of the chancel arch is a
round-arched squint, recently enlarged, set diagonally
in the wall. The roof retains one tie-beam of the
15th century; the eastern part of the apse roof is
domical and above it is a gabled roof.
A sloping recess in the north wall of the nave at
the east end marks the position of the stair to the
rood-loft. In the north wall are two windows, one
of three lights with traceried head and the other a
single traceried light. In the south wall are a 13th-century lancet with splayed jambs and a window of
three lights of 15th-century character. All these
windows are of modern stonework externally, but
their inner jambs are old. In the south wall is a
14th-century piscina with trefoiled head and moulded
edges; part only of the basin is original. The roof
is modern.
The tower is of three stages with an embattled
parapet; the octagonal timber spire is modern. The
tower arch is of the 15th century; the arch is
moulded, the outer mouldings being continuous, the
inner resting on engaged shafts with moulded capitals
and bases. The west doorway has a moulded arch
with a square head and traceried spandrels; in the
inner jambs are the holes for the old wooden bar.
The door, which is of 15th-century date, has tracery
in the head. The west window is of three cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred arch; the mullions
are of modern stonework. A newel stair is carried
up in the south-west corner of the tower. The
second stage has loop lights on each face but the east;
on each face of the belfry stage is a two-light window
with traceried head under a four-centred arch, the
mullions of which have been repaired.
The font is modern. The oak communion table
is of early 17th-century date. The octagonal pulpit
is of oak with lozenge-shaped panels flanked by
herms; the cornice bears the date 1696, but the
rest of the work appears to be earlier in the century.
It is said to have originally belonged to the chapel of
the archiepiscopal palace at Croydon. (fn. 111) In the
tower is a modern screen in which
are incorporated 15th-century traceried
doors from a former screen.
On the north wall of the nave is a
brass with the figure of a civilian with
his two wives and seven children; the
head of the male figure is missing and
there is no inscription. On the east
wall of the nave is the figure of a
priest of 15th-century date, in alb and
hood, without inscription.
There are three bells: the treble
has neither date nor inscription; the
second is by Robert Oldfeild, dated
1612; the tenor is undated, but in
it is set an Elizabethan shilling.
The communion plate consists of
cup and cover paten, 1620, and
another paten, 1736.
The registers before 1812 are as
follows: (i) all entries 1559 to 1657; (ii) baptisms
and burials 1683 to 1791, marriages 1683 to 1753;
(iii) baptisms and burials 1792 to 1812; (iv) marriages
1754 to 1793; (v) marriages 1793 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
A priest was among the tenants of
Ralf de Limesy at Amwell in 1086. (fn. 112)
The church of Amwell with all its
tithes was apparently given to Hertford Priory by
Ralf. It was confirmed to the priory by Alan son of
Ralf as the gift of his father, (fn. 113) but was not definitely
mentioned in the foundation charter of the priory. (fn. 114)
A vicarage was ordained between 1291 and 1349. (fn. 115)
In 1399 a new agreement was made between the
priory and John Bodlet, then vicar. (fn. 116) This was
possibly the result of a recent agreement between
the Prior of Hertford and the Bishop of London,
impropriator of Broxbourne, as to the exact limits of
the two parishes. (fn. 117) Henry Johnson, vicar of Amwell,
in 1539 successfully asserted the right of the vicar to
certain tithes under the composition of 1399. (fn. 118)
In February 1537–8, shortly after the dissolution
of Hertford Priory, Anthony Denny and his prospective wife, Joan Champernown, obtained a grant of
the advowson and rectory of Amwell (fn. 119) ; they descended
with the manor of Great Amwell to Sir Anthony's
grandson Edward, who sold them in 1577 to John
and Thomas Skinner. (fn. 120) They alienated them to
Isaac Woder of Gray's Inn, gentleman, in 1599. (fn. 121)
In the same year he transferred the presentation for
one turn to William Hutchinson, S.T.D., (fn. 122) and
apparently parted with the advowson and rectory
shortly afterwards, as in 1616 they were bequeathed
by Geoffrey Elwes, alderman of London, to his son
Silvius, (fn. 123) who died in 1638. (fn. 124) The advowson and
rectory evidently passed to his executor, who was
his brother Jeremy. (fn. 125) The latter's grandson Jeremy
Elwes of Throcking was presented to the living in
1683, and was succeeded by his brother Robert. (fn. 126) The
advowson descended in the direct line of this family
until 1833, (fn. 127) when Robert Cary Elwes of Great
Billing, great-grandson of the last-named Robert, (fn. 128)
sold it to the Rev. Mordaunt Barnard, from whom
it was purchased by William McNab. (fn. 129) His only
daughter married the Rev. R. Parrott, who became
vicar in 1864. The advowson descended to their
daughter, Mrs. W. J. Harvey, wife of the present
vicar. The rectorial tithe was not included in the
sale to William McNab, and is at present vested in
trustees. (fn. 130)
On the parish borders near the heath is a chapel
belonging to the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion,
built in 1900 in memory of Dr. Reynolds of Cheshunt College. There were certificates for a Quaker
meeting-house in 1691, a meeting-place for Anabaptists in 1692, and for Primitive Methodists in 1850. (fn. 131)
CHARITIES
The charities of this parish have
been consolidated and are regulated
by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners 8 May 1908. They comprise the
charities of:
1. William Purvey, founded by will proved 28
October 1617, consisting of a yearly rent-charge of
13s. 4d., issuing out of an estate called Wormley Bury
at Wormley.
2. William Hill, will (date unknown) referred to
in Parliamentary Returns of 1786 as a rent-charge of
20s. A sum of £1 6s., supposed to represent the
endowment, is paid in respect of two cottages in Ware
Valley in this parish.
3. Sylvester (alias Silvius) Elwes, will proved 1639.
The endowment now consists of £797 7s. 5d.
consols, arising from the sale in 1870 of land
originally purchased with a legacy of £40.
4. Elizabeth Spranger, by deed 1686, being a rentcharge of 50s. out of Hailey Hall Farm.
5. William Plomer, will 1727, trust fund £310 5s.
consols, arising from the sale in 1870 of land originally
purchased with a legacy of £30.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees,
producing £27 13s. 8d. yearly, the total income of
the charities amounting to £32 3s., which under the
scheme is applied for the benefit of the poor of the
ancient parish, mainly in the distribution of money
and coal.