THE HUNDRED OF HAMFORDSHOE

containing the parishes of Great Doddington; Earls Barton; Ecton; Holcot; Mears Ashby; Sywell; Wellingborough; Wilby

Map of the Hundred

The hundred, which appears in the Geld Roll of 1076 as 'Anduer[d]eshoh' and in Domesday Book as 'Andferdesho' and 'Hanverdesho', has always contained these eight parishes; and a portion of Hardwick, of which parish the greater part belonged to Orlingbury hundred, was also in this hundred at least as late as 1316. (fn. 1) Even in about 1720 a meadow in Hardwick still owed suit and service to Lord Brook's court at Wellingborough. (fn. 2) The hundred descended with the manor of Yardley Hastings (q.v.) and was usually coupled with the adjacent hundred of Wymersley. In 1246 the two hundreds were said to be paying 11 marks, whereas they had formerly paid less; (fn. 3) and in 1329 complaint was made that they used to be farmed for 100s. but twenty years before John de Hastings had raised the farm to £16, to the great oppression of the people. (fn. 4) Complaint was made at the same time against the bailiff of Hamfordshoe that when he had to raise 2s. 6d. from the hundred towards the expenses of the Knights of the Shire at Parliament he took excessive distraint from the Abbot of Crowland. (fn. 5) Hamfordshoe and Wymersley were held of the Crown by Sir William Compton at the time of his death in 1528 by service of a sparhawk or 2s. (fn. 6)

The meeting-place of the hundred in 1565, and probably from the earliest times, was at 'Low Hill', which has been identified by Miss Wake with a mound in Round Hill field on the borders of Mears Ashby, commanding a view of the whole country-side. (fn. 7) By the beginning of the 18th century the hundred court had been removed to Wellingborough. (fn. 8)

Footnotes