10 Jul Lordship Title of Chawston ID1053
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The tenants of William Spec at Domesday were William son of Raineward and William Gros, whilst no tenants are named as holding of Eudo. In the middle of the 13th century four holders in Chawston are given. Of these Richard de Beauchamp and Ralf Ridel (who held of both honours) appear to have preceded John de Kirkeby, Bishop of Ely, to whom land was conveyed in 1270, and who died seised of property in Chawston in 1290. This passed to his brother William de Kirkeby, at whose death in 1302 he was proved to hold Chawston Manor (here so called for the first time). His four sisters were his co-heirs, of whom Mabel Grymband inherited land in Chawston (treated of below), but Chawston Manor remained in the possession of his widow, Christine de Kirkeby, who held it in 1316, and in the same year conveyed it by fine to Oliver Calverly and Mary his wife. Oliver de Calverly still held the manor in 1330. By 1343 this property had passed to Thomas Swathyng and Margaret his wife; and forty years later a further transfer had taken place to John Corner of Norfolk and Anora his wife, who in that year conveyed it by fine to John Fage. A few years later the manor was again alienated to Roger or Robert Hunt, who held it in 1414, in which year he was M.P. for Bedfordshire. He was succeeded by his son Roger, who held by knight service in 1428. The latter was a distinguished lawyer, and was Speaker of the House of Commons in 1433, and five years later was created baron of the Exchequer. His son Roger inherited the manor from him, and died seised of it in 1518, when the property passed to his son Thomas, who was in turn succeeded by William, the eldest of his five children. The latter died in 1593, and left the manor to Roger, his fourth child but eldest son, upon whose death Chawston descended to his eldest son Thomas, who held it in 1628. Thomas Hunt left the property to his second son Thomas, who suffered a recovery of Chawston Manor in 1631. Upon proof of his recusancy two-thirds of his estate were sequestered and granted in 1635–6 to William Bell for thirty-one years, he having had an interest in the manor four years previously. In 1641 Thomas Hunt is still found owning a portion of Chawston Manor, but he died in that year, and in 1653 another Thomas compounded for the two-thirds of it that had been sequestered. In 1699 John Cufaude, who married Anne daughter of Roger Hunt, held half the manor of Chawston. He died in 1701, and four years later the whole of the original property was in the hands of Mary Hunt, spinster. She is the last member of the family found holding the manor, for at about this time it became the property of the Metcalfes, and henceforth follows the descent of the main manor of Roxton (q.v.). Upon the marriage of Mabel, youngest sister and co-heir of William de Kirkeby, with William Grymband, a portion of the manor of Chawston was granted as her dower in 1301–2. This consisted of 40 acres of arable, 2 acres of meadow and 30s. 8d. rent of assize, and was held as one-sixteenth part of a knight's fee. Mabel died in 1312, and was succeeded by her son Robert, whose son was William, upon whose death the property passed to his son Robert. The latter left it to his son Robert, from whom Nicholas his son inherited it. It was then held successively by his daughter Joan, her son Thomas and his daughters Joan and Agnes. William Lytton was son of Agnes, and he, together with Richard Hill and the latter's sister-in-law, transferred it, as co-heirs to the property, to Roger Hunt in 1507, after which it followed the descent of the rest of the Hunts' property in this parish.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes