10 Jul Lordship Title of Gemys or Jempsis or Stanford ID1109
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At the Domesday Survey the Bishop of Bayeux owned 3 hides 3 virgates of land in Stagsden, having as his tenant Herbert son of Ivo. On his death in 1097 his lands escheated to the Crown, and are to be found later as GEMYS, JEMPSIS or STANFORD MANOR, the only manor in this parish held of the Crown in chief, and one whose extent in 1278, equalling as it does that of the Survey, justifies the assumption that it represents the Bishop's land. The family of 'Gemys,' who subsequently obtained possession, are first found in the parish in 1233, when William de Gemys held land here (including a capital messuage) by service of one-third of a knight's fee. Robert de Gemys, his descendant, held this same fee in 1278–9. He died in 1310 and was succeeded by his son Robert, then aged twenty-four. In 1334 John son of Robert Gemys acquired land in Stagsden on his father's death, and in 1349 he, together with his wife Eleanor, made a settlement of the third of the manor on his mother Joan wife of Robert Mordaunt. John Gemys died in 1366, when the manor, worth 100s., passed to his son John, whose wife Christine survived him and held the manor till her death in 1423. The heir for this property was William Gemys, brother of John Gemys, who had died without issue, though Christine's nieces Joan Bray and Joan Bosoun are also named. William died seised of the manor in 1428, and it then passed to his daughter Joan wife of Nicholas Ravenhill. Joan had a daughter Agnes, wife of James Fynaunce, to whom Gemys passed on her mother's death in 1447. Agnes Fynaunce was followed in 1458 by a son John Fynaunce, aged seventeen at the time of his mother's death. (fn. 34) In 1468–9 John Fynaunce had this manor handed over to him by trustees assigned by his late mother; this appears to have been done preparatory to an alienation to John Stanford, who in the same year was enfeoffed of this manor by other trustees. At his death in 1493 he left two daughters as coheirs, Elizabeth wife of Sir William Cornwallis, and Margaret wife of George Harvey. During the next half-century the manor was in moieties. Of these the share of Elizabeth Cornwallis was conveyed by her in trust to William Gascoyne and others in 1528. It probably became absorbed in Dylywyk Manor (q.v.), and on the alienation of that manor by Sir William Cornwallis to Lord Mordaunt in 1588 was included in the sale, as certain lands in Stagsden stated to be held in chief are specially mentioned apart from Dylywyk. The other moiety was conveyed in 1544 by the heirs of Margaret Harvey to Lord Mordaunt. Though following the same descent as Dylywyk it did not lose its separate identity, but is mentioned by name as late as the 18th century.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes