26 Oct Lordship Title of Blundells ID13792
Posted at 09:37h
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There was another estate in Silsoe, which, in the sixteenth century, acquired the name of the manor of BLUNDELLS. It was held of the de Greys as of their manor of Wrest by knight service. In 1302 Reginald de Grey and his tenants held one-twelfth of a knight's fee in Silsoe, and this was held in 1346 by Roger de Grey: the family of Blundell evidently held under the de Greys, for Roger Blundell in 1310 acquired 4 messuages, 80 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, and 5 acres of wood in Silsoe and Flitton from John Blundell. There is no further record of the holding until the middle of the sixteenth century, but there is little doubt that this estate afterwards became known as the manor of Blundells, which was acquired by Richard Fermour early in the sixteenth century, and held for life by Hugh Swynerton. Simon Fitz of Aspley Guise purchased the reversion from Richard Fermour, and by his will, made March, 1543, he left it to his younger son Simon. Simon the father died shortly afterwards leaving a widow Alice and two sons, William his heir, and Simon, who soon became possessed of the manor of Blundells, for in 1545 he alienated it to his brother-in-law William Richardson, husband of his sister Alice, and to Thomas Fitz Hugh of Wavendon (Buckinghamshire). In the course of the next year Simon died unmarried, leaving his four sisters: Susan, wife of Thomas Sterne; Elizabeth, wife of Richard Rokes; Joan, wife of William Baker; and Alice, wife of William Richardson, as his co-heirs. The three former and their husbands immediately brought an action in Chancery against Alice and William Richardson and Thomas Fitz Hugh, alleging that the alienation of the manor was illegal. In May, 1547, an arrangement was arrived at by which the plaintiffs each secured one-sixth of the manor, one-third being assigned to William and Alice Richardson and the remaining sixth allotted to Thomas Fitz Hugh. During the next few years the greater part of the manor came into the possession of Francis Morgan; in 1550 Richard and Elizabeth Rokes combined with William and Joan Baker to sell their part, or one-third, to Thomas Forster and Elizabeth his wife, and the latter in 1554 sold it to Francis Morgan. The half of the manor which had been divided between William and Alice Richardson and Thomas Fitz Hugh, in the proportions of one-third and onesixth, was alienated by them to Francis Morgan in 1552; the latter, who thus acquired five-sixths of the manor, died seised of them in 1558, leaving them to his wife Anne for life, and after her death to his second son Anthony, his son and heir Thomas inheriting other property. Anthony evidently died shortly afterwards without issue, and this part of the manor passed to his brother Thomas. In the early years of the reign of Elizabeth, Thomas Sterne and Susan his wife, who owned the remaining sixth, brought an action against Thomas Morgan for the rent of their sixth part which they had leased to Thomas Forster, who had conveyed the remainder of his term to Francis Morgan, from whom it had descended to Thomas, the defendant. Thomas Morgan had sold his interest to several persons, and it was decided that these should pay the rent; they, however, failed to do so, and three years later Thomas Sterne brought another action against the tenants of the manor of Blundells, Richard Grey, Peter Richardson, Elizabeth Hill, Thomas Swayne, Roger Hill, and John Weston, who held the manor at a rent of £10, the sixth part of which and four years' arrears amounted to £6 18s. 4d. A settlement was evidently arrived at, for no further proceedings were instituted, and nothing further is heard of the tenants. The last mention of the manor occurs in 1623, when Charles, earl of Kent, died seised of it; after this date it probably became absorbed into the manor of Wrest.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
No