MANORS
In 1086 a manor of Roding was held by Aubrey de
Vere, ancestor of the earls of Oxford, as
tenant of Alan, Count of Brittany. Before
the Conquest it had been held by Lewin
and Etsi as a manor and as 1½ hide. (fn. 27) Most of this
Domesday estate later became known as the manor of
BEAUCHAMP RODING alias LONGBARNS.
Part of it, however, may have split off to form the
manor of Rookwood in Abbess Roding (q.v.).
Beauchamp Roding was apparently still considered
as part of the honor of Richmond in the reign of
Henry III, when the Earl of Oxford owed guard at
Richmond castle in respect of Roding. (fn. 28) By 1358, if
not before, the tenancy in chief was held to rest in the
then Earl of Oxford. (fn. 29) In 1401 it was stated that the
manor had escheated to the Crown in 1389 as a result
of the attainder of Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford,
and that the tenant in demesne had subsequently held
directly of the Crown. (fn. 30) In 1477 and 1481 Beauchamp
Roding was said to be held of the Duke of Gloucester. (fn. 31)
In 1558 it was said to be held in chief. (fn. 32) In 1485, however, the tenant in chief had again been stated to be the
Earl of Oxford. (fn. 33)
It is probable that Beauchamp Roding was subinfeudated during the 12th century by Aubrey de Vere
or one of his successors. About 1190 the manor was
referred to as Roding Willelmi filii Gaufridi. (fn. 34) By
1231 it was in the possession of John de Beauchamp
of Eaton Socon (Beds.). (fn. 35) This makes it probable that
the William Fitz Geoffrey of about 1190 was William
Fitz Geoffrey de Mandeville, who married Olive,
sister and heir of Roger de Beauchamp of Eaton Socon,
for John de Beauchamp was the son of Olive de Beau-
champ and her husband. In 1235-6 Beauchamp
Roding was held for 1 knight's fee. (fn. 36) It descended
along with Eaton Socon until 1291, when Ralph de
Beauchamp granted the reversion of it to Adam le
Tailleur and Joan his wife. (fn. 37) The manor was then
being held for life by Richard de Brumpton, and was
said to consist of a messuage, 60 acres of land, 16 acres
of meadow, 5 acres of wood, and 6 acres of pasture.
In 1292 or 1293 William de Marny and Amice his
wife conveyed 28 acres of land and 12d. rent in Beauchamp Roding to Adam de Biddik and Joan his wife. (fn. 38)
Adam de Biddik and Adam le Tailleur were probably
identical. The manor was certainly in the hands of the
Biddiks soon after 1291. Henry de Biddik was lord in
1328 when he presented to the church. (fn. 39) He was
dead before 1348 and Beauchamp Roding had been
granted in dower to his widow Joan, (fn. 40) who subsequently married Arnald Mounteneye. In 1350
Thomas son of Henry de Biddik granted the reversion
of the manor, after Joan's future death, to Thomas de
Forde of London. (fn. 41) In the following year Joan and
Arnald leased the manor to Simon Fraunceys of London
at a rent of 40 marks a year. (fn. 42) Simon Fraunceys died
in 1358, (fn. 43) and in 1360 Joan and Arnald conveyed the
manor to William atte Welde, draper of London, in
return for an annuity of 40 marks during Joan's life. (fn. 44)
It is not clear what had happened to Thomas de
Forde's interest in the manor: possibly it had been
acquired by Joan and Arnald Mounteneye. The grant
of 1360 certainly had the effect of vesting the lordship
of the manor in the Welde family. Richard de Welde
presented to the church in 1387 and 1389. (fn. 45) He was
dead by May 1391, when the custody of Elizabeth
his daughter and heir was granted to Roger Marshall. (fn. 46)
By October 1401 Elizabeth, still under age, had
married Lewis Mewes. (fn. 47) Lewis or a successor of the
same name presented to the rectory in 1430 and 1447,
and Thomas Mewes in 1463. (fn. 48)
Sir Geoffrey Gate (d. 1477) had married Agnes,
probably the heir of Thomas Mewes. (fn. 49) After Geoffrey's
death Agnes married William Brown. She died in
1481 leaving Beauchamp Roding to her son William
Gate. (fn. 50) The latter died in 1485 leaving Geoffrey
Gate, an infant, his son and heir. (fn. 51) Geoffrey, later
knighted, died in 1526 and was succeeded by his son
(Sir) John Gate or Gates (1504 ?-1553) who was
executed for his support of Lady Jane Grey. (fn. 52) In
1553, soon after Sir John's death, the Crown granted
the site of the manor of Beauchamp Roding to Rowland
Scurlocke. (fn. 53) The Crown retained the manorial rights.
It undertook to bear the cost of repairs to the houses of
the manor in timber and tile, while Scurlocke was to
bear those in thatching and daubing and was to have
fireboot, ploughboot, harrowboot, and hedgeboot. In
1554 the manor was granted for life to Mary, widow of
Sir John Gate. (fn. 54) She was still alive in 1570, when she
presented to the rectory. Meanwhile in 1558 Longbarns (or presumably its reversion) was granted by the
Crown to (Sir) Richard Weston of Skreens in Roxwell,
then Solicitor General and later a justice of Common
Pleas. (fn. 55) He died in 1572 and was succeeded by his
son (Sir) Jerome (d. 1603). (fn. 56) The manor descended
to Jerome's son Sir Richard (1577-1635) who in 1633
was created Earl of Portland. (fn. 57) Sir Richard still held
Longbarns in 1624 but he must have sold it soon after,
for in 1638 it was sold by Sir John Ramsden and Anne
his wife to Sir John North, K.B. (fn. 58) On North's death
in 1639 the manor passed to his brother Dudley, Lord
North (d. 1666). (fn. 59)
In 1668 this Lord North's successor sold Longbarns
to Sir Michael Heneage (d. 1711). (fn. 60) The manor
descended to Michael's son Charles (d. 1738) and
subsequently to Charles's daughters Elizabeth (d.
1765) and Cecil (d. 1779) neither of whom married. (fn. 61)
By 1770 Longbarns had been acquired by the Harveys
of Barringtons in Chigwell (q.v.). It was held in that
year by William Harvey (d. 1779). (fn. 62) It passed like
Barringtons to Thomas W. Bramston of Skreens. In
1843 Bramston's estate in Beauchamp Roding comprised 629 acres which was made up mainly of the
separate farms of Longbarns (some 230 acres), Frayes
(see below), and Wood End. (fn. 63) In 1848 it was stated
that all the parish was freehold except about 8 acres
and that Bramston owned most of the land. (fn. 64) By 1866
Longbarns had probably been acquired by Robert
Parris, who lived there from about that date until
about 1880 and was described in 1878 as the lord of
the manor and principal landowner. (fn. 65) Since 1886
Longbarns has been occupied by a succession of farmers
who have probably also been the owners. (fn. 66) In 1933
Mr. John Latham was the farmer and one of the two
principal landowners of the parish. (fn. 67) In 1943 the
farm was bought by the London Co-operative Society,
together with Frayes (see below). The two farms
together comprise 417 acres and mixed arable and
dairy farming is carried on. (fn. 68)
Longbarns farm-house is timber-framed and plastered
and was probably built or rebuilt in the late 16th
century. The original part consists of a central block
with cross-wings to the east and west. The upper floor
of the east wing oversails at its south end. On the
north front a two-story porch gives access to the central
block. In line with this on the south side is a projecting
staircase wing. The house was considerably altered in
the 19th century. It has recently been converted into
two dwellings for employees of the London Cooperative Society.
The manor of FRAYES may have derived its name
from the family of John Fray, to whom a tenement in
Beauchamp Roding was conveyed in 1408 by William
Sudbury, draper of London, and Cecily his wife, and
Peter Wymundham, also draper of London. (fn. 69) In
1477 Frayes was held by the lord of the manor of
Beauchamp Roding (see above). (fn. 70) It followed the
same descent as that manor until 1611 when Sir
Richard Weston sold it to Thomas Younge. (fn. 71) On
Younge's death in 1638 Frayes passed by his will to
his kinsman John Miller, son of Richard Miller of
Great Waltham. (fn. 72) It remained in the Miller family
until 1704, when another John Miller sold it to George
Pochin. (fn. 73) In 1770 the owner was George Pochin of
Ickleton (Cambs.) who was the son or grandson of the
previous George. (fn. 74) In 1780 'Captain Putchin' was
owner. (fn. 75) He remained in possession until 1810-11,
when Frayes was acquired by Admiral Harvey, lord
of the manor of Beauchamp Roding. (fn. 76) In 1843 Frayes
Farm formed part of T. W. Bramston's Beauchamp
Roding estate, and comprised 140 acres. (fn. 77) It was then
and subsequently owned and worked as part of Longbarns Farm.
The manor house was probably rebuilt late in the
17th century to the south of the original site. Part of a
moat surrounding a square enclosure is still in existence
immediately to the north. Morant called Frayes house
'the chiefest in the parish', (fn. 78) but it evidently fell into
disrepair at a later date. It is now being restored and
modernized by the London Co-operative Society to
form two dwellings for farm workers. On the south
side of the drive leading to the main road are three pairs
of new houses for farm workers. The drive itself has
been planted as an avenue.
The manor of HORNERS (the modern Hornets
Farm) lay partly in Beauchamp Roding and partly in
Willingale Doe. In 1597 it was conveyed by John
Collin the elder to Robert Collin. (fn. 79) In the 17th century the manor appears to have been split between
coheirs, for in 1649 half of it was conveyed to John
Russe by Lazarus Annys and Mary his wife, John
Rogers and Elizabeth his wife, and Honora Collin. (fn. 80)
In 1652 John and William Russe obtained half the
manor (probably the other half) from John Collin the
elder, clerk, and John Collin the younger, clerk, and
Katherine his wife. (fn. 81) In 1722 Daniel Russe conveyed
the manor to Edmund Butler. (fn. 82)
In 1780 Hornets Farm was owned and occupied by
Richard Eve. (fn. 83) He was succeeded by Henry Eve, who
held the property from about 1801 to 1820. From
1818 to 1820 John Clift was joint owner with Henry
Eve. (fn. 84) Clift alone was owner from 1821 to 1832. (fn. 85)
By 1843 the ownership had passed to William Bush,
who had for many years been tenant of the farm. It
then comprised 64 acres. (fn. 86) It was subsequently occupied by various farmers. From about 1909 to 1943
it was owned and occupied by the Mead family. The
present (1954) owner is Mr. George Read of Butt
Hatch, and a Mr. Mead is the tenant. (fn. 87)
The farm-house was probably built in the 18th
century. It is timber-framed and plastered and has a
tile roof. A brick wing was added at the back of the
house in 1922. (fn. 88) A window with several trefoil-headed
lights was inserted in an outhouse to commemorate the
passing of the Local Government Act, 1929, by which
agricultural land was de-rated. (fn. 89) The window is said
to have come from a chapel in Notting Hill, London, (fn. 90)
and is probably of the 19th century. Isaac Mead, a
former owner, is buried beside his wife in a small patch
of consecrated ground near the drive gate, where an
inscribed stone marks their grave.