MANORS
In 1086 there was but the single manor
of Ely and its berewicks. (fn. 23) When the see
was created, in 1109, the bishop's charter (fn. 24)
spoke of granting tithes of his 'manor of Barton' to the
prior and convent, and of their right to hold courts in
the manors allotted to them, but said nothing of a
priorial manor in Ely. (fn. 25) Nevertheless, the berewick of
Stuntney and the demesne manors of Beald, Turbutsey, and Shepey (fn. 26) were specifically allocated to the
prior and convent by this charter. Moreover, there is
no evidence that the pre-1109 grange of Brame ever
passed into episcopal hands. Some central administrative body must have been necessary for these possessions and for the external priorial manors: it could
readily have given rise to a local court, if none existed,
as soon as town property began to be acquired by the
monks. Many transfers of property, by grant, exchange,
or purchase, had certainly occurred by the 13th cen
tury, and probably began earlier. (fn. 27) A manor called
Brayes manor was in conventual hands not later than
the 14th century: its gateway almost fronted the Porta
Monachorum. (fn. 28) Possibly priorial courts were held in
this gatehouse before the Ely Porta was built late in
that century. (fn. 29) Whatever the date of the formal constitution of the monastic manor, it clearly existed by
1320. (fn. 30) Priory courts seem to have been held in the
Ely Porta by 1423: (fn. 31) the name ELY PORTA manor
appears in the 16th century. (fn. 32) The manorial courts of
the dean and chapter were held here down to 1865.
The farm-buildings of the bishop's manor called
ELY BARTON manor opened upon Back Hill, in
1416: (fn. 33) its fields extended westward. The bishop's
vineyard lay on the eastern side of the city, approached
from the market-place. In the built-up areas, by 1416, (fn. 34)
the city properties of bishop and prior were much intermingled. Ely Barton was known in later centuries as
the 'paramount manor', (fn. 35) and must have held pride of
place from the outset. The extensive wastes appurtenant to the manor were claimed exclusively by the
bishop, save where intercommoning rights of neighbouring townships had to be respected. Such sections
of the waste as were enjoyed by the prior were granted,
from time to time, by the bishop, except such rights as
already pertained to Stuntney and the monastic demesne farms. (fn. 36) Barton farm was held on lease by the
bishop's bailiff in the 15th century. At the Dissolution
Nicholas Steward leased the manor. (fn. 37) It was sold to
Richard Cromwell, the Protector's son, at the close of
the Civil War, but later returned into episcopal hands
and was henceforward granted on lease. (fn. 38)
Constant nibbling at the waste occurred from early
times. Thus inclosed or semi-inclosed farms or submanors came successively into existence. Some were
ancient monastic properties and remained so until the
Dissolution: others were episcopal demesne farms.
BRAHAM or BRAME.
The farm, or fishery, of
'Bramewere' appears as early as 1086. (fn. 39) Between 1166
and 1175 Salomon the Goldsmith acquired a rentcharge on the estate. (fn. 40) It figured in the extent of 1251,
held by another Salomon. (fn. 41) Prior Fressingfeld eventually secured the property for the monastery early in
the 14th century. (fn. 42) In 1417 Brame was held by the
sacrist. Inclosure disputes arose here in the 16th century. (fn. 43) At the Dissolution Brame was granted to the
dean and chapter, who thenceforward retained it. (fn. 44)
Brame lay in St. Mary's parish.
The farm or hamlet of TURBUTSEY was a very
early possession of the church (fn. 45) and was among those
granted to the monks by the charter of 1109. In the
arbitration award of 1417 it appears as one of the seven
granges or manors, near to Ely, over which the sacrist
had special jurisdiction: the others were Brame, Stuntney, Thorney, Northney, Quaveney, and Shepey.
Turbutsey supplied a considerable part of the sacrist's
food in the 14th century. (fn. 46) Inclosure disputes, especially
over rights of way, arose in the 16th century. (fn. 47) The
estate was granted to the dean and chapter at the Dissolution and repeatedly appears among the chapter leases
subsequently. (fn. 48) It was called a dairy in the 16th and
17th centuries (fn. 49) and had fishing-rights, an ancient quay,
a willow-holt, a kiln for brick- or tile-making, and a
chapel. The remains of brick-pits and old brick buildings, near the present Thistle Corner, probably mark
the site of what was known in the 16th century as
'Little Turbutsey'. Turbutsey manor house was pulled
down to make room for the Ely beet factory in 1925.
The remains of a tile-baking furnace, of Tudor or Jacobean date, were exposed at the same time. (fn. 50) The estate
was in the parish of Holy Trinity.
SHIPPEA, allocated to the Convent in 1109, lay in
Holy Trinity parish. Its name occurs frequently in the
sacrist's rolls and, after the Dissolution, among the
chapter leases. (fn. 51)
The farm of THORNEY, lying in a detached part of
Holy Trinity parish, was in the possession of the monastery as early as 1206. (fn. 52) In 1527 it was inclosed for
dairy-farming and passed to the Crown at the Dissolution, being then let on lease to a local man, William
Clay. (fn. 53) It was sold in the later 16th century, (fn. 54) but was
apparently recovered by the dean and chapter before
1649. (fn. 55) In the early 19th century it was the freehold
property of Harry Spencer Waddington. (fn. 56)
NORNEA farm also was a detached part of Holy
Trinity parish. It was mentioned in 1279 and subse
quently, as a possession of the monks, (fn. 57) and was granted
to the dean and chapter at the Dissolution. (fn. 58) It figured
among the 16th-century dairy inclosures, (fn. 59) leased by
John Croplaye of Ely. It was still a leasehold dairy
property of the chapter in the 19th century. (fn. 60)
QUANEA was another outlying portion of Holy
Trinity parish. It was monastic property in 1279, (fn. 61)
and a valued perquisite of the sacrist in 1335. (fn. 62) It
appeared in the award of 1417. Quaney hithe was the
farthest downstream of the medieval city quays. At the
Dissolution Quaney was granted to the dean and chapter. Early in the 19th century it was held on a chapter
lease by the son of Bentham, historian of Ely. (fn. 63) A very
ancient hall survived as a farmhouse until the mid19th century. A portion of the original farm had by that
date been sold; the remainder was let, partly on lease
and partly as copyhold of Stuntney manor. (fn. 64)
BEALD FARM lay in the intermixed lands of the
two parishes. It was allotted to the prior in 1109 and is
frequently mentioned in 12th and 13th century documents. (fn. 65) It passed to the dean and chapter at the Dissolution. Sixty acres were directly inclosed by that body
in the 16th century. (fn. 66) The farm remained a chapter
estate.
BED WELL HAT FARM, in St. Mary's parish,
belonged to the monastery in 1302. It frequently
appears in later documents and maps. (fn. 67) In 1548 it had
become episcopal property, let on lease. The inclosure
of 120 acres of the farm was a subject of complaint at
this date. (fn. 68)
The almoner, in 1251, held scattered city tenements: (fn. 69) by 1327 ALMONRY GRANGE, a fair-sized
property, was attached to the office. (fn. 70) In 1548 Almoner
Cotes was accused of having pulled down the manor
house and burnt a cottage, situated on the 100 acres
which he had inclosed prior to the Dissolution, (fn. 71) at
which date the estate passed to the dean and chapter.
It remained in their hands.
KETONS
(fn. 72) manor-farm lay in Holy Trinity parish.
John of Keton was almoner before his selection as
bishop in 1310. (fn. 73) Ten years later, among the fixed
charges on the almonry, was a rent, paid to Simon de
Keten. (fn. 74) Probably ties of kinship had secured this lease,
which continued to be held by Simon's heirs. Some
time after 1362 (fn. 75) the cellarer bought the manor of
'Ketens' with money received from Denny Abbey. The
main building of the manor stood opposite the Ely
Porta, in what was called Walpole Lane (Silver Street).
The estate passed to the dean and chapter at the Dissolution and remained in their possession. In 1548 (fn. 76) the
farm was in the hands of the heirs of Thomas Rydley:
Prior Walpole had previously converted to pasture two
closes, called 'Orwell Pylk closes', and the 'mansion
house' had become a barn. The modern Orwell Pit
farm probably occupies the site of the old manor.
The demesne farm of NEW BARNS, in the parish
of Holy Trinity, lay to the north-east of the city. It
came into prominence in the Inclosure Inquiry of 1548
and was then held by Thomas Goodrich. (fn. 77) It figured
as a valuable episcopal property of 700 acres in Bishop
Cox's award of 1566, under which 200 acres were to
be separately inclosed and let to representative citizens
for thirty years. Presumably these acres reverted to the
bishop at the end of that time and gave rise to the
smaller estate known as Little New Barns. (fn. 78) The farm
was sold at the close of the Civil War. (fn. 79) It was apparently bought back, for Great New Barns and Little
New Barns were severally leased from the bishop, in
1799, by Edmund Tatersall, the horse-breeder. Both
estates continued to be episcopal property. (fn. 80)
The hamlet of STUNTNEY, in the former Holy
Trinity parish, was appendant to Ely long before 1087,
when it was recorded as a berewick. (fn. 81) It was given to
the secular clerks of Ely by Wolstan de Delham, in
King Edgar's reign. (fn. 82) The eel-fishery was always highly
valued, as was the strategic importance of Stuntney, a
major entrance to the Isle. The upkeep of this passage
was a constant care of the monastery. (fn. 83) On the creation
of the see, Stuntney was granted to the priory and was
appropriated to the cellarer's office. (fn. 84) Later it was
transferred to the sacrist. (fn. 85) Stuntney was farmed, in
1527, by Edward Bestney of Soham, who did a considerable amount of inclosing. (fn. 86) In 1540 the manor was
granted by the Crown to Sir Edward North; (fn. 87) thenceforward it held its own courts. Bestney's daughter and
heiress married Simon Steward, brother of the first Dean
of Ely; hence Stuntney passed to the Steward family.
Edward, son of Simon, held the manor on a sevenyear lease in 1548; (fn. 88) subsequently Sir Mark Steward
settled there. (fn. 89) Oliver Cromwell inherited the estate in
1636. The manor passed out of the family's ownership
in 1723 and repeatedly changed hands later.
The hamlet of CHETTISHAM, in the former parish
of Ely St. Mary, first occurs in 1170, (fn. 90) and appears as
a wooded assart in 1251. (fn. 91) In the late 15th century-the
land was held by the lessee of New Barns. (fn. 92) Bishop
West inclosed a park of 180 acres in 'Chettesham
busshes', about 1515, and aroused deep resentment
among former commoners. Other smaller inclosures
in the hamlet were made by episcopal lessees at this
period. (fn. 93) The wooded parkland was depicted in the
Ordnance Map of 1835.