KEYSOE
Caisot, Caissot, Chaisot (xi cent.).
Keysoe parish lies some 9 miles to the north of
Bedford and 4 miles to the south of Kimbolton. The
main road from these two places passes directly
through the parish. Keysoe comprises 3,699 acres;
1,956 of these are arable land, 1,074 permanent grass
and 37 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is stiff clay,
which provides the material for brick works, and there
are old sand and gravel pits. The principal crops
grown are wheat, barley and beans.
The slope of the ground varies, but may be generally described as from south-west, where 260 ft. is
attained above ordnance datum, to north-east. A late
17th-century survey states that 'the three townships
of Brook End, Hardwick and Row make up the manor
of Keysoe,' (fn. 2) and this description may be applied at
the present day to the village, which is a very scattered one. Keysoe Row, on high ground in the
south of the parish, stretches on either side of the
road from Little Staughton to Thurleigh. Hardwick
End, further west, includes Keysoe Park Farm, a
17th-century brick building with tiled roof, partially
surrounded by a deep moat. The church and vicarage
occupy an isolated position in the centre of the parish.
Brook End, which is the most populous quarter, lies
some distance north of the church in a hollow. A
windmill is still in use on high ground in the centre
of the parish. Besides that at Keysoe Park there is
a second moat in an outlying district called London
End, close to Little Staughton. (fn. 3)
There are Baptist chapels at Keysoe Row and
Brook End, the latter congregation dating from
1652.
It has been suggested that a series of slightly
banked and moated inclosures, all situated within a
space of three-quarters of a mile, mark the site of the
homesteads of the twelve sokemen, (fn. 4) who owned land
in Keysoe in the time of the Confessor. (fn. 5)
MANORS
In 1086 Hugh de Beauchamp held
a manor of 5 hides less I virgate in this
parish which later became known as
KEYSOE BURY or KEYSOE BERRYSTED
MANOR. (fn. 6) It follows the same descent as the
barony of Bedford (q.v.) until the death of William
de Patishull in 1359. (fn. 7) He left three sisters—Sibil,
Alice and Katherine (fn. 8) —and Keysoe became the property of Sibil wife of Roger de Beauchamp, who
obtained a grant of free warren in Keysoe in 1377. (fn. 9)
Roger de Beauchamp died seised of the manor in
1379–80. (fn. 10) His grandson (fn. 11) and successor Roger before
his death in 1406 had placed the manor in the hands
of trustees. (fn. 12) His son Sir John Beauchamp likewise
settled the manor on his wife Edith (afterwards the wife
of Sir Robert Shotesbrook) for life, with reversion to
John his son, who, however, predeceased his mother in
1420. (fn. 13) Robert de Shotesbrook is recorded as holding
the manor in 1432, (fn. 14) and was succeeded by Margaret
Beauchamp, his wife's daughter by her first marriage. (fn. 15)
Margaret Beauchamp was twice married—first to
Oliver St. John and later to the Duke of Somerset. (fn. 16)
On her death in 1482–3 the manor passed to her son
John St. John. (fn. 17) The latter's son John died seised
of the manor in 1526. (fn. 18) Oliver Lord St. John of
Bletsoe, his grandson, held this manor at the time of
his death in 1582. (fn. 19) His son John died without heirs
male in 1596, (fn. 20) and after the death of his wife
Katherine the property passed to his brother Oliver, (fn. 21)
who died in 1618–19. (fn. 22) Oliver, afterwards the first
Earl of Bolingbroke, son of the last-mentioned Oliver,
settled the manor on his son Oliver on his marriage
with Arabella the daughter of the Earl of Bridgewater. (fn. 23) This Lord St. John was killed fighting on
the Parliamentary side at the battle of Edgehill in
1642. (fn. 24) As he left no heirs this manor probably
reverted to his father the Earl of Bolingbroke, who
died four years later. (fn. 25) The latter's grandson Paulet
St. John, who succeeded to the earldom in 1688, (fn. 26)
held this manor in 1703 (fn. 27) and 1706. (fn. 28) Between
this latter date and 1715 Keysoe Berrysted passed
from the St. John family to Edward Lord Harley, who
was concerned in a suit regarding it in 1715, (fn. 29) while
four years later he alienated the manor to Jeremiah
Sambrook. (fn. 30) On the death of Jeremiah Sambrook
and the division of his property among his heirs
(see Yelden Manor) a portion of Keysoe Berrysted
came into the hands of the Crawleys of Stockwood, (fn. 31)
who have retained it down to the present day. Mr.
Francis Crawley is the present lord of the manor.
Patishull. Argent a fesse sable between three crescents gules.
Beauchamp of Bedford. Quarterly or and gules a bend sable.
The manor of KEYSOE GRANGE had its origin
probably in the land given by Simon de Beauchamp
in the reign of King John to the Priory of Chicksands,
founded by his mother. (fn. 32) This land was confirmed
to the priory by Simon's son William de Beauchamp. (fn. 33)
In 1330–1 the prior claimed view of frankpledge in
his 'manor of Keysoe.' (fn. 34) The priory continued to
hold the manor till the dissolution of the monasteries. (fn. 35)
In 1540 this manor was granted by the king to
Sir John St. John of Bletsoe, (fn. 36) and the descent is
henceforward the same as that of the manor of Keysoe
Berrysted (q.v.). A view of frankpledge and a court
leet were attached to this manor in 1559. (fn. 37)
In 1302 Walter de Stouton held a thirtieth part
of a fee in Keysoe of that part of the barony of
Bedford then held by Robert Lestraunge. (fn. 38) By 1346
this part of the barony had passed to John de
Mowbray and Walter de Stouton's one-thirtieth part
of a fee had become merged in the one-third part of
a knight's fee then held by Richard de Melchebourne,
John de Smyth, John Reyner and others. (fn. 39) By 1428
this had passed to Robert de Shotesbrook, (fn. 40) who
married Edith Beauchamp, on whom the manor of
Keysoe Bury had been settled by her husband John
de Beauchamp. (fn. 41) The descent of this property is
henceforward the same as that of the manor of Keysoe
Berrysted (q.v.).
In 1282 William Jarpenvill quitclaimed to Henry
Waukelyn for life with reversion to himself and his heirs
land in Keysoe consisting of a
messuage, 77 acres of arable
land, 3½ acres of meadow and
3½ acres of pasture. (fn. 42) In
1302–3 William Jarpenville
and Stephen Waukelyn held
one-quarter of a knight's fee
from Richard le Rous as of
the barony of Bedford, (fn. 43) while
in 1346 their respective heirs
Richard Tetebury and Margaret Waukelyn held the same
quarter-fee, but from John de
Pateshulle. (fn. 44) Richard de
Tetebury's heirs are recorded as still holding this
property in 1428, (fn. 45) but no further mention of them
occurs.
Crawley. Argent a fesse gules between three herons azure with three crosslets argent on the fesse.
Walter de la Londe also held one-thirtieth part
of a knight's fee from the barony of Bedford in the
13th century. (fn. 46) He was still holding in 1302. (fn. 47) In
1346 John Cokkyne, John and Richard Serle, (fn. 48) with
Roger de Done had succeeded him. (fn. 49) This fragment
of a knight's fee cannot be traced further.
In 1388 John Hemyngford granted lands in
Keysoe to the Prior and convent of Bushmead to be
held in frankalmoigne. (fn. 50) At the time of the Dissolution these lands were valued at 7s. 5d. per annum (fn. 51)
and were leased to Sir John St. John. (fn. 52) The reversion
of them was granted to Sir William Gascoigne, (fn. 53) and
in 1587–8 they were in the hands of William Gerey, (fn. 54)
whose nephew Richard died seised of them in
1638. (fn. 55)
In 1086 as in 1066 Alwin held I virgate in Keysoe. (fn. 56)
As he also held land in Pertenhall, (fn. 57) it seems possible
that this virgate in Keysoe later came into the
possession of the Peyvre family, whose Pertenhall
property extended into Keysoe. Nicholas Peyvre
was granted free warren in Keysoe in 1253, (fn. 58) and
other members of the family claimed the right in
1287 (fn. 59) and 1330. (fn. 60) Their Keysoe lands, however,
were a parcel of their Pertenhall property (q.v.).
In the Domesday Survey Hugh Hubald is recorded
as holding of Osbert 1 virgate worth 2s., (fn. 61) while
3 virgates of land in Keysoe were included under
Huntingdonshire in the soke of Kimbolton and held
by Allic. (fn. 62) The descent of these small holdings
cannot be traced.
William Tuward held one twenty-fifth part of a
knight's fee of the barony of Bedford in the
13th century. (fn. 63) In 1302 his property amounted to
half a virgate. (fn. 64) He was succeeded by Amice de
Caldecote, who held in 1346. (fn. 65) No further mention
of this holding occurs.
A mill is mentioned with Hugh de Beauchamp's
holding in the Bedfordshire Survey. (fn. 66) There was a
windmill in this manor in the 13th (fn. 67) and 14th (fn. 68)
centuries. In 1379–80 this is described as being
in a ruined condition. (fn. 69) Roger de Beauchamp was
granted rights of free warren in Keysoe Berrysted in
1377, (fn. 70) while a view of frankpledge was attached to
the manor in 1287 (fn. 71) and 1330. (fn. 72)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel 25 ft. 6 in.
long by 13 ft. wide with north chapel, a
nave 39 ft. long by 19 ft. 2 in. wide with south porch,
a north aisle 12 ft. 10 in. wide and a west tower
13 ft. 11 in. by 12 ft. 6 in.
The plan of the nave and chancel is apparently
that of a late 12th-century building, of which parts of
the walls and the south doorways of nave and chancel
remain. In the 14th century the north aisle was
added and in the 15th century the north chapel
and nave clearstory.
The chancel has a 14th-century east window of
three trefoiled lights with geometrical tracery and on
each side of it are plain image brackets. On the
north side there is an arcade of two bays with arches
of two chamfered orders on an octagonal shaft and
responds of 15th-century detail. On the south side
is a 14th-century piscina with tracery under a pointed
head and near it a tall lancet window with jambs
carried down for sedilia; it is apparently 13th-century
work reset, and on its east springer is a small blank
shield. The doorway has a plain round head, and to
the west of it is a square-headed 14th-century window
of two trefoiled lights set low in the wall, with traces
of an internal shutter. The chancel arch is pointed
in two chamfered orders, probably 14th-century work.
The north chapel has an east and two north windows
of 15th-century date of three lights with tracery
under a four-centred head. In its east wall is a
piscina recess, once trefoiled, and in the north wall a
square locker. The second window on the north is
of different section from the others and in part older
work re-used, probably from the east window of the
north aisle.
The nave has a north arcade of three bays c. 1340,
on octagonal piers and responds with moulded
capitals and bases; above them is a range of four
15th-century clearstory windows, each of two trefoiled
lights, and at the north-east is a rood-loft door.
On the south side of the nave are two 15th-century
windows of three cinquefoiled lights, the eastern of
the two being set in 14th-century jambs with a
14th-century sill and a square locker below. The
clearstory on this side is a range of four two-light
windows with tracery, larger than those on the north.
The south doorway is only slightly chamfered and
has a semicircular head of plain late 12th-century
work, a moulded string at the springing having been
cut away. To the east of it is a mutilated holy
water stone. The porch has square-headed windows
on the north and south sides, each of two trefoiled
lights with tracery; the doorway is pointed in two
chamfered orders and above it is a small trefoilheaded niche; the work seems of mid-14th-century
date. The north aisle has two 14th-century north
windows of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil
over and a single trefoiled light at the west. The
north doorway of the aisle has a two-centred arch
with wave moulding.
The tower, which was built early in the
15th century, is in four stages, a fine massive building,
simply and broadly designed, with an embattled
parapet and angle buttresses rising the full height and
ending in panelled and crocketed pinnacles; it is
crowned by a tall octagonal spire with three sets of
spire lights. The stair is at the south-west, and the
belfry windows are pairs of tall two-light openings
with tracery and transoms. Below are single trefoiled
lights and over the plainly-moulded west door is a
three-light window with tracery in the head. The
tower arch is of three chamfered orders with a shaft
to the inner order only.
The roofs of the church are all old, that of the
chancel being probably 14th-century work and the
rest all of the 15th century, though repaired.
The altar table is dated '1628 H. R.,' and there
are a number of early 16th-century bench ends and
fronts in the nave, with tracery on the panels which
is in some cases old.
The 14th-century font is octagonal on an octagonal
base with gablets each side and is unusually interesting,
having a long inscription on the base '+ Cestui ke
par hici passerũt pur le alme Warel prieū ke Deu par
sa grace verrey merci li face, Am.'
In the north chapel is a marble slab inscribed
'AVDRE DE [T. . YE]' GIST ICY DEU DE SA ALME EYT
MERCI.' Near it is a 13th-century coffin lid with
scrolls on the shaft of the cross. On the outside of
the west wall of the tower is a curious inscription
recording the fact that a man fell from the top of the
tower in 1718, yet was not killed, but lived until
1759, attaining the age of seventy-three years.
There are five bells, of which the first, third and
fourth are modern; the second is by Joseph Eayre,
1755; the fifth is dated 1779.
The plate consists of a modern electro-plated cup
and paten.
The registers date from 1735. Book i has all
entries 1735 to 1753 and baptisms and burials till
1792, book ii continues the baptisms and burials to
1812, and book iii contains marriages 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The church of Keysoe was given
by Simon de Beauchamp to the
priory of Chicksands in the reign of
King John. (fn. 73) It remained the property of the priory
until the Dissolution. Henry VIII granted the church
and advowson to Trinity College, Cambridge. (fn. 74) The
authorities of the college have presented to the living
down to the present day (fn. 75) and are the present patrons.
The value of the church in 1291 was £10 13s. 4d. (fn. 76)
At the time of the Dissolution the living was worth
£8 3s. and the rectory £24. (fn. 77)
There are no endowed charities in this parish.