WHIPSNADE
Wylibesende (xiii cent.); Wehsnade (xiv cent.).
Whipsnade is a small parish on the borders of
Hertfordshire containing 928 acres, about two-thirds
of which are arable land, about a sixth permanent
grass and the rest woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
A detached portion of Whipsnade known as
Ballington Bottom was transferred to the newlyformed parish of Markyate (co. Hertford) in 1897.
The land lies high, reaching 800 ft. in the north,
where the parish borders Dunstable Downs. The
village lies at a height of 700 ft., and from here the
ground falls away rapidly to the south-east to 500 ft.
From the village fine views can be obtained of the
surrounding country, extending over nine counties
on a clear day. Whipsnade Wood lies west of the
village, and to the south-east are Whipsnade Heath
and Heath Wood, while the lower-lying ground
beyond is well wooded.
The soil is clay with a subsoil of chalk, which has
been worked in the west of the parish. The chief
crops are wheat, barley, beans and turnips.
The village is grouped round a large green, through
which the road runs east and west, the church standing in a churchyard surrounded by a hedge and a
ring of yew trees. Adjoining the churchyard on
the east are the grounds of the rectory, a brick
building having a tile roof, part of which dates from
the 17th century. Two enriched wooden Doric
pilasters carry a hood over the entrance doorway,
but besides this there is nothing of interest about
the house.
Opposite the rectory is the Hill Farm and to the
west of it the Methodist chapel. Two roads cross
the green leading to Dell Farm and Hall Farm
respectively.
The village is generally modern, of brick with tile
or slate roofs. There are one or two examples of
flint walls here.
The parish was inclosed by Act of Parliament in
1798, when William Beckford acquired the right of
inclosing the common lands in return for a rentcharge of £30 yearly, to be applied to the poor rates
as compensation for the loss of such common rights. (fn. 2)
The following place-names occur in documents
relating to this parish:—Ilgaresfeld, Hayateslane
(xiv cent.); Wanewyk, Halehull, Brokus Shepcote
(xv cent.); Inner and Outer Clappers (xvii cent.);
Dudmanse (xvii cent.).
MANORS
There is no reference to WHIPSNADE
MANOR in Domesday, but the whole
parish was probably included in that of
Eaton Bray (then assessed at the excessive rate of
12½ hides), to which it is subsequently found attached.
The first mention which has been found of Whipsnade
in this connexion occurs in the Testa de Nevill, when
William de Cantlowe held it as a member of Eaton
Bray. (fn. 3) The manor has since followed the same
descent as that of Eaton Bray (q.v.), and it is at
present the property of Mr. John Macnamara. (fn. 4)
A second property in this parish, later known as
WHIPSNADE MANOR, was held from the early
13th century by a family who assumed Whipsnade
as a surname. In 1228 one Adam de Whipsnade
conveyed land in this parish to the parson of the
church, (fn. 5) and in the same year was disputing with
William de Eltedon concerning land in Studham. (fn. 6)
Richard 'dominus' of Whipsnade, possibly a member
of the same family, occurs as a witness in a transfer
of land in 1305. (fn. 7) He appears to have been followed
by William de Whipsnade, possibly the person of
that name who in 1321 received pardon for giving
land in mortmain to St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield,
without a licence. (fn. 8) His son Nicholas had succeeded
him in 1340, in which year he granted a piece of
land in the parish with hedge and ditch to Walter
de Woburn. (fn. 9) Nicholas had a son Gilbert, who some
years earlier in 1323 had made a grant of land in
Whipsnade and Eaton. (fn. 10) From him the Whipsnadc
property, which about this time begins to be called
a manor, passed to Philip de Whipsnade, who died
some time before 1350. (fn. 11) He left four daughters as
co-heirs—Margery wife of Richard Raven, Christina
wife of Henry de Walton, Alice and Joan. In 1350
the three first-named sisters were engaged in a suit
with John de Swynnerton regarding their respective
shares in the manor. (fn. 12) They placed their shares in
the trusteeship of John de Linley, who released his
right in 'a messuage with curtilage and land' in
Whipsnade to Margery and Christina in 1356. (fn. 13) In
addition to his wife's share, Richard Raven acquired
that of Christina in 1361 (fn. 14) and that of Joan in 1369. (fn. 15)
The portion of Joan may possibly be sought in the
lands right in which Matilda daughter of Nicholas
yielded to John Raven in 1391. (fn. 16) Whipsnade Manor
passed from the Ravens to Nicholas Tettesworth some
time previous to 1412, at which date John son of
Nicholas conveyed his right there to John Haldenby
and Margery his wife. (fn. 17) In 1443 John Haldenby
settled the manor in trust on Laurence Pigot, (fn. 18) and
ten years later he alienated this property permanently
to William Cantlowe, (fn. 19) already a landowner in
Whipsnade, (fn. 20) whose family remained in possession for
the next sixty years. Henry Cantlowe died seised
of Whipsnade in 1490, leaving as heir a son Richard, (fn. 21)
who died in 1517, and was succeeded by a son John,
aged fifteen. (fn. 22) The manor at this date is described
as worth yearly £10, and held of Edmund Bray as
of his manor of Eaton Bray.
The history of this property during the next
century is obscure. It was held in 1532 by William
Hawte, kt., and Margaret his wife (fn. 23) of the king in
chief, (fn. 24) in right of Margaret. (fn. 25) She was a daughter
of Oliver Wood, (fn. 26) and had previously married Walter
Mantell, by whom she had two sons Walter and
Thomas. (fn. 27) She and her third husband James
Hales, kt., settled the manor in reversion on these
two sons in 1551, (fn. 28) but after the conviction for high
treason and consequent execution of Walter in 1554
James and Margaret obtained a relaxation of this
settlement (fn. 29) in order to complete the sale of Whipsnade
to William Dobson. (fn. 30)
William Dobson died in 1562, leaving the estate
to his brother Miles, but an annuity out of the same
to Thomas Clarke for life. (fn. 31) By his will of 1573
Miles left two-thirds of the manor profits to his
daughter Frances and younger son John during the
minority of his son and heir William, (fn. 32) who obtained
livery of his father's lands in 1589, (fn. 33) and in 1598
quitclaimed his manor in Whipsnade to Gamaliel
Cruys. (fn. 34) He sold it for £1,500 to Robert Vaux in
1606, (fn. 35) and an interesting extent of the manor made at
this time describes it (fn. 36) as 'a house containing 16 rooms,
barns and stables, 21 bays, with a fair brick dovehouse, all tiled, and the demesne lands as particularly
followeth: 3 orchards with other necessary yards,
6 acres, the Backside, 4 acres; Inner and Outer
Clapps, II acres, Studham field 23 acres, with other
closes—268 acres.' There was also common for
four sheep, and in a ' mast ' year the feeding of 60
hogs in Dudmanse (now Deadmancey) Wood and
Buckswood. Certain quit-rents were worth 16s.
yearly, and the grounds could also keep I 2 kine, and
in summer yielded 30 loads of hay. The total
annual value was £100, and the value of the timber
on the estate £300.
The manor continued in the Vaux family for the
next two centuries, (fn. 37) and in 1800 the whole estate
was sold to Leonard Hampson by Thomas Vaux. (fn. 38)
It is now the property of Earl Brownlow.
A spurious manor called WOODMANLEY is
found mentioned in early 17th-century documents.
It was released by Thomas Wells and Ellen his wife
to Thomas Smyth in 1606, (fn. 39) and the latter in 1629
sold the estate, then described as the manor of Woodmanley, with 18 acres of arable land and I pightle
called Blackwell, in tenure of Thomas Wells, to
Thomas Saunders, Sir Samuel Luke and Sir William
Fleetwood. (fn. 40) No further mention of such a property
in Whipsnade has been found.
In 1228 4 acres of land in Whipsnade were
granted to Dunstable Priory by Juliana de Landas, (fn. 41)
and in 1252 the priory received a further grant of a
carucate of land from William Russell and Hawise
his wife in return for the inclusion of their names in
the prayers of the church. (fn. 42) At the Dissolution the
total value of lands held by Dunstable Priory in
Westoning and Whipsnade was 3s. (fn. 43) It is probable,
however, that the carucate of land granted to it in
1252 is not there accounted for, but became
merged in the manor of Shortgrave, which extended into Whipsnade parish and was also held
by the monks.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY MAGDALENE is a small building of brick consisting of chancel, nave and west tower.
The tower is 16th-century work, with a west door
way of c. 1480 re-used; the east window of the
belfry stage is of the 16th century, but the others
are round-headed 18th-century insertions. The rest
of the church is modern, and the only old fittings
are a 17th-century pulpit and altar rails.
There are three bells: the treble and second of
1740, by E. Hall, and the tenor of 1630, inscribed
'God Save the King.'
The plate is modern, and the registers previous
to 1812 are in two books: (1) all entries 1712 to
1743; and (2) 1734 to 1812, in which are no
marriages after 1800.
ADVOWSON
The right of presentation to
Whipsnade rectory has always been
in the gift of the Crown. (fn. 44) The
earliest mention of the church occurs in 1228, when
Adam de Whipsnade and John Juvene conveyed
4 acres of land to the parson (fn. 45) ; its value in 1291
was £3 6s. 8d. (fn. 46) and at the Dissolution £7 13s. 4d. (fn. 47)
There are no endowed charities in Whipsnade.