ST. PAUL'S WALDEN
Waldene (xi cent.); Walden (xiii cent.); Abbot's
Walden or Walden Abbatis (xv and xvi cent.); Powles
Walden or Pawles Walden (xvi cent.).
The parish of St. Paul's Walden lies on a tableland some 400 ft. high, being a spur of the Chilterns.
The valley of the River Mimram runs through it from
north-west to south-east. The church and some halfdozen cottages stand in the north. Stagenhoe Park is in
the west of the parish and The Bury lies to the south;
both have wooded parks, and there are large beechwoods. A long shady road, 1 mile in length, leads
down from here to the hamlet of Whitwell, with its
population of 600 people. Its situation along the
valley of the river is very pretty, but the village itself
is unpleasing, being a long row of houses, which are,
for the most part, poor. The old Tannery house must
be excepted. It is a good brick house, with panelling
inside, and two good Adams' mantelpieces. Tanning
used to be an industry here, but it was given up some
thirty-five years ago. Straw-plaiting also was once an
industry. Now, however, the people have to depend on
agriculture and water-cress growing. There are small
beds by the riverside, and an osier-bed plantation
along the eastern boundary of Hoo Park.
There is no railway passing through the parish, and
the nearest station is about four and a half miles
away at Knebworth, on the Great Northern Railway. The road from St. Paul's Walden to Codicote
joins that passing through Bendish and Whitwell,
hamlets on the west and south-west of St. Paul's
Walden, at a point south-east of Whitwell. There
used to be a mission room at Bendish, but service is
now held in a cottage. There are a few old halftimber and brick cottages, and a farm-house in which
it is said Bunyan used to preach.
In 1905 the parish included 2,334 acres of arable
land, 1,059 acres of permanent grass, and 581 acres of
woodland. (fn. 1) The chief crops are wheat, oats, barley,
and turnips, and the soil is clay with flints.
Roman coins have been found at Whitwell.
Place names taken from court rolls and elsewhere
are Smartnolclose, Venegles, Kyngeslond, Salowecroft,
Aley Green, Wisegrove Corner, le Croke Close, Kengley Close, Croend, Lyefields, Ninewells bridge, Hitchwood Close, le Marrion, Burton Lane, Niger Close,
Hartmings, Burgswick, Winchcroft, Newsey, Burtry
Close, Pantile Close, and Hacklegate; and in a will
of 1513 reference is made to a tenement in Whittewell Street opposite le Holmes next the Cross and a
close next Romers brigge. (fn. 2)
MANORS
Ethelred, procurator of Mercia, granted
land in ABBOTS WALDEN or ST.
PAUL'S WALDEN in 888 to his servant Wulfgar, (fn. 3) who later granted this land to the abbey
of St. Albans. (fn. 4) At the time of the Domesday Survey
this manor was part of the demesne of the abbey of St.
Albans, (fn. 5) and it was confirmed to the monastery by King
John. (fn. 6) It does not seem to have been subinfeudated at
any time. The abbey acquired more land in Abbots
Walden during the later part of the thirteenth century from Agnes widow of Hugh Marshal, and
Matilda his daughter. (fn. 7)
Abbot Geoffrey (1119–46) assigned to the kitchen
of the monastery all the cheeses from Walden, and
Codicote and Walden had between them to supply
fifty hens and one pig at Christmas, and a thousand
eggs and one pig at Easter. These were distributed
between the two cellarers. (fn. 8) The manor with two
mills was mortgaged by Abbot Hugh (1308–26) for
ten years to Master William Legat. (fn. 9)
Like many other tenants of the abbey, the inhabitants of Abbots Walden extorted a charter of
liberties from the abbot at the time of Wat Tyler's
rebellion, (fn. 10) and at about the same time, some of
the tenants, pretending that they were relations
of a certain John Biker, who had been hanged
during a recent insurrection in St. Albans, demanded
a sum of money from the abbot, and when he
refused to pay they burnt many of the abbey farms,
that of Walden being among them. The cowhouse
was completely demolished, but the rest of the manorhouse was saved. (fn. 11) A little later a large barn was
built at Abbots Walden to
accommodate the tithes of the
refectorar. (fn. 12)
At the time of the Dissolution (1539) the farm of
the manor of Waldenbury was
in lease for thirty-one years
to Richard Sturmyns in right
of Agnes his wife, daughter
and heir of Thomas Hethe. (fn. 13)
In 1544 the manor was
granted in exchange for other
manors to the dean and chapter of St. Paul's, London. (fn. 14)
From that time the name of
the manor was changed to
St. Paul's Walden, and it has remained in the
possession of the dean and chapter of St. Paul's till
the present time, except for a short interval during
the Commonwealth, when the chapter lands were
confiscated. The mansion house of this manor was
sold in 1649 to Martin Noel, of London. (fn. 15) The
manor was sold at the same date to Thomas Matthews
and Augustine Garland, (fn. 16) and in 1652 Augustine
Garland and Thomas Aleyn sold it to George
Younge. (fn. 17)
Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's. Gules two crossed swords argent with hilts or and in the chief a letter D or.
The manor-house of St. Paul's Walden or the Bury
seems to have been sold by the dean and chapter, for
at the beginning of the eighteenth century it belonged
to Edward Gilbert, (fn. 18) and from him it came to his
daughter Mary, who brought it by marriage to George
Bowes. Their daughter Mary Eleanor married John
Lyon, earl of Strathmore, (fn. 19) from whom it has descended
to the present earl. A court leet has been held
every May up to 1905.
BOWES. Ermine three bent bows gules.
LYON. Argent a lion azure in a double tressure counter flowered gules.
The manor of STAGENHOE (Stagenhou xi cent.;
Stagenho, Stagho, xiii cent.; Stattenho, xv cent.;
Stangno, Stagnowe, Stagnall, xvi cent.), consisting of
one hide, was held before the Norman Conquest by
Turbern a man of King Edward, and he could sell it.
After the Conquest it was given to Ranulph brother
of Ilger and William held it of him. (fn. 20) Nothing more
is known of the descent of this manor until the middle
of the thirteenth century, when it occurs as a knight's
fee held of the manor of Weston next Baldock, (fn. 21) which
belonged to the Earls Marshal. The overlordship
descended with that manor till 1339, when on the
death of Thomas de Brotherton, earl of Norfolk, this
fee was assigned to his daughter Alice the wife of
Edward Montagu, the manor of Weston falling to
the share of his other daughter, Margaret wife of John
de Segrave. (fn. 22) Edward and Alice had an only daughter
Joan who married William Ufford, earl of Suffolk, and
died without issue. (fn. 23) This fee subsequently seems to
have passed to the abbots of St. Albans, of whom it
was held in 1485. (fn. 24)
The manor was held in 1245–6 by Simon Fitz
Simon, (fn. 25) probably a son of Simon Fitz Simon who
held land in Hertfordshire in 1198–9, and died about
1215; (fn. 26) and free warren was granted to Simon in
1253. (fn. 27) Simon son of Simon de Hout in 1258 gave
an undertaking to Sir Peter de Montfort under forfeiture of 600 marks that he would deliver to him
possession of his lands in the manor of Stag. (fn. 28) In
1253 and 1268–9 grants of free warren in Stagenhoe
were made to the knights of the Temple, (fn. 29) but it is
possible that these grants referred to the demesne land
of their manor of Chelles in Bengeo. Simon Fitz
Simon's heir was John de Verdun, (fn. 30) and in 1306–7
one fee in Stagenhoe was held by Thomas de Verdun
son of John, (fn. 31) who died seised of the manor of Stagenhoe in 1315, (fn. 32) leaving John his son and heir, a minor.
John held one fee in Stagenhoe in 1339, and it was
then valued at 100s. yearly. (fn. 33) John de Verdun settled
this manor in 1350–1 upon Edmund de Verdun,
probably his son, and Joan his wife, and their heirs of
the body, with remainder in default to the heirs of
John. (fn. 34) It afterwards came into the Pilkington
family by the marriage of Margaret daughter and
heir of John de Verdun, probably sister of Edmund,
with Sir John Pilkington. (fn. 35) In 1399–1400 Sir John
Pilkington and Margery his wife settled the manor
upon themselves for life with remainder to their son
Edmund for life and to the heirs of Margery. (fn. 36) She
had previously married Hugh Bradshawe, by whom
she had a son William, whose daughter Elizabeth,
wife of Sir Richard Harrington, was Margery's heir. (fn. 37)
In 1430 this manor was settled on Edmund Pilkington and his heirs male, with remainders to Elizabeth
Harrington, and Sir John Pilkington another son of
Margery. (fn. 38) It afterwards came to Thomas Pilkington
son of Edmund, who settled it in 1459–60 upon
himself in tail, with remainder to Roger his brother
and others. (fn. 39) Thomas was attainted in 1485, and his
lands were forfeited to the Crown. (fn. 40) This manor
was granted in 1489 to Thomas earl of Derby and
his heirs male. (fn. 41) He was succeeded in 1504 by his
grandson Thomas, son of George Stanley, Lord
Le Strange. (fn. 42) Thomas died in 1521, leaving his son
Edward a minor, to whom livery of the manor was
made in 1530–1. (fn. 43) He died in 1572, when it came
to his son Henry, (fn. 44) on whose death in 1593 it passed
to his son Ferdinand, who
died without heirs in 1594. (fn. 45)
The reversion, which belonged
to the queen, had already
been granted in 1582 to
William Godfrey or Cowper
and his heirs. (fn. 46) William sold
the manor in 1595 to Richard
Hale, (fn. 47) who died seised of it
in 1621, leaving William his
son and heir. (fn. 48) The manor
had however been settled by
Richard on Rose, wife of
William, and after her husband's death in 1633 she
held the manor for life. (fn. 49) She outlived her two
elder sons, William and Rowland, (fn. 50) and on her death
the manor passed to her youngest son John, who died
in 1672, (fn. 51) leaving issue a daughter, Rose, wife of Sir
John Austen. (fn. 52) From Sir John and Rose the manor
came to their son Sir Robert Austen, (fn. 53) who sold it in
1703, with the park of Stagenhoe, to Robert Heysham of London. (fn. 54) Robert died in 1722, leaving one
son, Robert, aged ten at the time of his father's death. (fn. 55)
He died unmarried in 1734, and bequeathed the
estate to his kinsman, Giles Thornton, on condition
of his taking the additional name of Heysham. (fn. 56) The
mansion which had been built in 1650 or 1660
was burnt down in 1737, and was rebuilt about
1740. (fn. 57) On the death of Giles in 1767 the manor
came to his son Robert Thornton Heysham, who
was succeeded in 1781 by his son Robert. (fn. 58) In
1810 William Thomson and Ann his wife conveyed it to Robert John Harper, (fn. 59) but this conveyance
was probably made for a settlement, for in 1833
Robert Heysham and Sarah his wife conveyed the
manor to Richard Sparkes, (fn. 60) who may have been a
trustee for Captain Arthur Duncombe, who sold this
manor in 1843 to Henry Rogers. (fn. 61) Henry died in
1866, (fn. 62) and was succeeded by his son Henry, who
sold the manor about 1869 to James, fourteenth earl
of Caithness, (fn. 63) whose trustees sold it about seventeen
years ago to Mr. William B. Hawkins, the present
possessor.
Verdun. Or fretty gules.
Pilkington. Argent a cross paty voided gules.
Stanley, Earl of Derby. Argent a bend azure with three harts' heais caboshed or thereon.
The manor of HOO, WALDEN HOO, KIMPTON HOO or HOOBURY was apparently held
by Eustace de Hoo, who held land called Hou
in 1190, and successfully proved his claim against
Baldwin de Bolon. (fn. 64) In the second or third decade
of the thirteenth century William, abbot of St. Albans,
granted to Richard del Hoo licence to have an oratory
in his court' del Ho' for the celebration of mass and
the hours. The chaplain was to be obedient to the
archdeacon of St. Albans, and to swear fealty to the
church of St. Alban and the vicar of Walden, and all
oblations were to go to Walden. Baptisms, marriages and the eucharist were not to be celebrated
there except in cases of urgent necessity. For this
licence Richard promised to give annually six candles
for the high altar at St. Albans. (fn. 65) Richard de Plomer
and Mabel his wife, in 1278–9, conveyed land in
Walden and Kimpton to Philip del Hoo, (fn. 66) and in
1289 John de Hoo sought to recover land in Walden
and Kimpton which had been taken into the king's
hands by reason of John's default against Christiana,
the wife of Philip de Hoo. (fn. 67) John seems to have
been succeeded about 1318 by William, (fn. 68) and in
1340–1 land and a mill in Abbots Walden and
Kimpton were settled on William de Hoo for life,
with remainder to his son William and Petronilla his
wife, daughter of Thomas Aylmar, and to his younger
sons John and Philip. (fn. 69) In 1438 Edward atte Hoo
of Abbots Walden left money for the fabric of the
church of Kimpton, and his 'nepotes' Thomas, John,
and Stephen were his executors. (fn. 70) Edward probably
did not hold the manor, for William, the son mentioned in the above settlement, seems to have been
succeeded by his son Thomas, who died in 1480. (fn. 71)
His wife Joan survived him and is mentioned in
1489. (fn. 72) The manor of Hoobury came on the death
of Thomas to his son Thomas, who settled it upon his
wife Maud Bardolf. After his death in 1516, (fn. 73) Maud
married Thomas Blake, who had some difficulty in
getting his estate in the manor from the trustees of
the settlement on Maud, and from Joan, his wife's
mother-in-law. (fn. 74) From Maud and Thomas Blake
the manor came to Thomas Hoo, son of Maud by
her first husband. (fn. 75) This Thomas died in 1551, (fn. 76)
and was succeeded by a son of the same name who in
1572 conveyed the manor to Nicholas Brockett and
Edward Boughton, probably for a settlement on his
marriage with Lucy daughter of John Brockett. (fn. 77) In
1581 Thomas Hoo and Lucy his wife conveyed the
manor to Thomas their son, (fn. 78) who was succeeded by
his son William, on whose death in 1636 the manor
came to his son Thomas. (fn. 79) A settlement of the manor
was made in the following year, (fn. 80) and Thomas died
in 1650. His only son Thomas had predeceased his
father in 1642, and left no issue, so the manor came
to Susan daughter of Thomas, and wife of Jonathan
Keate. (fn. 81) Susan died in 1673 and Sir Jonathan in
1700, when the manor came to his son Sir Gilbert
Hoo Keate. (fn. 82) He died after five years' possession of
the manor, and was succeeded by his son Sir Henry
Hoo Keate, (fn. 83) who sold the manor in 1732 to Margaret Brand, widow of Thomas Brand. (fn. 84) She was
succeeded by her son Thomas, on whose death in
1770 the manor came to his son Thomas. He
married Gertrude sister and heir of Charles Trevor
Roper, Lord Dacre, and on his death in 1794 the
Hoo came to his son Thomas Brand, Lord Dacre. He
dying without heirs in 1851 was succeeded by his
brother Henry Otway, who assumed the surname
Trevor in accordance with the will of John Viscount
Hampden. (fn. 85) The manor of Hoo has since descended
with the title of Lord Dacre
to the present Viscount Hampden. The house is at present
occupied by Mr. Godfrey
Walter. (fn. 86)
Hoo. Quarterly sable and argent.
Keate. Argent three cast passant sable.
Brand, Viscount Hampden. Azure two crossed swords with their hilts or between three scallos or.
BENDISH
BENDISH (Beandisc, Benedis, xi cent.) was given to the
abbey of St. Albans by Had
and Christiana his wife. (fn. 87) At
the time of Domesday Survey
it lay in the half hundred of
Hitchin, (fn. 88) and was probably
placed shortly afterwards in
the abbot's hundred of Cashio.
There is no evidence that
there was ever a manor here,
and Bendish is now a hamlet in the parish of
St. Paul's Walden.
The manor of LEGGATS or HOWENDEN was
held of the abbots of St. Albans. (fn. 89) At the beginning
of the fourteenth century the manor of Walden was
mortgaged to William Legat (fn. 90) by the abbot of
St. Albans, and Robert Legat of Abbots Walden is
mentioned in 1340. (fn. 91)
Hugh Legat, a Benedictine monk who flourished at
the beginning of the fifteenth century, was probably
related to the Legats of Abbots Walden. He was
brought up in the monastery school at St. Albans,
and continued his studies at Gloucester Hall, Oxford,
where the abbey of St. Albans had a house for its
own scholars. He became prior of Redbourn, but
was relieved of this office in 1427 and sent to the cell
of Tynemouth.
The manor of Leggats, which had formerly been
held by Thomas Legat, was granted in 1430 by
Matthew Bepset, John Spygon, and John Mordone
to John abbot of St. Albans, (fn. 92) who spent £35 in
repairs there. (fn. 93) In 1429–30 a master of the works
of the abbey of St. Albans was instituted, and among
other things a rent from this manor was assigned to
him. (fn. 94) In the middle of the fifteenth century the
abbot of St. Albans obtained a discharge of a quit-rent
paid to the manor of Bushey in Kimpton from the
manor of Leggats. (fn. 95) In 1531 the manor was leased
for twenty-four years to Thomas Skipwith. (fn. 96) At the
Dissolution (1539) it came with the manor of Abbots
Walden to the crown and was granted with that
manor in 1544 under the name of a farm or capital
messuage called 'Legattes or Howenden' to the dean
and chapter of St. Paul's. (fn. 97) It was leased by the dean
to Nathaniel Younge, who died in 1691, leaving
Joseph his son and heir, (fn. 98) and in 1716 John Younge
held 4 acres of land in the demesne of the manor of
Leggats. (fn. 99) The site of the manor is probably Leggats
End to the west of Hoo Park.
The manor of BRADWAY (Bradweye, xii cent.;
Bradweie, Bradewei, xiii cent.) in Abbots Walden (fn. 100)
was given to the monastery of St. Albans by Emma
de Bradeweye and her son Hugh early in the
twelfth century. (fn. 101) The abbey had already acquired
some land here by exchange with Geoffrey de Mappeham at the beginning of the same century, (fn. 102)
and two-thirds of the tithes from the demesne of
St. Albans in Bradway, and two-thirds of the wheat
of Roger de Limes in Bradway had been granted to
the hospital of St. Julian at the time of its foundation. (fn. 103) By an undated charter Richard del Hoo
granted to St. Albans for the maintenance of six
candles at the shrine of St. Alban, 2s. yearly which
was of Roger Prest, which Thomas de Bradeweye held
of Richard in Bradway. (fn. 104) The manor was confirmed
to the abbey by Henry II and John, (fn. 105) and in 1303 it
consisted of a sixth part of a knight's fee, and is said
to have been held of the king in chief. (fn. 106) The
manor-house of Bradway was repaired by Abbot
Michael (1335–49), and he retired there in consequence of the great resort of visitors to his manor-house of Tyttenhanger. (fn. 107) He also built a chapel
there, which is perhaps identical with the chapel of
St. Clement which existed at Abbots Walden in the
sixteenth century. (fn. 108)
Under the succeeding abbot this manor-house
was allowed to fall into decay, (fn. 109) and Bradway dis
appeared as a manor. There is no trace of its
site, and some authorities have identified it with
the hamlet of Broadway in the parish of North-church. (fn. 110) There is, however, no reason to suppose
that the abbots of St. Albans ever held land in Northchurch, and Bradway is distinctly stated to be in the
parish of Abbots Walden, and lay in the hundred of
Cashio. (fn. 111)
There were two mills at Abbots Walden at the
time of the Domesday Survey, belonging to the abbot
and convent of St. Albans. (fn. 112) A water-mill in Abbots
Walden, called Walden Mill or Whytwell Mill, was
leased by the abbot in 1538 for forty-one years to
Thomas Venters, with two meadows, and all suit of
multure, &c., belonging to the mill. Thomas was to
hold it for a rent of 5 marks per annum paid to the
sub-cellarer and was to keep the mill and water gates
in repair. For this purpose he could take sufficient
timber in the manor of Walden. He also had to
keep two swans called 'Broude Swaynes' in the river
there for the use of the abbot, and could have two
cart-loads of firewood yearly at his own cost and
carriage. (fn. 113) This lease was afterwards cancelled, and
a new lease of the mill made to William Reade in
1567. (fn. 114) The mill was leased by the dean and chapter
of St. Paul's, London, in 1595 to John Prentice for the
term of his life and the lives of his daughters Susan
and Anne. (fn. 115) It was afterwards leased to Mary Hoo,
and was sold in 1649 to Martin Noel. (fn. 116) This mill
still survives as a corn mill at Whitwell on the River
Mimram, and is now in the possession of the earl of
Strathmore, to whose ancestor it was probably sold
with the Bury. (fn. 117) The other mill, which was called
Pann Mill, has disappeared, but the site is marked by
the mill dam.
In 1479 a dispute arose between John Finche of
le Mereplace and the tenants of Walden as to whether
a pond called le Merepond next the highway was the
severalty of John or common of the tenants. The
dispute was submitted to the abbot of St. Albans, who
decided in favour of John. (fn. 118) At a court of the dean
and chapter held in 1672 it was presented that there
was a custom that every tenant was able at his free
will to cut down and sell any trees growing as well
upon his land held by copy of court roll as upon
freehold land of the manor, and every tenant might
pull down his house without forfeiture. According
to the custom of the manor, le Bury at St. Paul's
Walden was the place where the court ought to be
held and there the jury were to dine and deliver their
verdict. (fn. 119) There was also a custom that when a
tenant died, his heir was to have the best beast, and
the lord the second best by way of heriot. The
cottagers usually paid money instead of a beast or
chattel as heriot. (fn. 120)
In 1712 the land and house of John Reed were
converted into a workhouse. (fn. 121)
CHURCH
The church of ALL SAINTS has a
chancel with north vestry and south
chapel, a nave 54 ft. 9 in. long by 20 ft.
wide, with south aisle 12 ft. 4 in. wide, and south
porch, and a west tower. It is built of flint rubble
with ashlar dressings, the chancel and chapel being
plastered, all walls being finished with embattled
parapets. The nave roof is slated, and hipped at the
east, while the south chapel and aisle have flat-pitched
lead roofs, and the chancel is tiled. The early history
of the building is not now to be traced, as the oldest
existing feature is the window in the south aisle of
the nave, west of the doorway, which dates from about
the year 1300. But the irregularity in the position
of the tower, its axis being noticeably south of that of
the nave, suggests certain developments. The north
wall of the nave is probably older than its windows,
which date from c. 1320, while the south arcade is
about contemporary with them, and the tower, which
now contains no features older than the first half of
the fourteenth century, may be on the lines or contain
masonry of an older tower, and may have been set
out on the original centre line of the nave, before it
was altered by the building of the south arcade a little
within the line of the former south wall. If the
window already referred to in the south aisle is in
position, it establishes the former existence of a south
arcade older than that which now stands, and the
rather unusual width of the aisle, 12 ft. 4 in., points
to the fact that the former arcade was set on the line
of the old south wall of the nave, and outside that of
the present arcade.
The south chapel was added to the chancel early in
the sixteenth century, and the chancel itself was
entirely recast in the eighteenth, all traces of former
detail being then destroyed or covered up. It has a
large round-headed east window, which is blocked
and does not show on the inside, the only light
coming from two smaller round-headed windows on
the north. The chancel is divided into three bays,
separated by pilasters from which spring semicircular
plastered arches, coffered on the soffit, the surface of
the arched plaster ceiling between the arches being
treated with moulded plaster panels and modelled
ornament at the centre and angles of each bay. The
walls are panelled in wood painted white, and at the
east end is a tall reredos with a round-headed central
recess flanked by Corinthian pilasters, and over the
recess a pediment inclosing a book inscribed [I kaini diathiki] and surmounted by a burning heart. On
either side of the central pediment are smaller pediments at a lower level, with elaborate finials and
cherubs' heads. The north vestry is entered from
the middle bay of the chancel.
The chancel is closed at the west by a wooden
screen of the same date as the reredos, and a very fine
example of its kind. It stands in the chancel arch,
the outer order of which is pointed, and probably of
fourteenth-century date, while the inner order ranges
with the plaster ceiling of the chancel, replacing the
destroyed inner order of the fourteenth-century arch.
The screen has a central and two side openings divided
by fluted Corinthian pillars with richly-carved entablatures, from which spring round-headed arches.
Over the central arch, which is wider than the others,
is a pediment inclosing the sacred monogram, and
over the side arches are curved brackets, the whole
being finished with richly-modelled finials like those
on the reredos. The screen is enriched with carved
ornament, and the soffits of the arches are panelled,
and the workmanship throughout is exceedingly good.
The pulpit, in the south-east angle of the nave, is
modern and designed to harmonize with the screen,
with a well-designed carved cornice and angle pilasters.
The nave has a south arcade of five bays, with
octagonal shafts, moulded capitals and bases, and
pointed arches of two chamfered orders with a label,
c. 1320. In the east bay are marks of a parclose
screen. In the north wall are three widely-splayed
windows of about the same date, of two trefoiled
lights with a flowing quatrefoiled opening in the
head. The internal stonework of clunch is original,
but externally all tracery, &c., is modern. Between
the second and third windows from the east is a plain
north doorway, probably co-eval with them, but with
new stonework. The nave has a fifteenth-century clear-story with three square-headed windows a side, each
of two cinquefoiled lights, the tracery being modern.
There is a flat modern wooden ceiling panelled and
painted, with the Passion emblems at the east, while
at the west is to be seen the line of the former
pitched roof, removed when the clearstory was built.
Above the tower arch is a gallery set up in 1897.
The chapel south of the chancel formerly opened
to it by an arcade of three bays with moulded fourcentred arches and clustered piers, now blocked by
the eighteenth-century panelling, with a doorway to
the chancel in the middle bay. On the west sides
of the capitals of the two piers of the arcade are
fluted shields, one blank and the other charged with
a saltire. The chapel is lighted by square-headed
windows, one of four lights on the east, and three of
three lights on the south, all the lights having fourcentred heads, those in the east window being cinquefoiled. The south windows were probably of the
same character, but have lost their cusps and show
evidences of patching. The spandrels of the lights
were carved externally, and plain within, but one
stone in the east window has been reversed so that
the carved spandrel shows on the inside, and in the
south windows several heads have been renewed and
altered. Between the first and second windows on
the south is a small four-centred doorway. The
ceiling of the chapel is modern, flat and panelled, like
that of the nave, with IHS in a wreath on each panel.
At the west, in a four-centred arch of the same date
as the chapelry, and opening to the south aisle, is a
wooden screen into which are worked parts of a fifteenth-century screen, the tracery in the heads of the
openings and the cresting above being gilded.
In the south aisle of the nave are two three-light
fifteenth-century windows, with cinquefoiled lights
and tracery under a segmental head, and to the west
of them a plain fourteenth-century south doorway,
under a porch which is perhaps of the same date,
with an outer arch of two continuous chamfered
orders. West of the doorway is a fine three-light
window, with trefoiled lights and geometrical tracery,
c. 1300, having a well-moulded rear arch and label, (fn. 122)
and in the west wall of the aisle is a blocked window
of the same type as the two windows east of the south
doorway. In the north-west angle of the aisle is a
four-centred doorway leading to the stair at the southeast angle of the tower. The roof of the aisle is
modern, with arched braces and open tracery in the
spandrels.
The tower, which has an eastern arch of two
moulded orders with stops at the springing, and halfoctagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases,
is of three stages, with pairs of boldly-projecting
buttresses at the western angles, and a vice at the southeast, which runs up to the full height of the tower
and like it is finished with an embattled parapet.
The belfry windows are of fifteenth-century style, of
two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head,
and in the second stage are plain uncusped lancet
lights on the north, south, and west. Above the west
lancet is a small cinquefoiled light. In the ground
stage is a west window of a single trefoiled light, set
to the south of the centre line of the wall, and rebated
internally for a wooden shutter, the hanging-hooks of
which still exist. The west doorway has an arch
with two continuous hollow chamfers, and with the
window is probably co-eval with the east arch of the
tower. The reason for the position of the window
is not clear, but the traces of the movable shutter
suggest that this part of the tower was used as a
living-room.
The fifteenth-century font is at the west end of
the south aisle, and stands on a platform raised above
the floor of the aisle. It has an octagonal embattled
bowl, with a band of foliage at half-height, an octagonal shaft panelled on all but the north and south
faces, and a moulded base. The nave is seated with
chairs and has a wood-block floor, and from the ceiling are hung two brass chandeliers. Everything in
the building is well kept, and the church is a model
of cleanliness and order. In the north windows of the
clearstory is some good modern heraldic glass, but
there are no remains of old glazing.
At the west end of the nave is a fourteenthcentury floor slab with indents of two shields and
an inscription round the edge 'Willem de . . .
gist ici deu de sa alme eit merci,' and in the south
chapel is a marble slab with the indents of an
inscription-plate with a shield below. A mural
monument at the west of the south chapel was set
up by Mary Henn to her grandparents, Henry and
Dorothy Stapleford, 1631 and 1620, and shows
their two figures kneeling at a desk beneath a pediment, with a shield bearing gyronny argent and sable.
At the west end of the south aisle is an altar tomb
with a black marble slab to Peter Nicol, 1798, and
in the churchyard are several broken mediaeval
coffin-lids.
There are six bells, the first five of 1665, by
Chandler of Drayton Parslow, and the tenor by John
Briant of Hertford, 1814.
The plate consists of a modern chalice of mediaeval
design, enriched with gems, a standing paten of 1680,
a flagon of the same date, and a pewter almsdish.
The registers begin in 1558. Book i contains
baptisms 1559–1653, burials 1558–1642, and marriages 1559–1652; Book ii, baptisms 1653–1747,
burials 1653–1746, and marriages 1653–1748.
Book iii has baptisms and burials 1748–99, and
marriages 1748–53; Book iv, baptisms and burials
1799–1812, and Book v marriages 1754–1812.
Book i has been recovered since the return of 1830,
which made no mention of any book older than the
present Book ii, which is the civil 'Parish Registers'
Book of the Commonwealth continued as a church
book. (fn. 123)
ADVOWSON
The church of Abbots Walden
was probably granted to the monastery of St. Albans by Wulfgar with
the manor, (fn. 124) and was confirmed to them by King
John. (fn. 125) In 1188 the obventions from the church
were assigned with the licence of Pope Clement III
to the guests' prebend. (fn. 126) One mark per annum from
the church of Walden was granted in 1194 to the
church of St. Mary of Pré near St. Albans, (fn. 127) and in
1257 a pension of 40s. per annum paid by the vicar
of Walden was assigned by the abbot to provide bread
and ale for the monks and their guests. (fn. 128) Part of
the tithes of Walden were assigned to the hospital of
St. Julian, (fn. 129) and some seem to have belonged to the
refectorar. (fn. 130) In 1513 the site of the rectory and the
tithes were leased for thirty-one years to Thomas
Blake, for a rent of £19 payable to the refectorar. (fn. 131)
This lease was renewed in 1534, and Blake apparently
transferred it to Thomas Hoo. (fn. 132) The rectory and
advowson of the vicarage were granted in 1544 to
the dean and chapter of St. Paul's, London, (fn. 133) and
the patronage has been vested in them since. The
lease of the rectory was renewed in 1621 to William
Hoo for four lives, and he mortgaged it in 1623 to
John Saunders, Richard Franklyn, and Richard
Collett. (fn. 134) The rectory was sold with the Bury, and
the great tithes are now received by the earl of Strathmore. (fn. 135)
There was a chapel of St. Clement at Abbots
Walden, which was claimed in the middle of the
sixteenth century by John Bentrys, footman 'to the
Prince's Grace.' It consisted of a close and messuages and 3 acres of land lying in a field called Oldfield,
and was held of the manor of Abbots Walden. The
vicar of Abbots Walden claimed the premises as
his glebe, and stated that it had been granted by the
last abbot of St. Albans to Bentrys. (fn. 136) In 1614 this
land was held by George Sturman, and was said to be
concealed. (fn. 137) The lands belonging to the chapel were
granted in 1621 to Sir Henry Spiller. (fn. 138)
Samuel Peachy, vicar of St. Paul's Walden, was
ejected in 1662 for Nonconformity, but the Nonconformists seem to have still held their ground after his
ejection. Robert Tory, an ejected minister, obtained
a licence to preach as a Presbyterian minister in 1672,
and at the same date a house in this parish was
licensed as a meeting-place for Presbyterians. The
hamlets of Bendish and Whitwell have been strongholds of Nonconformity from early times. A conventicle was held at Whitwell in 1669, a place of
meeting was registered in 1693, and an Independent
chapel seems to have been built about 1802. A new
chapel was opened in 1883. There is also at Whitwell a chapel of the countess of Huntingdon's connexion dedicated in honour of St. Mary. Bendish
seems to have had an Independent chapel as early as
1715, and in 1772 it was supplied from Luton once
a month. There is now a Primitive Methodist
chapel. (fn. 139)
CHARITIES
This parish is entitled to benefit
in Henry Smith's General Charity,
founded in 1620, in respect of which
the sum of £14 out of the rent of Whitehouse Farm,
Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, has for several years been
allocated to it, and applied in the distribution of
coats and blankets. In 1906 twenty coats and twenty-five blankets were distributed to poor men and
women.
The Rev. Thomas Chapman of Stevenage, by his
will, dated 8 March, 1668, devised certain messuages
and lands in Stevenage, subject to the payment of £8
per annum, to buy cloth and bread for the poor of
the parishes therein named (see parish of Stevenage),
including the parish of St. Paul's Walden, to the value
of £1 per annum. The property charged with the
annuity appears to have been sold, and is difficult of
identification, but two sums of 10s. each were formerly paid out of two pieces of land belonging to
Mr. Robert Moulds and Mr. Joseph Moulden of
Stevenage, but for some years have ceased to be paid.
Robert Fullwood, by will dated 10 March, 1837,
bequeathed to the rector and churchwardens £100 to
be invested and income applied at Christmas yearly
for the use of poor widows, share and share alike.
The legacy is represented by £112 19s. 10d. consols,
with the official trustees, the income of which,
amounting to £2 16s. 4d., was in 1906 distributed
equally among twenty widows.