LILLEY
Linlei (xi cent.); Linlea, Linlega, Linlegh, Linlee
(xiii cent.); Lynleye, Lyngeleye (xiv cent.); Lylly,
Lynley (xv cent.); Lyndley alias Lylle (xvi cent.);
Lilley (xvii cent.).
Lilley is a small parish of 1,795 acres on the
western border of Hertfordshire, adjoining the county
of Bedford. The parish lies on the Chilterns on a
slightly inclined plane rising from about 400 ft. above
the ordnance datum in the south to 602 ft. at
Telegraph Hill in the north. There is a small detached
portion of Lilley to the south of the main part of the
parish and entirely surrounded by the parish of Offley.
The land is now, as at the time of the Domesday
Survey, chiefly arable, the soil being chalk. (fn. 1) In
1905 there were 1,062 acres of arable land, 201
acres of permanent grass, and no woodland, (fn. 2) but
there are a good many trees scattered about the
parish.
The village lies in the south of the parish, and,
including a few outlying cottages in the north, extends
about a mile along a branch road here called Lilley
Street running north-west from the Luton and Hitchin
highway to the Icknield Way, which forms part of
the parish boundary in the north. The church of
St. Peter lies on the west side of the road, and Lilley
Park is on the west side of the village. The parish
was inclosed by an Act of 1768, (fn. 3) but there is still a
large open common called Lilley Hoo (fn. 4) to the east of
the village.
MANOR
In the time of Edward the Confessor
the manor of LILLEY was held of Earl
Harold by Leueva, and a sokeman, a man
of Harold's, held 3½ virgates of land in it for which
he rendered a carrying service (avera) in Hitchin or 3½d.
By 1086 Lilley was in the possession of Geoffrey de
Bech. We learn also from the Survey that Ilbert as
sheriff attached to this manor the manor of Wellbury
in Offley. (fn. 5) At the beginning of the 13th century the
manor was in the tenure of William Malet of Gerardville, who held it until the separation of England and
Normandy, when he remained in Normandy. (fn. 6) It
then escheated to King John, and was granted in
1204 to Matthew de Lilley. (fn. 7) A few years later it
was in the possession of Pain de Chaworth, (fn. 8) having
been granted to him to hold at the king's pleasure
by the service of one knight. (fn. 9) He was still holding
it in 1223, (fn. 10) but forfeited before 1227, when the
manor with all liberties and customs was granted
to Richard de Argentein, to be held by him until
the king should restore the lands to the heir of
William Malet 'of his free
will or by a peace,' with the
proviso that in that event the
king should make to Richard
a reasonable exchange in wards
or escheats. (fn. 11) In 1233 the
manor was restored to Pain
de Chaworth, with all goods
and chattels found by inquisition to have been on the
property when Richard entered it. (fn. 12)
Chaworth. Burelly argent and gules with an orle of martlets sable.
In or before 1238 the
custody of the manor was
granted to John Earl of Lincoln, who committed it with the king's consent to
his nephews Roger and Geoffrey de Pavilly (fn. 13) ; but
in 1241 Roger, being called upon to prove his claim,
instead of evidencing the earl's grant as title, claimed
it by hereditary right through his grandmother
Theofania, William Malet's sister. She was said
to have held the manor by gift from Geoffrey, her
brother, (fn. 14) and to have been disseised by Pain de
Chaworth, whom she had impleaded, the action
however having been stopped by her death. On
the king's side it was stated that William Malet
had been in seisin of the manor after Geoffrey's death,
and had forfeited as a Norman, and that Theofania
was not his heir because William had left children.
The king therefore took the manor as escheat. (fn. 15) In
1243 an extent of the manor was taken, (fn. 16) and it was
granted to Paul de Peyvre, (fn. 17) who held it by the service
of half a knight's fee. (fn. 18) In his time the manor is
said to have been withdrawn from the sheriff's tourn
and the hundred court. (fn. 19)
The manor descended to Paul de Peyvre's son John,
and to John son of John, who died in 1316. (fn. 20) The
manor was held for life by his widow Mary, on
whose death in 1333 Nicholas, her grandson (son of
Paul son of John), was the heir. (fn. 21) Nicholas conveyed it in 1359, two years before his death, to
Henry Green, (fn. 22) Anne, apparently wife of Nicholas,
retaining a third part as dower. (fn. 23) Henry Green,
chivaler, died in 1369. The manor descended in
the family of Green (fn. 24) to Sir Thomas Green of
Boughton and Wood's Norton, co. Northants, who
died in l506, leaving two daughters and co-heirs, Anne,
who married Nicholas Lord Vaux of Harrowden,
and Matilda wife of Sir Thomas Parr. (fn. 25) In 1512 the
manor was settled to the use of Lord Vaux and Anne. (fn. 26)
In 1523, on the death of Lord Vaux, (fn. 27) it passed to their
son Thomas Lord Vaux, who conveyed it in 1556 to
Thomas Docwra of Temple Dinsley in Hitchin. (fn. 28)
In 1602 Thomas died, leaving the property to his son
Thomas, on whom it had been previously settled. (fn. 29)
He received a grant of free warren in Lilley, Putteridge, Hockwell and Pirton in 1616. (fn. 30) Periam, his
son, succeeded him in 1620, (fn. 31) and held the manor till
his death in 1642. (fn. 32) The
manor passed to Periam's son
Thomas, (fn. 33) who settled it in
1710 on his grandson and
heir-apparent Sir George
Warburton, bart., of Arley,
co. Chester (son of his
daughter Martha, who married Sir Peter Warburton),
on his marriage with Diana
daughter of William Lord
Alington. (fn. 34) Sir George Warburton sold it in February
1729–30 to the Right Hon.
Charles Cavendish. (fn. 35) In 1738
Lord Charles Cavendish sold
it to Sir Benjamin Rawling,
kt. (fn. 36) Since he left no children, the property was
divided at his death in 1775 between his relatives
and co-heirs, descendants of his father's sisters
Rebecca Nicholson and Sarah Corney. (fn. 37) Thirteen
years later these co-heirs sold the whole manor to
John Sowerby of Hatton Garden, (fn. 38) from whom it
has descended to the present owner Captain Thomas
George Sowerby, (fn. 39) who resides at Putteridge Park.
Green of Boughton. Azure three harts passant or.
Vaux of Harrowden. Checky or and gules.
Sowerby of Putte-ridge. Barry sable and gules a cheveron between three lions argent with three rings gules on the cheveron.
CHURCH
St. Peter
The parish church of ST. PETER,
which stands in the village, was originally built in the 12th century. It was,
however, wholly rebuilt in 1871, a few portions of
the old church and some fittings being retained in
the new building.
The chancel arch, of tufa, of the 12th century, has
been reset in the north wall of the chancel, and there
are some 15th-century stones in the south doorway.
There is a piscina in the chancel, possibly of the 15th
century, with a four-centred head and an octagonal
bowl and shelf. It is covered with modern paint.
The font, of the 15th century, is octagonal and of
clunch. There are mural tablets in the porch to
Thomas Docwra, 1602, and to Daniel Houghton,
1672. The pulpit is made up of old oak, with linen
panels having traceried heads, brought from St. John's
College, Cambridge.
There is a ring of three bells; the treble may be
by William Knight of Reading, and is of 1580;
the second is by George Chandler, 1703; and the
tenor by T. Mears, 1821.
The plate includes a cup of 1689, paten of 1776–7,
a pair of cruets and brass almsdish.
The registers are in two books, of which the first
contains burials and baptisms from 1711 to 1812 and
marriages from 1711 to 1752, and the second marriages
from 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The earliest record of the advowson
of the church of Lilley is in the year
1213, at which date it was in the
king's hands, with other property of the Normans, (fn. 40)
so that it had probably belonged to the Malets.
Soon afterwards it was granted to Paul de Peyvre, (fn. 41)
and descended with the manor (q.v.) until 1730,
when Sir George Warburton conveyed it to Lord
Charles Cavendish, (fn. 42) who sold it the following year
to the Master and Fellows of St. John's College,
Cambridge, who are the present patrons. (fn. 43)
Dwelling-houses were certified for worship for
Protestant Dissenters from early in the 17th century. (fn. 44)
There is now a Wesleyan chapel in Lilley.
There are no endowed charities in this parish.