OFFLEY
Offanleáh, Offanlege (x cent.); Offelei (xi cent.);
Offellei, Offelegh (xiii cent.); Offeleg, Doffeleye
(xiv cent.); Offeley (xvi cent.).
Offley parish covers 5,569 acres. It lies on the
Chilterns, and has an average height of 400 ft. above
the ordnance datum, but drops in the east to 224 ft.
The Icknield Way separates it on the north from the
parish of Pirton. There are two distinct villages,
called Great and Little Offley. The latter is about
1¼ miles to the north-west of Great Offley, which is
in the centre of the parish. It is on the main road
to Hitchin, the nearest town, which lies 3 miles to
the east. Wellbury is about 1½ miles to the north
of the village.
The church of St. Mary Magdalene and Offley
Place lie together off the high road, and they with
the houses to the south probably formed the site of
the original settlement. The part of the village
which has sprung up along the road from Luton to
Hitchin is, we may suppose, of a later date. In the
village are several timber and plaster cottages with
tiled roofs of the 16th and 17th centuries, and also
some of brick of the latter date. The Green Man
Inn is a 16th-century house of timber covered with
rough-cast. It was originally an L-shaped type of
house, but has been much altered. Offley Place with
its park is the property of Mr. H. G. Salusbury
Hughes, J.P. It is a three-storied building of brick.
The north wing is of the 17th century, but the
remainder of the house was rebuilt about 1770.
Great Offley Hall lies to the south and Offley Hoo a
little further on.
Westbury Farm, a quarter of a mile from the
church, is a plastered timber house, originally of the
H type, which seems to have been built in the 16th
century. It underwent considerable alteration in the
18th and a wing was added in the 19th century.
The hall, with a chamber above, fills the main block;
the two wings were occupied by the kitchen and
the solar respectively. A 17th-century dove-cote,
timber framed with brick nogging, stands near the
house.
The house called Little Offley, lying 2 miles to the
north-west of the church, is a two-storied brick house
of the H type, the main block built early in the
17th century, the wings apparently almost a century
later. The date 1695 appears on a rain-water head
on the north side. There is a fine carved wooden
overmantel in a room on the ground floor. Offley
Grange is a mile to the north-east.
The soil is chalk. (fn. 1) There are 3,388 acres of plough-land, 1,126 acres of permanent grass, and woods and
plantations cover 600 acres. (fn. 2) The parish was inclosed
by an award under an Act of 1807. (fn. 3) The nearest
station is at Hitchin, on the Great Northern railway.
MANORS
The manor of Offley, afterwards
known as DELAMERS, was at the time
of the Survey of considerable extent,
being estimated at 8 hides 8 acres. It had been held
before the Conquest by Alestan of Boscumbe; in
1086 it was part of the possessions of William de
Ow, and was held under him by William Delamare
(de Mara). (fn. 4) William de Ow forfeited under Henry I,
and the overlordship then seems to have become
attached to the manor of Hitchin (q.v.).
The first record of a tenant after 1086 is in 1198,
when Geoffrey Delamare was indicted for making a
ditch to the injury of the free
tenement of Thomas Delamare. (fn. 5) Robert son of Osbert
Delamare, (fn. 6) who held early in
the 13th century, forfeited as
an ally of Falkes de Breauté
in 1224, (fn. 7) but the king ordered
the sheriff to restore Offley to
Alice his wife for the maintenance of herself and his
heirs. (fn. 8) This Robert may be
the Robert Delamare who
was murdered about 1230. (fn. 9)
He was apparently succeeded
by his son John, (fn. 10) who died seised of Offley about
1276, his grandson John, aged sixteen, being his heir. (fn. 11)
Peter Delamare, son of John (probably the elder John),
seems to have been in possession shortly afterwards. (fn. 12)
He died seised of the manor in 1292, leaving a son
and heir Robert. (fn. 13) Robert died in 1308. The
extent of the manor then included a capital messuage,
620 acres of arable land, 30 acres of wood, but no
meadow or pasture. (fn. 14) Peter son of Robert received
a grant of free warren in 1318. (fn. 15) He held the
manor until his death in 1349, (fn. 16) when it descended
to his son Robert, who died in 1382–3. (fn. 17) His son
Peter, then aged thirteen years, presumably died
before his mother Matilda, as he never inherited
the property, the manor being held after Matilda's
death by her daughter Wilhelmina wife of Sir John
Roches. (fn. 18) She left two heirs, her daughter Elizabeth,
wife of Walter de Beauchamp, and John Benton, son
of another daughter Joan. (fn. 19)
Delamare. Gules two leopards argent.
In 1412 Walter Beauchamp and Elizabeth his
wife made a conveyance of the manor of Delamers to
John Ludewyk, chaplain, and others (fn. 20) either for a
settlement or alienation. After this date there is no
trace of this manor under the name of Delamers
until 1740, but it is perhaps the same as the manor
of WESTBURUY alias GREAT OFFLEY, (fn. 21) which at
the beginning of the 15th century seems to have
been in the possession of Roger de Sapurton, as his
daughter and heir Elizabeth Venour, widow of
William Venour, (fn. 22) was holding it in 1464, (fn. 23) and in
1468–9 settled it on herself and her second husband
Robert Worth. (fn. 24) Robert died seised in 1502, leaving
a son and heir Humphrey, aged sixteen. (fn. 25) In 1537
the latter made a conveyance to John Sewster and
James Randall, probably in trust for John Bowles, (fn. 26)
who in 1543 acquired Westbury Wood from George
Ackworth, (fn. 27) and in the same year died seised of the
manor called Westbury alias Great Offley. (fn. 28) His heir
was his grandson Thomas, who conveyed the manor
in 1564 to Robert Ivory. (fn. 29) William Ivory was
holding in 1618, (fn. 30) and in 1642 John Ivory. (fn. 31) From
this date no further record is found of the manor
until 1778, when Thomas Hope Byde was holding
the manor of Great Offley (fn. 32) and at that date suffered
a recovery of it. (fn. 33) In 1785 it appears he was again
dealing with it. (fn. 34) Later it was acquired by Dame
Sarah Salusbury from John Hope Byde, and descended
with the manor of Offley St. Ledgers (fn. 35) (q.v.) to
Mr. Herbert George Salusbury Hughes, M.A., J.P.,
the present owner.
Offley St. Ledgers
The origin of the manor of OFFLEY ST.
LEDGERS is somewhat obscure. It was said in the
14th century to be held of the Mortimers of Wigmore, (fn. 36) but this overlordship may only have been
assumed at a late date. It seems possible that the
manor was originally part of the manor of Delamers.
A Geoffrey de St. Ledger had some interest in the
church, which was appurtenant to the manor of
Delamers (see advowson), and William de St. Ledger,
probably his son, (fn. 37) in confirming the title of the Prior
of Bradenstoke to the advowson in 1238, calls himself
great-grandson and heir of Amice Delamare.
In 1265 Geoffrey de St. Ledger, possibly brother
of the William mentioned above, (fn. 38) had a grant of free
warren in his demesne lands of Offley. (fn. 39) The annals
of Dunstable record that in 1267 the steward of the
Earl of Gloucester came to Geoffrey's manor at Offley
and burnt it, (fn. 40) but the reason of this animosity does
not appear. In 1301 the grant of free warren was
confirmed to his son John and Isabel his wife. (fn. 41)
John, their son, (fn. 42) succeeded them, and left at his
death in 1326 a daughter Isabel, aged seven. (fn. 43) The
extent of the manor at this date included a capital
messuage, 320 acres of land, of which 96 lay in
severalty and 204 in common, pastures called Le
Launde and Sonehull, and 41 acres of wood. Two
parts of the manor were taken into the king's hands
during the minority of the
heir, (fn. 44) the other third being
dower of the mother. In
1331 the king confirmed a
grant by Roger de Mortimer,
overlord of the manor, to
Richard de St. Ledger, a
younger brother of John, of
the custody of the manor
during his niece Isabel's
minority. (fn. 45) Isabel married
Thomas de Hoo, who held
the estate in right of his
wife. (fn. 46) They settled it in
1342 oh their son Thomas,
with remainder to his brother William. (fn. 47) Thomas
the son died before 1377, when Thomas and Isabel
granted the manor to William and his wife Isabel. (fn. 48)
In 1398 John de Hoo, a brother of William, conceded to him all his claim in the estate. (fn. 49) William
was succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 50) and he by
his son, also Thomas, who married first Elizabeth
Wickingham and secondly Eleanor daughter of Leo
Welles, kt., on whom he settled the manor in 1445. (fn. 51)
In 1447 he was created Baron of Hoo and Hastings. (fn. 52)
He died without male issue in February 1454–5.
His brother of the half-blood, Thomas Hoo, succeeded,
but died without issue in 1486
St. Ledger. Azure fretty argent with a chief or.
The manor descended to Sir William Boleyn, kt.,
son of Geoffrey Boleyn and Anne eldest daughter
of Lord Hoo and Hastings. (fn. 53) His second son and
eventual heir Sir Thomas Boleyn, with Elizabeth
his wife, daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of
Norfolk, (fn. 54) sold the property in 1518 to Richard
Fermour (Farmer). (fn. 55) Fermour forfeited his lands
in the next reign under the Statute of Praemunire,
but the grant of Offley was confirmed by King
Edward VI in 1550, (fn. 56) and again by Queen Mary
in 1553, to Richard's son John. (fn. 57) He conveyed
the manor in 1554 to Thomas Spencer and
Edward Onley (fn. 58) to the use of Sir John Spencer of
Althorpe, co. Northants, who died seised of it in
1586. (fn. 59) He left it to his fourth son Richard, who
was knighted in 1603. (fn. 60) Sir Richard and his wife
Helen, daughter and co-heir of Sir John Brockett, (fn. 61)
settled the property on their son John on his marriage
with Mary (fn. 62) daughter of Sir Henry Anderson, kt.
John and Mary succeeded at Sir Richard's death in
1624. (fn. 63) John was made a baronet in 1627, (fn. 64) and
died in 1633, (fn. 65) leaving a daughter Alice, then fifteen
years old. The manor having been settled in tailmale passed to his brother Sir Brockett Spencer, (fn. 66)
bart. (so created in 1642). He was succeeded by
his son Sir Richard Spencer, and Sir Richard by his
son Sir John Spencer, who died without issue in
1699. His uncle and heir Sir John Spencer also
died without issue in 1712. (fn. 67) The manor then
descended to Elizabeth daughter of Sir Humphrey
Gore of Gilston, co. Herts., and Elizabeth eldest
daughter (and the only one having issue) of Sir Brockett
Spencer. She married in 1714 Sir Henry Penrice, (fn. 68)
judge of the High Court of Admiralty. Their
daughter and heir Anna Maria, wife of Sir Thomas
Salusbury, succeeded to their estates. (fn. 69) She died in
1759. Her husband survived her and died in 1773,
leaving the property to his second wife Sarah, with
remainder to a distant relative, Sir Robert Salusbury,
bart., for life. He entered into possession in 1804 on
the death of Sarah. Sir Robert and his son Thomas
Robert jointly sold the property in 1806 to the
trustees of Sarah's will, and they conveyed it to the
Rev. Lynch Salusbury, (fn. 70) a younger brother of Sir
Robert, who assumed the name of Burroughs. He
left an only child Elizabeth Mary, who could not
legally inherit, as the property had been left in tailmale by Sarah Salusbury, but acquired the estate
by purchase from the heir male Charles thirteenth
Marquess of Winchester.
Elizabeth Mary married her
cousin Sir Thomas Robert
Salusbury, second baronet,
who died in 1835. Having
no children, she adopted as
her daughter and heir a cousin
Anne Salusbury Steward, who
married George Edward
Hughes, brother of Thomas
Hughes the author, who
wrote a biography of George
Hughes. Mrs. Hughes entered
the manor in 1867 on the
death of Dame Elizabeth
Mary. (fn. 71) The property is now in the hands of Mr.
Herbert George Salusbury Hughes, M.A., J.P., who
succeeded his father George Edward in 1872, (fn. 72) and
is the present lord of the manor.
Hughes. Sable a fesse cotised between three lions' heads razed argent.
Cockernhoe
The manor of COCKERNHOE (Qukerno, Cokernhohalle, Cokernho, xiv cent.; Kokernhoo, xv cent.)
on the south of the parish is an estate which was held
with the manor of Offley by the St. Ledger family.
It is mentioned as 'an oxhouse called Qukerno' in
an extent of the manor in 1326, (fn. 73) but later documents always call it a manor. Its descent is identical
with Offley till 1813 (although it is not always
separately mentioned), when, according to Cussans,
it was sold to Richard Oakley of Hitchin. (fn. 74)
Welles
The manor of WELLES (Welle, xi cent.; Welbery,
xiii cent.; Wellys, xiv cent.) was held at the time of
the Survey by a sokeman of King William and was
then assessed at 1 hide. In the time of Earl Harold
it had belonged to Leueva. It was attached by Ilbert
the Sheriff to the manor of Lilley, but after Ilbert
was deprived of his office of sheriff Peter de Valoines
and Ralf Taillebois took this manor from him and
attached it to Hitchin, (fn. 75) to which the overlordship
henceforth pertained. (fn. 76)
The early history of this estate is difficult to
trace. It may, perhaps, be the hide in 'Weelberia'
which Henry de Tilly granted in 1200 to his brother
William. (fn. 77) In 1309 the manor was in the possession of William de Goldington and Margaret his
wife. They in that year conveyed it to William
Tuchet and Ellen de Danarston. (fn. 78) William died in
February 1327–8, his brother Richard being his
heir. (fn. 79) Ellen remained seised for life. Shortly afterwards Isabel widow of Richard de Welles brought
an action against Ellen de Danarston for a third of
the manor which she claimed in dower and of which
she recovered seisin. (fn. 80) As Ellen called to warranty
John son of William de Goldington, possibly the
inquisition quoted above, which gives William's
brother Richard as his heir, is incorrect. The heir,
whether Richard or John, apparently conveyed the
manor to Giles de Badelesmere, who died seised in
1338, leaving as heirs his four sisters Margery, Maud,
Elizabeth and Margaret. (fn. 81) Maud and her husband
John de Vere Earl of Oxford took this manor.
John de Vere died in January 1359–60 (fn. 82) and his
wife about six years later. (fn. 83) Their son Thomas succeeded her. (fn. 84) He died in 1371, leaving as heir his
son Robert, (fn. 85) who held the manor till his attainder in
February 1387–8. (fn. 86) In 1393 the reversion of this
manor, after the death of Maud widow of Thomas,
was granted to Thomas Duke of Gloucester, (fn. 87) and
two years later he granted it to the master, warden
and chaplains of the college which he had founded
in the church of Pleshey, co. Essex. (fn. 88) It remained
with the college until its dissolution and was then
granted in 1546 to Sir John Gates. (fn. 89) He was
attainted in the next reign as a follower of the
Duke of Northumberland, but a grant of the manor
was made to his brother Sir Henry Gates, (fn. 90) who
with his wife Lucy in 1557 conveyed it to Richard
Spicer (fn. 91) (alias Helder).
About 1569 John Spicer conveyed the manor to
William Crawley, (fn. 92) and he died seised of it in 1595,
having granted the estate to his son Richard and
grandson William. (fn. 93) From this time no record
appears of this manor until 1704, when Henry
Bolderne the elder and Anne his wife (fn. 94) and Henry
Bolderne their son (all holding in Anne's right)
levied a fine of it. (fn. 95) In 1713 Henry Bolderne
the younger seems to have conveyed it to Thomas
Ansell. (fn. 96) According to Cussans it was acquired later
by Samuel Burroughs, whose daughter and heir Sarah
married Sir Thomas Salusbury. With St. Ledgers it
descended to the Marquess of Winchester, from whom
it was bought in 1840 by Ann Burroughs, second
wife of the Rev. Lynch Salusbury, and on her death
in 1856 came to her sister Maria, wife of James
Newbury of Clapham Rise. (fn. 97) It was sold in 1872
to Mr. Francis Gosling, (fn. 98) and is now the seat of
Mrs. Gosling.
Hirsthall or Hallebury
The reputed manor known as HIRSTHALL or
HALLEBURY was held in 1625 by Edward House, (fn. 99)
and in 1658 belonged to John Dermer, (fn. 100) in whose
family it was still vested in 1698. (fn. 101)
Bullers
A capital messuage called BULLERS was in the
15th century in the possession of John Sholfold, who
alienated it to the gild of Holy Trinity of Luton. (fn. 102)
In the reign of Elizabeth it was the subject of a suit
in the Court of Requests between Robert Ivory the
lessee and Gregory Warren widower of a certain Alice
who held it for life. (fn. 103) Sir John Spencer acquired
this messuage before his death in 1587, and it then
descended with the manor of St. Ledgers.
Putteridge
The manor of PUTTERIDGE (Potherugge,
Poterugg, Pothruge, Pottryggebury, xiv cent.; Podriggebury, xv cent.; Poderiche, xvi cent.) was a
mesne manor formed from the manor of Delamers.
It was possibly the carucate of land in Putteridge
which John de Nevill granted in 1240 to Nicholas
de Putteridge for life, (fn. 104) but nothing is known of the
descendants of Nicholas de Putteridge. By 1303 it
had passed into the hands of Hugh le Blunt, who held
it of Robert Delamare for half a knight's fee. (fn. 105) He
had a grant of free warren in 1305, (fn. 106) and died
seised in 1361. (fn. 107) In 1346 the manor was held by
Nicholas Peyvre, (fn. 108) but apparently only during the
minority of John son and heir of Hugh le Blunt,
since he was in possession in 1363. (fn. 109) Thomas le
Blunt, who seems to have succeeded John, (fn. 110) may
perhaps have left heiresses, as in 1391 John Herwe
and Christine his wife and John Maps and Joyce his
wife conveyed the manor to three feoffees, (fn. 111) from
whom it was recovered in 1407, after the expiration
of a life interest held by Agnes de Havering, by
Thomas and Elizabeth Chelrey. (fn. 112) After Thomas
Chelrey's death Elizabeth married Thomas de la
Pole, and died in 1411, leaving as co-heirs her two
daughters, Elizabeth wife of John Kyngeston, and
Sybil Chelrey, and her granddaughter, Elizabeth
Calston. (fn. 113) The manor seems to have passed to the
latter, who married William Darrell, (fn. 114) and joined
with him in 1428 in making a settlement of the
manor on themselves in tail, with remainder to
William's brother John. (fn. 115)
On the death of Elizabeth Darrell in 1464 (fn. 116) it
passed to her son George,
who died in 1474, (fn. 117) when
the manor was delivered to
Thomas Cardinal Archbishop
of Canterbury, (fn. 118) apparently
during the minority of Edward
Darrell, who was only four
years old at his father's
death. (fn. 119) Edward settled the
manor on himself and his
wife and his heirs in 1503, (fn. 120)
and in 1520 he sold it to
Richard Lyster, (fn. 121) the king's
solicitor, who conveyed it in
1525 to John Docwra. (fn. 122)
He was succeeded by his son
Thomas Docwra, (fn. 123) who in
1556 bought the manor of Lilley (q.v.), since which
date the two estates have descended together.
Docwra of Putteridge. Sable a cheveron engrailed argent between three roundels argent with a pale gules on each roundel.
The first record of the so-called manor of
HOCKWELL alias HOCKWELLBURY (Hokewelle, Hokewellebury, xv cent.) is of the year 1411,
at which date the estate was held by Elizabeth widow
of Thomas de la Pole, (fn. 124) who was then holding the
manor of Putteridge. The two manors descended
together until 1788, after which Hockwell seems to
have been amalgamated with Putteridge.
CHURCH
St. Mary Magdalene
The parish church of ST. MARY MAGDALENE, situated about half a
mile south-east of the village, is built for
the most part of flint and stone. The chancel is faced
with Portland stone and the north aisle with cement.
The tower is built of brick and the roofs are of lead,
except that of the north porch, which is of tiles.
The church consists of a chancel, nave and aisles,
south porch and west tower.
The nave and aisles belong to the original church
of c. 1220, which probably consisted of a chancel,
nave and aisles and west tower, and the south porch
contains re-used masonry of that date. The windows
and doors belong to various dates in the 14th and
15th centuries. In 1777 the chancel was recased,
repaired and refitted, and the west tower was entirely
rebuilt in the early part of the 19th century. Various
minor repairs have also been executed during the
19th century.
The chancel is apsidal in its interior termination
but square outside. It is heavily plastered and has a
canopy of plaster drapery over the 18th-century
east window of one wide pointed light without
tracery. Over the apse, which is round-headed, is a
plaster moulding carried up to a pointed head inclosing Gothic tracery. The chancel is also lighted
by a cupola in the roof. The 18th-century chancel
arch is round-headed with niches in the flat jambs and
plaster panelling in the soffit of the arch. An ancient
stone coffin stands in the chancel.
The nave has arcades of four bays. The arches
are of two chamfered orders, with labels running
right down to the abaci of the capitals, and with
carved stops, some of which are broken off. They are
supported by octagonal pillars, which lean outwards
considerably, probably owing to the pressure of an
earlier roof. The capitals are foliate and the bases
are moulded. The 15th-century clearstory has three
windows on either side, two of three lights, and one,
the westernmost, of two lights, all much restored.
The roof has one 15th-century tie, resting on a broken
carved corbel of that date, at the eastern end. The
north aisle has a modern east window. The three
square-headed windows in the north wall are of two
lights, of the 15th century, and are much repaired.
A small inscription cut on the east jamb of the
easternmost of these windows records the consecration,
on the feast of St. Sulpicius, of the side altar below the
window. In the middle window are some fragments
of 14th-century glass. There is no west window.
The north door has a two-centred arch of two orders,
and was inserted towards the end of the 14th century.
The south aisle has an east window and three south
windows, all of two lights. The east window and the
western of the two south windows have pointed
heads; that at the eastern end of the south wall is
square-headed. All have modern tracery, but the
inner jambs are probably of the 15th century. At
the east end of the south wall is a 15th-century
piscina, with a shallow pointed niche over it, in
which are two tiles, with the lettering in reverse,
probably of the 14th century. The south doorway
is also of the 15th century, and has a square head.
The roof is of the 15th century. The south porch,
of brick covered with cement, has some re-used
material of the same date as the nave (c. 1220) in its
west window. The entrance arch, which is pointed,
is heavily defaced by cement repairs.
The brick tower has a small low spire and an
embattled parapet. It is of two stages. The tower
arch is plastered.
The font is octagonal, of Totternhoe stone. Each
side contains the head of a heavily crocketed ogee
with a finial, inclosing tracery of various designs;
pinnacles with heavy finials are carved at the angles,
and rosettes fill the spaces between them and the
finials of the ogees. The bowl rests on a low stem
with eight engaged half-octagonal shafts on plinths,
with four-leaved flowers between them. The date of
the font is the middle of the 14th century. The
wooden cover is of the early 17th century.
There is some late 15th-century seating in the nave
and aisles westward of the gangway.
On the north wall of the north aisle is a brass
of John Samuel, his two wives and one son. Another
brass with no inscription is that of a man, his three
wives and nine sons; it is plainly by the same
engraver as that of John Samuel. On the floor of
the aisle are the indents of the brasses in two slabs.
On the west wall of the south aisle is a monument
to John Spencer, 1699, with elaborately sculptured
figures.
The bells are six: the treble, by Robert Oldfeild,
of 1632; the second, of 1618, the fourth of 1619,
and the fifth, of 1618, by Thomas Bartlett; while
the third is by John Dyer, 1583, and the tenor by
John Briant, 1803.
The plate, all presented by Eliza Chamber in
1730, consists of two cups, two patens, flagon and
almsdish, of the same date. There is also a large
plated shield, bearing the sacred monogram, the
origin and purpose of which are unknown.
The registers are contained in six books, the first
having all entries from 1653 to 1734, the second
baptisms and burials from 1732 to 1812 and marriages
from 1732 to 1753, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth
marriages from 1754 to 1764, 1764 to 1802, 1802
to 1810, and 1811 to 1812, respectively.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church of
Offley was granted probably about
the middle of the 12th century by
Amice Delamare and her son Geoffrey (see Delamers
Manor) to the church of St. Mary, Bradenstoke,
co. Wilts. Geoffrey de St. Ledger (see manor of
St. Ledgers) also confirmed the grant before 1207, (fn. 125)
and in 1237–8 William de St. Ledger, great-grandson
of Amice, made a further release of the title to Simon,
Prior of Bradenstoke. (fn. 126) At the beginning of the
14th century the convent apparently alienated it, for
in 1406 it was held by the executors of the will of
Robert Braybrook, Bishop of London, who in that
year obtained licence to endow with it a chantry in
the church of Chalgrave, co. Bedford, for the souls of
Robert Braybrook and Sir Nigel Loreng (for whom
see Kimpton). (fn. 127) Licence was also given for the
master and chaplains of the chantry to appropriate the
church, maintaining the endowment for the vicarage
already made. (fn. 128)
At the dissolution of chantries in the reign of
Edward VI the advowson came to the Crown,
and in 1599 Queen Elizabeth granted it to Henry
Best and John Hallywell, (fn. 129) probably in trust for
Luke Norton, who presented in 1603, 1606, 1608
and 1614. His son Graveley Norton presented in
1661. Luke son of Graveley sold the advowson to
William Angell, and his son William conveyed it in
1698 to Richard Spicer aliasHolder, who presented
in 1699. (fn. 130) Before this date, however, the Spencers
(lords of the manor of St. Ledgers) seem to have
had or claimed some interest in the advowson, (fn. 131) and
in 1719 Sir Henry Penrice and his wife Elizabeth
(see St. Ledgers) presented. From this date the
advowson has descended with the manor of St.
Ledgers (fn. 132) (q.v.).
The rectory was leased by Queen Elizabeth in
1575 to George Bredyman for twenty-one years. (fn. 133)
The fee simple was acquired by George Graveley,
who died seised in 1600, leaving as heir his daughter
Lettice wife of Luke Norton. (fn. 134) They held it
together (fn. 135) till 1630, when Luke died. After
Lettice's death it descended to their son Graveley,
who married Helen daughter of William Angell of
London. (fn. 136) Graveley Norton was succeeded by his
son Luke, from whom it passed with the advowson
to William Angell, and in 1698 to Richard Holder
(see above). After this date there is no further
descent of the rectory, but conveyances of tithes
with the lands to which they were appurtenant are
common in the 18th century. (fn. 137)
Between 1691 and 1831 there were registered in
Offley eight places for Protestant Dissenters, one for
Anabaptists and one for Quakers. (fn. 138) There is now
a Wesleyan chapel in the parish.
CHARITIES
Mrs. Alice Pigott in her lifetime
directed that a sum of £20 per annum
should be paid out of her estate for
augmenting the vicarage of Offley and £10 per annum
for apprenticing two boys or girls. This intention
was carried into effect by Granado Pigott, her son,
who by deed 18 July 1724 charged his share of the
manor of Symonside in Bishop's Hatfield with the
two annuities, which are now paid by the Marquess
of Salisbury, and are duly applied.
The Charity School of Dame Sarah Salusbury and
the Rev. Lynch Burroughs: Dame Sarah Salusbury,
by a codicil to her will dated in 1795, gave £500
for the poor, and by another codicil a further sum of
£500, to be at the disposal of the Rev. Lynch
Burroughs, then vicar. The school was in 1841
endowed by deed (enrolled) with five cottages and
land, producing about £50 a year. It has a further
endowment of £2,467 1s. 8d. consols, producing
£61 13s. 6d. yearly. The charity is regulated by a
scheme of the Court of Chancery, dated 14 June
1858.