WILLIAN
Wilie (xi cent.); Wilya, Wylye (xiii cent.);
Wylien (xiv cent.); Wickley (xvii cent.).—The parish
of Willian has an area of 1,864 acres, of which 1,372½
acres are arable land, 308¾ acres permanent grass,
and 19¾ woodland. (fn. 1) The greater part of the parish
stands over 300 ft. above ordnance datum, but slopes
down slightly on the north and in the south-west,
where the village and manor-house are situated. It
is bounded on the north by the Icknield Way, and
for some distance on the west by the main north
road. The road between Hitchin and Baldock passes
through the northern part of the parish, and this and
another road parallel to it form the main streets of
the village. The village pond is on the north side of
the main road, opposite the Fox Inn; a little further
along is a 16th-century thatched and timbered cottage,
known as the Old Vicarage. It is of two stories, the
upper of which projects at the back. The church
and rectory stand on a hill rising on the south side of
the road, with the schools just below them. Puncharden Hall, the residence of Mr. Ivor Tuckett, M.D.,
lies at the north end of the village opposite the
church. It is a 17th-century house of timber and
plaster, the front of which was refaced with brick in
the 18th century. It is an L-shaped building with
a central chimney stack of brick with octagonal shafts
and moulded capitals and bases. On the ground floor
there is an original fireplace, the grate of which bears
the arms of the Merchant Taylors' Company.
The subsoil is chalk and boulder clay. There is
a chalk-pit on the south-east, close to the boundary
road, a disused one further south, and a sand-pit just
north of the village. There is no railway station in
the parish, the nearest being Letchworth, a mile and
a half away. Farms in the parish are Norman's Farm
and Pixmore. The part of the parish lying north of
the road which forms the village street and runs on to
Baldock, comprising more than half of the whole, was
acquired by the First Garden City Co. in 1903. A
portion of the parish was annexed to Baldock for civil
purposes in 1881. (fn. 2)
MANORS
Willian
The manor of WILLIAN was held
in the time of Edward the Confessor by
Lewric, a house-carl of Earl Lewin.
Half a hide also was held by a sokeman, Elmar of
Benington, and half a hide all but 10 acres of
Godwin of Letchworth (Godwin of Souberie) by a
certain widow. By 1086 the whole had come into
the possession of Geoffrey de Bech, and was assessed
at 5½ hides. (fn. 3)
Nothing is known of the descendants of Geoffrey
de Bech. At the beginning of the 13th century the
manor was held by William Malet de Graville, (fn. 4) who,
it is said, was son of Matthew de Graville, son of
William de Rue. (fn. 5) William Malet, being a Norman,
lost his English lands upon the separation of Normandy,
and in 1204 Willian was granted in farm to Matthew
de Lilley. (fn. 6) In 1216 King John granted the manor
to Pain de Chaworth or Chaurces, (fn. 7) and he was still
holding in 1223. (fn. 8) In 1227, however, Pain apparently
forfeited, (fn. 9) and the manor was held by Richard de
Argentein (fn. 10) until 1232, when it was returned to
Pain. (fn. 11) About 1237 it was committed by the king to
John Earl of Lincoln 'during pleasure' and granted
by him in 1238 to his nephew Thomas de Pavilly. (fn. 12)
In 1241, however, the king brought a suit against him
and disputed his title to the lands. (fn. 13) Thomas claimed
to be great-nephew and heir of William Malet the
Norman through his grandmother Theofania, sister of
William, who was said to have had the manor granted
to her by Geoffrey Malet, younger brother of William.
Theofania was said to have sued Pain de Chaworth
for the manor, but to have died before the suit
was settled. Thomas de Pavilly's claim, however,
broke down on the ground that it was William the
elder brother of Geoffrey who held the manor, and
that he was a Norman and had moreover left children.
The king therefore took the manor into his own
hands. (fn. 14)
In 1243 Willian was granted to Paul Peyvre and
heirs 'until the land of England and Normandy be
one,' in which event Paul was to have a reasonable
exchange. £10 from lands in Willian, which the
king had given to Hugh de Botyun his yeoman for
life, were excepted from the grant. (fn. 15) Probably this
portion was identical with the 10 librates of land
granted to Paul in 1249–50. (fn. 16) In 1272 the manor
was held by John Peyvre, grandson of Paul, a minor
in the custody of Queen Eleanor. (fn. 17) John died in
1316 and was succeeded by his son Paul, (fn. 18) who granted
Willian in 1321 to his brother John and Margaret
his wife for their lives. (fn. 19) Margaret outlived her
husband and married secondly John Mallore, who
was holding the manor in right of his wife in 1346. (fn. 20)
At Margaret's death in 1348 it passed to her nephew
Nicholas Peyvre, son of Paul. (fn. 21) Nicholas died in
1361 and was succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 22) his
widow Avice, who married secondly William de
Clopton, keeping a third of the manor in dower. (fn. 23)
Thomas settled Willian on himself and his wife
Margaret in tail in 1375–80 (fn. 24) and died in 1429,
when the manor passed to his grandson John
Broughton, son of his only daughter Mary. (fn. 25) Robert
Broughton, grandson of John, inherited it in 1489 (fn. 26)
and was succeeded by his son John in 1506, (fn. 27) who
granted the manor to Edward Cornwall and Elizabeth
his wife for their lives, with reversion to the heirs of
John Broughton. The latter died in 1518, leaving a
son (fn. 28) and two daughters. The son John, who was
aged six at his father's death, died about 1529.
Willian was then divided between his two sisters
Anne and Katherine. (fn. 29) Katherine, who was the
first wife of Thomas Lord Howard of Effingham, died
without male issue in 1535, (fn. 30) when her moiety of
the manor apparently reverted to her sister Anne,
who had married Sir Thomas Cheney, K.G., Lord
Warden of the Cinque Ports, (fn. 31) for the whole manor
came to their son Henry Cheney, afterwards Lord
Cheney of Toddington. (fn. 32) Henry Cheney and his
wife Joan conveyed Willian in 1563 to William
Totnam, (fn. 33) who in the following year received a
pardon for acquiring it without licence. (fn. 34) Towards
the end of 1564 he sold it to Edward Wilson, (fn. 35)
who granted it to his son Edward in 1574. (fn. 36)
Edward Wilson, junior, settled the manor upon his
second wife Joan Grey, who afterwards married
Edward Lacon, (fn. 37) and after whose death in 1624 (fn. 38) it
passed to Edward Wilson, son of Edward Wilson,
junior, by his first wife. (fn. 39) Ralph Wilson, son of the
third Edward, died in 1637 during his father's lifetime, leaving two young sons, (fn. 40) Edward, who died in
1639, (fn. 41) and Thomas, who died in 1656. (fn. 42) After the
death of the latter the manor seems to have been
divided, for another Thomas Wilson appears in
possession of a moiety of Willian in 1672. (fn. 43) After
this the manor is said to have been divided between
three sisters, Frances, Elizabeth and Mary Adams,
daughters and co-heiresses of Mary Adams, widow,
one of whom must have died
soon after, for Mary was holding a moiety in 1728. The
second sister is said to have
sold her moiety to Richard
Way, who sold it to Sir John
Dimsdale, from whom it passed
to his nephew John Dimsdale,
the possessor in 1728. (fn. 44) John
left it to his cousin Thomas,
who acquired the other half
of the manor by purchase in
1767 from Elizabeth Marshall,
to whom Mary Adams had
left it by will. (fn. 45) Thomas
Dimsdale inoculated the
Empress Catherine and various
Russian princes for the smallpox and was created a Baron of the Russian Empire
in 1769. He died in 1800. (fn. 46) Willian continued
in the Dimsdale family until 1867, when it was
sold to Charles Frederick Hancock, (fn. 47) from whom
it passed to his son Col. Mortimer Hancock. In
1901 the manor came to Capt. Mortimer Pawson
Hancock, (fn. 48) who in 1903 sold a large part of his estate
to the Garden City Pioneer Company Limited. (fn. 49)
Captain Hancock holds the remainder of the property.
Dimsdale. Argent a fesse dancetty azure between three molets sable with three bezants on the fesse and an augmentation of a scutcheon or with an eagle's wing sable thereon.
Brays or Braies
BRAYS or BRAIES Manor, of which no trace now
remains, belonged to Bigging Priory at Hitchin, and
was leased by that house to Richard Yerdeley in
1521, together with a messuage called le Poundehouse. (fn. 50) After the Dissolution it was granted with
Me Poundhouse' to John Cock in 1545. (fn. 51) By
1564 Brayes had come into the possession of James
Needham of Wymondley Priory and was conveyed
by him in that year to Thomas Rivett (fn. 52) of Baldock,
from whom it descended about 1583 to his daughter
and co-heiress Anne Lady Windsor, (fn. 53) who held it in
1606. (fn. 54) For almost a century there is no further
record of the manor, but before 1692 it was acquired
by Richard Way, patron of Willian rectory. In that
year he conveyed it to Knightley Holled, clerk, (fn. 55)
who held it in 1730. (fn. 56) In 1746 it was the subject
of a fine between various members of the Priest
family, (fn. 57) after which no more is heard of it.
Two and a half hides in 'Wilga' were held before
the Conquest by Alestan of Boscumbe, and in 1086
by William de Ow. They belonged to the neighbouring manor of Weston. (fn. 58) In the time of Edward
the Confessor 1 hide of this land was held of Alestan
de Boscumbe by Alviet, and in 1086 this hide and
another were held of William de Ow by William de
Mare. Later the tithes of 'Wilia' were given to
the monastery of St. Albans by Thurstan, brother of
William de Mare, and 'Robert de Mare gave his
tithe likewise.' (fn. 59) In 1086 (as Mr. Round points
out) there were also 1½ hides in 'Welga' held by
Robert de Pontcardon (Puncharden) of Robert
Gernon. (fn. 60) It seems possible that there has been
some confusion between 'Wilga' and 'Wilei'
(Welwyn and Willian) here, and that both these
holdings lay in Willian. Certainly the estate afterwards known as PUNCHARDEN was in this parish.
The Punchardon family appear to have been tenants
of some importance in Willian in the 13th century.
Gilbert de Tany gave a virgate and a half in Willian
to St. Albans (fn. 61) about the time of Stephen or
Henry II; this grant was confirmed by Gilbert's son
Walter, (fn. 62) and by Ralph de Punchardon, (fn. 63) probably his
overlord. Roger de Punchardon was holding land in
Willian in 1202. (fn. 64) In 1247–8 Richard de Punchardon called himself 'lord of Wylye,' (fn. 65) and a Wygan
Delamere appears as owing him homage. During
the abbacy of Roger de Norton, who was Abbot
of St. Albans from 1263 to 1301, (fn. 66) William son of
Geoffrey Punchardon quitclaimed his right in a
tenement in Willian to St. Albans. (fn. 67) After this the
history of the estate is lost until a 'capital messuage
called Puncherdownes,'with lands belonging, appears
in 1625 in the possession of Edward Wilson, lord of
the manor of Willian. (fn. 68) He settled it on his son
Ralph Wilson, who held it during the lifetime of his
father. Ralph died in 1637 and Punchardens passed
to his son Edward (fn. 69) who died in 1639. His brother
and heir Thomas (fn. 70) succeeded his grandfather as lord
of the manor of Willian, and Puncharden presumably
continued with that manor.
CHURCH
The parish church of ALL SAINTS, (fn. 71)
standing to the south of the village, is
built of flint, mixed in places with
freestone, and consists of a chancel, nave, west tower
and south porch. The chancel and nave date from
the earlier part of the 12th century. About 1430
the west tower was added, outside the west wall of
the nave; this wall was then taken down and the
nave lengthened about 4 ft. to join the tower, the
east diagonal buttresses of the tower being built
against the quoins of the nave. A south porch was
added in the 15th century, and the chancel was
remodelled and probably lengthened in the early
part of the 19th century.
In the east wall of the chancel is reset a 15th-century
window of three lights containing 17th-century glass
with heraldic panels. In the south wall are a doorway
with a 12th-century rear-arch and modern external
stonework and a late 14th-century two-light window
with a square head. The chancel arch is of about
1430 and is of two moulded orders with shafted
jambs. On the outside of the south wall of the
chancel is a 14th-century tomb recess, very much
repaired with cement.
The north wall of the nave has two windows, the
easternmost being of the 15th century, of two lights
with tracery over, in a dropped two-centred head.
The westernmost is modern, and cuts into the arch
of the blocked north doorway. There is only one
window in the south wall, of the 15th century, and
of similar type to that in the north wall, but of
three lights. The south doorway, which is of 14th century character, has been almost wholly restored in
cement.
The tower arch is of similar character to the
chancel arch and is also of about 1430. The
west tower, into which it opens, is of two stages,
with diagonal buttresses, and has a stair turret on
the north-east and an embattled parapet. The
west doorway has a pointed arch inclosed in a
square head, with shields in the spandrels, one
bearing the instruments of the Passion and the
other a bend in an engrailed border. There is an
oak lintel which is possibly old. Above the door is
a window of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery
in a two-centred head. In each face of the belfry
stage is a two-light window, with cinquefoiled lights
and a quatrefoil over in a two-centred head and a
label with grotesque stops. Below the parapet is a
string with grotesques at the angles and in the centre
of each face of the tower. The stair-turret rises
above the parapet and is also embattled. The south
porch is old, probably of the 15th century, and has
a dropped two-centred entrance archway of two
orders.
The walls of the nave externally show the uncut
small flints, in wide-jointed courses, of 12th-century
work. Some of the courses are set in herring-bone
pattern, and mixed with the flint are some large
blocks of freestone, one of them being a piece of
12th-century moulding re-used in the 15th century
when the walls were raised. The masonry of the
tower is also small, and has been much faced with
cement.
There are the remains, in the chancel archway, of
a rood screen of the 15th century, which has been
restored with plaster. It is of three bays, the centre
being the entrance way, with a four-centred arch,
and the side bays similar but traceried. The central
doors have been removed to the porch. Set against
the south chancel wall are the remains of another
similar screen restored with plaster. The stalls in
the chancel are good work of the late 15th century,
with carved standards, one being an elephant's head,
and one the head of St. John the Baptist in a charger.
Willian Church from the South-east
On the north wall of the chancel is a brass of
Richard Golden, 1446, with the figure of a priest
in eucharistic vestments; the inscription is broken.
On the same wall is a mural monument of Edward
Lacon of Willey in Shropshire, 1625, and Joan his
wife, 1624, with kneeling figures of the man in
armour, his wife and three children. Below is a
Latin inscription and above is the shield of Lacon,
Quarterly (1) and (6): Quarterly fessewise indented
ermine and [azure], for Lacon; (2) Three cheverons
in a border engrailed; (3) A ragged cross; (4) A
bend cotised, for Harley; (5) Three buckles, for
Remevill.
On the south wall of the chancel is a large murai
monument, with busts and inscription below, of Thomas
Wilson, 1656, and Lucia his wife. Above is a shield
of the arms: Sable a leaping wolf or and in the chief
three stars or; with the crest of a demi-wolf or.
On the same wall are monuments to John Chapman,
vicar of the parish, 1624, and his wife Anne, 1633,
and to Matthew Thorley, 1634; the former having
small kneeling figures in a circular head niche and
the latter being simply a tablet.
In the east window are three pieces of heraldic
glass which are said to be 17th-century work. These
are shields of the arms of Chester impaling Berry of
Toddington, Cheney of Sherland quartered with
Shottesbroke, and Engayne impaling an unknown
coat. The shield of Cheney is surrounded by a
garter and appears to refer to John Lord Cheney,
who died in 1496.
On the chancel floor are slabs to Richard Way,
vicar, 1673, and to Alice his wife, 1662.
There are three bells; the treble by Joseph Eayre,
1760, and the second and third by Miles Graye,
1662.
The plate consists of a cup and cover paten of
1718 and a pewter flagon.
The registers begin in 1558 and are contained
in three books: (i) all entries 1687 to 1738;
(ii) baptisms 1739 to 1812, burials 1739 to 1812,
marriages 1739 to 1751; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson belonged to the
lord of the manor, and is first mentioned in 1239, when Thomas and
Roger de Pavilly established their claim to it against
the Prior of Envermeu, (fn. 72) on the ground that their
grandfather Matthew de Graville presented to the
church. The prior stated that William de Rue,
father of Matthew, gave the church of Willian to
Envermeu, but the claim was not allowed. (fn. 73) Paul
Peyvre held it in 1247–8, (fn. 74) and in the time of his
grandson John the king presented owing to his
minority. On this occasion the Prior of Bec Hellouin,
to which Envermeu was a cell, is mentioned as having
contested the king's claim to the advowson. (fn. 75)
At the Taxation by Pope Nicholas in 1291 the
church was valued at £13 6s. 8d., in addition to a
portion of 26s. 8d. belonging to the Prior of
St. Neots (fn. 76) ; this payment was evidently long retained
by that priory, for as late as 1428 the same sum was
paid to it. (fn. 77) The advowson continued in the Peyvre
family until about 1384, (fn. 78) in which year Nigel Loring
received a pardon for acquiring it from Thomas
Peyvre, (fn. 79) his son-in-law. In the year following, Nigel
Loring granted it to Robert Braybrook, Bishop of
London, and others, (fn. 80) who in 1394, or a little before,
conveyed it to the king. (fn. 81) In that year Richard II
gave it to the Prioress and convent of Dartford, on
condition that they should appropriate it to the use
and profit of the Friars Preachers at Langley. (fn. 82) The
grant was confirmed in 1399, (fn. 83) 1424 (fn. 84) and 1466, (fn. 85)
and the advowson remained in the possession of the
Friars until the Dissolution. The rectory was
appropriated by the nuns of Dartford and a vicarage
ordained between 1399 and 1405. (fn. 86) In 1544 the
rectory and advowson of the vicarage of Willian were
granted by Henry VIII to Thomas Calton, a goldsmith of London, and Margaret his wife. (fn. 87) Margaret
survived her husband, and she and William their
eldest son settled them in 1570 on George and Henry
the younger sons, with the remainder to William and
his son Thomas. Margaret died in 1571 . (fn. 88)
Henry Calton was in possession of his moiety in
1583, (fn. 89) and by 1589 had apparently become sole
heir, for in that year he conveyed the whole rectory
and advowson to John Phillips. (fn. 90) Elizabeth widow
of John Phillips held them until her death in 1614,
when they came to her granddaughter Elizabeth
Johnson. (fn. 91) At this date the rectory consisted only of
an annual rent of 20 marks issuing from the vicarage.
After this there is some obscurity in the descent.
Richard Way presented in 1673 (fn. 92) and died in that
year, (fn. 93) so that the Richard Way who presented in
1676 (fn. 94) must have been his heir. In 1725 presentation was made by Stephen Ashby, and in 1739 by
Anne Rooke, (fn. 95) widow of John Rooke, who died in
1755. (fn. 96) According to Clutterbuck the advowson had
been sold previous to this to Henry Kingsley, whose
granddaughter Elizabeth married William Pym. (fn. 97)
Their son Francis Pym presented to the vicarage in
1792, 1804 and 1816, (fn. 98) and the rectory and advowson
continued in the Pym family until 1893, when they
were acquired by Mr. Joseph Chalmers-Hunt. They
are now in the possession of the Rev. Leonard
Chalmers Chalmers-Hunt, M.A.
A dwelling-house was certified as a meeting-place
of Protestant Dissenters in Willian in 1714. (fn. 99)
CHARITIES
In a terrier, dated in 1788, it is
stated that 'there are two acres of
inclosed pasture given by the late
Rev. Mr. Ward, vicar, and by John Izard, to be fed
by cows of the poor people of Willian.' The land is
let at £2 2s. a year, which is distributed in money.
In 1880 James Smyth, by his will, proved at
London 28 February, left £400, now represented
by £413 8s. 3d. India 3 per cent. stock, the annual
dividends, amounting to £12 8s., to be distributed in
meat and coal at Christmas. The stock is held by
the official trustees.