BROADFIELD
Bradefella (xi cent.); Bradefeld (xii cent.); Bradfeld
(xiv cent.).
Broadfield is a small parish containing 374 acres.
As its name would possibly imply, it is comprised
within field boundaries, and was probably originally
a part of Rushden, of which parish it was said to have
been a chapelry in the 16th century. (fn. 1) About twothirds of the parish are arable land and the remainder
permanent grass. There are now only three small
woods in the centre of the parish, called Great Wood,
Middle Wood and Chapel Wood, and a small copse
in the south called Foxholes. In the 17th century,
however, the woodland was probably more extensive,
as Chauncy describes Broadfield as situated on a hill in
woods. (fn. 2) The soil is generally heavy, with a subsoil of
chalk. A spring which rises a mile to the north of
Broadfield Hall is said to have had at one time powers
of petrifaction. (fn. 3) The parish lies on the high chalk
land, reaching an altitude in the south-east of 465 ft.
above the ordnance datum, but falls to a little over
400 ft. in the west.
The nearest railway station is in Buntingford on
the Great Eastern railway, about 3 miles to the east.
The small village lies a little north of the road from
Cottered to Throcking, with which it is connected
by a branch road. Until the beginning of the 19th
century this road went no further than Broadfield,
but turned south again and joined the CotteredBuntingford road. (fn. 4) It is probably largely due to this
limited communication that the village has consistently
diminished in size and importance. Even during the
last century the population has fallen from thirty-one
to seven, and consists of little more than Broadfield
Hall, the manor-house, now the residence of Mr.
T. H. Whitehead. Chapel Wood, supposed to mark
the site of the church which fell into ruins in the
16th century, lies a little to the north of the hall.
Broadfield Hall stands about a mile to the north of
the village of Cottered. Portions of a moat which
originally surrounded the site still exist as ornamental
water. The house was built about the year 1689,
and existed until the middle of the 19th century,
when it was allowed to fall into ruins. In 1882 it
was practically rebuilt on a smaller scale, and portions
of the old house still remain incorporated with the
new work. In the east wall is one of the old windows
with stone mullions and transoms, and part of the
north side is old and has a large brick niche with
semicircular head set in the brickwork. Some of the
old cellars still exist and have round vaults of brick.
On the modern front door is a fine iron knocker of
late 17th-century work, said to have come from
Cottered Lordship. It represents two dolphins with
entwined tails, holding a human head between them
in their jaws. The old staircase and an oak chimneypiece from the old hall are now at Coles Park,
Westmill. (fn. 5) The original entrance door is of oak and
is richly covered with moulded panels. The top part
of the door has a semicircular panel with fluted and
moulded spokes radiating from the centre. There is
a good lion's head knocker and a drop handle on a
shaped plate. Both on the rails and in the panels are
a number of iron studs.
The brick stables, which stand immediately behind
the hall, are of the early part of the 18th century.
Some of the old oak stalls still remain in the stable
and in the yard behind is an 18th-century square
dove-house of brick, now used as a granary.
The fact that the hall stood empty for nearly thirty
years during the 19th century (fn. 6) evidently tended to
lessen the prosperity of the village.
Foxholes Farm, a name which occurs as early as
1591, (fn. 7) lies in the south of the parish. Although
much repaired, the house appears to date from the
beginning of the 18th century.
MANOR
In the time of Edward the Confessor
Broadfield was divided between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Queen Edith. (fn. 8)
The lands of the former, assessed at 2½ hides, were held
of him by Ledmaer, Ansgot and two brothers. (fn. 9) Queen
Edith's lands, assessed at half a hide, were held of her
by Goda. (fn. 10) By 1086 the three holdings of the archbishop had passed to three separate overlords, Sigar de
Cioches, (fn. 11) Hardwin de Scales (fn. 12) and Robert Bishop of
Chester, (fn. 13) the last holding a virgate only. Earl Roger
de Montgomery had obtained possession of the lands
of Queen Edith. (fn. 14) It is probable that the lands of
Roger de Montgomery formed the estate in Rushden
which was given by his daughter Sybil to the Knights
Hospitallers. (fn. 15) Sigar de Cioches held also the manor
of Rushden (q.v.), and probably his lands in Broadfield
were attached to that manor.
In 1086 Hardwin de Scales had obtained possession
of the chief holding in Broadfield, viz. a hide and
one-fourth of a virgate, and this appears subsequently
as the manor of BROADFIELD. The overlordship
of the manor remained with the Scales family, (fn. 16) and
descended to Sir John de Scales, who died seised of the
manor in 1388. (fn. 17) It was apparently attached to his
manor of Throcking (q.v.), for this in 1486 was in
the hands of Robert Hyde, of whom Broadfield at
that date was said to be held. (fn. 18)
Of the tenants in demesne it appears that in 1086
Theobald was holding this manor under Hardwin de
Scales. (fn. 19) He seems to have had a son Fulk, who
had two sons Theobald and William. (fn. 20) About 1159
Theobald was holding Broadfield, and with the
consent of his brother William leased it to the abbey
of Warden (co. Beds.). (fn. 21) The latter Theobald had a
son Fulk, who had succeeded to his lands by 1198–9,
when he disputed his father's gifts to the nuns of
Holywell. (fn. 22) On the death of Fulk, Broadfield
descended to his son Ralph, who levied a fine of
the advowson in 1222. (fn. 23) Ralph had a son of the
same name, who appears to have forfeited about 1266,
when the king granted Broadfield to Maud his wife
for the maintenance of herself and her children. (fn. 24)
Ralph was still living in 1283. (fn. 25) His lands were held
by William Fitz Ralph in 1303, (fn. 26) from whom they
probably descended to his son William (see Aspenden).
In 1356 Margaret and Sybil, daughters and heirs of
William, are mentioned. (fn. 27) But a William Fitz Ralph
was holding Aspenden in 1383, when he granted it
to his son William. (fn. 28) The manor of Broadfield
apparently also remained with the heirs male, for on
the death without issue of a William Fitz Ralph
(probably the last mentioned) before 1428 it went
to his co-heirs, John Hughessene of Ashwell and
John Clerk, senior, of Ardeley. (fn. 29) These both quitclaimed their right to John and Thomas Clerk, who
apparently conveyed to Richard Whapled, vicar of
Steeple Morden, and John Suttrey, for they in 1449
granted the manor to John Dunstable and Margaret
his wife, Ralph Grey and Henry Wells. (fn. 30) Margaret
Dunstable died seised of the manor in 1486. (fn. 31)
Henry Wells survived the other feoffees, and on his
death it passed to his cousin and next heir John
Fayrewayre. He conveyed it to Henry Snow of
London and Magdalen his wife. (fn. 32) It descended to
their son John Snow, whose daughters and co-heirs
Elizabeth and Dorothy (fn. 33) conveyed it in 1537–8 to
Edward Brockett. (fn. 34)
Pulter. Argent two bends sable with a Cornish chough in the cantle.
In 1571 Edward Brockett settled the manor on
himself with remainder to Ellen his wife for life with
remainder to John Brockett of Brockett Hall and Ellen
his wife. (fn. 35) On Edward Brockett's death his executors
conveyed the manor to his widow Ellen and her
kinsman Richard Bardolf. In 1580 John Brockett,
who had been knighted in
1577, and his wife Ellen,
released their interest in the
manor to Edward Pulter (fn. 36) of
Great Wymondley, (fn. 37) and in
1592 Ellen Brockett and
Richard Bardolf conveyed their
interest. (fn. 38) Edward Pulter
held the manor until 1600,
when he settled it on his son
Litton Pulter in consideration
of his marriage with Penelope
daughter of Sir Arthur Capell,
kt. (fn. 39) Litton Pulter died in
1608, in his father's lifetime,
leaving a son Arthur, then aged four years. (fn. 40) Arthur
Pulter held a prominent position in the county,
acting as justice of the peace, a captain in the militia,
and high sheriff for Hertfordshire, but at the outbreak of the Civil War he resigned all these offices,
led a retired life, and at the instigation of his wife
Lady Helen Ley, daughter of James Earl of Marl
borough, began rebuilding Broadfield Hall. But at
the time of his death in 1689 the building was still
unfinished. (fn. 41) He had a large family, but all his
children died during their father's lifetime. His
sons had no children, but his daughter Margaret,
who married John Forrester, citizen of London,
left one son James, who succeeded his grandfather. (fn. 42)
James Forrester married Martha daughter of Sir
Henry Chauncy, kt., and died in 1696, when his
young son Pulter became lord of the manor. (fn. 43)
Pulter Forrester appears to have been concerned with
the fashionable bands of rioters who called themselves
the 'Mohocks' and the 'Hawkubites,' and rendered
the streets of London dangerous for the ordinary
traveller. In 1711 he was one of the sureties for
Lord Hinchinbrooke's appearance at the quarter
sessions to answer for assaulting the watchman and
causing a riot in Essex Street in the early hours
of the morning. (fn. 44) Pulter Forrester married Agnes
daughter of William Harvey of Chigwell, Essex,
and died in 1753. (fn. 45) His son William succeeded
him. (fn. 46) He had no children, and on his death he
left the manor of Broadfield to his wife's niece,
Millicent daughter of Wrightson Mundy of Markeaton
Park, co. Derby, with remainder to her eldest son on
condition that he should take the name of Forrester. (fn. 47)
She married Richard French, captain in the Royal
Horse Guards, and on her death the manor passed to
her eldest son Richard Forrester French of Abbot's
Hill, co. Derby. (fn. 48) He suffered a recovery in 1793, (fn. 49)
and continued to hold until his death in 1843. (fn. 50) He
left no children, and in 1852 his executors sold the
manor of Broadfield to Mr. Robert Bird Wilkins,
timber merchant, of Ware. (fn. 51) He died in 1868,
and the manor passed to his son Robert Usborn
Wilkins, (fn. 52) who devised it to Mr. Nathan Humphrey.
He died in 1906, (fn. 53) leaving the manor to his two
daughters, Mrs. H. W. Smith of Ware and Mrs.
H. E. Dudley of Stansted, co. Essex, who now hold
the manor. (fn. 54)
The land which Robert Bishop of Chester held in
Broadfield in 1086 consisted only of I virgate. (fn. 55)
There is no record to show how this land descended,
but it appears that like the other lands which Robert
held in this county it passed to the Somerys. (fn. 56) It
is probable that this land was appurtenant to the
manor of Bygrave (q.v.), for in the reign of Edward I
John de Wengham, Precentor of St. Paul's, who held
a lease of that manor from the Somerys, also held a park
in Broadfield, which in 1297 was broken into. (fn. 57) John de
Wengham's holding in Broadfield was described as a
quarter of a knight's fee in 1303. (fn. 58) In 1346 it had
descended to his nephew Master Thomas deWengham, (fn. 59)
but after this date there is no further record of it.
CHURCH AND ADVOWSON
Broadfield Church was a chapel
of ease, (fn. 60) apparently dependent on
the church of Rushden. In 1222
William Basset, lord of the manor
of Rushden, quitclaimed all right in the church of
Broadfield to Ralph son of Fulk, lord of Broadfield. (fn. 61)
The advowson has always passed with the manor. (fn. 62) It
is not known at what date the church fell into disuse,
but as no inventory was made for it in 1553 it seems
that by this date the church was no longer used for
religious services. The rectory was valued at 10s. only
in 1535. (fn. 63) The advowson was still included in the
sale of the manor until the year 1580. (fn. 64) Norden, in
his description of Hertfordshire in 1598, states that
Broadfield had once had a chapel of ease which at
that time was decayed. (fn. 65) The site of the church is
supposed to have been in Chapel Wood in the centre
of the parish, and certain irregularities in the ground
may point to the former existence of a building here. (fn. 66)
By the 18th century Broadfield had become ecclesiastically attached to Cottered, (fn. 67) and still remains so.
There are no endowed charities.