Merton
Manor
Much of this history comes from the Victoria County
History of Cambridgeshire.
Before
about 1178 the tenant of the eastern part of Gamlingay was Roger, son of
Remphrey. On his death in 1196 it passed to his son, Remphrey, who died in
1208. (Book of Fees, I, pp. 239, 243;
Feet of Fines, (Rec. Com), p.319; Chanc. R. 1196 (P.R.S. N.S. vii), p.118)
Four years later, records show the rent was being paid by his brother, Ralph de
Bruera who was still in possession in 1227. (Red Bk. Exch. (Rolls Ser.), ii, p.530; Cur. Reg. R. iv. p.42; v. pp.188-9; Cat. Anct. D. ii. D 118; Farrer, Honors and Knights’ Fees, iii. p.286)
Before
1235, Robert FitzWalter’s land was held by Adam of Hatfield, son of Simon, and
by 1242, by his son Simon, who died after 1254. (Rot. Hund. (Rec. Com.) ii. p.532; Cal. Pat. 1247 – 58, p.88;
Farrer, op. cit. p. 294) In 1279 the Valognes family, supporters of the
Empress, were tenants of the Gamlingay estate. (Round, J. H. Geoffrey de Mandeville pp. 172, 264,
286) Simon’s son, known as John FitzSimon, held the manor at this time who
passed it to his son John. When John died in 1304 it passed to his eldest son
Edward, who died in 1328. It then passed to his younger brother Hugh FitzSimon.
(Rot. Hund. (Rec. Com.) ii. p.532; Cal. Inq. p.m. iv. pp.149-50; vii.
p.129; C 143/286/9)
Adam
of Hatfield had allowed William of Leicester the tenancy of Gamlingay Manor by
1235 for half a fee. (Liber de Bernewelle,
p.244; Rot. Hund. (Rec. Com.) ii.
p.532; B.M. Cott. MS. Faust. A. iv. ff. 99 and v. 101, 108; Bk of Fees, ii. p.902) In 1260 the rent
was being paid by Richard of Leicester, bailiff of Bedford, who over the next
two years borrowed money using Gamlingay manor as his security. (C.P.
25(1)/24/21 no.30; C.P. 25(1)/24/24 no.21; Merton Mun. Liber Ruber, f. p.18; Oxoniensia (1957), pp.76-7) In 1265 the
King removed him from this tenancy as a punishment for joining some dissident
barons. (VCH. Cambs. ii. p.391; Cal. Misc. i. p.194; Cal. Pat. 1266-72, pp.16-17) Three years
later, in 1268, the manor was mortgaged by Walter of Merton, who later became
the Bishop of Rochester. Perhaps for religious reasons, William of Leicester
then gave Walter the whole of the Gamlingay estate and half the church lands.
The rest was given to Walter’s house of scholars at Merton in Surrey, later to
become Merton College, Oxford. Walter immediately made the estate over to his
scholars with him receiving the rent until his death. (Oxoniensia (1957), pp.76-7; C.P. 25(1)/25/32 no.6; C.P.
25(1)/283/17 no.482) Until 1347 the college paid half a knight’s service to the
King but after that their rent was to give alms to the poor. (Feud. Aids. i. pp.149, 157, 169, 174,
188; v. p.411; C 143/286/9)
College
records show that, apart for the years 1302 – 1314 and 1352 – 1355, their
bailiff administered the manor until 1362. Ever since it was leased to a tenant
and it remained in college hands until 1967. It had a number of residential,
farm and administrative buildings. The farm servants had their own house. A new
kitchen was built in 1280. The bailiff’s house or camera was built in 1328. A solar, sun room, and a porch were added
later. Around a courtyard the farm buildings included a dairy, a buttery, a
brick kiln, a dove-cot, a steeping house, stock sheds, sheepfold and vegetable
garden. It had at least two barns, one for the lord’s grain, another for the
villagers’ tithes. The whole complex was surrounded by a moat and a wall with
one large and several small gates. (Lowry, Estates
of Merton, pp.43, 174, 189, 191-2)
A
survey in 1807 showed it had a brewhouse, a dovehouse, boarded and thatched
stables, a granary of brick, board and thatch, separate barns for wheat, barley
and rye, other ‘hovels’ and houses for grain and stock (Merton Mun. 5/24).
Merton Manor farm house comprised a timber framed central range, thought to be
open to the roof, and a west cross-wing, both built in the late 15th
or early 16th century. The east cross-wing is of the late 16th
century. It had a brick 17th or 18th century dovecot and
a thatched, aisled barn. The inscription TB
1600 is found on one post. (R.C.H.M. Cambs.
i. pp.104, 110)