Hertfordshire Genealogy: Places: Aspenden, Herts

St. Mary. Aspenden. C.of E. Nave and chancel are late 11th century but south chancel chapel is 15th and remodelled in 1622: here are various tomb chests and recesses. The south porch, built in 1526 with small open windows now has the spaces fitted with stained glass of the four evangelists (two on each side) by Morris and Co: perhaps the last Pre-Raphaelite glass. The embattled tower is of late 14th century with a spike of 1721.

The Water Mill, Aspenden
No date but possibly circa 1900

Theresa E. Smith (tesmith40 @t comcast.net), provided a scan of the above photograph and also one of Buntingford. She writes "I have made contact with someone who is related to the BODDY family and since I have relations to the KNIGHT family we have the Water Mill in common. I mentioned the Water Mill and Pauline told me about a book written by Philip Plumb with a photo of the Water Mill.

The book referred to, Buntingford, by Philip Plumb, contains a different copy from the same plate, and the text reads:

Aspenden Water Mill c. 1900. The watermill has been non-working for many years but records of a mill go back to at least the seventeenth century and it remained in the ownership of the same family, Boddy and Knight, until recent housing developments. It has recently been restored and additions made at the rear. Remnants of the mechanism are still housed in the section on the right.

Aspenden (4 miles N.W.) lies close to the Old North Road, or Ermine Street. This parish was the birthplace of Seth Ward and here the famous historian, Macauley, went to school. The flint-built church retains a small Norman window. The ancient piscina, aumbry and credence table were revealed during restoration work in the late 19th century. An Easter Sepulchre should be noticed. This church contains a number of fine medieval tombs, one of which was brought here from St. Michael's, Cornhill, after the Fire of London. Aspenden rectory is a most picturesque old residence.

Ashpendon [sic] Village
Published by A.G. Day, Buntingford, Frith's series No 74390, posted 1927 - number suggest picture taken 1923.

At the time of the [Domesday Book], the manor of Berchedene was held by Earl Eustace and Hardwin de Scalers. It consisted of one hide and one virgate, two carucates in demesne, three carucates of arable land, half a carucate of meadow, and pannage for thirty hogs. There was amill worth two shillings and eightpence a year, and six bondmen. Two villanes, a priest, and severn bordars had two carucates. The total value was three pounds ten shillings.

According to Chauncy, the lands above mentioned were shortly after the Conquest united into one manor, which came into the possession of Richard de Anestie, who gave it to God, and the Church of the Holy Trinity, in London, at which time it constituted a parish of itself. On the Dissolution of Religious Houses, this manor was confiscated to the Crown, and was held, during the reign of Edward VI by Andrew Judd, by the yearly rent of Ł12 12s 11d. In 1583 one portion of the estate was purchased by John Brograve, Esq., who annexed it to his manor of Westmill, and the church which formerly stood here was demolished. The other moiety of the manor was conveyed by Andrew Judd to Edward Halfhide, of Tannis, in the parish of Aspenden, from whom it passed successively to Andrew Grey, Sir Gilbert Kniveton, and Sir Stephen Soame, Knt. Sir Peter Soame, 3rd Baronet, great-grandson of Sir Stephen Soame, Knt., sold Berkesdon together with the manor of Aspenden, in 1782, to John Boldero, Esq., who settled it upon his daughter, Hester, on her marriage with Sir Stephen Lushington, 1st Bart., from whom it has descended to Sir Henry Lushington, 3rd Bart., his grandson.

The location of the manor would appear to be in open country to the west of Aspenden as my modern street map of Hertfordshire shows a small wood called "Berkesdongreen Spring" close to the house called Tannis Court and not far from Wakeley (marked as site of medieval village). Not far away is a moat - which could well be the site of a medieval manor house. This location is supported by Sellar's map of 1676 which shows Barsdon Green in about the same location, while Andrew Bryant's map of 1822 shows a Berkesden Gn. on a road (no longer marked on modern map) south of Tannis Court Farm and close to a small wood which appears to be the one shown on modern maps.

If you know of other books, websites, etc, relating to this place, please tell me.