Papers relating to the Manor of Tyttenhanger

Household accounts and other family and estate papers relating to the Pope, Blount and Freman families, 1551-1863, Court rolls of the Manor of Tyttenhanger, 1468-1711, extracts from Court rolls, 1238-1460, and deeds of properties in Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Staffordshire and other counties

<p>Further papers relating to the Tyttenhanger Estate can be found in D/ECd. The material there complements this material and both inventories should be used in conjunction with one another.</p>

Deposited 19 November 1981

Introduction

The Tyttenhanger estate consisted mainly of the manor of Tyttenhanger also known as Ridge. The manor belonged, before the dissolution of the monasteries, to the Abbey of St Albans, and was held by the office of almoner. In 1547 the manor of Tyttenhanger, together with the Park and a farm were granted to Sir Thomas Pope and his wife Elizabeth. Sir Thomas died in 1559, without an heir, having settled the manor on his wife Elizabeth, with remainder to his niece Frances, wife of William Blount, and remainder in tail male to his brother John and others. Elizabeth, relict of Sir Thomas, afterwards married Hugh Paulet and died in 1593.

William Blount, husband of Frances, was the brother of Lady Elizabeth Paulet, and on her death, his son Sir Thomas Pope Blount, succeeded to the manor. Sir Thomas died seised of the manor in 1639 and was succeeded by his son Thomas Pope Blount, on whose death in 1654 the estate passed to his brother Henry. The manor was settled on Henry's wife Hester, who dying in 1678, in the lifetime of her husband was succeeded by their eldest son Sir Thomas Pope Blount. On his death in 1697 the manor came to his son of the same name, who was in turn succeeded by his son Sir Harry Pope Blount.

Sir Harry died in 1757 without issue, leaving his sister Katherine, wife of the Revd William Freman, as his heir. She left an only daughter, Catherine, who married Charles Yorke, second son of Philip Yorke, first earl of Hardwicke. Their son Philip, third earl of Hardwicke, on his death in 1834 left four daughters, to the second of whom, Catherine, wife of Dupre, second earl of Caledon, came the manor of Tyttenhanger. Their only son James Dupre married Lady Jane Frederica Harriet Mary daughter of James Walter, first earl of Verulam. The dowager Countess Catherine died in 1863 having bequeathed Tyttenhanger to her daughter in law, Jane with an entail upon her four children. The estate descended to her eldest son James, fourth earl of Caledon.

The estate also included the manor of Blackhides alias Corsers and a messuage named Ravens also in Ridge.

From early times, the lord of the manor of Tyttenhanger was in dispute with the lords of the manors of North Mimms and Sopwell over rights on Colney Heath, and the dispute lasted well into the eighteenth century.

Other parts of the estate included land in Princes Street, St Giles in the Fields and land in Barnsbury Fields in Islington as well as property in Reigate and Staffordshire.