The Manor of Bromham Wakes

Arms of the Barony of Bedford

Volume III of The Victoria County History for Bedfordshire was published in 1912 and gives the history of manors in Bromham. The compilers of the history relate that Wakes Manor had its origin in the large manor held by Hugh de Beauchamp, later Baron of Bedford, in 1086.

Beauchamp’s descendant John de Beauchamp was killed fighting for Simon de Montfort against King Henry III (1216-1272) at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. His possessions, including the Manor of Bromham, were to be divided between his heirs, his three sisters. His mother Amicia retained the manor until her death in 1278 when it was divided between the three sisters.

The Wake family arms

Wakes Manor passed to John’s sister Ela, wife of Baldwin Wake. She left three daughters s her co-heirs, Ida de Steynegreve, Elizabeth de Hoobury and Joan Picot, who later married Ralph Paynel. The three parts of the manor then had histories as follows.

The Patishull family arms

• Ida’s third was inherited by her daughter Isabel, wife of Sir Simon de Patishull and later of Walter de Teye. Isabel’s heir was her son John de Patishull who sill held the property in 1346. His son William died in 1360 and left four sisters as co-heirs of whom Alice, wife of Sir Thomas Wake received Bromham. This portion of the manor descended through the Wake family until at least 1458 after which there is a gap in the historical record until 1526 when this holding appears as the property of Nicholas, Baron Vaux whose son Thomas sold it to Sir Lewis Dyve in 1555.
• Elizabeth de Hoobury died in 1314. Her share was then divided between her sister Ida's husband John de Patishull and her sister Joan's brother-in-law John Picot.
• Joan’s share was inherited by her husband's brother John Picot. The holding descended through the Picot family until at least 1335 but "appears to have passed to the family of Dyve in the following century".

The Dyve family arms

Thus the entire manor, divided in 1278, was reunited, in the ownership of the Dyve family, in 1555. The Dyve family had acquired in 1553 and acquired Brayes Manor in 1565.The later history of the three manors is described under Brayes Manor.