Henlow Zouches Manor

At the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086 one virgate of land belonging to the burgesses of Bedford was held by Alric, who had also held it before the Conquest in 1066. It is likely that this virgate of land was the same one held by William de Cantelupe (or Cantlow) as part of the honour of Eaton Bray in the 13th century. William’s daughter Millicent married Eudo de la Zouche and the manor passed into the hands of the Zouche family of Harringworth in Northamptonshire. In 1302 her son William de la Zouche held one virgate of land in Henlow as 1/20th of a knight’s fee. The property continued to be held by the Zouche family for the next 250 years. In 1473 Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford was appointed guardian to John son of William de la Zouche, whose property included lands, rents and services in Henlow. In 1542 William’s son, Richard de la Zouche sold the manor to Reginald Conygrave and his wife Joan, and by 1558 it was held by Thomas Henneage. It then passed to the Luke family through the marriage of Thomas Henneage’s daughter to John Luke. In 1632 it was sold by Sir Oliver Luke to Richard Edwards and other, and the property was absorbed into the Edwards family’s larger manor of Henlow Warden.

No manorial documents survive for the manor of Henlow Zouches.