The Manor of Milton Grange

Volume III of The Victoria County History for Bedfordshire was published in 1912. It contains histories of the various manors in Milton Bryan. One of these was Milton Grange. During the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189) Robert Bryan made a grant to Merton Priory which included Milton Bryan church and one hide of land.

Coat of arms of Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey acquired a licence from the Bishop of Lincoln to acquire three virgates of this hide at an annual rent of twenty shillings from the Prior of Merton some time before 1247. In 1291 Milton Grange yielded twenty one shillings per annum in rent and in 1535 Woburn Abbey was still tenant of Merton Priory as overlord.

Following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII (1509-1547) Milton Grange was annexed to the newly created Honour of Ampthill in 1542. By 1584 it had been granted to Christopher Estwick by Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) and in 1596 he settled on his wife Marion and son Christopher when his son married Anne Brooke of Great Oakley [Northamptonshire]. From this date Milton Grange shares the same history as the Manor of Milton Bryan until its sale to the Duke of Bedford by Henrietta Synott in 1892 at which point the Grange extended over 126 acres, 1 rood.