Pepsall Manor

Volume II of The Victoria County History for Hertfordshire was published in 1908. It suggests that Pepsall Manor was based around the hamlet of Pepperstock and that Pepsal Farmhouse was built on the site of the manor house.

The manor or, more correctly, sub-manor is first traced in 1331 when it was held by Robert Kendale from the Lord of the Manor of Flamstead; his rent was a pair of spurs worth sixpence. The Kendale family held the manor until 1375 when it was inherited by Robert’s granddaughter Beatrice, wife of Sir Robert Turk who died in 1400.

Turk was succeeded by his daughter, Joan, wife of John Waleys, who died in 1420. Her son, John, who died a minor in 1422, and was survived by his four sisters, Beatrice wife of Reginald Cockayn, Joan wife of Robert Leventhorp, Agnes and Joan, then unmarried. Agnes subsequently married John Bury or Burgh and inherited the manor in 1434. Agnes died in 1453 having married John Padyngton after the death of her first husband. She had a daughter, Joan, who had married Ralph Grey the younger and, after his death, Edward Goldesburgh, and died herself in 1497. Her granddaughter Elizabeth, daughter of her son Ralph Grey, who died in 1492, was her heir. She married Elizabeth Anthony Walgrave.

By 1572 the manor was in the hands of men named Francis Sill and William Cocke, perhaps acting as trustees and they conveyed the manor to Sir Richard Rede who died in 1576, and was succeeded by his son Innocent.

Innocent Rede sold the manor to Thomas Slowe in 1589. Slowe died about 1595 and was succeeded by his son George. In 1652 Edward Slowe conveyed the manor to a kinsman, Michael Slowe of Flamstead and in 1683 William Slowe conveyed it to William Rolls.

There is no further record of the manor until 1720 when Charles Lloyd, Lewis Younger and Joseph Osman mortgaged two thirds of it [LHE101]. In 1724 Charles Lloyd and Younger conveyed the two-thirds to Joseph Osman. Later that same year he purchased the other third from Sir John Eyles of the infamous South Sea Company which had virtually collapsed in 1720 causing huge government debts [LHE103]. Osman sold the manor in 1732 to John Hastings of Grays Inn, London, for £2,185 [LHE111].

On John Hastings’ death the manor passed to his heir by marriage John Hamilton [LHE112]. In 1753 the manor was conveyed by George Hamilton and others to William Bridges [LHE114]. Bridges’ widow Mary held the manor in 1790 [LHE116] along with their daughters Elizabeth and Mary. The manor eventually descended to William Wotton of Kings Langley [Hertfordshire] who conveyed it to John Shaw Leigh of Luton Hoo in 1853 [LHE127]. After this the manor cannot be traced.