The Manor of Upper Gravenhurst alias Tewells

The arms of Ramsey Abbey

Volume II of the Victoria County History for Bedfordshire was published in 1908. The overlordship of this manor was held by Ramsey Abbey [Huntingdonshire] until 1266 when the abbot purchased the ownership in fee of Ralph Tivill, thus merging the over and underlordships. The abbey continued to hold the manor until it was dissolved by Henry VIII (1509-1547) in 1539 when the annual rent of the manor was £8/5/4.

The arms of the de Grey family

In 1542 the Crown granted the manor to Sir Henry Grey of Wrest and Anne, his wife. The manor then remained in the Grey family, Earls of Kent and their successors, the Earls de Grey and Lords Lucas into the 20th century. A succession of Law of Property Acts in the 1920s effectively abolished manors in all but name.