The Manor of Groves - A History (The Origins)
From "The History of Hertfordshire" by N. Salmon, published in 1728
"The Manor of Groves was antiently a part of the Manor of Sabridgworth and given to the Monks of Reading by Henry Fitzgerald, as appears by the confirming Charter King Henry II. It is call the Manor of Sabridgworth in Henry VIII Grant of it to William Goding of Writtle in Essex. Goding sold it to Thomas Gooday of LittleByrch in Essex and he to Robert Hirst whose son inherited it. Henry Hirst held Court here.
It was then sold to John Duke. John Duke had Robert his son and heir who enjoyed it. Robert in the 4th year of Charles I's reign granted it to his son John Duke, Rector of High Roothing in Essex who married Joyce, daughter of William Bennet. Robert his son and heir, who inherited, sold it to Joyce his mother in 1665. She conveyed it to Thomas Rogers of Hunsdon. He left it to John, his son and heir, who sold it to Edmund Godwyn of Eastwick, Esquire. Godwyn sold it to Peter Godfrey, Esquire. From him it descended to his son Godfrey of London, Merchant, who is the present possessor."
From the heirs of the Godfrey family the property passed through various ownerships, many of whom improved or added to the property.
In the year 1066, following the battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror declared himself King of England.
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| Coat of Arms of Reading Abbey (until 1539) |
He divided the country into tracts of land, each of which was given a tenant-in-chief in return for his military support. These tenants were then each given a Manor, and it was during this time that the Manor of Sawbridgeworth was divided into lesser manors, namely the Manors of Pishiobury, Tednambury, Shignley Hall, Hyde Hall and the Groves.
The Manor of Sawbridgeworth was granted to Jeffrey De Magneville, who then married and had a son Jeffrey, who was granted the Steward of Normandy. When Jeffrey died in 1144 with no heirs, his divorced wife was given the Earldom of Essex as a wedding present. Her husband then in turn died and the Earldom was passed down to his brother William. William spent much of his time with Philip of Flanders, but returned to England when hearing of his brother's death. He then died some 23 years later, and his oldest nephew, Jeffrey, inherited the Manor of Sawbridgeworth at the age of 19. His son then inherited the title of Lord Sav of Sawbridgeworth and the Manor too.
About the same time, The Manor of Groves and Pishiobury and the Abbey of Edmunsbury were granted to a Warine Fitzgerald.
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| Coat of Arms of Robert Hirst (1571) |
The Manor of Groves had been dwelled in by Monks up until this time, but when King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries, the land and the Manor of Groves were granted to William Gooding, alias The Godwin of Writtle in the County Of Essex. It was during this time that The Manor passed to Edmund Godwin of Eastwick High Sheriff of Essex of 1696.
During the early stages of Queen Anne's reign, the Manor came into the possession of Mary Ann Godfrey, whose heirs took it over in around 1743. She then sold the property to a Thomas Williams who, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, managed to obtain two stone pillars from the Old London Bridge, which now form the outside of the Colonnade Suite.
In 1838, The Manor of Groves covered 162 acres, 3 roods and 35 perches of land, where 1 rood was equal to a quarter acre and 1 perch was equal to 5 and half square yards.
On 20th December 1844, Jones De‘Arth Esq. received the manor from Thomas Williams' trustees, but due to the fact that rents were so negligible, was given the Manor as there was little point to collection.