from Bernard Burke's "extinct & Dormant Baronetcies"
"This family was originally of DIXWELL Hall, and lords of the manor of
DIXWELL, in the county of Hertford; they possessed that estate until
the begining of the reign of King Richard, when they exchanged it, with
John , of Durham, for the manner of Great Munden, in the same county.
Some considerable lapse of time afterwards.William DIXWELL, lineally of
the same stock, having married Margaret, daughter & heir of Adam
SAMPSON of Coton , in the county of Warwick, removed from Tingreth"
BURKE'S Extinct & Dormant Baronetcies" p10.
I could not find a Dixwell Herts., and assumed Burke was probably
referring to Digswell, Herts.
Found on line- for Tingrith, Bedfordshire
Anno 1377 1 Richard II
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
Robert DIXWELL; seat-Tingrey Co., Bedfordshire; Arms- Argent a Chevron
Gules between 3 fleur-de Lys's Sable
From the British Archives 2 records:
Memorandum of pledges to keep the peace: Robert Dykeswell to do no harm
to Thomas Mynchestre 8 Ric II E 199/1/44
199/1/44Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire: Account for issues of green
wax and pipe: Robert Dykeswell, Sheriff 8 Ric. II
From "Victoria County History of Hertfordshire" :
Eventually the whole [ Great Munden] came to John son of Henry de
Osevill. Cecily his daughter and heiress married Guy de Boys, (fn. 26)
who was holding the manor in right of his wife in 1350. (fn. 27) He
died before 1370, in which year Cecily was holding it alone. (fn. 28)
After her death Munden Furnivall seems to have been held by John and
Agnes Durham, (fn. 29) who conveyed it in 1389 to Margaret, daughter of
Cecily and Guy de Boys, and her husband Robert Dykeswell. (fn. 30)
Following this up & thinking that Dixwell could be a variant of
Digswell I read the book, "Digswell from Domesday to Garden City" by
Dora Ward. The surname DIXWELL does not appear anywhere in this book
except for the first rector of Digswell Church " Guido de Digeneswella"
, BUT, found-, " in 1413 Digswell is still in the hands of the
LUDWICK/LODEWYK family. In that year feoffees of John LUDWICK sold it
to another Hertfordshire man- John DERHAM or DURHAM [ also known as
John DERESME] who had other lands in Hertfordshire, including a share
of the manor of Knebworth & the advowson of the church.[Cal Cl. Rolls,
1-3 Hen.IV]
In 1413 by a deed at Digswell, " Robert THRISKE appointed Salomon
FRESTHORPE, John CHYKSOND, & William BROKMAN attorneys, to give seisin
to John DERHAM esquire, & Agnes his wife for their lives of the manor
of Digonsewelle, & all the rents & services of freeholders & neifs[ the
Saxon word for villeins] & services of tenants for life of years, in
Digonswell, Welen, Tewynge, Hertingfordbury, & Dacceworth in
Hertfordshire & Middlesex, sometime of John LODWYCK.[ This deed has
recently been put in the county record office. Within a year [ 1414]
Agnes died, & there is no record to show they lived in Digswell. Agnes
was buried in the church, & in his will John DERHAM expressed a wish to
be buried beside her.[ There is no evidence of their graves today] The
estate then returned to the family of LUDWICK. Next year it was sold to
John PERIENT, in whose family it remained for nearly a 150 years."
"Digswell from Domesday to Garden City " Dora Ward, pp 52-53.
Also in the above book: Chapter V-The PERIENTS of Digswell & their
Heirs-
"John PERIENT was pennon bearer to Richard II. He was also one of the
four esquires of the King's Body, etc" and follows with:,"
Two of his [ John PERIENT'S] fellow esquires of the body were John
LODEWYCK & John DERHAM, Hertfordshire men who, as we have noted, had
land in Digswell. Like John PERIENT, they each received a pension for
their good service. Both had been members of parliament in 1399, John
LODEWYCK for Hertfordshire & John DERHAM for Middlesex, receiving the
usual payment of 4 shillings a day for their expenses.
Searching the British Archives catalogue brought the following:
1385/6
Letter of attorney by William Tyryngton and others, authorising Peter
Boys and John Nichole to receive seisin of the manor of Great Munden,
and of other lands and tenements in the county of Hertford, of the
feoffment of John Durham and Agnes his wife: Herts. Monday before Lent,
12 Richard II
Cal Close Rolls Richard II 10 Feb 1389
Membrane 16d
John de DURHAM & Agnes his wife of the one part, Robert DYKESWELLE &
Margaret his wife of the other part. Indenture of agreement that John &
Agnes & others, who have an estate in fee or of freehold in the manor
of Great Mundene & all the lands there & elsewhere in Hertfordshire
sometime of Sir Thomas BOYS, which Agnes had after the death of the
said Thomas HER HUSBAND. or whereof John & Agnes took the profits,
shall before Lent next make a feoffment thereof without condition to
such as Robert & Margaret will appoint; that Robert & Margaret shall
bring a writ of formedon" etc----
Further search of the British Archives catalogue show this which does
not appear in the Victoria Co., HX. of Hertfordshire"
1385/6
E 210/2453 Sir Thomas Boys, knight, lord of Munden Furnival : Thomas
Gyffard : Demise, indented, of 15 acres in Munden Furnival : ( Herts. )
9 Ric. II.
John DURHAM apparently died before Oct 1420. there is a probate record
dated Oct 1420 for John DURHAM of Digswell which I have yet to send
for. If this record is in Latin it will not do me any good as my Latin
is very rusty to say the least.
It would appear that MAYBE from these various records that there is a
realtionship between DXWELL, De BOYS and DERHAM.
I am in very much in need of some suggestions as to where to search
next for the following.
Sir Thomas BOYS and wife Agnes -----
The relationship if any between Thomas BOYS and Guy de BOYS and his
daughter Margaret [ de Boys] DYKESWELL.
Any further information on John DERHAM/DURHAM/DERESME. Is there a list
anywhere of the members of Parliament for 1399?
It would appear that Burke was incorrect in stating the DIXWELLS were
lords of the manor of Dixwell, in county Herts.
To add to all the above I found the following for Bedfordshire.
The only mention which occurs of Tingrith at Domesday is under the
lands of Nigel de Albini, of whom TINGRITH MANOR, assessed at 2 hides 1
virgate, was held by Turgis, who had been preceded by two thegns of
Edward the Confessor. (fn. 5) Subsequently two manors are found in this
parish attached to the Cainhoe barony, one of which, sometimes called
DIXWELLS MANOR, follows the same descent as Wrest Manor (q.v.) in the
family of de Grey. It is enumerated among those manors which in 1509
Richard de Grey Earl of Kent sold to Henry VII, (fn. 6) and which the
following year were granted back to him. (fn. 7)From: 'Parishes:
Tingrith', A History of the County of Bedford: Volume 3 (1912), pp.
435-38. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report ... mpid=42461.
Date accessed: 20 July 2006.
Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Record Service-
Question- Do any of the group members know where I can find more about
the Cainhoe barony and or Dixwell's Manor?
My interest is in the DIXWELL -De GREY line and think there may be a
connection to the John DURHAM mentioned above.
Thank you
Marge Perry