A History of Cranfield

Some years ago, a series of articles appeared in a local newspaper, and Cranfield Express felt it would be of interest to readers to repeat the series during the next few months. Here is article number 3.

Thomas de Pontesbury in trouble - In 1310 the parish priest, Thomas de Pontesbury, was in trouble. He fled into the Church for sanctuary to escape the consequences of his wrongdoings. There was published an order .To the Barons of the Exchequer at Berwick-on-Tweed: Order to discharge the township of Craunfield to Bedford of £23 8s. 10¾d., which is charged for the goods, etc., of Master Thomas de Pontesbury, who fled to the Church of Craunfield for felonies, and was convicted before Robert Malet and his colleagues for felonies, justices of the late King, to deliver to Bedford Gaol, as the late King granted the goods to the Master and Brethren of St. Katharine's Hospital without the Tower and commanded the Sheriff and Coroner of Bedford to deliver the said goods to them..

The manor was granted by the Abbot to Sir William de Herle, Robert de Sachynton, and Robert the Burgh, Rector of Houghton, a village about five miles from Cranfield, for the yearly rent of £100 of silver. The Abbot, on behalf of the monastery, reserved the right of re-entry should the rent not be paid. The grant also stated that the right of presentation to the church was to remain with the Abbey.

During the 14th century various grants of land were made to the Abbot, Thomas de Neuby, Rector from 1349, until 1350, gave sixty acres. The plague of the Black Death occurred when Thomas de Neuby was Rector of Cranfield, and he was one of the victims. It has been estimated that about one-third of the population of Bedfordshire died, and Cranfield suffered severely. As a consequence, labour became scarce and wages had to be increased. Various laws were passed to halt the rise in wages, but they had little effect.

The tenants on estates began to buy exemptions from working for the manor, and in 1386 the Abbey records state that "all works had been commuted, wages being paid for work done". Thomas de Beuby died in 1350, but the next induction did not take place until 1383, when John de Lincoln became Rector of Cranfield. The lapse of time in the appointment of a successor to Thomas de Neuby was probably due to the high mortality among the clergy during the plague.

The Abbey records state that the tenant who farmed the manor lows died. No undergrowth was sold, there being no buyers. The value of crops on the land of villeins who had died and which fell into the hands of the manor was 52s. - a large sum for those days. Two notes in the Abbey records which refer to Cranfield during the fourteenth century may be of interest. During the year 1332 - the sixth year of the reign of Edward III - the Abbot of Ramesaye was granted a license "to lease the manor of Cranfield and other manors with advowsons of churches and other appurtenances for two years to whomsoever he will."

The second, dated 27th July, 1348, refers to the "Presentation of Thos. Neuby to the Church of Cranfield in the King's gift by reason of the voidance of the Abbey of Ramsaye." This manor remained in the hands of the Abbots of Ramsey until the dissolution of the monasteries, when its value was given as £68. 9s. 4d.