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 4.

Washingley Manor and Rudlands - Two other manors are mentioned after Domesday. One was called Washingley Manor, and was almost certainly named after the family of Wassingle, whose names appear as witnesses to deeds granting land in Cranfield to Ramsey Abbey about the middle of the 13th century. The Wassingles appear to have been in the employ of the Abbot. William de Wassingle presided over the court of King's Repton in 1299. He is also mentioned as holding the position of steward of the fair of St Ives in 1293.

There is very little information relating to the Manor of Wasingley in the 13th and 14th centuries, and none between 1353-1515. A collection of documents relating to Cranfield was held by the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College, in the belief that they related to Clanfield, Hampshire, where the College has property. These documents relate to the formation of what was afterwards called Washingley Manor, Cranfield, probably by a branch of the main Washingley family, which held the Manor of Washingley.

These charters show the acquisition of land by William of Washingley and his wife Maud (undated): Williams of Washingley and his wife Eleanor, c. 1270-1310; William of Washingley and his wife Agnes, c. 1311-1313; and John of Washingley, 1341-1360. Before 1287, all the documents were undated, and it is possible to get a rough guide only by the names of William and Maud and William and Eleanor, and by the names of witnesses to the charters who are mentioned elsewhere - for example, Maurice, who was vicar some time before 1280.

The manor was situated at Bourne End, but it is not known whether there was a manor house. There is a Washingley's Court in the centre of the present village, but it is not known if there is any connexion with the manor. It is known, however, that this manor had no manorial rights and there was no court there. The first mention of the family as landowners at Cranfield was in 1295, when William of Craunfield granted, for twenty marks and for the yearly payment of six marks of silver during his life all his land, tenements, and appertenances, with the homage and service of free tenants, to Williams, the son of William de Wassingle, of Cranfield.

A little later, William de Was single the elder obtained a licence "to alienate in mortmain to the Abbot and convent of Ramsey, a messuage and a moiety of the virgate of land at Cranfield." In 1353, John de Wassingle obtained a messuage and land from Gilbert de Warwick and Nicolas of York. The first mention of Washingley as a manor is in 1515, when Thomas Stafford sold it to Richard Langley for £140. The manor belonging to the Abbot of Ramsey was at the time of the dissolution valued at only £68. 9s. 4d. The difference in value of the two manors is of some interest.

By 1548, Washingley Manor was in the possession of Thomas Leigh, who, it appeared mortgaged it to John Dormer, a citizen and merchant of London. It remained in the hands of the Leigh family until 1650. The last reference to the manor is in 1802, and after that date no other mention can be found. The third manor associated with Cranfield was known as Rudlands of Rudlandesfelde, Sir William Paulet was the owner in 1563, before which date no mention of the manor can be found. In 1575 Sir William Paulet conveyed it to Jeremy Weston, whose son Richard was created Lord Weston in 1628, and Earl of Portland in 1633. The Earl, at the time of his death (c. 1634/5), was in possession of the Manor. In 1640 his widow and her son Jerome - second Earl of Portland - parted with the property to Mr Dray Chamberlain. After that, all mention of the manor seems to have disappeared. Unfortunately there are no records to show where the manor was situated.