Woodhall Manor, early records

This research was part of the House Detectives project in 2017, when the Helpston Local History Group investigated key buildings in the village.

Archive evidence of Saxon manors in Helpston shows:

• Two manors in Hylpestun were held in 948 AD, by tenants of the Abbey.
• Sir William Fitzwilliam bought Woodhall Manor for £400 ¹. It was included in a papal grant to Peterborough Abbey in 1146 ².
• During the reign of Richard 1 (1157 – 1199), the owner was Wieleran of Helpston ³.
• In 1213 the manor was owned by John Molesworth & sold with a mill and 3 dovecotes to Sir William Fitzwilliam  ⁴.
• 1252-3 Avice, widow of Walrun de la Woodhall appears holding land in Helpston, the first intimation of the name afterwards given to the manor ⁵.

Wodehall Quitclaim

“Andrew, son of Sir Andrew Russell Knight, sends greeting to the lord. Know that I have remitted and for myself and heirs entirely quitclaimed to Roger Sulayne of Helpiston and to Margaret his wife all right and claim which I have or in any way will be able to have in a messuage in Helpiston which is called the Wodehall and it contains the garden and croft adjoining, 5 ½ acres of land and also in 8 acres of land with the appurtenances in the same town and also in 3 shillings rent issuing from a cottage which Willem de Wytering and Cecilia his wife hold for the term of their lives or in the reversion ….” After Quinzaine of East in the nineteenth year of the reign of Edward son of King Edward
(April 8th 1326)

In 1426 Lord William Fitzwilliam sold the Lordship of Helpston lands to Sir John Tosham, for payment of debts ⁶ (as Lord Deputy of Ireland he incurred many expenses), but the Fitzwilliams obviously recovered them.

About 1440 Thomas Molesworth did homage for 2 fees in Helpston. The land was probably that called The Woodhall. The manor was then held by the Molesworth family until, in 1576, it was granted to Sir William Fitzwilliam ⁷.

Bonds held in Northampton Records Office:

Bond by John Mowlsworth of Helpston, gent. to William Fitzwilliam of the same esq. in £100 to suffer a conveyance by recovery or fine of the manor of Woodhall with appurtenances in Helpston, Etton and Woodcroft according to the conditions of a lease of the same date by the said John and Margaret his wife. 1 Nov Eliz (1573).

Deed of sale by John Mowlesworth of Helpston gent and Anthony Mowlesworth of Helpston, gent and Anthony Mowlesworth son and heir apparent of the same, to Sir William Fitzwilliam of Milton, knt, for the sum of £500 of the manor of Woodhal in Helpston, with appurtenances in Helpston, Maxey, Baynton, Woodgate and Barnack. Signed and sealed 3 March 18 Eliz 1 (1576).

Sources
1 From a dissertation by Mary Moyse
2 Cambridgeshire Life, Feb. 1969
3 Clare’s Village 1950 – Bessie Garfoot Gardner
4 Cambridgeshire Life, Feb. 1969
5 The Victorian History of the counties of England
6
7