Swavesey: Manors and other estates

Manors and other estates

The 13 hides that Eddeva the fair held at Swavesey in 1066 had by 1086 been given with her other lands to Count Alan, lord of Richmond. (fn. 1) Swaveseywas their largest manor in Cambridgeshire and was apparently the administrative centre of their estates north and west of the Cam. Between 1066 and 1086 there were berewicks belonging to Swavesey at Papworth Everard, Toft, Water beach, Wimpole, and apparently Barham in Linton. (fn. 2) That at Toft was again recorded in 1086, when an estate in Hasling field was also said to belong to Swavesey. (fn. 3) On the other hand, suit to Swavesey manor court owed by tenants in Fen Drayton and Over or Boxworth in 1279, as also the rents owed to Swavesey manor in 1456 by free tenants in those parishes and Conington, Lolworth, and Willingham, perhaps resulted from later tenurial links. (fn. 4)

Count Alan died in 1089. Successive lords of Richmond (fn. 5) probably kept the manor in their demesne until the mid 12th century. It was probably among the lands which Alan (III), earl of Richmond (d. 1146), gave in marriage with his daughter Constance to the Breton noble Alan(III), viscount of Rohan. (fn. 6) Thenceforth until theearly 17th century the manor of SWAVESEYwas held of the honor of Richmond in socage. (fn. 7) Alan and Constance possessed it until the mid 1180s. (fn. 8)

In 1196 it was in the king's hands as anescheat. (fn. 9) William de Buteri had it c. 1199 (fn. 10) and it was given to Cardon de Frescheville in 1200. (fn. 11) King John ordered its restoration to Alan ofRohan, perhaps son of the previous lord, in1201, (fn. 12) and soon after that it passed to Geoffrey,viscount of Rohan. (fn. 13) Between 1203 and 1230successive keepers during the king's pleasuretook the income and occupied the demesneland for themselves, (fn. 14) while the king tallagedSwavesey with his ancient demesne. (fn. 15) In 1203the manor was sequestrated and assigned toRoger de Mowbray, (fn. 16) and it was formally confiscated in 1204, following the Bretons' adherenceto the king of France. (fn. 17) Cardon de Frescheville(d. 1212) apparently shared the £30 income from1203 almost equally with Roger de Mowbray. (fn. 18) Aubrey the hunter was ordered in 1215 totransfer the manor to William de Frescheville. (fn. 19) In 1217 its custody was promised to Roger laZouche, but John's mercenary captain Fawkesde Breaute, then in possession, (fn. 20) instead securedit for his younger brother William. (fn. 21) WhenWilliam was hanged for rebellion in 1224, (fn. 22) Swavesey was at once given to Nicholas deMoels. (fn. 23) A grant in fee to Moels in 1228 (fn. 24) wassuperseded in 1230, when, following an alliancewith Brittany, lordship over Swavesey was restored as part of the honor of Richmond to Peter,duke of Brittany. (fn. 25) Later that year Alan, thenviscount of Rohan, obtained formal reseisin ofSwavesey, (fn. 26) which he immediately gave with hisother English estates to another Breton longdomiciled in England, (fn. 27) Roger la Zouche ofAshby-de-la-Zouche (Leics.), in exchange forRoger's Breton lands. (fn. 28)

Roger la Zouche died in 1238. Since his sonand heir Alan (fn. 29) was a royalist, (fn. 30) his crops onSwavesey manor were burnt in 1266 by Montfortian rebels. When he died in 1270 (fn. 31) Swaveseywas included in the dower of his widow Ellen,tenant in 1279. (fn. 32) On her death in 1296 it descended to Alan's son Roger's son and heir,another Alan, (fn. 33) thereupon summoned to parliament. (fn. 34) That Alan in 1304 settled the reversionof manors including Swavesey upon WilliamMortimer of Richard's Castle (Herefs.), a grandson of the elder Alan's brother. (fn. 35)

Mortimer took the name of Zouche, succeededto Swavesey when Alan died in 1314, (fn. 36) and wassummoned to parliament as a baron. (fn. 37) He mayhave left Swavesey in the keeping of his kinsmanAmaury la Zouche, (fn. 38) sheriff of Cambridgeshirebetween 1320 and 1330. (fn. 39) Amaury bought landat Swavesey in 1322 and died between 1331 and1334. (fn. 40) William la Zouche died in 1337. His sonand heir Alan, then just under age, (fn. 41) was grantedfree warren at Swavesey in 1344. (fn. 42) He died in1346, leaving an infant son Hugh and holdingSwavesey jointly with his wife Eleanor (d.1360), (fn. 43) who brought it to her second husbandSir Nicholas d'Amory. (fn. 44) Hugh had livery ofhis lands in 1360. (fn. 45) He was much involved inCambridgeshire administration, (fn. 46) probably residing often at Swavesey. (fn. 47) He died in 1399without issue, having agreed to settle his landsupon Joyce Botetourt, granddaughter of hisgrandfather William's daughter Joyce and wifeof Hugh, Lord Burnell, (fn. 48) subject to the dower ofhis widow Joan (d. 1439). Joan married Sir JohnPelham in 1400 and continued to receive arent charge, probably most of the income fromSwavesey. (fn. 49) When Joyce Burnell died childlessin 1407, the Zouche feoffees conveyed landsincluding Swavesey to Lord Burnell, (fn. 50) whobought out the claims of the heir male. (fn. 51) LordBurnell settled the reversion of his Zouche landsupon Joan Beauchamp, Lady Bergavenny, (fn. 52) whotook possession of Swavesey on his death in1420 (fn. 53) and died in 1435. She devised those landsto her daughter Joan's sons by James Butler,earl of Ormond. (fn. 54) About 1438 (fn. 55) Swavesey wasassigned to the youngest, Thomas, commonlycalled Thomas Ormond, in possession by 1451. (fn. 56) After he had been attainted as a Lancastriansupporter in 1461, (fn. 57) the Crown gave his Cambridgeshire lands to Sir John Clay (d. 1464), butSwavesey apparently passed to Sir John Lovell. (fn. 58) Ormond probably recovered it when his attainder was reversed in 1472. (fn. 59) Restored in 1485 tothe earldom of Ormond to which he had fallenheir in 1477, (fn. 60) he died, still holding Swavesey,in 1515. The manor passed to his daughterMargaret, a lunatic by 1519, and Thomas, herson by Sir William Boleyn. (fn. 61)

Sir Thomas Boleyn, Henry VIII's secondfather-in-law, created in 1529 earl of Wiltshireand Ormond, (fn. 62) died in 1539, whereuponSwavesey descended to his elder daughterMary's son Henry Carey, later Lord Hunsdon. (fn. 63) In 1549 Carey sold it to Sir John Cutts (d. 1555)of Childerley, (fn. 64) from whom it descended insuccessive generations to Sir John Cutts (d.1615), Sir John Cutts (d. 1646), and Sir JohnCutts (cr. Bt. 1660, d. s.p. 1670). (fn. 65) The baronetdevised an 80-year term in Swavesey manor tohis mother Anne's sister Dorothy Weld (d.1707), who married Edward Pickering (d. 1701).The reversion was settled on Sir John Cutts'spresumptive heir male Richard Cutts (d. 1669). (fn. 66) About 1694 Richard's son John, Lord Cutts,mortgaged the reversion to his sister Margaret'shusband John Acton. (fn. 67)

In 1718 the Actons' interest was bought outby Thomas Sclater Bacon on behalf of his wifeElizabeth: she was kinswoman and devisee ofJosiah Bacon (d. c. 1704), who had acquired thefreehold and equity of redemption of much ofthe Cutts estate, probably including Swavesey,in the 1690s. (fn. 68) Elizabeth died in 1726 and herestates passed, after her husband's death in 1736,to her half-brothers Peter and John Standley. (fn. 69) A partition of 1742 assigned Swavesey to Johnwho in 1753 sold the manor to Robert Markland,a London surgeon. (fn. 70)

In 1775 Markland sold it to Thomas Cockayne (fn. 71) (d. by 1781) of Soham. Cockayne wassucceeded at Swavesey by his widow Elizabeth,but in 1787 she surrendered the manor to theirson Thomas Cockayne and his wife. (fn. 72) ThatThomas (d. 1809) was succeeded by his son,another Thomas, on whose death in 1852 themanor passed to his daughter Marian CharlotteEmily (d. 1878), wife of the Hon. F. D. Ryder. (fn. 73)

In 1878 Ryder sold his Swavesey estate inlots. (fn. 74) John Osborn Daintree bought the manorial rights on behalf of his parents, Richard andElizabeth Daintree. (fn. 75) Elizabeth died in 1883 andRichard in 1888. The lordship then passed toJ. O. Daintree, who conveyed it to T. F. Fowlerin 1900. (fn. 76) In 1906 or 1907 it passed to J. F.Eaden, James Spearing, and William LuardRaynes, Cambridge solicitors. (fn. 77) Eaden diedprobably in 1922, when his partners settled themanorial rights on their wives, Fanny ElizabethSpearing and Mary Florence Raynes. (fn. 78) In 1935Mrs. Raynes's share passed to Miss Beatrice M.Lock, (fn. 79) and probably in 1947 Mrs. Spearing'sto Mrs. Alice Pamela Gwatkin Dalton. Lock andDalton were still ladies of the manor in 1947. (fn. 80)

At the sale of 1878 the manor farm with thehouse and 192 a. apparently passed to CharlesRoberts and was sold the next year probably toThomas Docksey, who seems to have died by1892. (fn. 81) It probably belonged to Capt. J. A. M.Vipan in 1903. (fn. 82) His trustees sold it and 159 a.to James Norman, one of the tenants, in 1908. (fn. 83) Frank Norman was living in the house in 1919. (fn. 84) On the death of E. Norman in 1942 the farmwas again offered for sale. (fn. 85) Dr. A. R. Fordowned the house in 1962; (fn. 86) he died in 1975, andin 1976 it was once more offered for sale with38 a. (fn. 87) In 1988 it belonged to the Bayfield family.

In 1232 Henry III granted Roger la Zouche15 oaks to house himself at Swavesey. (fn. 89) Eleanorla Zouche was licensed to have an oratory therein 1348. (fn. 90) The hall and the farm buildings,apparently timber-framed, were repaired in 1457or 1458. (fn. 91) The present Manor Farm in StationRoad is timber-framed with a hall range and twocross wings. The wings are of late medievalorigin. Both were extended eastwards by SirJohn Cutts (d. 1646) (fn. 92) early in the 17th centurywhen the hall range between them was rebuiltand a gallery was added along the north side ofthe extended south wing. The house still containsa staircase, several fireplaces and overmantels,and much panelling of that date. Most of thepanelling is in pine painted to resemble hardwood and decorated with simple designs. In1670 the house included a hall, great and littleparlour, dining room, kitchen, buttery with cellar, brewhouse, nursery, and at least seven chambers and upper rooms. (fn. 93) Although rooms listedin 1878 and 1942 suggest little change in planby then, (fn. 94) late 19th-century alterations includedthe removal of the screen from the north to thesouth end of the hall to form a wide entrancepassage in line with the ground floor of thegallery.

By 1879 J. O. Daintree was living in a largelate 19th-century house, which he may havebuilt, on the south side of Market Street; henamed or renamed it the Manor House. He soldit in 1890. (fn. 95) J. F. Cooksey owned it by 1916; hedied before 1962 when his trustees advertised itfor sale. The house, known by 1962 as theGrange, had been used for some years beforethat as a children's home by Cambridgeshirecounty council. (fn. 96) It was later a restaurant. (fn. 97)

Count Alan, lord of Richmond, between 1066and 1086 gave the church of Swavesey to theabbey of St. Sergius and St. Bacchus in Angers(Maine-et-Loire). The abbey had established asmall conventual priory at Swavesey by 1086although from the later 13th century there is noevidence of monks other than the prior. (fn. 98) By1254 the priory had appropriated the church. (fn. 99) By 1279 the prior held courts for the RECTORYmanor. (fn. 100) The endowment of the church whengiven by Count Alan apparently consisted whollyof tithes, but soon afterwards he gave the priorya share of pasturage in the Eye meadow, (fn. 101) wherethe priory in 1325 had 5 a. of meadow, later thetwo Parsonage closes that belonged to the rectoryin 1838. (fn. 102) In the late 12th and the 13th centurythe priory acquired land and houses in Swavesey, (fn. 103) perhaps including the 2 yardlands whichit held in demesne in 1279 (fn. 104) and which stillformed the rectorial glebe in 1838. (fn. 105) The priory'sestate in Swavesey seems to have been regardedas part of the rectory manor. In the 14th centuryduring periods of war with France the priorywas repeatedly confiscated and assigned to farmers, but priors, often English monks, continuedto be appointed and to occupy the estate until1392. (fn. 106) It was then let to the Carthusian prioryof St. Anne, Coventry, (fn. 107) which in 1393 obtainedlicence to acquire it in mortmain (fn. 108) and in 1396was appointed farmer by the Crown. (fn. 109) St. Anne'swas excused payment of the farm in 1399 (fn. 110) andretained Swavesey rectory until the Dissolution,defeating or buying off other claimants. (fn. 111)

In 1562 the Crown granted the rectory to thebishop of Ely, as part of an exchange for otherCambridgeshire manors. (fn. 112) It then remained withthe see, except during the Interregnum when itwas held by Anne Cutts (d. 1657 or 1658), theformer lessee, and her son John (later Sir John)Cutts. (fn. 113) The bishop sold the reversion in 1854to the lessee, F. D. Ryder. (fn. 114) The manor thendescended with that of Swavesey, the manorialrights belonging in 1935 to F. E. Spearing andM. F. Raynes. (fn. 115) At the sale of the Ryder estatein 1878 (fn. 116) the impropriated tithes, commuted fora rent charge of £770 in 1841 (fn. 117) but reduced toc. £550 by merging the tithes of the Ryder estatewith its freehold, passed separately. The rentcharge belonged to J. J. Bush of Hilperton(Wilts.) in 1879 (fn. 118) and passed c. 1910 to J. andH. E. Bush. Between 1929 and 1933 J. Bush'sshare passed to a Mrs. Posgate; she and H. E.Bush still owned the rent charge in 1937. (fn. 119)

Beneficial lessees or their undertenants occupied the rectory from the earlier 16th century.In 1537 St. Anne's priory let it to Ralph Gowerfor 80 years. (fn. 120) He died c. 1545 and the leasepassed to his widow Margaret and her secondhusband Alexander East, (fn. 121) still farmer in 1559. (fn. 122) His widow Catherine held it in 1569, thoughJohn Hutton was described as farmer in 1570. (fn. 123) Later that year Catherine conveyed it to her newhusband Owen Radcliffe (d. 1599), who hadrepeatedly to maintain his title against otherclaimants. He sublet to his stepsons Alexanderand Thomas East. (fn. 124) Radcliffe's daughter andheir Mary married Gabriel Tedder, who succeeded him and was still in possession in 1607. (fn. 125) Although the bishop had let the rectory to JohnCooper of Downham in 1605, John Ball wasfarmer in 1608 (fn. 126) and Anthony Freeman in1618. (fn. 127) By 1623 the lease had passed to Sir JohnCutts, lord of Swavesey manor, with which itdescended until 1693 or later, Edward Pickeringbeing farmer between 1676 and 1682 and JohnActon in 1693. (fn. 128) The lease later passed to Elizabeth, wife of John Howland of Streatham (Surr.),presumably as the beneficiary of Howland'smortgages on the Cutts estate. It then descendedwith Crowlands manor in Dry Drayton to Francis Russell, duke of Bedford from 1771. (fn. 129) Hesold the lease to Thomas Cockayne in 1799. (fn. 130) Itthen descended with Swavesey manor, beingmerged with the freehold of the rectory after1854. (fn. 131)

The rectory included a dwelling house, barn,and outhouses in 1648. (fn. 132) In the 18th century thehouse stood north of the church and was thoughtto include part of the priory buildings. (fn. 133) About1800 there was still a fragment of a Gothicbuilding on the north side of the church. (fn. 134) Nobuildings remained there in 1838, (fn. 135) but stonesfrom the priory ruins were re-used when thechurch was restored in 1867. (fn. 136) In the 1980sthe priory buildings were represented only byearthworks north and south of the church.

In the 13th century Benet son of William andBenet's son Henry Bennett were apparentlysuccessive lords of a manor in Swavesey held ofSwavesey manor by Henry's son John Bennettin 1279. (fn. 137) It later seems to have passed to theBurgoynes of Dry Drayton or Caxton and tohave descended with their manor of Caxton.Thomas Green and his wife Alice were dealingwith a sixth of the manor of BENNETTSin1532 or 1533, and Thomas Thursby held halfof it when he died in 1543. (fn. 138) The descent ofBennetts is lost until the earlier 17th century.By then it had been united, if it was not alreadyidentical, with HOBBLEDODSmanor, namedpresumably from Adam Hobbledod of Swavesey(fl. 1364, d. 1383). (fn. 139) In the late 16th or early17th century Robert Higham sold Hobbledodsto Sir John Cutts (d. 1615), who had settled iton his son Sir John by 1614. (fn. 140) HOBBLEDODSWITH BENNETTS (fn. 141) probably descendedthereafter with Swavesey manor, but JoannaCutts held it between 1711 and 1717. (fn. 142) She mayhave married John Russell, who with his wifeJoanna and Margaret Acton conveyed the manorto Thomas Bacon in 1718. (fn. 143) Thereafter it descended with Swavesey manor, F. E. Spearingand B. M. Lock being the ladies in 1947. (fn. 144) Themanor house presumably stood on Hobbledodsclose between Market Street, Wallman's Lane,and the town ditch. (fn. 145)

William Copley in 1476 held an estate ofthe rectory manor, including Castle croft andproperty once William Wakefield's. (fn. 146) At his deathin 1490 he held further land of the earl ofOrmond, presumably as of Swavesey manor. Itthen descended with Mowbrays manor inIckleton to John Hinde, who sold it to ThomasEast in 1547. (fn. 147) East's estate descended to his sonAlexander and Alexander's son Thomas, whobought further land from Sir John Cutts in 1586and settled a Swavesey estate in 1598. Hisson Thomas held the manor of TOPLEYS(presumably a corruption of Copleys) c. 1620and died in 1625. His son Thomas (fn. 148) was thelargest subsidy payer in Swavesey in 1640-1, (fn. 149) and he or another Thomas East was assessed tohearth tax between 1664 and 1674. (fn. 150) The estatelater descended to Thomas Cockayne of Soham, (fn. 151) who was assessed for pontage at Swavesey in1720. (fn. 152) In 1738 Judith Cockayne, probably hiswidow, and Thomas Cockayne, probably his son,held a capital messuage called WAKEFIELDS,three other farmhouses in Swavesey includingPeck's Farm, and much land. (fn. 153) After the youngerThomas bought Swavesey manor (fn. 154) the estatedescended with it. (fn. 155) It was offered for sale inlots in 1878. (fn. 156) Part, known as the Priory, wasagain sold with 125 a. in 1919, (fn. 157) and with 38 a.in 1942 when it belonged to J. G. Inglis. (fn. 158) In1965 the managing director of Warmex Ltd.owned it. (fn. 159) The site of the Copleys' manor house was presumably Topcliffs, Toplass, or Top Leysclose in the north-west corner of the town adjoining Castle close and mentioned between 1781 and 1878. (fn. 160) Wakefields, perhaps the houseof 10 or 11 hearths on which Thomas East was assessed between 1664 and 1674, (fn. 161) was the later Carter's Farm on the north side of SchoolLane, (fn. 162) known by 1919 as the Priory. It was rebuilt in 1897 and largely remodelled in the 1970s. (fn. 163) Peck's Farm on the east side of Middle Watch was later known as Ryder's Farm from the 19th-century owners. At the centre of the house is a later 13th-century timber-framed aisled hall which now has one long and one short bay. The short bay may have been an entrance passage or part of a second long bay truncated by the construction of a western cross wing in the late Middle Ages. At the east end of the hall a small brick extension may be 17th- or early 18th-century and is probably contemporary with the chimney and upper floor in the hall and the partial rebuilding and southern extension of the cross wing in brick. (fn. 164)

In 1066 Eddeva the fair held an estate in Toft as a berewick of Swavesey; Count Alan held it in 1086. (fn. 165) By 1150, when Henry de Neville held it of the honor of Richmond, it included land in Swavesey. That land in the 13th century was variously assessed as a hide, 3 yardlands, or half a hide. The overlordship descended with the honor until the late 13th century or later, while the mesne lordship passed with the Toft estate to the heirs of Albert de Neville (d. by 1236) and to the prior of Barnwell, who held it in 1428. By 1279 the estate had been divided between small undertenants, of whom the chief was John Humphrey, with 15 a. in demesne and 8 a. subinfeudated. (fn. 166)

The chantry founded by Ellen la Zouche in 1283 (fn. 167) had at the suppression a house and 39 a. in Swavesey. (fn. 168) The Crown sold them to speculators in 1548. (fn. 169) Chantry close belonged in 1747 to John Dodson (fn. 170) who held an estate derived from the Berry family. In 1590 John Berry bought land in Swavesey from Henry and Catherine Page. (fn. 171) Another John Berry held land in Swavesey in 1640 or 1641, (fn. 172) and William and Thomas Berry later, (fn. 173) while six Berrys were awarded compensation in 1666 for a flood. (fn. 174) About 1690 Ann Berry married Thomas Dodson; they were dealing with 8 a. of land and 6 a. of meadow in 1692. (fn. 175) Thomas bought more land in the early 18th century and was still alive in 1721; he may have been the Thomas who died in 1727. His estate passed successively to his sons John and Berry Dodson (both d. 1779). From Berry it descended successively to his son John (d. 1784) and John's son John. Each owner bought more property. In 1809 John Dodson had 20 half yardlands and 12½ commonable houses; in 1838 he had 26 half yardlands and 15½ houses. For the farmland 343 a. of copyhold and 151 a. of freehold were allotted in 1840. (fn. 176)

John Dodson died in 1857 and was succeeded by his son and namesake. (fn. 177) After his death in 1865 (fn. 178) his estates passed to his daughter Jane (d. 1868), wife of J. O. Daintree. (fn. 179) She was followed by John Dodson Daintree (d. 1873), (fn. 180) presumably her son, and he by her husband J. O. Daintree, apparently during the minority of his son by Jane, another John Dodson Daintree, who partitioned the estate with Agnes Anne Docksey when he came of age in 1885. (fn. 181) J. D. Daintree advertised 151 a. including Chantry close for sale in 1890, (fn. 182) and sold 128 a. to the county council in 1914, (fn. 183) but still held property in Swavesey in 1919. (fn. 184) He died in 1952. (fn. 185)

In 1841 John Dodson (d. 1857) was living at what was later known as the Old House in Black Horse Lane. (fn. 186) J. D. Daintree sold it to Reginald Barwell in 1919. Barwell in 1946 settled it on himself and J. H. and E. G. Barwell; it was conveyed to Barwell Rubber Co. Ltd. in 1957 and Barwell Engineering (Cambridge) Ltd. in 1977. That firm sold it in 1980 to Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Hewlings, owners in 1988. (fn. 187) The house faces the lane. The back range follows the plan and incorporates part of the structure of a 17thcentury house set at right angles to the lane. Its north end was probably damaged in 1719 when fire destroyed the adjacent Quaker meeting house, and the five-bayed front block was probably built after that. It is of red brick with a scrolled broken pediment of cut brick above the central doorway. Later in the 18th century a short single-storeyed wing was added behind the west end of the front range. During the later 18th and earlier 19th century the early back range had its walls rebuilt in brick and was later heightened, and the single-storeyed rear wing was incorporated in a two-storeyed back extension of the main block.

Richard Walker (d. 1764) apparently left to Trinity College, Cambridge, an estate (fn. 188) which in 1838 included 260 a., mostly freehold but partly copyhold of Hobbledods with Bennetts and the rectory manors. (fn. 189) In 1908 the college bought Hill farm. (fn. 190) It sold 501 a. including Hill and College farms in 1943; 42 a. in Middle Fen were retained. (fn. 191) Trinity College Farmhouse in Middle Watch is a buff-brick house of the earlier 19th century. A second farmhouse was built on the south-east side of Utton's Drove in an allotment awarded to the college in 1840. (fn. 192)

By 1546 Clare Hall, Cambridge, had an estate in Swavesey, (fn. 193) probably the half yardland which it still held in 1838. (fn. 194) It formed part of Clare College's farm in Lolworth in 1873 (fn. 195) and was. presumably sold with it in 1939. (fn. 196) Pembroke College claimed 5 selions in 1838, exchanged in 1840 for a 3-a. allotment which it still held in 1873. (fn. 197) All Saints church, Cambridge, had a field of glebe at Swavesey in 1855. (fn. 198) It retained 28 a. there in 1887 but only 3 a. in 1910. (fn. 199)

A hide in Swavesey which King Edward's thegn Ulf held in 1066 was held by Gilbert of Ghent in 1086. (fn. 200) His great-grandson Gilbert (d. 1242) was suing Agnes de la Roche for land in Swavesey from 1209 to 1220, (fn. 201) but no more is known of his estate there.

Another hide held in 1066 by Leofsige, a man of Earl Waltheof, had passed by 1086 to Picot the sheriff, who held it of Robert Gernon as his wife's dowry. (fn. 202) By 1242 it could not be identified. (fn. 203) It may have been the estate which in the late 13th century was thought to have belonged to Guy de Reimbercourt (fl. 1086), (fn. 204) but it probably descended with Picot's estate in Conington to Thomas of Elsworth, whose land in Swavesey was seized in the 1260s by Alan la Zouche. (fn. 205) In 1279 that or another Thomas held of Ellen la Zouche 45 a. divided among five freeholders. (fn. 206) That land may have continued to descend with Conington and was perhaps the estate of a toft and rent conveyed by Geoffrey of Elsworth to Sir John Knyvett (d. 1381) and his wife Eleanor (d. 1388). (fn. 207) It seems later to have descended with Knyvett's Hall in Fen Drayton. (fn. 208)