The Manors of Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire
Return to Swaffham Prior Historical Records Page
Introduction
The 1851 Directory for Cambridgeshire notes that there are at least six manors within the parish of Swaffham Prior of which the position of at least four can be pinpointed with certainty. The manors it lists are: Swaffham Prior, Baldwins, Knights, Totehill, Shadworth and St. Cleres.
I have tried to obtain the history, location and owners/occupiers of these manors based on various documents preserved in the Public Records Office, Cambridge Country Record Office and other places.
Much of this information will probably be better researched and expressed in the forthcoming Victoria County History volume (ISBN 019722783X) which will cover Swaffham Prior. This volume was due to be published in February 2002 but it has been considerably delayed.
Swaffham Prior Manor
The principal manor of the village which is recorded in the 13th century hundred rolls. The original site of the manor was to the north of the village that is now marked by a 15th century building known as The Hall. There are many references to the manor in the records and it has had many owners over the years.
The modern Swaffham Prior house is located at the southern end of the village and was part of an estate bought by Dr John Peter Allix (Dean of Gloucester and Ely) in 1751 from the Rant family. The Allix family remained in control of the manor until the 20th century. The importance of the Rant and Allix families can be seen in St Mary's church where there are many monuments to them. The current manor stands in an estate of 140 acres.
Knights Manor
Although there is a house named Knights Manor in the village, it is almost certainly not on the site of the original manor which may have lain on the north side of the village.
Knights Manor, Swaffham Prior
(This building is probably not the on the original site of Knights Manor)
Shadworth Manor
Located on the edge of Swaffham Prior village, Shadworth Manor was in existence from at least the 13th century onwards. The manor originally stood on a moated site, which is now vacant, a newer building, called Manor Farm, occupies the current site. Shadworth House, at the top of Swaffham Prior village is, as far as I know, unrelated to this manor (it is a pub converted for residential use).
It had a variety of owners up until 1478 when it was sold to Queens' College, Cambridge who held it until 1925 when it was sold into private hands. Many documents survive for the manor all of which are preserved in the Manuscripts Section of Cambridge University Library. The oldest of these documents is late 13th century, the youngest 18th century. Especially useful are the many terriers which exist from the time of Edward III onwards. These contain the names of the manor's tenants and through them it is possible to follow the progress of many families across several centuries, including my own.
Terrier de Shadworth Manor, 1347
Terrier de Shadworth Manor, 1473
Terrier de Shadworth Manor, 1491
Baldwin Manor (also called Lees Manor)
Baldwin Manor lies on the southern edge of Swaffham Prior village close to the current Swaffham Prior House. The current house dates back to the early 16th century although the manor itself goes back to at least the 13th century. The crest of the Baldwin family is said to be visible on the building.
The Baldwin family were resident within Swaffham Prior parish from at least 1250s (they are mentioned in the Hundred Rolls) through to the early 1600s (from the parish registers). In the 15th and 16th centuries the manor was held by the Lee family.
St. Clere Manor
This manor is listed in Magna Britannica and the 1851 Directory for Cambridgeshire as having existed in the parish but whose location is now not known. In this document it is said that the family of Saintclere owned it in 1408 and that it later went into the ownership of the Chamberlyne family of Oxfordshire.
I have traced the 1408 reference which comes from the Inquisition Post Mortem and refers to a Philip Seyntclere. However, the 1408 entry makes it clear that Seyntclere actually held Swaffham Prior manor and not a manor called St Clere's. Furthermore, Swaffham Prior manor was bought by the Chamberlyne family shortly after Philip Seyntclere's death in 1408 (NB Seyntclere was related to the Chamberlynes by marriage).
In my opinion it is likely that the author of Magna Britannica (from which the 1851 Directory for Cambridgeshire was loosely copied) had become confused and that what he has called St. Clere Manor (based on the 1408 entry) is in fact a reference to Swaffham Prior Manor. According to the Manorial Documents Register no other records or references are known for this manor.
Tothill Manor also called Paynes Manor
The Tothill or Totehill family are another ancient Swaffham Prior family whose presence in the parish was of some importance between the 14th and 16th centuries although it faded somewhat afterwards. The exact location of their manor is, as far as I know, not known but to judge by what records that remain, it was most likely in or very close to the hamlet of Reach.
Return to Swaffham Prior Historical Records Page