Brent Eleigh

Visited 27 June 2023

BRENT ELEIGH. 37 HIS place was held in Edward the Confessor's time by Ulward a freeman under Archbp. Stigand and consisted of 3 carucates of land, 5 bordars, 2 slaves, 2 ploughteams in demesne, 3 acres of meadow, i mill, 2 horses at the Hall, 6 beasts, 20 hogs and 100 sheep, then valued at 40 shillings, but by the time of the Norman Survey at 80 shillings. It was half a league long and 4 quarantenes broad and paid in a gelt 3%d. The Domesday tenant was Tehell de Herion or Helyon. 1 There were one or two other small holdings in Illegh or Eleigh entered in the Survey one that of Richard son of Earl Gislebert who had 7 men here under Wisgar by commendation and soc and sac holding 60 acres of land, i ploughteam and i mill valued at 10 shillings 2 and the Bishop of Bayeux who had 3 freemen under soc and commendation of Earl Algar (but then Tehell de Herion held them of the Bishop) with 30 acres, formerly i ploughteam, then but half a team, and half an acre of meadow, valued at 5 shillings. 3 There was also another holding probably in Brent Eleigh under the head Lelegay in the Domesday Survey, and this was the holding of the Abbot of St. Edmund who had 5 freemen in the tenancy of Arnulf with 3 carucates and a half, 5 bordars, 3 acres of meadow, wood for 2 hogs and i slave. They ploughed with 4 teams and could give or sell their land, but the soc and sac and commendation and the custom remained with the Abbot. The value in Saxon times was placed at 3 pounds, but by the period of the Great Survey this had risen to 4 pounds. The extent was 4 quarantenes in length and 6 in breadth and it paid in a gelt 3j^. 4 BRENT ELEIGH MANOR. The lordship was very early vested in the family of Illeigh or Ely from whom it passed in the time of Hen. III. to that of Shelton by the marriage of Ralph de Shelton with Catherine daughter and heir of Henry de Illegh. The estate of Catherine was extensive, for Ralph her husband gave 18 marks to Hen. III. and did homage to that King for three whole fees held of the Honor of Will, de Helyun. In 1244 Ralph Shelton was dead and Henry his son and successor held the 3 fees, said to be in chief of the King. 5 Nicholas de Shelton was lord in 1257, an d in that year gave lands there to the Abbot and Convent of St. Osyth in Essex ; in 1270 Henry de Shelton, who seems to have been the son of Nicholas, held divers lands of his father with the manors of Arsa (or Illeye) Combusta Brent (or Burnt) Ellye and died in 1271. Robert his son and heir had livery at his father's decease and in 1286 had liberty of free warren therein. 6 He settled land here to maintain lights in this parish church, and in 1305 he and Isabel his wife held the manor for life, John de Shelton being their son and heir and of full age, with remainder to Thomas and Henry their other sons. Sir Robert died this year, being succeeded by his son and heir John de Shelton. John de Shelter died seised in 1332 8 leaving Ralph de Shelton his son and successor

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