Thrale history

Thrales End, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England

Tree: UK Thrale family

Notes:

Thrales End is a little hamlet in Hertfordshire, close to the Bedfordshire border, north of Harpenden, four miles from Sandridge and five miles from St Albans.

12th-century

1329

In 1329, Richard le Threl and William le Threl were witnesses to a grant of land called Sparrows in Thrales End which is the earliest reference to this hamlet.

13th-century

Guild of the Holy Trinity, Luton Church

On the 12th May of 1474 Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Rotherham obtained from King Edward IV, a licence for himself, his brother John Rotherham, John Lammer, Vicar of Luton, John Thrale (senior) of Thrales End, West Hyde, and others, to form a guild in connection with Luton Church and when the guild should be established to found a chantry in the Church with two Chaplains.

The Register of the Guild and some accounts were found in possession of the Marquis of Bute showing the Guild to be one of the most wealthy and splendid in the Kingdom. Annual lists show John Thrale as a Warden in 1476.

In 1482 John and Richard Thrale and their wives of Thrales End were members, a year later John Thrale, senior, was Master, and in 1509 William Thrale was also Master.

14th-century

In 1493 and 1543, two significant references are uncovered. The earlier item tells of a feoffment from Valentine Noris, Wilham Thrall, and Valentine Lawrens of Luton concerning message and crofts lying together in Thrales End and on the land of Robert Thrall called Tufnal.

Manor of Luton View of frankpledge with court held on Thursday in the week of Pentecost 3 Edward VI 1549

Presentment
The jury present that Michael Thrale who held from the lord freely by charter a messuage at Thrales End 67 acres and a close called Frebernes once lying in two closes containing in all by estimation 12 acres of land by the rent of 5s 6d per annum, and that the aforesaid Michael sold and alienated since the last Court to John Kilby the aforesaid messuage and 55 acres land parcel of the premises aforesaid, to hold from the Lord with the agreement of the Lord by a rent of 3 shillings 4 pence p.a., and to a certain Richard 20 acres parcel of the aforesaid premises to hold from the Lord with the agreement of the Lord by an annual rent of 20 pence and further to a certain Thomas Daye one acre of meadow and one acre of land in Hydefeilde parcel of the aforesaid premises to be held from the Lord with the agreement of the Lord by the annual rent of 4 pence, and the aforesaid Michael holds from the Lord the aforesaid close residue of the aforesaid premises with the agreement of the Lord at a rent of 2 pence fealty and further the said John Richard Thomas and Michael did fealty and were admitted tenants and all four tenants agreed that the premisses are true.

Court roll record

Richard Thrale of Thrales End died in 1573 leaving three sons, Richard, Thomas and John, and six daughters. Richard, the younger, inherited the house and lands at New Mill End when of age and the other two certain property.

15th-century

John Thrale of Luton, yeoman aged about 60, had sworn as deponent in 1613 that he knew Sir Robert Napier, Sir Thomas Rotherham Kt and others and that he knows the town of Luton, having been born and bred there; that he lived at a place called Thrales End all his life, as bachelor and married man. He remembers that at a Court Leet about twenty years earlier Mr. George Rotherham, then lord of the manor, said 'you my neyghboures of Thrales End you have inclosed divers of your groundes there, whereby yow have done me wrong in abridging me of my lybertye in hawkings and hunting and do cause me oftantymes to goe abought where usually I have followed my sport the nearest waye'.

1616

Edward Thrale of Thrales End kept records interspersed with signs used by an apothecary. The geometrical signs Edward used suggest that the page was a palimpsest or parchment which could be written on many times.

One passage indicates mental illness …
Edward Thrale of Luton parish called Thrales End
23rd of June at Oh.6 pm
1616
Troubled in mynd
over since
Easter
the Sunday after May Daye
I very thirsty
An seyd to him that he thought him to be a witch.
And since he hath bene ill and will follow no bisyness
as he did before.

Some Thrales were in financial difficulties between 1645 and 1648. Thomas Thrale of Thrales End in the parish of Luton, Bedford, yeoman, and his son John Thrale, mortgaged a messuage and 200 acres in Thrales End to Robert Jaques for £450.

In 1661, the Thrales were still at Thrales End. By the will of Margaret Thrale of Thrales End, single woman 'of good health and perfect memory', legacies were left to her relatives, the Wicks and the Cotchetts.

21st-century

Thrales End remains farmland. Thrale’s End farm has been farmed by Ian and Gillian Piggot and their ancestors for around 100 years. In the 20th century, the 400-acre mixed farm at Thrales End employed 6 men. Nowadays, Ian Piggot farms 1,700 acres of land spread over five farms near Harpenden with the help of just one man, using a traditional crop rotation of wheat, oilseed rape, spring barley and beans.

Location : Latitude: 51.83298175, Longitude: -0.37624584005147