Thrale history

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A Newer Thraliana (2005)

Studying and researching into the earliest records and seeing a story take shape is rather like watching a figure emerge from the shadows with ever growing detail. The name of Thrale appears with apparent Anglo-Scandinavian origins, one suggestion being that the derivation is from the old friesic of "Thralo' meaning swift or nimble. Another alternative could well be the old Northern English from the old Norse of 'Thrall', bondman or servant.¹ However one may toss the coin, it is with certainty that one sees the name first reported in the 1309 Subsidy Rolls of Bedfordshire by the mention of John Thral and Richard le Threl in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex. The latter was no doubt an early member of the Threele family of Sussex whose armorial bearings were later appropriated by various members of the Thrale family.

Thus from this time on, the picture of the family's activities takes shape as an increasing which borders onto the hamlet of Thrales End. For centuries the family centred itself on this little hamlet on the Bedfordshire-Hertfordshire border just north of Harpenden and a mere four miles from Sandridge and five from St. Albans.

The Bedfordshire Tax Returns of 1309 shows William le Thral to have been liable for 3/- and Johanne Thral for 2/-. In 1329 Richard le Thral and William le Thral were witnesses to a grant of land called Sparrows in Thrales End which is the earliest reference to the home hamlet.² Richard Thrale of Westhyd, Luyton, granted to William Goffe in 1355 a croft 'vinis, sepibus et fossatis' - with vines, hedges and ditches - at Westhyd, and was witnessed by William and Robert Thrale³. Four years later William and Richard Thrale were connected with a grant of land at Hydefeld⁴ and then in 1361 the ties of allied families show themselves when William Thrale of West Hyde granted land to Ralph ate Hay and his wife Agnes, with the witnesses of Richard and Robert Thrale.⁵ It was about the years 1385 and 1390 Nicholas atte Haye of Stopsley was extending his estate in West Hyde. His mother was Agnes Thrale and it was in 1390 that Nicholas confirmed lands in West Hyde to his mother.⁶

Austin in his history of Luton terms the Thrales as being yeoman squires at that time, and it would seem that the family commenced to exercise some influence for Johannes Trayle is recorded as being M.P. for Bedfordshire in 1376 and Chevalier M.P. in 1381. The family were not to provide another M.P. for another 160 years. From this time until 1474 there is a minor parade of grants, witnesses and transactions all relating to the same areas although one dated 1425 is of note in that there was a grant by Thomas Eyresham of West Hyde, Luton, to William Anable of rent due for a message once held by the late John Thrall in Thrallesend, Westhyde, Luton, lying near Wellcroft.⁷ William Anable quite likely gave his name to Annables, a manor close to Thrales End, and an undated memorandum tells of certain nefarious activities of Richard Thrale recording that John Balard of Kynnysborn Wodesyde acknowledges to the lord of Annables that whereas Richard Smythe of the Soke of Luton held of the lord thirty acres of customary land and Richard Thrall of the same desired to buy one acre. the latter made John Balard his 'chapman' to arrange the matter and promised him 'a peyre of hosyn'. The business was done but John Balard 'desyned and defrauded of his hosyn and for anger thereof acknowledges all to the lord, at whose court the homage gave back the one acre to the lord. Richard Smith had fixed a rent for the acre of a "halfpenny and a pennyworth of peper to be payed to Langleys". This memorandum is endorsed: "md. that this writtying and books may be looked upon".⁸

It was on the 12th May of 1474 that a licence was issued of tremendous influence. Thomas Rotherham (Archbishop of York from 1474 - 1499) obtained from his King, Edward IV, a licence for

Footnotes

1. Robert Ferguson "The Teutonic Name System". E. Harrison "Surname of the United Kingdom". P.H.Reaney "A Dictionary of British Surnames".↩︎
2. Bedfordshire Record Office d.w. 205.↩︎
3. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 215.↩︎
4. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 243.↩︎
5. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 265.↩︎
6. Austin: History of Luton: Add. Charter B.M. Nos. 15, 708, 724, 725.↩︎
7. Hertfordshire Munument Room. Misc. Vol V.↩︎
8. Ibid..↩︎