Thrale history

Search • Advanced Search • Search Families • Search Site

First Name:   Last Name:   ID:  

A Newer Thraliana (2005)

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.⁹ The origins and aims were brotherly love, charity and social intercourse. One wonders however if the emphasis was not really on the last object.

A cursory glance at the ownership of the Hundred of Flitt shows that the earlier owners' estates were escheated to the Crown before 1475 and granted to Thomas Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln. Thomas Rotherham died in 1500 and the Hundred passed to Thomas Rotherham, son of his brother John who held the Hundred until his death in 1504. It then passed from one Rotherham to another - Thomas, George and finally Sir John Rotherham who sold the Hundred in 1612 for £700.¹⁰ Throughout these years dealings between the Thrales, Rotherhams and other families of similar standing were frequent. The Rotherhams were to furnish London with Mayors and Sheriffs and were inter-married with other Luton families such as the Attwoods and Jacques, the latter being often associated with the Thrale family.

The Register of the Guild and some accounts were found in possession of the Marquis of Bute¹¹ showing the Guild to be one of the most wealthy and splendid in the Kingdom. Annual lists indicate the Masters, Wardens, Brethrens, Sisters, and Bachelors and Maidens of the Guild, many members being of Royal rank as well as Bishops. From the first Thrale entry in the Register during 1475, there are thirty Thrale entries made during the seventy-one years of the Guild's existence, which terminated in 1546 with the ending of monastic rule. There was clearly during these seven decades a coterie of affluent gentry enjoying social and business advancement by being associated with both Guild and Monastery. Some examples cite John Lammer, Vicar of Luton, as Master with John Thrale and Thomas Perot of the Wyne as Wardens 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.

During this period the usual normal transactions in land continued. John Thrale, junior, witnessed a grant of land in Grave Granys (1471)¹² and later in 1477 of lands in Westhyde¹³.Richard Thrale possessed land adjacent to Sare Croft in West Hyde in 1482.¹⁴

It is in 1493 and 1543 that two significant references are uncovered¹⁵. The earlier item tells of a feoffment from Valentine Noris, William Thrall, and Valentine Lawrens of Luton concerning message and crofts lying together in Thrales End and on land of Robert Thrall called Tufnal, (probably given this name by Robert Tufall mentioned together with John Thrale in an updated Chancery proceeding early in the 15th Century). There is a modern road of this name in Harpenden in which a Thrale of the 21st century lives, Christopher Thrale with his family. The later reference showing details of a marriage settlement of lands formerly belonging to Robert Thrale called Tufalls should be especially noted. Having remarked the period of ownership of Robert Thrale for later observation, it is interesting to learn that a perpetual anniversary was to be kept in Luton Church for the soul of John Thrale, senior. John Thrale's will proved in 1505¹⁶ is rich in detail. Burial at St. Mary of Luton … to Cathedral Church of Lincoln 2d … to High Alter for Tithes forgot 2d … to the greater necessities of the Church of Luton 20d … to fraternity of the Holy Trinity of the same Church 20d … to light Holy Cross in "solio" 4d … light of St. Mary "de ly Pety" 2d … light of John Baptist 1d … light of St, Catherine 1d … to a suitable Priest to celebrate half a year £3 … to each Godchild 6d … to Friars of Dunstable 3s 4d … to Friars of Hitchin 20d … to fraternity of St. Mary of Boston 20d. Such is the picture of a good churchman in pre-Reformation times. John's will also mentions his brother William Thrale and also indicates the establishment of a family of some standing with regard to the Colyn family for John granted to his servant John Colyn a house and land at the age of 28 on condition that he kept the testator's obit in the Church of Luton.

Prominent during the first half of the 16th Century was Michael Thrale, who, whilst being at one time an Under Sheriff of Hertfordshire, was involved in many Chancery cases, many of them indicating Michael's obviously spleenful nature. Apparently a gentleman, he was born about 1512 at

Footnotes

9. Cal. Patent Rolls 1467-1477. Austin: History of Luton.↩︎
10. Victoria History of Bedfordshire.↩︎
11. Chiswick Press 1906.↩︎
12. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 229.↩︎
13. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 249.↩︎
14. Huckle Collection.↩︎
15. Bedfordshire R.O. d.w. 207 and d.w. 209.↩︎
16. Reg. 1, fo. 71d. Bedfordshire R.O..↩︎