Thrale history

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     Little Hale Heath bordering on Sandpit Lane - 16 acres.
     Close adjoining Ecles Green - 1 acre.

Her grandfather John Tyler of Hatchings Green, Harpenden, had died in 1717 leaving a messuage called Marlings to his grand-daughter Elizabeth, daughter of son-in-law John Smith. His son, John Tyler, inherited most, the will being witnessed by Robert Jenkyn.² Two years after the death of his father, John Tyler the younger passed on, leaving two infant daughters Ann and Judith, brother-in-law John Smith being a guardian.³ It was with Judith in later years, that Ann Thrale, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, was to live. Judith at that time was Judith Nicholl, a widow of St. Peters and by her will in 1747⁴ left £500 to her cousin Ann Thrale 'now living with me, daughter of my cousin Thomas Thrale and Elizabeth his wife at her age of 21'. Legacies were also left to her cousins the Smiths of Cheapside Farm in Sandridge and to the Meadows family into which her sister Ann had married. In a manorial survey of 1699, there were only six copyholders whose estates were of £10 or over in Harpenden; Godman and Robert Jenkyn, both living in the town, James Wittewronge of Rothamsted, William Cotton of Hatching Green. The Jenkyns, Cottons and Tylers have already been mentioned in this chronicle.⁵ The Gorhambury Deeds also include much of the foregoing facts.

In 1728 the decline commenced. Thomas Thrale of Marshalswick surrendered part of Marshalswick Farm, Potten Field which was a part of the farm called Greens, as well as Johnsons and Sharps Closes of the same farm.⁶ The acreage was 80 acres for Marshalswick Farm, and 50 acres for the Greens Farm Fields. The mortgage was to John Thornton of St. Pauls, Covent Garden, and Thomas Fortescue of St. Giles. In 1765 further mortgages took place by Thomas and Elizabeth and their eldest son Thomas, to Joseph Osman, the house being in the tenure of Major Richardson. Three years later the mortgage money was increased: Osman sold his claims to James Higgins who completed the purchase, and thus the Thrale interest was finally extinguished. What became of the children of Thomas and Elizabeth is not known.⁷ Nor is much known of the brothers and sisters of Thomas and Elizabeth. It was almost certainly brother John who was farming at Shenleybury, holding land from the Lomaxes. Another brother was helping Thomas both at Greens and Marshalswick, whilst sister Ann had married John Legge of Ridge in 1712 at Watford. Yet another brother William also worked with Thomas. Both of these latter two brothers were in dispute with John Howard of

Footnotes

2. Principal Probate Registry Archd. Huntingdon Hitchin Division Will Reg. 14 fo. 197.↩︎
3. Ibid Will Reg. 14, fo. 182.↩︎
4. Principal Probate Registry Lord P.C.C. 124 Strauchan.↩︎
5. Pedigree of Hertfordshire Families - Herts Muniment Room.↩︎
6. Manorial Roll Althorp.↩︎
7. Griffith Papers.↩︎