Norman Rule

KeynesArms

de Keynes Arms

AylesburyArms

de Aylesbury Arms

 

Up until the seventeenth century all land was deemed to be owned by the monarch who granted rights over the land to favoured ‘tenants’. Before the Norman Conquest, this part of the country was under the control of Queen Edith, Edward the Confessor’s wife. After the conquest, she retained control until her death in 1075, but by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, a small area (half a hide) was held by Walter Giffard, a slightly larger area (one hide) was held by William Fitz-Ansculf and a large area (eight and a half hides) was held by Godric Cratel in the Parish of Mideltone. In general, such holdings were rewards for service to the new King William.
Records are scarce for the next hundred years, but it seems that the title was held by the de Bereville family. When Henry II became king he rewarded Hugh de Keynes (Cahaignes) for help in the capture of King Stephen by granting the title to the largest of the three manors. During the tenancy of the de Keynes family, their name became a suffix to the name of Mideltone, hence Middleton Keynes or later Milton Keynes. The title remained in the de Keynes family for three generations until it passed to the de Aylesbury family on the marriage of Margaret de Keynes to Philip de Aylesbury. It was this marriage which opened the drama ‘A Tale of Two Villages’ when the audience was able to see the betrothed couple arrive outside the Swan Inn on horseback. The audience were then led past Bird’s Cottage which may have been the new Manor House built for them. The remainder of the play took place in the church.
The de Aylesburys held the title until Hugh de Aylesbury died childless when the estate passed to his aunts, one of whom was married to Humphrey Stafford of Grafton (later Grafton Regis).

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