Barony of Wistow Cambridgeshire

Brief Description:

It would appear from the Ramsey Cartulary that KINGSTON, later known as WISTOW (fn. 8) was a recognised area before Ramsey Abbey was founded about 969. It comprised the districts covered by the later manors of Wistow, Bury, and Little Raveley. As its name indicates, it was royal demesne and belonged to King Edgar. We are told that Oswald, Archbishop of York, the friend of Aylwin, founder of Ramsey Abbey, bought Needingworth from King Edgar with the intention of giving it to Ramsey Abbey, but realising the inconvenience of its distance from the abbey, exchanged it with the king for Kingston, which he bestowed on the abbey. (fn. 9) In 974 King Edgar confirmed Oswald’s gift, under the description, according to the Ramsey Chronicler, of Kingston, with Bury and Raveley its berewicks or outlying hamlets. (fn. 10) The confirmations by Edward the Confessor and again by William the Conqueror in 1078, are in the same terms. (fn. 11) The return in the Domesday Survey (1086) is entered under the name of Wistow (fn. 12) which was there assessed at 9 hides and had a priest and church and a mill, pointing to its being a place of importance. Early in the 12th century, a church was apparently built at Bury, which from this time seems to have taken the place of Wistow as the chief centre of the area covered by the grant of Kingston. Hereafter we find that Wistow took a subordinate position and is described as a berewick and chapelry of Bury (q.v.). The revenues from the manor of Wistow were assigned to the support of the office of cellarer of Ramsey monastery and the manor was usually let to farm and for some time to the Clairvaux family of Upwood. The abbot had the right to gallows, tumbrel, and view of frankpledge. (fn. 13)