Survey of the Manor of Cashio, 1331-32

A corner shop in Watford, 1332

By Sue Flood

Front page of the Survey (Reference 6543)
Herts Archives & Local Studies
Survey (6543)
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies

Among the manorial documents at Hertfordshire Archives is this volume, setting out the extent of the property of the Manor of Cashio together with a list of tenants and their rents payable and the customs of the manor.  The manor of Cashio was part of the vast estate held by the abbot of St Albans and this survey is so detailed that it seems to have been part of a systematic survey of all of the Abbey’s possessions taken in 1331-2.  Similar surveys for the manors of Tyttenhanger, Codicote and Park also survive.   

‘Cornershopp’ next to the churchyard

The layout of this section implies that the document is listing properties in Watford that lie next to each other ending with the ‘cornershopp’ next to the churchyard.  The properties are held by the tenants for a cash rent and no agricultural land is held with any of them.  Situated in the centre of Watford in the market place they would have been attractive to traders and the reference to ‘built’ (edificatum) implies that the tenants had developed and extended them.

This page was added on 17/09/2009.

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