Thrale/Thrall history
Waterend House/Farm, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England
Tree: UK Thrale family
Notes:
An ancient homestead within the original boundaries of the parish of Sandridge (now Wheathampstead) is Waterend. In the time of King John(166-1216), Thebridge, now known as Waterend, was held by Viel de Thebridge, a free tenant of the abbot of St Albans. The oldest extant document concerning Sandridge relates to Waterend, where in 1248 a conveyance of land was made. John Fitzsimon died in possession of a homestead and dovecote at Waterend in 1304. He rented the property from the nuns of Sopwell in St Albans, from whence the supposed authoress of the famed Boke of St Albans was reputed to hail. Fitzsimon paid partly in money and partly by aid to the abbot of St Albans. The manor then remained in the possession of the Fitzsimon family for a hundred years. When in 1437 Elizabeth Fitzsimon married Thomas Brocket, the Brockets were to hold the manor until 1590. This family was prominent in the neighbourhood, as the memorials in Wheathampstead church testify. As happened to nearly all the land in the parish, the manor passed to the Jennings family. It is believed that the builder of the existing house was Sir John Jennings, who built it in 1610. It is the oldest existing house within the old parish boundaries.
On Sir John's death, Richard Jenyns (born 5 June 1660) inherited. Sarah Jenyns, was baptised in the Abbey of St. Albans on the 17th of the same month. Sarah Jenyns spent much of her time at Waterend but in 1673, but the pretty and self-willed girl left Hertfordshire to go to Court in London. Two years later she met and fell in love with Colonel John Churchill, who became First Duke of Marlborough and Queen Anne's greatest General. Despite a very substantial income of £4,000 a year, the family fortunes faltered severely and Richard Jenyns died insolvent. Sarah Jenyns (1660-1744), as Duchess of Marlborough, became Queen Anne's favourite and close confidant and held great influence at Court. Though much travelled in later years, she always had great affection for the area of her birth and often returned - then living in Holywell House, St Albans. A chronicler of that time noted of Holywell that…
She never ceased to praise its air.She died an irascible 85.
- Waterend House/Farm AL6 0EA. It was in Sandridge but is now regarded as being in Wheathampstead.
- Waterend Barn, St Albans, AL3 5EN.
Address : Latitude: 51.805853127049375, Longitude: -0.25882244110107416| Photos | | Waterend House in 2005 |
 | Waterend House | |
 | Waterend House 2005 |
| Histories |  | Historic Sandridge. The story of a Hertfordshire parish (1952). The first substantial chronicle of Thrale history, written by R.W. Thrale (1931-2007) & E. Giles. Reproduced in full with consent of the author. |
Matches 1 to 1 of 1
Last Name, Given Name(s)  |
Birth  |
Person ID | Tree | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wilshire, John | Bef 27 Dec 1804 | Waterend House/Farm, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England | I322 | UK Thrale family |