Zouches or Sowches

ZOUCHES or SOWCHES seems to have been a manor held of the dean and chapter of St. Paul's by the family of la Zouche of Harringworth. It is possible that it was, like the Wheathampstead manor of the same name, originally in the possession of the Inges, one of whom married Eudo la Zouche, for there is extant a grant of 1310–11 to one Edward Inge of free warren in all his demesne lands in Caddington, and also a cancelled patent dated 1322–3 to Richard Inge, chaplain, granting a licence to alienate his manor of Caddington. In 1395 William de la Zouche held 'the manor of Cadindon' in fee tail of the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. He had inherited it from his father William, and it descended to his son, a third William, who in 1396–7 conveyed his interest in the estate, probably for the purpose of a settlement, to Sir John Lovell, kt., his kinsman. The Zouche family continued to be tenants of some estate, probably this manor, in Caddington parish as late as the year 1535, but there seems to be no further mention of the manor until the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In that reign Thomas Franck brought an action in the court of Chancery against Richard Marshe of Kensworth for ejecting him from the manor of Zouches in Caddington. Thomas claimed that John, Lord Zouche, about twenty-eight years previously conveyed the manor to Thomas Franck of Hatfield, his father, and to Anne his wife, and to Thomas the present claimant. Thomas the father and Anne died, and Thomas the son held the manor until he was ejected by Richard Marshe. Richard claimed the manor under the terms of the will of his father Thomas, who, Richard declared, was lawfully seised of the manor. He denied that it was ever conveyed by Lord Zouche to Thomas Franck. In 1573 Thomas Marshe conveyed the manor to Richard Marshe, and it is probable that these are the father and son mentioned above. From Richard it subsequently passed to his brother Henry, who conveyed it in 1583 to Thomas Marshe. In the following year Robert Barbour and Agnes his wife released to Henry Marshe all claim which they had in the manor for the life of Agnes. Later the manor came to Henry's son Rotherham, who sold it in 1605 to John Clerke of London. Clerke died the following year, leaving a son John under age, who at the time of his death, in 1664, was seised of 360 acres of land in the parish. In 1673 the manor was conveyed by Robert Strode to William Strode, of whose family there is some trace in the court rolls as late as 1703, and in 1750 John Shirley and his wife conveyed the manor by fine to Nicholas Coulthirst, against whom it was recovered in the same term by Robert Joyce. In 1781 Thomas Smith recovered this manor against James Wildman, William Beckford being vouchee. There is a farm known as Zouches in the west of the parish which was owned by the Pedley family till 1804, when, by a special Act of Parliament, they were enabled to exchange the farm for the estate of Caddington Hall, the possession of the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. Zouches Farm now belongs to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.