AdminBiogHistory | In 1086, the manor of Leighton ( later known as Grovebury ) was part of the ancient demesne of the Crown and was the largest royal manor in Bedfordshire, comprising 47 hides. In 1164, Henry II granted the manor to the Benedictine abbey of Fontevrault in Normandy. In the early 14th century, the manor was given by the abbess of Fontevrault to Mary of Woodstock, daughter of Edward I, to hold for her life.
During the reign of Edward III, the manor was often in the possession of the Crown owing to the war with France. In 1414, when the alien religious houses were dissolved, the manor and house of Grovebury were granted to Sir John Philip.
Later, in 1475, the manor passed to John, Duke of Suffolk, who in 1479 granted it to the Dean and Canons of Windsor ( D & C ). It remained in the possession of the D & C until the mid 19th century.
VCH Beds, III ( London, 1912 ), pp 402-03 |