Early Lovet Settlers in Flaunden

[larkspur3]

Is anyone familiar with the early settlement of the hamlet of Flaunden--other than the short history posted in various guides? The Lovett/Lovet name shows up there as early as 1537 when Robert Lovet of Flaunden, husbandman, entered into a feoffement with William Timberlake for land in Latimers. In 1542, Henry, son of Ric. Lovett of Flaunden married Alice Gaate. Would that we could figure out where they came from before that! If anyone has clues about how to trace back further, please suggest them. And thanks.

Laura

[genechaser]

Hi Laura

Take a look at this site, re Lovett.

http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Lovett

[supermoussi]

Have you looked at the Victoria County History? http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/counties/hertfordshire/volumes/hertfordshire-vol-ii

and the Herts Lay Subsidy rolls to see if they were anywhere in Herts in the 1300s:

http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/books/books-1/book0119-lay-subsidary-rolls.htm

Oxfam have a copy on sale at the moment although it might not be there for long:-

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/books/history/hertfordshire-lay-subsidy-rolls-1307-and-1334-hd_100258073

Also, have you looked at the actual originals of the docs you mentioned? The online records are sometimes abbreviated and miss out info and of course do not show seals or coats of arms that families may have used.

In terms of pre-1500 manorial records you need to look at the Patent Rolls for entries relating to Flaunden but be aware that the spelling of its name will have changed a lot over time. Generally the families that were mentioned in the Patent Rolls were landowners, law enforcement/military bods, clergy, lawyers, merchants and criminals so it depends on the status of your family as to whether they will appear, although anyone could be mentioned if they were involved in some complex legal wrangling that had to be escalated up from the local level (trespassing and killing the King's deer were always good ways of getting your name noticed!)

There are also other docs like the Fine rolls, Close Rolls, etc., but they tend to be less useful to Family Historians.

[supermoussi]

Incidentally, had you noticed that there are lots of early (1500s) LOVETT bapts in Sarratt, Abbots & Kings Langley and Rickmansworth listed on the IGI? They are all very close to Flaunden. Are you also checking the historys of these places as well?

To search the IGI go to

https://familysearch.org/search

n.b. Use a filter of  "Herts" for Birthplace and Birth Year Range 1500 - 1600

[supermoussi]

A Richard LOVETT is listed as being married to Dorothy (youngest?) daughter of William BELFELD of Studham in the Herts Visitation of 1572 here:-

https://archive.org/stream/visitationsofher222732cook#page/n19/mode/2up/search/lovett

The BELFELDs acquired Studham after the dissolution of the Monasterys but look to be descended from the de Morley and other families. From British History online:-

After the Dissolution the manor was granted in 1544 to William Belfield, (fn. 65) formerly the lessee of it and the rectory under the prior. (fn. 66) William died in 1559, and was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 67) who died about 1590, (fn. 68) leaving William his son and heir. William died in 1605, and left Anthony, his eldest son, a minor, to whom livery of the manor was made in 1609. (fn. 69) From Anthony the estate came to his son Henry, (fn. 70) and he was succeeded by his son Henry, who conveyed the manor in 1722 to Thomas Pickering, probably for a settlement on his wife Helen.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43279

so it looks like that Richard LOVETT must have been vaguely respectable, but whether he was one of the ones listed down at Flaunden, Saratt, etc is not certain.

[supermoussi]

Note that the LOVETOT or LOVETOFT family of Worksop, Notts held land in the Hertford and Kings Walden and Wolverton areas in the 1200s.

http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/Brown1896/worksop1.htm

Their arms are also sometimes listed under the name LOVETT and are different to other LOVETT arms, of which there are several.