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HOUSE NAMES

This article appeared in the 1957 edition of the Eliots Green Grammar School magazine.

The original bearers of our House names were all Lords of the manor of Northolt. The following notes on them have been written by members of the Historical Society.

ANSGAR.

Ansgar, Lord of the Manor's of Enfield, Edmonton and Northolt and Sheriff of the Middle Saxons, was of Danish descent. In 1066, he led the men of London against William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. He was badly wounded, and was carried back to London. Later he went out to meet William at Berkhampstead and obtained terms for Londoners before William entered the city. He arranged that all Londoners should keep the rights they had during Edward's reign.

MANDEVILLE.

This House is named after the de Mandevilles who owned the manor of Northolt towards the end of the 11th century. Geoffrey, the first of the de Mandevilles to be Lord of the Manor, was a friend of the Conqueror, and received the manor of Northolt with others taken from Ansgar, as a gift from William. His son, William de Mandeville, was Constable of the Tower.

The third in succession was Geoffrey de Mandeville, who seemed something of a rogue. He succeeded his father as Constable of the Tower and obtained a charter from Stephen making him Earl of Essex. He joined Matilda's side in the Civil War, then deserted her and rejoined Stephen, receiving in December, I 141, a fresh charter making him Sheriff of London, Middlesex and Hertfordshire as well as Essex. He was then very powerful and plotted to rejoin Matilda on her promise of a new charter. In I 143 Stephen arrested him, forced him to give up two castles, then set him free. Geoffrey seized the Isle of Ely and Ramsey Abbey, but was attacked by Stephen's forces and fatally wounded. His body was left unburied until 1163.

BREMBRE

Nicholas Brembre was a powerful citizen of London. He was a member of the Grocers' Company, and took part in a feud between the city companies in Richard II's reign. He became Lord Mayor of London in 1377 and 1378. He was one of the collectors of customs from 1379 to 1386, working with Geoffrey Chaucer. He supported the King in a stand against the peasants at Smithfield in 1381, for which he was knighted. He became Member of Parliament for the City of London and in 1383 and 1384 was Lord Mayor again, being elected by the use of armed men. In 1386 ten rival companies presented petitions to Parliament against him. He was charged with treason in 1387 and was imprisoned in the Tower. Tried at Westminster in 1388, he claimed trial by battle, but was refused; he was then ordered to be dragged to Tyburn and there to be hanged.

He rebuilt the manor house at Northolt and gave to the Church a font which carries his arms and which is still in use. Our school badge is derived from the Brembre arms except for the crossed swords, which come from the arms of Ealing.

WALDEGRAVE.

The surname of the Waldegrave family is derived from a place in Northamptonshire originally written Walgrave (according to Debrett, the present family still pronounce it that way.)
As far back as 1205 a John de Waldegrave served as Sheriff of London and it was a descendant, Sir Richard Waldegrave, who became Lord of the Manor of Northolt. He was originally a Knight of Smallbridge, Suffolk, having represented that county in the House of Commons in the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. It was during the latter's. reign that he was Speaker of the House of Commons.

In 1396 a patent was issued releasing to Sir Richard Waldegrave and others, all claims which the Crown might have upon Northolt manor. Sir Richard later gave the manor to the King, who in turn granted it to Westminster Abbey. Sir Richard Waldegrave married Joan, daughter of Silvester of Bures, Suffolk. He died in 1401