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SAWSTON, in the hundred of Wittlesford, and deanery of Camps, lies about six miles south of Cambridge, and about seven nearly north of Royston. There are four manors in this parish, Pyrotts, Dernford, Dale , and Huntingdons; all now the property of Ferdinand Huddleston, Esq. The manor of Pyrotts continued, until the year 1329, in the immediate descendants of Pirotus, who held it under Eudo Fitzhubert, Steward of the Household to William the Conqueror. Sir Edmund De la Pole died seised of this manor and Dernford in 1419. Mr. Huddleston's ancestor married one of the co-heiresses of John Neville, Marquis Montagu, and in her right acquired these manors, which had descended from the De la Poles, through the Ingoldesthorps, to the noble family of Neville. The manors of Dale and Huntingdons were purchased by Sir Edmund Huddleston before the year 1580 : the manor of Dale, or Le Dale, had been in the Sawstons, who held it under the manor of Pyrotts, by the service of finding an armed soldier, whenever the owner of that manor should attend the King to the wars. The manor of Huntingdons was purchased of the Moores, representatives of the Huntingdons form whom it acquired its name. A paramount manor in Sawston, was confirmed, in the reign of Richard III., to the Duke of Buckingham, as representative of the Bohuns and Mandervilles : one Roger held an estate under Geoffrey de Mandeville, when the Survey of Domesday was taken.
William Huddleston, who settled at Sawston, in consequence of his marriage with one of the co-heiresses of the Marquis Montagu, was of an ancient family in Cumberland; his son, Sir John Huddleston, entertained the princess Mary at his house, immediately after the death of her brother, King Edward VI., and contrived her escape to Framlingham Castle, for which his house was plundered by the mob, who took part with Lady Jane Grey. The Princess is said to have been conveyed to Framlingham on a double horse, behind Mr. Huddleston's servant; on her accession to the throne, she rewarded her protector by bestowing on him the honour of Knighthood, and making him Vice-Chamberlain; it has been said also, that she gave him a great part of the materials of Cambridge Castle to rebuild his house at Sawston : it may be observed however, that this ancient mansion, now the seat of Ferdinand Huddleston, Esq., is chiefly of brick : the date corresponds with the tradition, for it appears that it was built in 1557. In the gallery are several portraits of the Huddleston family; among which is that of Sir John Huddleston above-mentioned. In the parish church, are monuments for Sir John, and others of the family ; there is an ancient tomb also for Hera Da la Pole, who died in 1423 : she was wife of Sir Walter De la Pole, and daughter and heir of Thomas Lord Bradston; this tomb is almost concealed by a monument of one of the Huddlestons.
The rectory of Sawston, which had belonged to the priory of St. John of Jerusalem, or rather to the preceptory of Shengay, which was subordinate to that priory, was granted, by King Henry VIII., to Sir Richard Long : it is now in moieties between Mr. Huddleston and Mr Gosling, who are joint patrons of the vicarage. The parish of Sawston having been inclosed persuant to an act of Parliament, passed in 1802, the impropriators and the vicar have allotments of land in lieu of tithes.
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