The Roman Catholic Church in St. John Street stands on or near the site of the old Priory, founded during the reign of William I. by Ralph Limesy and by him conveyed to the Abbot of St. Albans, who placed here six Benedictine monks under Ralph, who became their first prior.  The Priory was dissolved in the twenty-sixth year of Henry VIII.; but the church was rebuilt by Thomas Willis in 1629.  It was “demolisht by order of the Bishop of Lincoln” towards the end of the seventeenth century.  The church of All Saints, on high ground E. from the town, was destroyed by fire in 1891, when almost everything perished.  It was immediately rebuilt as a Perp. structure of Runcorn stone, and consecrated in 1895.  In the main, the plan of the old church has been followed, but the aisles are longer than formerly; note the fine clerestoried nave of five bays, and hexagonal N. porch.  The old building contained monuments to Sir John Harrison, Kt., Farmer of Customs to Charles I. (d. 1669);[4] to Isabel Newmarch, maid of honour to Isabella, daughter of Charles VI. of France and second wife to Richard II.; and to Johannes Prest, “porter” (janitor) to Katherine, wife of Henry V. The two latter monuments were removed more than 200 years ago.  Note the beautiful chestnut trees in the avenue near the church, and the many quaint epitaphs on the tombstones in the extensive graveyard.  The Church of St. Andrew is modern; it occupies the site of an older Perp. edifice, originally founded before the Conquest.  Close by in the market place is the Shire Hall, a large brick building of “questionable shape” erected towards the close of the eighteenth century.  Malting, brewing and general trade in corn and its products form the larger part of the industries of Hertford.  Between this town and Ware is the spot where Cromwell put a summary period to the insurrection of the “Levellers” by shooting a ringleader named Arnald.

[Footnote 4:  This Sir John Harrison erected the fine brick mansion in Balls Park, S.E. from Hertford, once the property of Charles Townsend, Secretary of State to George II.  His widow built four almshouses at Butchery Green, long ago decayed.]

Hertford Heath. (See Amwell, Little.)

HERTINGFORDBURY may be visited from Hertford, the station (G.N.R.) being 11/2 mile S.W.  The village is pleasantly situated on the river Maran, on the S. confines of Panshanger Park.  The church, partly rebuilt by Earl Cowper in 1890-3, was founded during the fifteenth century.  It contains little of architectural interest, but the monuments are numerous:  (1) marble mosaic altar tomb to Sir W. Harrington, with alabaster effigies of himself and wife and inscription in rhyme; (2) slab to Thomas Ellis (d. 1608) and Grace his wife (d. 1612); (3) recumbent effigy in marble to Lady Calvert, wife of Sir George Calvert, Kt., who died in 1622; (4) to Dr. Jonathan Browne, Dean of Hertford (d. 1643); (5) very ancient brass inscription beneath chancel arch to two daughters of Robert de Louthe, and one of similar age to Robert de Louthe and his wife.  The Cowper Chapel, N. side of chancel, contains many monuments to that family, particularly a fine alto-relievo by Roubeliac to Spencer Cowper (d. 1727), chief Justice of Chester in 1717.