TOTTENHAM AND THE ‘SPURS’

The cover page claims this information has been collected from authentic records with a copious appendix, in which is contained an account of the parish as written by the Rt Hon. HENRY, last LORD COLERANE accurately printed from his Lordship's ms, now deposited in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Ironically the book is dedicated to the Duke of Northumberland and Earl Percy and was written by Richard Randall Dyson.

Immediately inside the front cover of the book is an illustration plate headed 'Antiquities of Tottenham'   (Pictured left) which reads:

' In the foreground is emblematically represented a roll or charter; near which is a pair of Spurs, being the tenure by which the manor Tottenham is held'

It then refers you to an explanation further into the book from which I have extracted the following passage:

'There are five lesser manors which, according to Bedwell, in 1631 belonged to Lord Colerane now held by his descendent, Henry Hare Townsend esq. The names of these lordships are PEMBROKE's, BRUCE's, D'AWBENYS's, MOCKING's and DOV'COTES, or DUCKETT's. This last formerly belonged to the priory of St John of Jerusalem, and gave name to a family who occur in the Parish Register in this century. The other four are held by this service. That as often as the King goes to war in person, the Lord of them shall furnish him with a pair of silver spurs gilt'

So it would appear that under the tenures by which the ancient Manors of Tottenham are held, and dating back prior to the 15th century, there is a requirement that ‘As often as the King goes to war in person, the Lord of the Manors shall furnish him with a pair of silver SPURS gilt’. By coincidence the former manor house for the ‘Pembrokes’ lordship, one of the five former manors, was once situated in White Hart Lane.

In a later paragraph it refers to a decree by King Henry VI (King Harry VI) to those that serve him in his demeyne in Tottenham in the county of Middlesex 'and that they hold the manors of Pembroke's, as of the honor of Huntyngdon, by the service of paying to the King a pair of spurs of silver, gilt and each of the said manors etc..'

In conclusion it could be argued that, following his debut last year, the current Captain of Tottenham Hotspur ‘Ledley KING’ went into battle in person to represent England and, in keeping with the ancient tenure, should now receive from the historic manor of Tottenham a pair of silver Spurs gilt !

Alan Swain - Nov 2005

ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS WITH TOTTENHAM AND SPURS

I now submit a summary of the further facts:

Phase

II

For many centuries the words “High Cross” were added to Tottenham making it the “ Towne of Tottenham High Crosse”. It is evident that the “High Cross” had been a feature of the village of Tottenham for time immemorial. Also, contrary to some belief, Tottenham High Cross is not an ‘Eleanor Cross ‘. On the death of his wife ‘Queen Eleanor’, en route to Scotland in 1290, King Edward 1st erected a cross in her memory in every town or place where the body of the Queen rested. There were 15 Eleanor Crosses erected including one at nearby Waltham Cross.
However, it has been ascertained, by renowned historians of Tottenham, that the corpse of Queen Eleanor did not pass through Tottenham and that the High Cross at Tottenham was erected many years before this time

Phase

III

Having established that a cross has existed for in excess of 800 years, it is interesting to take note of the various forms the cross has taken over this time. The earliest structure was said to be of wood and Bedwell, writing in 1631, and Dyson’s history in 1790, refer to the period of 1580 when a column of wood covered with square sheets of lead to shoot the water off every way and supported by four SPURS and crowned with a Weathercock.
In 1600 the cross was reconstructed by Dean Wood, who erected an octangular brick column which was pointed at the top and crowned with a Weathercock. Further repairs were carried out in 1788 when again it refers to an octangular brick pillar divided into four stories with little ornament but still crowned by a Weathercock.

TOTTENHAM   HIGH  CROSS  -  ETCHING 1805

IV

A writer in 1865, says, “ In 1809, contemporary taste, not being satisfied with the plain brick monument which had stood the storms of so many years, determined to ‘Modernise’ it, and it was accordingly Stuccoed and Gothicised” .

TOTTENHAM HIGH CROSS - 1820

PAINTING OF ANCIENT TOTTENHAM HIGH CROSS

              The History of Tottenham in the County of Middlesex By: Fred Fisk 1913