One mile north-east of Erdington, is _Pipe-hall_; which, with its manor,
like the neighbouring land, became at the conquest the property of
Fitz-Ausculf; and afterwards of his defendants, Paganall, Sumeri,
Bottetort, and St. Leger.
It was common at that fatal period, for one of these great barons, or
rather great robbers, to procure a large quantity of land for himself;
some of them two or three hundred thousand acres--too much for one man
to grasp. He therefore kept what he pleased for his private use, and
granted the other in knight's-service, reserving annually a rent. These
rents were generally small, so as never to hurt the tenant: however, the
lord could order him to arms whenever he pleased.
A few of the grants were procured by the disinherited English, but
chiefly by the officers of William's army, being more respected, and
more proper to be trusted: they were often relations, or favourites of
the great barons. The lord could not conveniently sell, without the
consent of the crown, but he could set at what price he pleased. Time
made this chief-rent permanent, and gave the tenant stability of title.
The manor of Pipe, with some others, was granted to William Mansell, who
resided in the hall, and executed some of the chief offices of
the county.
The last of the name, in the reign of Henry the Third, left a daughter,
who married Henry de Harcourt; and his daughter married John de Pipe,
who seems to have taken its name.
Henry, his descendant, had many children, all of whom, with his lady,
died of the plague, except a daughter, Margery. He afterwards married,
in 1363, Matilda, the daughter of George de Castell, of Castle Bromwich;
but soon after the happy wedding, he perceived his bride was pregnant,
which proved, on enquiry, the effect of an intrigue with her father's
menial servant; a striking instance of female treachery, which can only
be equalled by--male.
The shock proving too great for his constitution, brought on a decline,
and himself to the grave, before the birth of the child.
John was the fruit of this unlawful amour, whose guardian, to prevent
his inheriting the estate, made him a canon of Ouston, in
Leicestershire; and afterwards persuaded the unhappy Margery to grant
the manor to the abbot of Stonely.
Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, afterwards purchased it for
133_l_. 6s. 8d. It came to the crown by attainder, in the reign of Henry
the Seventh; then to Sir William Staunford, one of his judges, John
Buttler; Edward Holte, in 1568; Francis Dimock, whose daughter married
Walter Earl; then to Walter Devereux, by marrying Earl's daughter;
afterwards to Sir Thomas Holte, by purchase; and is now in the family
of Bagot.
Though the hall is antique, its front is covered in the modern barbarous
stile, by a clump of venerable trees; which would become any situation
but that in which they stand. It is now inhabited by a gentleman of
Birmingham, who has experienced the smiles of commerce.