About the Author:
Murray Johnston is the author of several books on family history venturing as far back as the 16th century. He has long possessed an appreciation for medieval places, events and people. Exploring his connections to an ancient English parish introduced him to the world of Manors and the meaning of a Knight’s Fee. Thoroughly researching more than a thousand medieval documents found in England’s greatest archival institutions gave Murray the basis for his latest book:
The Watford Knight’s Fee.
From the Author:
Captivated by his family history in Watford, Northamptonshire, the author widened his curiosity to the story of the whole parish of three towns. He researched the land and lives of those who ‘held’ (ancient equivalent of ‘owned’) land there from the Norman Conquest through medieval times. Then came a fascinating journey discovering many age-old documents such as the Patent Rolls, the Fine Rolls, rulings of the king’s courts, with indentures, inquisitions, and other records, each detailing intriguing events bearing on parish lands. Many of these events arose with a backdrop of English medieval history, and all carried the unique flavour and characteristics of the time. For most of his adult life, Murray has been interested in history. This, together with a fascination for medieval documents as related to the manor system and structure of land holdings, became The Watford Knight’s Fee.