PESSEBURY, (Hertfordshire) or PISHIOBURY, near Sabridgworth, is said to have been the seat of Piso, a great captain of the
Romans, when they governed this island. This manor, from the R. of Edw. III. to that of Hen. VII. bel. to the Scroopes,
who demised it for a long term of years to the Chauncies, and was in the R. of Hen. VIII. sold to trustees for the K's
use; but the Chauncies continued to hold the site of the manor, till the 23d of Q. Eliz. when she sold it to Walter
Mildmay, who built a fine manor-house here, in the vale near the r. Stort, to which bel. about 20 acres, lately converted
into a paddock for deer. In the R. of Ja. I. it was sold to Sir Lionel Cranfield (ancestor of the D. of Dorset) whom he
sometime after created E. of Middlesex. The said E. in the next R. sold it to Tho. Hewyt of St. Martin's in the Fields;
after the decease of whose widow, it came to George Ld. Visc. Hewyt, who devised this seat to his sister and his
executrix, Dame Arabella Wiseman; to whom was also granted the site of this manor, which, upon the division of his estate,
was laid to the manor-house; but the manor and royalties came by lot to Dame Mary Crofts Read, and were purchased by Mr.
Freeman. Lady Wiseman sold the estate to Mr. Gardiner; whose son, William, is the present possessor.