Graham Clark (grc @t data3.com.au) of Mt Ommaney, Australia, writes: My family tree notes that John Grubb (1625-1700) "Purchased Horsenden Manor on 15 Aug 1662 for 4330 Pounds. North Mimms Manor was sold on 1 Jul 1664 for 3740 Pounds to Thomas Cowler the Younger". I am visiting UK shortly and any information re "North Mimms Manor" would be appreciated.

The "bible" for information on Hertfordshire manors and their owners is the Victoria County History and it includes detailed histories of the following manors in North Mimms:

North Mimms: Founded before the Norman conquest of 1066. At around the period you mention it was owned by members of the Coningsby and Hyde families.

Potterells: At around the period you mention it was owned by the Coningsby family.

Brookmans: At around the time you mention it was owned by the Dudley and Fountain families.

More Park: (Also known as Gobions or Gubbins) At around the period you mention it was owned by the Rooper family.

 There is no evidence for any of the manors being sold in 1664 or for any having been owned by anyone called Grubb or Cowler at any date.

However there is evidence that the Grubbe family owned the Advowson (the ability to appoint the minister in the church) and possibly the rectory, as the following extract shows:

After the Dissolution the rectory and advowson were granted in 1544 to Henry Grubbe, who died seised in 1557, leaving his son George his heir.  George died in 1577, and was succeeded by his son Eustace, who was a minor at the time of his father's death, and had livery of the rectory and advowson in I582. From him they passed on his death in 1642 to his son John, upon whom it had been settled by his father in 1612 on his marriage with Mary daughter of William Preston of Childwick [St Michael's, Herts]. William Emerton presented in l68l, and it afterwards came to the family of Blackmore. 

If you check Access to Archives you will find that there is documentation linking the Grubb family with Horsendeon, Bucks, in the Grubb Estate Papers, held at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies. The Estate Papers includes "Copies of deeds etc. in the Record Office relating to the Grubb family, mainly for Herts - ref.  D 42/B23  - date: ?15th-17th century" which could well be relevant. You may well want to include a visit to the Centre during period in England.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.