10 Jul Lordship Title of Ardington ID1349
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Early in the 12th century the lord of Wallingford enfeoffed Gilbert Basset of seven knights' fees in the honour. Of these Ardington was one. Gilbert Basset was succeeded by his son Thomas, and Thomas by his son another Gilbert, who founded the priory of Bicester. He had a daughter and heir Eustacia, who with her husband Richard de Camvill was in possession of Ardington in 1208. The manor subsequently followed the descent of Avington (q.v.) until 1322, when the inheritance of Alice widow of Thomas Earl of Lancaster was taken into the king's hands on her husband's attainder; she subsequently recovered a portion of it on releasing to the king her claim on the rest, but it seems that she never recovered Ardington, which must have been granted soon after the forfeiture to Ralph de Cobham. He died in possession in 1325–6, and it is possible that he had previously held the manor on lease from the Earl of Surrey, to whom the Earl of Lancaster had leased it in 1319, and who granted Cobham lands elsewhere. The heir of Ralph was his son John de Cobham, who granted his mother Mary the manor of Ardington for her life in exchange for a manor in Lincolnshire. She became the wife of Thomas Brotherton Earl of Norfolk and died in possession in 1362. In the next year her son granted the manor with other estates to the king and his heirs, receiving in return a grant for life. He demised his interest to Alice Perrers, the king's favourite, and in 1367 released to her all his claim, as did also John Duke of Lancaster. When Richard II resumed Alice Perrers's estates he granted Ardington to his half-brother John Earl of Huntingdon, first for life and later in fee to the earl and his heirs by his wife Elizabeth. After the death and forfeiture of the earl Elizabeth and her second husband John Cornwall held the manor. It was subsequently inherited by her son John Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards Duke of Exeter. In 1430 he settled it on himself and Anne his wife and their heirs, with remainder to the heirs of his father and mother. His son Henry succeeded in 1447, and after Henry's death in 1461 the manor was granted to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other feoffees to hold to the use of his widow Anne Duchess of Exeter for her life. She granted it in 1466 to feoffees, who conveyed it ten years later to Thomas Marquess of Dorset in marriage settlement with her daughter Anne. In 1482 he surrendered the grant, in order that a new one might be made to Sir Richard Grey, his brother. On the death of the latter the manor was taken by Act of Parliament into the hands of the Crown, and in 1484 it was granted to Thomas Earl of Derby and his son George Lord Strange. The Earls of Derby continued to hold Ardington for six generations, ending with William Earl of Derby, who was lord of the manor in 1599. About forty years before that date, however, it had been leased by his father to John Clarke, who took up his residence here. His grandson Edward Clarke purchased the fee of the manor from Sir Thomas Leigh of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, in 1606, and ten years later received a grant from the king of the reversion, to which the Crown was entitled in case of the failure of issue to the Earls of Derby. Edward Clarke died in 1630, leaving a son and heir John, whose eldest son John died without issue in 1702, his heir being his brother Richard. Richard had a son Edward, later married to Mary Wiseman, who was holding the manor in 1713. His son William Wiseman Clarke was his heir. Another William Wiseman Clarke, son of the last, held the manor till 1826, when his son William Nelson Clarke succeeded. He sold Ardington about 1833 to Robert Vernon, who left it to his nephew Captain Leicester Viney Vernon. On the death of the latter in 1860 it was purchased by Col. Loyd-Lindsay, afterwards Lord Wantage. Lady Wantage is the present owner.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
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