10 Jul Lordship Title of Brians or Bryans ID1394
Posted at 20:03h
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The manor called BRIANS (Wantyngbrian, xiv cent.; Bryanscourte, xvi cent.; Bryants Brooke, xvii cent.) must have been included in the king's demesne in 1086. It was probably granted to Robert Doyley soon after the Survey, for it is subsequently said to be held of the honour of Wallingford, and it came with Ardington (q.v.), of which it was considered a member, into the hands of Gilbert Basset. He granted the tithe of his lands here to Abingdon Abbey, where his son Robert was a monk. His grandson, Gilbert Basset the younger, enfeoffed in his land here a certain Thomas Brito, who before 1230 gave it to William Brian. It was claimed against William in 1230 by Robert Brito, nephew of Thomas, who, however, had resigned his claim by 1232. In or about 1246 Simon Brian, described as the son of Walter Brian, who was the nephew and heir of Thomas Brito, died in possession of this manor. His daughter and heir Margaret married Ralph de Gorges, but had no children, her heir being her uncle Richard Brian. Richard was the rector of West Grimstead (Wilts.) and granted all his land here to Andrew de Grimstead and Alice his wife. Andrew died about 1324, leaving a son and heir John. The latter had a son Adam, who was holding land here in 1339. Before 1351 he must have conveyed the manor to William Fitz Warin, who had licence to found a chantry at Wantage in that year. He died in possession of a messuage and a carucate here in 1361. His son and heir Ives made a settlement of the manor in 1379. He had a daughter and heir Eleanor, who with her second husband Ralph Bush conveyed the manor in 1418 to Robert Andrew of Blunsdon St. Andrew (Wilts.) Before his death in 1437 Robert Andrew had granted the manor to Thomas Joy and Thomas Foturby, clerks, and Thomas Andrew in fee. A court was held for Agnes Andrew in 1441, and in 1457 Thomas Wynslow and Agnes his wife in her right conveyed the manor to William York, sen. It passed with West Lockinge (q.v.) from the family of York through co-heirs to the Hungerfords and Bodenhams. In 1630 the whole manor was conveyed to Thomas Hungerford, and it remained in the possession of his family till 1729, when Mary Wyche, daughter and heir of John Hungerford of Blackland (Wilts.), sold it to Walter Graham, a grocer of Wantage. In 1752 various members of the Graham family conveyed it to Thomas Garrard. He may have been trustee for a sale to William Stirling, who is said to have bought the manor in that year. William Stirling's son gave it to his nephew Robert Crosby, who in 1822 sold it to Joseph Butler. George Butler, younger son of Joseph, was in possession in 1824 and conveyed the manor to Charles Hammond in 1826. Mr. Hammond left it to his daughter Mrs. John Brooks, whose son Captain Brooks is the present owner.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
No