10 Jul Lordship Title of East Ilsley ID1459
Posted at 20:04h
in
County:
Parish:
Title Type:
Previous Lords:
The manor was held from 1086 until the 13th century by Sewall and his descendants, one of whom is said to have enfeoffed Ralph de St. Amand, in the reign of Henry III. Almeric son of Ralph was holding in 1256 and in 1276 claimed the return of all writs at Ilsley, and also gallows and assize of bread and ale. He died seised of the manor in 1285, and, his heir Guy being a minor, the custody of his lands was granted to William de Monterville. Guy died in 1290, shortly after attaining his majority, leaving his brother Almeric as his heir and a widow Lucy. Almeric died without issue in 1310, and was succeeded by a third brother John. This John was sued in 1328 by the Bishop of Winchester for taking toll from the bishop's men, who were quit of toll throughout England. His son Almeric de St. Amand settled the manor in 1330, and on his death in 1381 was succeeded by his son, another Almeric, the last of the family in the male line. The manor was granted by him in 1402 (the year of his death) to Robert Shottesbroke for a settlement of the reversion on Edmund Danvers and others. In 1433, however, the manor was in the possession of Almeric's greatgranddaughter Elizabeth wife of Sir William Beauchamp. She held it at her death in 1491, and her son Richard Beauchamp Lord St. Amand, who had been attainted in 1483 but restored in 1485, died seised of the manor of East Ilsley in 1508. He left no legitimate issue. In 1523 the manor was settled upon Walter Barton and Alice his wife (whose title has not been ascertained) with remainder to Sir Thomas Englefield, son of Thomas Englefield and Margaret, one of the daughters of Sir Richard Danvers. On the death of Walter Barton in 1538 his widow held the manor for her life, and, as she left no issue, it went on her death to Sir Francis son of the above Sir Thomas Englefield. Sir Francis Englefield was an ardent Roman Catholic, much favoured by Queen Mary. A few months after the accession of Elizabeth he settled abroad, and conveyed his property, with use to himself for life, to his nephew Francis, subject to the condition that if he should tender to his nephew a gold ring the conveyance should be void. In 1585 Sir Francis forfeited his estates for alleged complicity in a Jesuit conspiracy at Namur, but by an Act of Parliament of 1580 his nephew was allowed to claim his inheritance within two years, which he did, omitting, however, to report the proviso regarding the ring, whereupon the queen, hearing of this, ordered the ring to be tendered to him, which was done 'at the sign of the Black Mayle in Fleet Street,' and Sir Francis found himself disinherited. In 1588–9 the manor, together with Ashridge Woods, was granted by the queen to Crompton, Wright and Meyrick, who conveyed the property to Sir Thomas Shirley, treasurer of the wars in the Low Countries. Shirley, after apparently mortgaging it to Dade, Stile and Bold, citizens of London, surrendered it to Queen Elizabeth in 1602 in part payment of a debt to her. Elizabeth then bestowed it in 1602 on Urie Babington, whose son Urie sold it in 1618 to Sir Francis Moore, being forced to sell by reason of his father's embezzlement of Treasury money. The sale was confirmed, and Sir Francis Moore's title established by the king two years later. Sir Francis obtained a licence to hold the sheep market, which to-day is the second largest in England (see above). He also had a grant of free warren, with liberty to reinclose the hare warren, and a confirmation of all other liberties held by Sir Almeric de St. Amand, Sir Francis Englefield, and other predecessors. At his death in 1621 he was succeeded by his son Henry, created a baronet in 1627. Henry son of Sir Henry succeeded his father in 1634 and in 1647 sold the manor to William Pococke. In 1679 William also acquired from John Pococke and Joan his wife the site of the manor, which he conveyed in 1683 to Anne Davall. William was apparently succeeded by John Pococke, who sold the manor in 1693 to John Allen. His son of the same name was holding it as late as 1785. The manor came before 1798 to John Head and was held in 1818 by Robert Southby, nephew of John Head (who died in 1803). His widow Catherine Elizabeth Southby died in 1843, and left the manor in trust to Miss E. J. Vyvyan and her sister Mrs. Bolton, and after the death of one of these beneficiaries to the survivor. Miss Vyvyan married Mr. Woodley, and on 16 August 1889 Mrs. Woodley conveyed the manor to Lord Wantage, whose widow now holds it.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes