10 Jul Lordship Title of Astwick ID13281
Posted at 21:37h
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Previous Lords:
From Domesday onwards Astwick was held under the Beauchamps by a family who took their surname from this property, and who gradually acquired most of the land in the parish, becoming lords of the manor. In 1166 Richard de Astwick already held half a fee of the Beauchamp honour, and thirty years later Elias de Astwick renounced all claim to the advowson in favour of his overlord. John de Astwick received in 1202 quitclaim from Edith, daughter of Payn, of half a virgate of land in Astwick, and by 1241 had given place to Elias, son of Henry de Astwick, who is mentioned in a plea between William de Beauchamp and the prior of Chicksands as under age, and in the custody of the former. de Astwick, probably a brother, appears to have succeeded Elias, and in 1252 brought a suit respecting lands in Astwick to a successful issue. Walter de Astwick owed feudal service for one and a half hides of land in 1284, and at his death in 1290 left a son Simon as heir, who two years later did homage for all lands and tenements which he held in Astwick of the king. In 1311 Simon of Astwick made a settlement of his property in Astwick with remainder to his son John and his heirs. Simon held the manor certainly until 1320, when he and his son made a further conveyance by fine, but by 1346 John of Astwick had succeeded him. From the scanty documentary evidence which alone exists for the later fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, it is clear that the Astwicks continued to hold the manor. In 1393 a John Astwick was holding the manorial courts, and in 1479 William Astwick leased the lordship of Astwick to Robert and John Squire for nine years at a rent of 12 marks. With the next holder, John Astwick, the manor appears to have passed finally away from this family. An inquisition taken at the death of Richard Sheldon states that John Astwick enfeoffed Richard Godfrey and other feoffees of Astwick manor to the use of Richard Sheldon) and there is evidence that the latter held the manorial courts from 1487–8 till his death in 1495. He left as heir a son Richard, who held a court in 1497, and two years later leased the lordship to Roger Slow for thirteen years. Richard Sheldon was still holding courts in 1512 and 1513, and probably died without issue before 1539, at which date the manor had passed to John Poley (husband of Prudence, sister of Richard Sheldon), who at that date conveyed it by fine to Edmund Kympton. Up to 1551 Edmund Kympton's name appears as lord on the manorial rolls. Elizabeth or Lucy Kympton (afterwards married to John Shipman) held the courts between 1560 and 1564, being followed by her son George Kympton, who held the manor at his death in 1608. His son George sold Astwick in 1620 for £2,100 to John Hodgson or Hudson of London, and in 1652 William Hudson, described as of Middlesex (and probably a son of John Hudson) sold the manor to William Fletcher, who within two years transferred it to Samuel Browne, a justice of the Common Pleas, who was knighted in 1660, and died in 1668, being succeeded by his son Thomas, whose daughter and heir Mary married as her second husband John Schutz, and, together with him, conveyed the manor by fine to Samuel Denison in 1784. Lysons, writing before 1804, stated that the manor was the property of Michael Angelo Taylor. The Inclosure Act of 1804 names John Jackson as lord of the manor, whilst by a fine of 1822 Michael Angelo Taylor conveyed the manor to Robert Jackson and others, (fn. 57) since which date no further reference has been found to Astwick Manor.
Other Information:
Manorial Counsel Limited has created a new legal right to bring the titles of this lordship back into use.
Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes