10 Jul Lordship Title of Beche or Beach or La Beche ID1370
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The manor of LA BECHE took its name from the family of De la Beche, who came from Sussex and apparently acquired lands in Aldworth about the middle of the 13th century. In 1261 Robert de la Beche conveyed a messuage and land in Aldworth to John de la Beche, probably his son, reserving a life interest for himself. John was apparently succeeded by Philip de la Beche, who in 1335 together with his son Nicholas (his two elder sons Philip and John having died in 1327 and 1328 respectively) received a grant of free warren in La Beche and Aldworth. In the same year licence was granted to Philip and Nicholas to impark their woods at La Beche. This Nicholas, who succeeded his father before 1338, was the most distinguished member of his family. He superintended the education of Edward the Black Prince and went to Castile to arrange for the marriage of Joan, the king's daughter. He was summoned to Parliament as a baron, and held many offices, including that of Constable of the Tower. He also served as Seneschal of Gascony. He obtained licence in 1338 to crenellate his manor house here, and died childless in 1345. His widow married Sir Gerard Lisle as her third husband, and retired to Beaumys, near Shinfield, whence she was abducted and forcibly married by John de Dalton. Nicholas de la Beche was succeeded by his brother Edmund, Archdeacon of Berkshire, keeper of the wardrobe and treasurer of the household to Edward III, who inherited under a settlement in tail-male, for the nieces of Nicholas—namely, Joan, Isabel and Alice, daughters of his brother John—were his heirs. On the death of Edmund in 1364 the manor of La Beche passed by settlement to Thomas Langford, son of John Langford, who probably married a sister of Nicholas and Edmund de la Beche. Thomas was holding in 1387–8, and on his death in 1390 the manor devolved upon his son William de Langford, who had married Anne daughter of John de Beverley. William died in 1411 and was followed by his son Edward, who leased La Beche together with other manors in 1470, and died seised of it in 1474. Thomas, his son and heir, was succeeded by John de Langford, who died in 1509 and left as his sole heiress a daughter Anne, then aged nine, who married William Stafford of Bradfield and was holding the manor in 1534. Their son Thomas Stafford settled the manor in 1571 and was succeeded by his son Reade in 1584. Reade died seised of it in 1605. As he died childless the manor descended to his nephew Edward, who was holding in 1613. It is not known how or when the manor passed from the Staffords, but it was probably sold by this Edward, who was a Royalist and parted with a good deal of his property during the Civil War. It is next heard of in 1675 in a fine between Richard Skinner, Thomas Hopkins and Mary his wife and William Allen of Streatley, who is said to have purchased several manors in Berkshire in 1670. Ten years later it was again the subject of a fine between William Hand and other members of the Hand family (who apparently had some interest) and Edward Whistler, but the manor nevertheless seems to have remained with the Aliens, as in 1742 Richard Allen was party to a fine concerning it. All manorial rights are now held by Mr. Monck. Dela Beche Farm still preserves the name of the manor.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
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