10 Jul Lordship Title of Burghfield or Abbots or Burghfield Abbas ID1405
Posted at 20:04h
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The land of James Burghfield, held from this time under the abbey of Reading, may be identified with the manor of Burghfield Abbas, of which the members of a second family taking its name from the place were the lords. James was probably succeeded by Odo Burghfield, who died before 1203, when his son Matthew was in seisin. The latter built a narrow wooden bridge across the water of the Abbot of Reading in Burghfield 'moved merely by piety and not impelled there to by any right.' His grandson Peter Burghfield was lord of the manor in 1280, and petitioned against the contribution levied on him for the repair of his grandfather's bridge by the king's carpenter. It was decided that he ought to repair the southern half of the bridge and Roger Burghfield the northern part. In 1316 the Abbot of Reading answered for this part of Burghfield, but in 1386 Thomas Blount was lord of the manor, and as such was bound to repair the High bridge. He was, however, the last under-tenant who is mentioned, and probably the manor was held by the abbey in demesne from this time. Other pieces of land besides the gift of Aumary son of Ralph were given to Reading Abbey, the most important being the grant in frank-almoign of 1 carucate of land and 5 marks of rent from Gilbert de la More in 1260–1. In 1291 the value of the holding of the abbey in Burghfield was £7 7s. 8d. a year, part being in the hands of the abbot and the remainder being assigned to the almoner. At the Dissolution the demesne land, worth £15, was held by the almoner of the abbey. Certain rents were also assigned to the warden of the chapel of the Blessed Mary. Henry VIII in 1541 granted the manor of Burghfield to Sir John Williams, afterwards Lord Williams of Thame. It passed to his two daughters and co-heirs, Isabel the wife of Sir Richard Wenman, and Margaret the wife of Henry Norreys, afterwards first Lord Norreys of Rycote, who in 1560 granted it to Nicholas Williams, nephew of Lord Williams. On his death it reverted to the co-heirs, and Sir Richard Wenman and his wife released their moiety of the manor of Burghfield to Lord Norreys and his wife, who thus became possessed of the whole manor. Lord Norreys appears to have mortgaged the manor in 1574 to Sir Roland Hayward, and in 1589 Burghfield was one of several manors granted by Lord and Lady Norreys to Lord Burghley as security for the payment of £3,000 to the Crown before the last day of February 1589–90. An extension of time was granted in March 1589–90. Two months afterwards Lord Burghley and John Fortescue alienated their interest to John Popham and Thomas Egerton. Lord and Lady Norreys appear to have recovered seisin of the manor by 1598, and their descendants held it during the 17th and 18th centuries. Burghfield Place Farm and the estate belonging to it were, however, sold, and came into the possession of Sir William Coventry before 1689, and probably comprised most if not all of the land attached to the manor, so that the Earl of Abingdon (descendant of Lord Norreys) probably only possessed certain manorial rights at Burghfield. In 1803 a quit-rent was paid annually to the heir of Lord Norreys from the tenants of Burghfield Place. Coventry sold his estate to Francis Parry, whose property passed in 1740 to his four granddaughters. Two years later three-fourths of the estate were sold to Lord Uxbridge. His grandson the second earl sold it to Bernard Brocas, whose widow was the owner in 1803. The remaining fourth was held at that date by the Rev. Dr. Morgan, grandson of Charles Parry who died in 1740. Probably it passed, with his property in Wokefield (q.v.), which he had inherited from the same source, to Mr. Alfred Palmer, who is now a landowner in this parish.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
No