Lordship Title of East Shefford ID1461

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Henry son of William de Boxworth forfeited the manor in 1215, when it was granted to William de Rivers, but in 1216 it was given to John de Turris; Henry had recovered seisin by 1233, and was succeeded before 1241 by his son William. Sir William de Boxworth, who was dead before 1316, married Amice daughter of Philip de Lisle, and after her death, Thomasia, who survived him and was holding a third of the manor in 1332. In 1332 and 1333 his son Henry received confirmation of the charters of King Henry I and Henry II to Payn Peverel and Hugh de Dover. In 1333 the manor was settled on Henry, his wife Maud and their heirs. Henry was still living in 1365, but the manor had apparently passed before 1346 to John de Stafford, who obtained in that year licence to hold divine service in his chapel of East Shefford. In 1374 William Lovet of Liscombe (co. Buckingham) and Alice his wife, in whose right it appears to have been held, granted it to Sir Nicholas de Tamworth and Joan his wife for their lives. Sir Nicholas seems to have died soon afterwards, and Joan and her second husband Sir Warin de Lisle were dealing with land here in 1380. " On Joan's death in 1392 the manor reverted to the Lovets. William Lovet and Alice and their son Roger, with his wife Joan, conveyed it in 1400 to John Eastbury and others. Thomas Eastbury was holding land at East Shefford in 1408. The manor had probably passed to the Fettiplace family before the middle of the 15th century. Sir Thomas Fettiplace of East Shefford was buried in the church here about 1447. Sir Thomas left three sons, William, James and John. Of these William of Stokenchurch, who seems to have held some land in Shefford, had an only daughter Anne, who married Hugh Unton of Wadley in Littleworth, Berkshire, by whom she had a son Thomas. James inherited the neighbouring manor of Maidencourt, and had some interest in this manor, which he released in 1455–6 to John and Isabel Eyston, who at the same time transferred their estate to William York and others. John Fettiplace was a citizen and draper of London and a member of the household of King Henry VI, by whom he was employed to carry a garter to the King of Portugal. He inherited this manor, and on his death in 1464 he bequeathed it to his eldest son Richard. Richard Fettiplace married Elizabeth daughter and heir of William Besils of Besselsleigh, and died in 1510–11 leaving a son John, but the manor passed to his widow, who afterwards married Richard Eliot. In 1514 Thomas Unton, John's cousin, unsuccessfully claimed the manor. John Fettiplace died in 1524 and the manor passed to his eldest son Edmund, who died seised of it in 1541–2, when his son John succeeded. John settled the manor in 1570 on himself and his second wife Joan widow of Francis Fleming with remainder to his eldest son Besils and the latter's wife Helen. He was knighted in 1575 and died in 1580. In 1588–9 Besils sold this manor to Francis Winchcombe. Francis Winchcombe died in 1619, when it passed under settlement to Mary wife of Sir Edward Clarke and window of William son of Francis Winchcombe. The reversion after her death passed to Henry, the younger son of Francis. He was succeeded in 1629 by his son Henry, who was holding the reversion on his death in 1642. His son and successor Henry was created a baronet in 1661 and died in 1667, leaving a son Henry. This Sir Henry Winchcombe was twice married, first to Elizabeth Hungerford, and secondly to Elizabeth Rolle. Though blind from his youth, he was M.P. for Berkshire in 1688–9, and died 5 November 1703, when his estates passed to his eldest daughter Frances, who had married Henry St. John Viscount Bolingbroke. Frances Lady Bolingbroke died in 1718, and as her sister Elizabeth was already dead the manor passed to the third sister Mary wife of Robert Packer of Shellingford and Donnington. Mary settled this manor 11 September 1719 on herself and her husband with successive remainders to her children Winchcombe Howard, John, Henry, Robert and Elizabeth. Robert Packer died 4 April 1731 and Winchcombe Howard Packer was holding this manor in 1735. He died at Golden Square in London 21 August 1746, and as he left no children and his next brother John had died, also without issue, the manor passed under the settlement of 1719 to Henry Packer, who died childless in 1746. The fourth son Robert seems also to have died without issue, and the manor passed under Henry's will to his nephew Winchcombe Henry Hartley, the son of his sister Elizabeth and David Hartley, M.D., F.R.S., of Bath. Winchcombe Henry Hartley sold this manor in 1777 to his half-brother David Hartley of Golden Square. David Hartley was a friend of Benjamin Franklin. He was M.P. for Hull 1744 to 1780, was sent as Minister Plenipotentiary to Paris, where he and Franklin drew up and signed a treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States of America on 3 September 1783. In 1787 he sold this manor to his half-brother Winchcombe Henry Hartley, from whom he had originally bought it. Winchcombe died in 1794, when this manor passed to his son the Rev. Winchcombe Henry Howard Hartley, by whom it was sold in 1811 to the tenant, John Froome. John died 7 February 1837, leaving the manor by his will, proved 2 May 1837, to his son James, who sold it in 1869 to James Gower. Gower mortgaged the estate on 17 June 1871 to trustees under the marriage settlement of Hill Mussenden Leathes of Herringfleet Hall, Suffolk, and Mary Louisa his wife, and died a pauper lunatic, when the trustees foreclosed the mortgage. Mr. Leathes sold the manor in 1911 to its present owner, Mr. George Baylis of Wyfield Manor Farm, in the parish of Boxford.
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