10 Jul Lordship Title of Frilsham ID1488
Posted at 20:04h
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Roger was holding the manor of Henry de Ferrers in 1086, and in 1173–4 it was in the hands of Sir Ralph Peche, who had married Hawise daughter and heir of Thomas lord of Boyleston in Derbyshire. He was succeeded by his son Sir Nicholas Peche, who married Alice de Syffrewast, and at his death it seems to have passed to his only daughter and heir Maud. She married as her first husband Walter de Rideware, who is returned as tenant in the 13th century, and afterwards, as her second husband, Sir Oliver d'Eincourt, who is also mentioned as holding the manor of Frilsham. Sir Oliver died in 1245–6, and his widow continued to hold the manor as late as 1275–6 and was living on 25 November 1283. She was succeeded by the third son of her first marriage, Walter de Rideware, who married Ellen daughter of William Fitz Herbert of Northbury. He was holding the manor of Frilsham in 1298, and was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas Rideware, kt., who by his first wife Margaret had a son Walter, who married Joan daughter of another Walter de Rideware in 1311, and in the following year the manor of Frilsham was settled on Thomas and Margaret for life, with remainder to their son Walter. In the same year (1312) Thomas obtained a grant of free warren in Frilsham; he was returned as lord of the manor in 1315–16 and was knighted in 1349–50. He died not long afterwards and was succeeded by his son Sir Walter de Rideware, kt., who married Elizabeth daughter and heir of John Falconer of Thurcaston, and the manor passed at his death to Agnes, his only daughter and heir, who was married to William Cotton. In 1372 William Cotton sold the manor and advowson of Frilsham to Hugh de Berwyk, kt., and Adam de Louches, kt., the latter being apparently a trustee. Hugh died in 1403, leaving a widow, Gille, who died in December 1407, and two sons, the elder of whom, Hugh, died in 1407, while the younger, Thomas, was aged twenty-three in 1410. Thomas de Berwyk granted the manor in 1409 to trustees, who gave it in 1416 to Margaret wife of Ralph Boteler, sister and heir of Thomas. It would seem that Margaret afterwards married William Haute, for in 1425 William Haute settled the manor on himself and his wife Margaret, and is returned as holding it in 1428. At a court held here in 1441 John Longe is spoken of as the farmer of the manor. In 1446–7 the manor was sold by John Boteler, who may have been son or grandson of Ralph, to Sir Edmund Hungerford, kt., and others, who were purchasing land in this neighbourhood for John Norreys. The same trustees also obtained a release of all her right in the manor of Frilsham from Elizabeth widow of John Cotton of Ridware, who seems to have been either son or grandson of the William Cotton who had sold the manor in 1372–3. John Norreys is described in the Herald's Visitation of 1532 as of Yattendon, and in a later pedigree by Ashmole as a knight banneret and eldest son of William Norreys of Bray. He seems to be the John Norreys mentioned in a deed of 1476 who with Sir William Norreys, kt., and others purchased certain tenements in Reading from Edward Clerk of Frilsham. The same Edward Clerk disposed of other property in Reading to Sir William Norreys in 1479, when no mention of John occurs. According to the pedigree of 1552 this Sir William Norreys would appear to have been the eldest son of John, and so would have inherited this manor. The next reference is to a settlement by Sir John Norreys, grandson of Sir William, in 1542. Sir John Norreys died in 1564 seised of this manor, which he seems to have attached to his adjoining manor of Yattendon (q.v.), with which manor it afterwards descended till 1623, when, on the death of the Earl of Berkshire, Frilsham passed to his daughter Elizabeth wife of Edward Wray. Their only daughter and heir Bridget married as her first husband Edward Sackville, second son of Edward fourth Earl of Dorset, and after his death without issue took as her second husband Montagu second Earl of Lindsey. James Bertie, her eldest son by her second husband, was in 1675 created Lord Norreys of Rycote and in 1682 Earl of Abingdon. The manor descended with the earldom of Abingdon till 1762, when, according to Lysons, the manor of Frilsham was sold to Sir George Cornewall. He probably refers to Sir George Amyand of London, who was created a baronet in 1764 and died two years later, being succeeded in the baronetcy by his son George, who in 1771 married Catherine only daughter of Velters Cornewall of Moccas Court, Hereford, when he assumed the surname and arms of Cornewall. Lysons adds that in 1800 Sir George sold this manor to Mr. Hayward, who was the proprietor in 1806. This Mr. Hayward was the Robert Hayward who died on 21 March 1820, when under his will, dated 21 August 1818, the manor passed to Robert Floyd, the son of his cousin Martha Aldworth, who had married Thomas Floyd. Robert Floyd died 14 August 1837, leaving the manor to his eldest son Robert Hayward Floyd, who died 24 March 1889, leaving it to his wife Mary Anne Floyd for her life. As tenant for life under the Settled Land Act she sold the manor in December 1903 to Henry Frederick George Weber, then residing at Hawkridge House, Bucklebury, but it was sold in 1907, and was acquired by Sir Cameron Gull, bart., of Frilsham House, who is now the principal landowner. No mill is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, nor does any record of one occur until 1839. It was then stated that in 1838 the springs were so low that no water passed the mill for several months, and mention was made of a tradition that about 100 years earlier the springs were equally low and that a duck had then made her nest under the water-wheel, laid her eggs and hatched a brood before a drop of water had passed.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes