10 Jul Lordship Title of Hoe Benham ID1515
Posted at 20:04h
in
County:
Parish:
Title Type:
Previous Lords:
HOE BENHAM. In 956 King Edwin gave 25 cassates of land in Benham to his servant Ælsy, who soon afterwards gave them to the abbey of Abingdon, but these lands were only a small part of the vill of Benham in the parish of Speen (q.v.). This land seems to have been lost by the abbey in the time of the Danes, for in the reign of the Confessor it was held by a free tenant Edith, apparently of the king, although the abbey succeeded in making good its claim to part at least of these lands by the time the Survey was made. From the Domesday record it would appear that the title of the abbey was insecure and in the succeeding reign their estate in Hoe Benham seems to have been seized by Humphrey de Bohun. The Abbot Faritius approached King Henry I respecting this and other manors and succeeded in obtaining restoration of four of them, and in 1110 Humphrey agreed to quitclaim the lands in perpetuity. This agreement was confirmed by royal charter in the same year and the lands were attached to the manor of Welford, and from this time on were parcel of it. At the time of the Domesday Survey Hoe Benham was held under the abbey by Walter de Rivers, who was still holding it in 1110, when he is called Walter son of Joscelin de la Rivera. The tenant owed military service commuted by the abbey in 1168 for 40s. In 1190 the land was held in demesne and occupied only by servile tenants. The payment in lieu of military service still continued in 1175. Another part of the ancient vill of Benham was held in the time of the Confessor by Ormar in alod and at the time of the Domesday Survey by Wigar of the king. Wigar or Witgar died before 1109, when his son Hugh with his wife granted the tithes on his land to the abbey, while another son, Ralph son of Wigan, granted them his land in Benham, thus bringing this portion also into the parish of Welford. The king seems to have granted this part of Hoe Benham, like the remainder, to Humphrey de Bohun, and it would appear that the heirs of the latter retained the overlordship of this section, as it was held in the 13th century by the Earl of Hereford. It must have passed to the Crown soon afterwards, probably on the disgrace of the third Earl of Hereford, for we find the sheriff rendering account for it. The overlordship seems to have been granted by Edward I to his mother, who was holding it in 1292, but must have passed soon afterwards to Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, who died seised of it in 1306, when it passed again to the Crown. In 1353 the king purchased the adjoining manor of Benham Lovell, and the overlordship of these lands, which were of small extent, seems to have then become attached to the larger manor in the parish of Speen (q.v.). As we have seen, Wigar, Witgar or Wigan held part of Benham at the time of the Domesday Survey and died shortly afterwards, when his property seems to have been divided between his two sons Hugh and Ralph, the latter of whom granted his share to the abbey. In the 13th century Robert de Harleter held it and later it was held by Abelais, who died in or before 1292, leaving his widow Isabella possessed of one third in dower. The queen then granted the remainder, with the reversion of the third, to William le Page for life, and in 1306 it was held by Robert Baterkyn. After this it is not easy to distinguish the tenants from those of Benham Lovell. Five mills, worth 60s., are mentioned in the Domesday Survey as belonging to the manor of Welford, but beyond the mention of Ralph the Miller in 1190 no further allusion has been found to them. One of these perhaps may be the mill at Weston, which is stated to have been worth 11s. in 1190, and is again referred to in 1699. It is now used as a corn-mill. The two moieties of Elton had a joint mill, the profits being divided between them. It was worth 8s. to the one and 7s. 6d. to the other. It is referred to in 1272, but no mill exists there at the present day. There seems to have been a fair held at Wickham as early as 1275–6. It is spoken of as a royal fair, and the rector of the parish appears to have had certain rights in connexion with it. The Wickham feast, still held on St. Swithun's Day, appears to be the survival of this fair.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
No