10 Jul Lordship Title of Sheepbridge with Garstons or Great and Little Sheepridge with Garstons or Little Sheepridge with Garstons ID1606
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The manor of SHEEPBRIDGE alias LITTLE SHEEPBRIDGE (Schiperige, Cheperigge, Seprigge, xiii cent.; Shuprugge, Sheperugge, xiv cent.) seems to have been part of the extensive lands in Berkshire acquired at an early date by the Earls of Salisbury. It belonged with Hinton in 1236 to Ela Countess of Salisbury, and the rents and services from it were granted by her son and heir William Longespée to Henry de Mara before 1240. The immediate tenant at this date was Sir Thomas le Blount. This or another Thomas le Blount styled himself 'lord of Cheperigge' about 1255. He seems to have been succeeded by Sir Gilbert le Blount, whilst in 1316 a John le Blunt is returned as tenant of Garston and was probably then holding Sheepbridge. In 1340 Sir John le Blount and Margaret his wife settled the manor of Little Sheepbridge on themselves for life with remainder to Nicholas de Acton and Elizabeth his wife and the heirs male of their bodies. John le Blount the younger and Thomasie his wife laid down their claim. The manor afterwards seems to have been divided among eight co-heirs, some of whose portions were bought between 1354 and 1363 by John de Danhurst and Thomasie his wife. The whole or part of the estate seems to have passed by the end of 1368 to Adam de Hertyngton, the king's clerk, who then obtained a grant of free warren in his demesne lands in Sheepbridge from Edward III and licence to inclose 60 acres for the enlargement of his park called Bluntespark. Later the manor came to John de Feriby and Margery his wife, who were seised of it in 1440, and it descended to Sir Thomas Bourchier, Margery's younger son by her second husband John Lord Berners. Sir Thomas was seised of the manor in 1508, but it afterwards passed to Sir Alexander Unton, who had married Mary the daughter and co-heir of John Lord Berners, grandson of Margery. The manor seems to have been bought by her father-in-law Sir Thomas Unton, who settled it upon Sir Alexander and his second wife Cecily Bulstrode in 1533. Their son Sir Edward Unton, who succeeded to the estate in 1547, was still in possession of it in 1585, but seems to have sold it afterwards to John Phipps the elder. John Phipps the younger was described as lord of Sheepbridge in 1633, when he quarrelled with Sir Thomas Vachell, who declared that Phipps had sold him the lands called Great and Little Garstons. In the following year Sir Thomas charged these lands with an annuity of £40 for the maintenance of his almshouses in Reading, a sum which is still paid. John Phipps was still living in Swallowfield in 1666, when he disclaimed the right to bear arms. He was succeeded by George Phipps, who was joint vouchee with James Phipps in a recovery of 1723. The estate was bought before 1760 by Henry Lannoy Hunter, grandfather of the late Henry Lannoy Hunter who died in 1909, and whose widow is now the owner.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
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