10 Jul Lordship Title of Speen Bassett or Wood Speen or Woodspene ID1622
Posted at 20:05h
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SPEEN BASSET or WOOD SPEEN.—Early in the 13th century William Marshal Earl of Pembroke, probably the younger of that name, enfeoffed Thomas Basset, apparently the fourth son of Alan Basset of Wycombe and Alice daughter of Stephen de Gray, of £10 worth of land in his manor of Speen. On his death the manor passed to his elder brother Fulk, Bishop of London, and after his death to another brother Philip Basset, lord chief justice, who died in 1271. Ela his widow retained this manor in dower, and was apparently holding it in 1275–6. At her death it passed to Aline, Philip's only daughter by his first wife, who married firstly Hugh le Despenser, lord chief justice, and secondly Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk. She died in 1280–1, when the manor passed to her son Hugh le Despenser, then aged twenty. Hugh had a grant of free warren here in 1300, and was holding the manor in 1315–16. He was created Earl of Winchester in 1322 and was holding this manor that year and in 1325, but was beheaded in 1326, when his estates were forfeited. In 1327 Edward III granted the manor to his uncle Thomas of Brotherton Earl of Norfolk, who in 1332 surrendered it to the king and received it again for himself and the heirs of his body, with reversion to the king if he died without such heirs. This reversion was granted about the same time to William de Bohun Earl of Northampton, the third son of Humphrey de Bohun Earl of Hereford and Essex. The Earl of Norfolk conveyed his estate in the manor to William de Bohun in 1336 and died in 1338. The manor was confirmed to William de Bohun in 1343, and in 1346 he had licence to settle the manor on himself and his wife Elizabeth. William died in September 1360 and was succeeded by his son Humphrey Earl of Hereford, and the grant of the manor was confirmed in 1365. He married Joan daughter of Richard Fitz Alan Earl of Arundel and demised the manor for life to Sir Thomas Baumfeld, who died seised of it July 1375. Humphrey died on 16 January 1372–3, leaving only two daughters, Eleanor wife of Thomas Duke of Gloucester and Mary wife of Henry of Bolingbroke, afterwards King Henry IV. Joan the widow of Humphrey seems to have had one third of this manor in dower, and the remaining two thirds went to Eleanor wife of Thomas Duke of Gloucester, who died seised of them on 3 October 1399. Her son Humphrey having died, her heirs were her daughters Anne wife of Edmund Earl of Stafford, then aged eighteen, Joan, aged fifteen, and Isabel, aged thirteen. Edmund Earl of Stafford died on 21 July 1403 seised of the two thirds which he had held in right of Anne his wife. Joan Countess of Hereford continued to hold her third until her death on 7 April 1419, when it seems to have passed to her other daughter's son, who had ascended the throne as Henry V. He must also have acquired the other two thirds, and on 9 November 1422 Henry VI granted the manor to his mother Katherine as part of her dower, and after her death in 1437 it seems to have been administered as a possession of the Crown. It was still in the hands of the Crown in 1586–7, and in 1603–4 half the site of the manor was granted to Sir Edmund Blount and others. The remainder of the lands, with view of frankpledge, seem to have passed to Richard Lybbe, who with Anne his wife sold them in 1609 to Francis Castillion. It is possible that William Hale and others, to whom this lordship and manor were granted in 1610–11, were trustees for Francis, in any case this manor subsequently followed the descent of the manor of Benham Valence (q.v.) and was held in 1759 by Lord Craven. Lysons appears to be in error in stating that it was granted in 1565 to John Baptiste Castillion. It is now held by Mrs. M. H. Best of Donnington.
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