10 Jul Lordship Title of West Ilsley ID1676
Posted at 20:06h
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Although no connexion has been found between the 29 hides in Ilsley appurtenant to Sonning Manor which in 1086 were held by Aubrey de Coci and any holding in West Ilsley, it seems probable that these hides lay in West Ilsley, for all the other holdings in Ilsley can be accounted for in East Ilsley. WEST ILSLEY, however, is found at a later date in the hands of the Beaumonts (see below). On the death of Robert de Beaumont Earl of Leicester in 1204 his lands were divided between his sisters Amice wife of Simon de Montfort and Margaret wife of Saer de Quincy Earl of Winchester. The overlordship of the different holdings in West Ilsley passed with the descendants of these two co-heirs, the Earls of Leicester and Lancaster (afterwards Dukes of Lancaster) and the Earls of Winchester and their heirs. Early in the 13th century Robert Fitz Niel held 10 librates of land in West Ilsley, in which he was succeeded by Simon de Steiland, who called himself his heir. Simon de Steiland was holding in 1230–1, but forfeited his lands in 1241, and his half-fee was then granted by the king to John de Mansel, provost of Beverley, who held this half-fee under Simon de Montfort of the king's bailiwick at the time of the Testa de Nevill. Before 1248, however, it had been given by the king to the overlord, Simon de Montfort, John de Mansel receiving other lands in compensation. Probably rather later a feoffment was made by the overlord to one of the Fukeram family. In 1275 Richard Fukeram had return of writs and assize of bread and ale at West Ilsley. In 1279 a fine was levied between Richard Fukeram, senior, and Richard Fukeram, junior, of land in Ilsley. The manor was apparently conveyed before 1349 to Richard de Penley and Isabel his wife, against whom Joan widow of Richard Fukeram claimed a third in dower in that year. In 1362 Richard de Penley granted the manor of West Ilsley to the priory of Edington, in Wiltshire, which held it until the Dissolution. In 1540 the chief 'messuage or grange of West Ilsley' was granted by Henry VIII to William Berners and others, who conveyed it in the following year to William Pleydell and Agnes his wife. They settled it in 1549 upon their son Gabriel, who sold the reversion in 1564 to John Barnes. John Pleydell, brother of William, however, claimed that he had bought the reversion of the manor, and in 1565 the Crown delivered it to him, and he died seised of it in 1591, leaving his son Anthony as his successor. He was followed in 1593 by his brother Richard Pleydell, who was holding in 1608. The manor remained in the hands of the Pleydell family until the marriage of Charlotte Louisa daughter and heir of Robert Pleydell of Ampney Crucis (co. Glouc.) with John Dawnay son of Henry Viscount Downe. Their son Henry Pleydell Dawnay Viscount Downe suffered a recovery of it in 1748. In 1755 Lord Downe sold the manor to William Baker. On 24 March 1857 it was conveyed by William Robert Baker to Lewis Loyd, and then the ownership followed the descent of the manor of East Compton (q.v.), Lady Wantage being the present owner.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
No