10 Jul Lordship Title of Woolley ID1694
Posted at 20:06h
in
County:
Parish:
Title Type:
Previous Lords:
The manor of WOOLLEY (Olvelei, xi cent.; Olvelay, Wolvel, Wulay, Wolvelay, xii cent.; Wolvey, xiv cent.; Wolleighe, Wolley, xvi cent.) was held by Earl Ralph of King Edward the Confessor, but at the time of the Domesday Survey it was in the hands of William Peverel, who gave it to his daughter Adeliza or Alice on her marriage with Richard de Rivers. Between the years 1142 and 1155 Adeliza, with the consent of her sons and grandsons, gave the manor to the abbey of Montebourg. This grant was subsequently confirmed by William Peverel, Adeliza's brother, by her son Baldwin de Rivers, first Earl of Exeter, and by his son Richard. In 1171 the gift was confirmed by King Henry II, and about 1196 by William de Vernon Earl of Devon, the second son and ultimate heir of Baldwin the first earl. William, it would seem, had resumed the manor and was then restoring it to the abbey. In 1204 the manor was taken into the king's hands owing to the wars with France, but it was restored later, for the abbey was holding it in 1220–1, and Ralph de Woolley, who had purchased lands here from Joan le Breton about the year 1240, was at the same time holding the manor at farm of the abbey, into which he entered as a brother a few years later; he was, however, allowed to continue holding the manor, with which we find him connected in 1256 and 1265. The priory of Appuldurcombe in the Isle of Wight was a cell of the abbey of Montebourg, and though in 1316 Wolley was held by the abbey it was described as the property of the priory of Appuldurcombe in 1324 when it was in the king's hands as land belonging to an alien priory. The manor was confirmed to the abbey in 1330 and 1333, but was finally seized when the priory of Appuldurcombe was dissolved by King Henry V in 1414, when it was given with the rest of the priory lands into the custedy of the Nuns Minoresses without Aldgate. The priory and lands were granted to the Minoresses in perpetuity in 1443 and confirmed to them in 1461. They remained in possession till 1539, when the convent was surrendered to the king by Elizabeth Savage, the last abbess, and the manor of Woolley passed to the Crown. The abbess leased the manor in 1501 to Richard Deacons for sixty years, and Richard sold this lease in 1503 to Robert Tate. This Robert may, perhaps, be the Sir Robert Tate, mercer, who was Mayor of London in 1488. He died before 1528, when his heir, Richard Tate, usher of the king's chamber, used Richard Eden, clerk, for deeds relating to this manor, which Eden also claimed. The dispute was settled 6 February that year in favour of Richard Tate, and the lease was confirmed to him by the abbess in 1529. On 24 July 1537 the abbess sold the reversion, after the expiration of Tate's lease, to George Gyfford, but two years later had to surrender the manor to the king. Richard Tate leased the manor to John Blandy of Chaddleworth for twenty years and in 1540 sold the reversion of this lease to Thomas Smith; on 9 September 1540 the received from the king a grant of this manor in exchange for jewels to the value of £220. In 1543 Richard purchased the reversion of the lease that had been granted to George Gyfford, and in 1549 bought the chapel of Woolley with its tithes, which he leased with the manor in 1550 for sixty years to John Blandy. In 1552 a marriage was contemplated between Bartholomew Tate and Eleanor daughter of Richard Pauncefoot, Richard Tate's great-niece, and the manor was settled upon them. This marriage seems not to have taken place, perhaps owing to the death of Eleanor, for a few months later Richard made a settlement in favour of his nephew Richard Pauncefoot, Bartholomew Tate being a party to the transaction. Richard Tate was knighted in 1553, and died 27 March 1554, when this manor passed under the settlement of 1552 to his nephew. Richard Pauncefoot of Hasfield, Gloucestershire, was a son of John Pauncefoot by Bridget, one of the sisters of Sir Richard Tate. He died 20 December 1558 seised of the reversion of this manor, apparently after the death of Margaret Byllyngton, widow. John Pauncefoot, his son and heir, had livery of the manor 8 January 1559. and leased it 20 April to his mother Dorothy for nine years. He sold the manor in 1560 to his sister Margaret and John Read her husband with remainder to his other sisters. John Read and Margaret were holding the manor in 1561, but sold it 20 August 1566 to Thomas Tipping and his son Bartholomew. Bartholomew married Martha daughter of Robert Doyley of Merton, co. Oxon., and they placed this manor in settlement in 1610. In 1617 he leased certain lands here for nineteen years to his elder son Thomas, and died 24 February 1632, when he was succeeded by Thomas, who had livery of the manor 27 January 1634. Thomas married Catherine daughter of Henry Sambourne of Moulsford and died in 1655. His only daughter Catherine, wife of William Dewy, quitclaimed her interest in this manor in 1662 to her cousin John, son of her father's brother Bartholomew Tipping. John Tipping held the manor from 1662 till his death, which occurred early in the following century, when the property passed to his elder son Bartholomew, who was succeeded in 1718 by his son Bartholomew. This Bartholomew married Mary daughter of Mr. Alnut of Ibstone, Berks., and was hold ing the manor in 1729; he died 11 May 1737, when he was succeeded by his eldest son Bartholomew, who married Anne daughter of Philip Henshaw of Bussocks Court, in the parish of Chieveley. Bartholomew died 11 July 1757 and his widow 2 January 1775. They were succeeded by their son Bartholomew, who died unmarried 13 December 1798. ¶Bartholomew Tipping's only sister Catherine had married John Chardin Musgrave, D.D., Provost of Oriel College, Oxford. She died 27 February 1795, leaving an only daughter Mary Ann, who became heir to her uncle. Mary Ann Musgrave married the Rev. Philip Wroughton, and they rebuilt the house in 1799, employing as architect Sir Jeffrey Wyatville. The Rev. Philip Wroughton died 6 January 1812, leaving two sons Bartholomew and Philip, the former of whom inherited this manor. Bartholomew Wroughton died childless in 1858 and the manor passed to his brother Philip. Philip Wroughton died 28 December 1862, leaving by his second wife Blanche daughter and co-heir of John Norris of Hughenden Manor, co. Bucks., a son Philip who succeeded to the manor. This Philip Wroughton was M.P. for Berkshire 1876–85 and for the Abingdon Division 1885 to 1895. He married, 4 February 1875, Evelyn daughter of Sir John Neeld of Grittleton, Wilts., and died 7 June 1910, when the manor passed to his only surviving son Philip Musgrave Neeld Wroughton, the present owner.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes