10 Jul Lordship Title of Yattendon ID1699
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According to the Domesday Survey Baldwin held this manor of Edward the Confessor, but in 1086 Godebold held it of William Fitz Ansculf. There is no further mention of the mesne tenant until the 13th century, when we find Peter de Yattendon holding a fee here of Roger de Somery. Peter had a grant of free warren here in 1252, and in 1258 he received a charter to hold a weekly market on Tuesdays and a yearly fair on the vigil, feast and morrow of St. Nicholas. In 1259–60 he granted lands and rents here to Nicholas. The latter died before 1273, when we find his brother and heir Bartholomew holding the manor. Bartholomew was holding the manor in 1286, and in 1287–8 conveyed the reversion to Hugh de Brandeston, who had married his daughter Margaret. Bartholomew died before 1289, when a dispute arose between his two daughters as to the disposition of the manor. Beatrice, Bartholomew's widow, stated that she and her husband inherited the manor, of which they enfeoffed Hugh and Margaret, while retaining a life interest for themselves, but Eleanor, the other daughter, and her husband Ralph de Kniveton or Kineton claimed to inherit half. The decision was for a time postponed, and in 1290 we find both Hugh and Ralph returned as holding the vill. The case was finally settled in favour of Eleanor in 1291, though shortly afterwards she and her husband disposed of their share to Hugh and his wife. Hugh died seised of this manor in or before 1298, when the king proceeded to administer the estate, as his son Henry was then under age. The following year the manor was restored to Margaret, who proved that she had a life interest in it. In spite of the fact that her interest was limited, she sold the manor in 1315 to Osbert Clynton and his wife, and they conveyed it the same year to John de la Beche, who is returned as its owner in 1316. John immediately obtained a charter of free warren, and in 1318 of a weekly market on Tuesdays and a yearly fair on the vigil, feast and morrow of St. Peter and St. Paul (29 June). He was holding the fee in 1322, but appears to have died soon afterwards, for he was evidently dead by 15 January the following year. He was succeeded by his son Thomas, then a minor, who died without issue in 1331, when the manor passed to his brother John, then aged sixteen. In 1335 the latter's uncle Sir Nicholas and Philip de la Beche, his father, had licence to impark the woods here, and the same year they had a charter of free warren. It seems likely that they were acting as guardians of John, who was still a minor. John died in or before 1336, when his heirs were his three sisters—Joan, the wife of Andrew de Sackville; Isabel, the wife of William Fitz Ellis; and Alice, the wife of Robert Danvers. Within the course of the next five years all three of these heirs sold their shares to their uncle Sir Nicholas de la Beche, who had in the meantime obtained the overlordship. He died in 1345, and the manor passed with the overlordship to his widow Margery for her life, and so to his brother Edmund the archdeacon, except a third, which seems to have been regranted by Margery to Isabel and William Fitz Ellis. At the death of Edmund in 1364–5 the remaining twothirds descended to Andrew son of Joan and Andrew de Sackville and Edmund son of Alice and Robert Danvers, subject to the life interest of Edward de la Beche, who held the manor until his death in 1381. In 1315–16 Margaret widow of Hugh de Brandeston sold her interest in the manor, which appears to have been only a life interest, although she had a son Henry, who was at that time a minor. Henry had a son Hugh, who left two daughters—Agnes, the wife of Philip de Aylesbury, and Rose, who married Richard de Montfort. In 1366 these claimed the manor from Andrew de Sackville, Edmund Danvers and John Duyn, who was the son of Margery the only daughter of Isabel and William Fitz Ellis, but the case was postponed until the coming of age of John Duyn. It seems probable that when this manor and the other estates thus inherited were divided among the three co-heirs Edmund Danvers conveyed his share to Andrew de Sackville, for there is no further reference to any interest in this manor belonging either to him or his heirs. Andrew de Sackville seems to have had two thirds and John Duyn one third. Sir Andrew sold his share in 1365–6 to Ralph de Restwold and Thomas Hancepe, apparently in trust for the latter, who sold it in 1371–2 to Sir Thomas de Coleshill. From Sir Thomas it passed to his daughter and heir Isabel the wife of Hugh Crane, who was holding part of the manor in 1381 and sold it in 1382–3 to Alice Coteron and others, when the share was stated to be two thirds. John Duyn obtained possession of his share on coming of age in 1381–2. A John Fitz Ellis, who may be the same man—in which case he had in the meantime taken his mother's name—or perhaps a cousin of his, died seised of a third of the manor in 1395–6, when his heir was his son John, then aged ten. In 1408–9 John conveyed his share of the manor to John atte Hyde and William Bruyly. In 1414 John Coteron was still in possession of two-thirds of the manor, for that year Rose Montfort, now a widow, and Roger son of Agnes Aylesbury again attempted to establish their right to the manor. What happened is uncertain, for no records have been found to trace the descent of these shares during the next fourteen years, but in 1428 we find the manor in the hands of Richard Merbroke and John Golafre, the latter of whom had probably inherited the share of the manor bought by William Bruyly in 1408–9. Richard Merbroke's only daughter and heir Alice seems to have married Sir John Norreys, K.B., a son of William Norreys of Bray, and Sir John seems to have been in possession of the manor by 1441–2, when he purchased the overlordship of Edward Langford. He appears to have acquired Golafre's interest in the manor, for no further reference to this has been found, and at the same time made his title secure by purchasing the interest, if any, of the heirs of Hugh de Brandeston, who at this time seem to have been Elizabeth wife of John Doyvyle and Joan wife of John Aylesbury. To add still further security he obtained a charter from the king between 1446 and 1448. He was usher to the chamber, squire to the body and master of the wardrobe to Henry VI, Sheriff of Oxford and Berkshire in 1442 and 1457, and squire of the body to Edward IV. He died in 1467 and was buried at Bray, when he was succeeded by his son William, who was holding the manor in 1471. Sir William Norreys was knighted at the battle of Northampton on 9 July 1458 and was knight of the body to Edward IV. He was Sheriff of Oxford and Berkshire in 1468–9, 1482–3 and 1486. In October 1483 he joined the Duke of Buckingham's rebellion, was attainted and fled to Britanny to join Richmond, and returned with him in 1485, when he commanded a troop at the battle of Stoke. He executed a deed at Yattendon in 1479. He married first Isabel daughter of Sir Edmund Ingoldesthorpe of Borough Green, Newmarket, and widow of John Nevill Marquess of Montagu, by whom he had, besides three daughters, three sons, William, Lionel and Richard, all of whom died young, though the two former had been knighted in 1487 and 1529. By his second wife, Jane daughter of John Vere twelfth Earl of Oxford, he had four sons, the eldest of whom was Sir Edward. By his third wife, Anne daughter of John Horne, alderman of London, and widow of Sir John Harcourt, he had one son and four daughters. Sir William died on 4 January 1506–7, but it is uncertain whether he was succeeded by his son Sir Edward, who married Frideswide, sister and heir of Francis Viscount Lovel, or by their son John Norreys, who was certainly holding the manor in 1517. In any case John seems to have had some interest in this manor, or at any rate to have lived here before his grandfather's death, for he is described as late of Yattendon in 1484. He is again referred to in 1526, and entertained the king in 1520, and was holding the manor in 1539. As he had no issue by his wife Elizabeth he had licence in 1542 to settle this manor on himself and his wife, with remainder to his nephew Henry, the son of his brother Henry, who was then about to marry Margery daughter of Sir John Williams, afterwards Lord Williams of Thame. He died in 1564, when under the settlement the manor passed to his nephew. Henry Norreys was knighted, and in 1572 was created Lord Norreys of Rycote. He was holding this manor in 1576 and died in 1601. His eldest son William Norreys died in 1579, having married in 1576 Elizabeth daughter of Sir Richard Moryson and Bridget, afterwards Countess of Bedford; he left a son Francis, then aged one year and eight months. Another son of Henry was Sir John Norreys, kt., who served in the Low Countries as commander. He died in 1597, and is said to have been buried at Yattendon, though his name does not occur in the registers, but a monument in the church states that he died at his house here on 3 July 1597. On the death of Henry Lord Norreys the manor passed to his grandson Francis, who in 1610 conveyed the manor to trustees, apparently on his marriage to Bridget, second daughter of Edward seventeenth Earl of Oxford. Francis Lord Norreys was made a knight of the Bath on 6 January 1604–5 and on 20 January 1620–1 created Viscount Thame and Earl of Berkshire, at the suggestion of the Earl of Buckingham. He shot himself with a cross-bow and died on 31 January 1622–3, leaving an only daughter Elizabeth, married to Edmund Wray, whose only daughter Bridget married as her second husband Montagu Bertie second Earl of Lindsey, and was the mother of James Bertie Lord Norreys of Rycote, created Earl of Abingdon in 1682. Ten years before his death, however, in 1613, the Earl of Berkshire had settled the manor of Yattendon and other estates on an illegitimate son by Sarah Rose, afterwards the wife of Samuel Hayward. This son, known as Francis Norreys, was knighted on 27 August 1633, served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1635–6 and was M.P. for Oxfordshire in 1656 and 1658. In 1629 he married Jane daughter of Sir John Rouse, kt., when he placed the manor in settlement. In 1662 Sir Francis Norreys, with Hester his second wife and Edward Norreys their son, made a further settlement conveying the manor to Vincent Barry and John Smith, apparently in trust on the marriage of Edward, who was knighted on 22 November the same year. On the death of Sir Francis in 1669 the manor passed to his son Edward. Sir Edward served as M.P. for Oxfordshire from 1675 to 1679 and again from 1700 to 1708, and appears to have died soon afterwards. His son Francis, who was M.P. for Oxford from 1700 to 1705, died in 1706 during his father's lifetime. At Sir Edward's death the manor seems to have passed to James Norreys, who would appear to have been another son, and in 1714 he and his wife Mary conveyed the manor to James Close, apparently in trust. James Norreys seems to have died without issue shortly afterwards, for in 1721 we find the manor held by James Bertie, who appears to have been the son of Henry Bertie, brother of the first Earl of Abingdon, and his wife Philadelphia, who was a daughter of Sir Edward Norreys. At the death of James Bertie the manor passed to his son Norreys Bertie, who was holding it in 1747 and again in 1759. By his will dated 1766 he left a charge on his estates to his cousin Willoughby fourth Earl of Abingdon, in trust for Lady Elizabeth Gallini, while the manors were left to his cousin Captain the Hon. Peregrine Bertie, the earl's brother. Notwithstanding this will, in 1784 he sold the manor for £2,000 to Sophia Harris, who seems to have been a distant cousin, for Jane, another daughter of Sir Edward Norreys, had married Roger Harris of Winchester, while the mother of Norreys Bertie was Elizabeth daughter of Roger Harris of the same city. Soon after the sale the manor was bought back by the Hon. Peregrine Bertie, who sold it the following year, 1785, to Sir John Andrea Gallini. Giovanni Andrea Gallini, born in Florence on 7 January 1728, arrived in England nearly destitute about 1753 and became a famous dancer at the Haymarket Theatre. As dancing master he visited the house of the Earl of Abingdon and married one of his daughters, Lady Elizabeth Peregrine Bertie, before 13 October 1766. They lived together for some time, but during their later years separated. He danced before the pope, who made him a knight of the Golden Spurs, after which he called himself Sir John. He survived his wife, who died in 1804. At his death in 1805 the manor passed to his son John Andrea Gallini, who was holding the manor in 1806, but was dead before 1825, when one-fifth of the manor belonged to one of his daughters, Mary. The children of Gallini, who appear to have been five in number, of whom two at least were sons, Alfred and Arthur, were still possessed of the manor in 1839. In or about 1841 they sold the estate to T. A. Howard, and as the title seemed insecure owing to Sir John Gallini being an alien, a royal warrant was issued in 1841 to make this good. From T. A. Howard the manor passed to his son Thomas Aubrey Howard, who sold it in 1877 to the late Alfred Waterhouse, R.A., LL.D., at whose death, on 25 August 1905, it passed to his widow, the present owner. The Domesday Survey makes mention of a mill of the annual value of 5s., but there is no mill in the parish at the present day.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes