23 Sep Lordship Title of Westcourt ID14282
Posted at 08:18h
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Possibly Humphrey de Inkpen, who paid a mark for unjust disseising in Berkshire in 1176, was owner of the manor at Inkpen afterwards known as WESTCOURT. Gervase the son of Nicholas de Inkpen was holding land here in 1234, and he was succeeded by his son Nicholas a few years later. Nicholas was living in 1250, when he witnessed the grants to the abbey of Titchfield by Peter Sukemund and Geoffrey Mansell, but he appears to have died soon afterwards, and was succeeded by Richard de Inkpen. Richard was succeeded by his son Sir Roger, who was holding this manor in 1263 and 1273, and settled certain lands here in 1281 on himself and his wife Emeline. He was Sheriff of Cornwall in 1285 and 1286, and at the beginning of the 14th century his possessions were put in exigent until he had accounted for homicides, harbouring of felons and divers other trespasses, but they were restored to him in 1302. He died in 1306, and this manor passed to his widow Emeline, who afterwards married Thomas Raundelou. Thomas and Emeline enfeoffed John Maltravers the younger of the manor, but he redelivered it to them in 1330. Emeline was probably dead before 1334, as the manor appears to have reverted before that time to the heir of her first husband. Sir Roger de Inkpen's heir was his nephew Roger de Inkpen, who seems to have been constantly serving with Aymer de Valence both in Scotland and abroad from 1303 to 1313, and was pardoned in 1313 for his share in the death of Piers Gaveston. He married Joan daughter and heiress of Sir John de Halton, and died before 1314. His widow took as her second husband Robert Bendyn, to whom the king had granted her marriage in 1314, and died about 1331, her heir being her son Nicholas de Inkpen. Nicholas was evidently holding this manor in 1334 and settled it in 1344 upon himself and his sons, John, Roger, Thomas, Nicholas and William. The eldest son John died before 1362, when Joan his widow was living, leaving a daughter Ricarda, who married Sir Thomas Fychet of Spaxton (co. Somers.). Ricarda died in 1390, leaving a son Thomas, who died an infant in 1395, when the manor passed to his sister Isabel wife of Robert Hill. Robert Hill was a judge of the Common Pleas, and after the death of his wife Isabel held this manor, of which he died seised in 1423. His son John Hill died in 1434, when a third of Westcourt passed in dower to his widow Cecily, who took as her second husband Sir Thomas Keryell and lived until 1472. Her son John Hill died in 1455 seised of two-thirds of this manor, leaving an infant daughter Genevieve. His widow Margaret took as her second husband Thomas Wodehull, and outliving him died in 1497. Genevieve married Sir William Say of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who died in 1529, when his wife and only child John were already dead. John Hill and Cecily had a daughter Alice, whose son John Cheney left two daughters and co-heirs, Joan wife of Sir Richard Pudsaye, and Isabel wife of Edward Waldgrave, who both died before 1529. Joan had left three daughters: Anne, who had married Robert Hussey of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, and had died leaving a son Thomas, Elizabeth wife of William Clopton of Denston, Suffolk, who had also died leaving a son William, and Elizabeth or Anne, who had married John Ellis and was dead, leaving a daughter Ellen married to George Babington. Isabel and Edward Waldgrave were represented in 1529 by their son John. The various estates of Genevieve seem to have been divided among these four co-heirs, and this manor fell to the share of John Waldgrave, whose son Edward, with Frances his wife, sold it in 1551 to Roger Ricard or Richards. Roger died here in 1558, leaving the manor to his son William, who died seised of it in 1589. His son William sold it in 1622 to Richard Money. By his will proved in 1657 Richard Money bequeathed an annuity of £30 from these lands to his disobedient and rebellious son Richard, and the manor equally between his three daughters, Margaret Heron widow, Frances wife of Andrew Twitchen, and Elizabeth wife of William Hore. Frances and Andrew Twitchen seem to have died before 1672, for in that year William and Elizabeth Hore, Richard Twitchen and Mary his wife, William Cliff and Martha his wife, Andrew Twitchen and Margaret Twitchen sold their share of this manor, amounting to two-thirds, to John Edmunds. John Edmunds was living here in 1664, but what afterwards happened to this part of the manor is uncertain. In 1731 William East conveyed twothirds of it to Richard Smith. It was probably a descendant of his, the Rev. Martin Stafford Smith of Prior Park, near Bath, who conveyed these two-thirds in 1784 to the trustees of George John second Earl Spencer. He sold them on 15 June 1798 to Francis Durnford, who mortgaged this property in 1798 and died intestate in 1804, when it passed to his widow Mary, who was holding it in 1810. In 1813 the estate had passed to the only daughter of Francis, who put it up to auction in August that year, when it was purchased in two parts by the Earl of Craven and William Blandy. A dispute having arisen the contracts were relinquished and the property was settled in 1822 on Mary Newman, the daughter of Francis Durnford, and her issue. The estate was eventually purchased from Mary Newman, 27 August 1829, by William second Earl of Craven, and attached to his estate at Hampstead Marshall (q.v.), with which it has descended to the present Earl of Craven. The remaining third of this manor belonged to Margaret Heron and appears to have passed at her death in 1671 to her nephew Richard Twitchen, who sold it in 1715 to Anthony Guidott. For some little time the history of this estate is obscure, but in 1756 Michael and Joseph Stratton sold it to John Bradburne. Harry Bradburne was lord of this manor in 1810, and in 1828 Anne Nutley, widow, Thomas and Mary Hutchins, Richard and Elizabeth Fry, and George and Mary Redman sold what appears to have been this estate to George Sainsbury. It was sold in 1865 by Joseph and George Mills and William Henry Sewell to Henry Hissey, whose mortgagees sold it in 1900 to Mr. W. D. Browne.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
No