Lordship Title of Wille or Wyld ID14251

County:
Title Type:
Previous Lords:
The manor of WILĹE (Wille, xi cent.; la Wyle, xii, xiv cent.; Wilde, xvi cent.) has usually been identified with the estate of Well House, which lies to the south of the hamlet of Eling, but its subsequent history seems to show that it included also a long strip extending from Wyld Court Farm on the east to Bothampstead Farm on the west, lying between the manor of Hampstead Norris on the north and that of Eling on the south. In the reign of Edward the Confessor it was held of the king by Elwin, and in 1086 it was held by Gilbert de Bretville. The overlordship of this passed with all Gilbert's manors to Baldwin de Redvers, seventh Earl of Devon, who was holding it in the 13th century, and after his death in 1245 it seems to have passed to his widow Amice, whose second husband was Robert Gynes. It seems likely that she married for the third time Matthew de Columbers, who was overlord of this manor, and was living as late as 1280. At the death of Amice in 1283, as her only son Baldwin eighth Earl of Devon had died childless in 1262, the manor passed to her daughter Isabel the wife of William de Fortz Earl of Albemarle. Isabel sold to the king on 8 November 1293 the Isle of Wight, Christchurch and others estates, among which this manor was included. The overlordship of this manor remained in the hands of the king until about 1330, when it was granted to Sir William Montagu, who was in 1337 created Earl of Salisbury. Sir William married Katherine de Grandison, and died in 1344, when he was succeeded by his eldest son William, then aged fifteen. This William married Elizabeth daughter and heir of John Lord Mohun, and died in 1397 without surviving issue, as he had killed his only son Sir William in 1382. The overlordship descended to John Montagu, nephew of the last earl, being the son of his younger brother John. John Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, rebelled and was slain at Cirencester in 1400, when he was attainted and his manors came to the Crown. Although most of the estates were restored to his son Thomas in 1409, this appears to have remained with the Crown. The overlordship seems to have been divided, for in 1411 we find the manor of Bothampstead held of the Duke of Lancaster as of the honour of Tutbury, while the following year certain lands at Wille are stated to have been held of Sir Robert Ferrers, lord of Chartley, as of his manor of Hampstead. As in the case of Peasemore (q.v.), the overlordship of the Bothampstead portion was held of the Earls of Salisbury by Sir Richard Abberbury in 1390.
Other Information:
Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes

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