05 Jun Lordship Title of Winterbourne or Winterbourne Grey ID14243
Posted at 08:31h
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This manor had been held of Queen Edith by Lanc, and at the time of the Domesday Survey was being farmed of the king by Theodoric, who appears to have been identical with Theodoric the goldsmith, who succeeded to Lanc's estates at Hampstead Norris (q.v.). Lane's wife held the manor of Aston Tirrold, which, however, did not pass to Theodoric, yet in the 13th century the two estates of Winterbourne and Aston Tirrold were held by the same tenants. The subsequent history of the property is obscure, but there is evidence which seems to support a suggestion that the manor of Winterbourne and the manor of Aston Tirrold were for some time after the Conquest in the hands of one Turold of Aston, apparently the son of Geoffrey, who perhaps married the heiress of lands at Sulham and Bolney. He had three sons, Miles, Nicholas and Richard, and as no descendants of these are found in possession of these lands it is possible that they died without issue. It seems likely that after the death of Turold his widow married William of Sulham. The latter, in the reign of Henry I, granted to the abbey of Abingdon the tithes on his land at Bolney, and confirmed a former gift of tithes on his lands at Chilton, which belonged to his step-daughter Leodseline, who was probably Turold's daughter. That he had two daughters, eventual heirs of their brother Nicholas, seems almost certain. Nicholas son of Turold of Aston was holding the manor of Winterbourne in 1156, and was living in 1189–90, but by 1207 the manor had probably passed to the descendants of his sisters, one of whom apparently married Ralph Danvers and the other Maenfel of Bolney. In 1207 Roland Danvers, the elder son of Ralph Danvers, was disputing with Nicholas de Bolney about land at Wokefield. In 1210 Ralph died, leaving the Winterbourne estate to his younger son Robert, who was one of the three co-heirs in 1242. Nicholas son of Maenfel de Bolney died before 1219, leaving two daughters, Alice and Margery, who married Reginald de Whitchurch and Alan de Farnham. Nicholas's widow, Agnes, had taken as her second husband William de Bowen or Boveney, and in 1219 they were claiming a third part of certain lands in Fawley held of Reginald de Whitchurch and Alice his wife by Simon de Lewknor, which it is said had been inherited by Nicholas from his uncle Nicholas de Sedham, in whom, perhaps, we may recognize Nicholas of Winterbourne who quitclaimed half a fee here to the Bishop of Salisbury. The estates inherited by the daughters of Nicholas seem to have been considerable, for we find Alan and Reginald sharing lands in Aston Tirrold, Winterbourne, Colrugge, Chilton, Winton, Wokefield, Bolney and Fawley. Lands were held of the Earl of Warwick in 1242 by Simon de Lewknor, a tenant of Reynold de Whitchurch, Alan de Farnham and Robert Danvers. We also find Robert de Anvers or Danvers, or members of his family, holding land in Aston Tirrold, Winterbourne, Chilton and Wokefield. It seems clear, then, that these three were co-heirs to the same estates. About 1242 Reginald and his wife granted their share to Robert, and this probably became part of the estate which was afterwards known as the manor of Winterbourne Danvers (vide infra). Alan de Farnham and his wife then held part of a fee at Winterbourne, which, like most of their estates, seems to have passed after the death of Margery, who was holding them in 1259–60, to their daughter Juliana, who married Gilbert de Ellesfield, and after his death John de St. Helens. The latter was holding other lands that had belonged to Alan in 1275–6 and 1280, and he died before 1295. These lands passed to Gilbert son of John de Ellesfield, who was holding lands at Bolney in 1313 and a knight's fee here in 1315. After his death they passed to his son Gilbert, who died before 1402, leaving no issue, when the fee was held by the heirs of the elder Gilbert. In 1446 it was still held by the heirs of Gilbert, but there is no later mention of this mesne overlordship. Margery de Bolney, the wife of Alan de Farnham, or her successor appears to have enfeoffed Thomas de Valognes of the manor, and he enfeoffed his daughter Joan on her marriage with Sir Robert Grey of Rotherfield. Joan died seised of this estate in 1312, when her grandson John, son of her son John, was found to be her heir, and was then aged eleven years. John Grey was holding the manor in 1315, though it was in the custody of Hugh le Despenser the elder during John's minority. In 1330 John obtained a grant of free warren here, and Ralph de Grey afterwards held here. The manor is subsequently called the manor of WINTERBOURNE GREY. In 1423 the estate had passed into the hands of William Danvers, the lord of the manor of Winterbourne Danvers (q.v.). Possibly it was the manor of Winterbourne quitclaimed to William by trustees in 1409–10.
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Listed in the Domesday Book:
Yes