DATA BASE REF NO: H 1042
BENEFICE MANORS SUMMARY
We need to be clear about the manors (at least as clear as we are
able!) as they are in effect the early history of the villages, other than the
churches. Then we will know who is writing about what manor. The things that in
essence defined a manor were its geographical area, the fact there was a Lord
of the Manor, and that it had a Manor Court.
UPTON MANOR
Appears in charter of Wulfhere to P’boro in 664, but not in Domesday
Book (probably included in Ailsworth/Castor entry)
12cent, Godwin of Upton, then held by Watervilles of Marholm, then
various people such a s de Dives, Camoys, Torpel family
1308 granted to Piers Gaveston by EdII, then Jn E of Surrey, neph of
King EdII, other relations of royal family etc
1492 to Eliz wife of HenVII
1543-4 to Sir Richard Wingfield
1625 sold to Sir Wm Dove son of Bp Dove of P’boro
1750 sold by Doves to Milton Fitzwilliams.
There was a second manor at Upton, never became a full manor, and by
marriage passed to Wingfields, thus uniting all Upton Manor
The Manor House in Wingfields was on
site Manor Farm (part still there, but only fraction of size), most
pulled down, rest left as farmhouse.
SUTTON MANOR
Abbey of P’boro manor, run by Almoner
1541 granted to Dean and Chapter
1854Taken over by Ecclesiastical Commissioners
1898 Bought by Revd Wm Hopkinson
1997 Current Lords of Manor now the Bishop family(this is a surname,
not the Bishop) who bought Grange
and manor title off Hopkinsons
MARHOLM
Mystery, not in Domesday, was it part of Milton, and the Church the
Chapel-of-ease to Castor?
By 1228 Church had its own rector, although later to share again with
Castor.
In 1502 Wm Fitzwilliam bought Milton from Robt Wyttilbury, purchase
described as Manors of Milton, Marham with their appurtenances in Milton,
Marham, Caster,(sic) Etton, Maxsey Norborough and Depyngate”. Clearly two
separate manors, that of Marholm and Milton (Milton being in Castor parish),
and the overlord being the Abbot (cf Domesday book entry for Milton).
MILTON – see above
Lords of Manor from 1502 were Fitzwilliams – Manor House at Milton Hall
CASTOR – confusing consisted of three manors at one time (this
is excluding Upton, Sutton, Belsize and Milton all in Castor parish)
Abbot of P’boro until 1537
(dissolution) then granted to Dean and Chapter. This is almost certainly the
same Manor described as the Manor of Castor or Berrystead by the Parliamentary
Commissioners in 1647, stolen off church by Cromwell’s lot, then reverted back
to Dean and Chapter in 1660 (restoration of King Chas II). Taken over by
Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1836. The Manor Farm for this is the one (I
think) now called Village Farm, descended from the Manor that Abbot Alexander
of Holderness had 1222-1226, who built the hall at Castor –possibly now the
Sched Mon in the Empties (The Enties) opposite Village Farm.
By 1136 held by Thorold,
father of Richard and Geoffery, it was split into two parts viz:
Richard
son of Thorold was a priest, he took one
third plus the church, then became a monk, and the land went to the Abbey/
Dean and Chapter etc.
The
other two thirds went to Geoffery,
his successors incl more Thorolds, then in 1460 to Sir Guy Wolston (now also
described “as the Manor of Castor, otherwise called the manor of Butler’s and
Thorold’s”, then to Thomas Empson (son-in-law of Wolston) then in 1515 to
Richard Fitzwilliam. In 1534 William Fitzwilliam died holding this manor, now
still held by Milton. Page 1 of 1
BELSIZE
– In Castor Parish, but treated in book by Marholm chapters
Was it a manor, sometimes described as such
but no manor court?
In 1214 Abbot Robert built houses at Belsize.
By 15th cent clearly a small hamlet, eg 100 tenants there. Run by
Cellarer for Abbey (also went with it, land in Marholm, Woodcroft and Milton).
1541 went to Dean and Chapter, stolen by
Cromwell’s men off church in 1650, then reverted to Dean etc in 1660, then
passed from Dean and Chapter to Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1836 (who at
that stage I think sold it to Milton; the Fitzwilliams having held it(rented
it) off the Dean etc as tenants certainly since before 1700 cf Francis Guybon’s
letters from the then Lord Fitzwilliam, who complained I recall, about the rent paid to Dean & Chapter)
AILSWORTH
– in Castor Parish
Mentioned in Domesday Book (this entry prob
included Sutton and Upton) as held by Abbot of P’boro.
Note: (Records of part of Ailsworth at one
stage being owned by Torpel family (1253), probably only a half manor which in
reality consisted of sundry tenements. According to VCH, these bits may be part
of Manor of Minskipp in Castor and Ailsworth shown as held by Lord Fitzwilliam
in 1620)
Most of Ailsworth held by Abbey and in 1541
granted to Dean and Chapter. The Manor Farm House still on Main Street (now nos
50 and 52, being split into two houses). Stolen by Cromwelll’s lot in 1650, and
given back to Dean etc in 1660 then passed from Dean and Chapter to
Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1836. Nearly whole of Ailsworth owned by Church
Commissioners until recently.
Most of this gleaned from VCH.
MANOR
FARM HOUSES
There would however, nearly always be a manor
farmhouse; this was the demesne or manor farm and the Lord of the manor kept
all the income from it, whereas he only took rents from other farms in his/her
manor. The manor farmhouses are the
best clue to the Manors in our area.
Therefore Eg:
UPTON: Manor farmhouse
at Upton = Upton manor
SUTON: Manor farmhouse
at Sutton = Sutton manor
MARHOLM: Manor farmhouse
at Marholm = Marholm manor
MILTON: Milton was a manor house itself, therefore it would
have had a Home Farm to meet its domestic needs for meat, milk etc(not
primarily for income,) presumably this was Home Farm Marholm
CASTOR: Castor – two
manors originally perhaps three
·
Dean and Chapter
manor,(Castor or Berrystead manor) for which I think Theo’s old place Village
Farm was the manor farmhouse.(some church docs refer to it as the Village Manor
Farm)
·
Butler’s or Thorold’s
Manor aka as Castor, from 1515 was Fitzwilliam, but no obvious manor
farm house
·
Manor Farmhouse in Castor was always owned by the church, but I think
the name is recent, ie given by Fletchers, not its original name.
AILSWORTH Ailsworth Manor
Farm = Ailsworth Manor. Note that this is the house The Manor Farm House still
on Main Street (now nos 50 and 52, being split into two houses where Sarah and
Gerry Rideout and Maurice Wickam has his surgery). It is not the place where
Andrew Harrison Smith now lives. He took the name with him, when the Harrison
Smiths moved from Manor Farm House Main Street (owned by church at time), and
called his new residence Manor Farm House. I do not think that there has been a
manor house there either, the church being absentee lords of the manor. The
house the Chambers call Manor House Ailsworth is as a name a recent acquisition
I think.
All clear as mud, but we need to know who is writing about which manor;
if any problems, just summarize the VCH for your area.
Where did Castor House fit in all this? Clearly owned by Church for 200
years
Afternote:
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