Aisholt: Manors and other estates

MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.

In 1086 the land of Roger de Courcelles included HOLT (Olta, probably the later Aisholt) and HOLCOMBE. Alweard had held both in 1066 and held Holcombe of Roger in 1086, when Roger's tenant at Holt was one Robert. (fn. 1) The two estates seem to have been combined in the manor of AISHOLT, probably a fee of William de Curci's barony of Stogursey in 1166, (fn. 2) and later held as of Stogursey manor, as in 1472. (fn. 3) In 1275, however, it was said to be held by the serjeanty of following the king in the army. (fn. 4)

William de Reigny held of William de Curci in 1166 a fee which was identified as Aisholt in 1186 (fn. 5) and descended with Doniford in St. Decumans (fn. 6) to Sir William de Reigny (d. 1275), on whose death Aisholt was divided. Land at Aisholt, Lower Aisholt, and Holcombe, with the advowson, passed to his illegitimate daughter Joan, wife of Robert de Acton. Joan was followed by her son Robert (d. c. 1303), her grandson Robert de Acton (d. c. 1316), and her great-grandson Richard de Acton. (fn. 7) Richard settled the estate in 1384 on himself and his wife Margaret, with remainder to Sir Thomas Fichet, lord of Spaxton. The Fichets had possession by 1395, (fn. 8) and the manor descended with Spaxton. (fn. 9)

Land called in 1202 Postridge and later WEST POSTRIDGE seems to have descended from Roger de Reigny to his grandson John de Reigny. (fn. 10) It may have been the ½ knight's fee which the heirs of Sir William de Reigny (d. 1275) held of Robert Walerand's heirs, lords of Rodway in Cannington and mesne tenants of the barony of Dunster, in 1284-5. (fn. 11) It was said in 1294 to be held of Rodway (fn. 12) but in 1472 to be held of John FitzJames and his wife Joan, widow of Hugh Malet. (fn. 13) In 1431 it was held by John Hill. (fn. 14)

Roger de Reigny gave land later called EAST POSTRIDGE manor to Plympton priory (Devon) before 1166. (fn. 15) The priory acquired more land but in the 13th century granted the whole estate to Walter of Kentisbere in return for an annuity which they probably sold before 1372. (fn. 16) East Postridge descended to Gillian of Kentisbere, who in 1280 assigned it to her daughter Joan, wife of Hugh Popham. (fn. 17) In 1326 (fn. 18) Joan's son John Popham (d. c. 1345) held it. John's son Hugh (d. c. 1361) left a widow Hawise (d. c. 1389) with a life estate in East Postridge. Their sons sold their reversionary interests to Sir Thomas Fichet in 1384. (fn. 19) In 1372 Fichet redeemed the annuity charged on the estate from Katharine Fraunceys but in 1381 he granted it back to her for her life. (fn. 20) In 1398 the estate was settled on Robert Hill and his wife Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas. (fn. 21) Robert's son John held East and West Postridge as two estates in 1431, (fn. 22) but they were later a single manor and descended with Spaxton, merging with it by the 18th century. (fn. 23) In 1920 Postridge farm was sold by E. A. V. Stanley to Somerset county council, the owner in 1986. (fn. 24)

Postridge Farm has a double-pile plan incorporating a south range of late 16th or 17th-century origin, remodelled when the parallel north range was added in the later 18th century. There was further refitting in the early 19th century.

Part of William de Reigny's estate at Postridge and Aisholt was divided after his death in 1275 among some of the heirs who received shares of Doniford: (fn. 25) an estate at Aisholt descended in the Huish family until 1627 or later, (fn. 26) and one called Horsey's Postridge (fn. 27) in the Horsey family until 1507 or later. (fn. 28)

Lands at West Holcombe were conveyed by John, son and heir of John of Holcombe of Dunster, to Sir Edward Hull in 1443-4, and probably descended in the Malet family with Enmore. It may be the estate known as Holcombe Colford or Holcombe and Colford in the later 15th and early 16th century. (fn. 29)

LITTLE POSTRIDGE was owned by the Malet family in the 16th century like Hulkshay in North Petherton. (fn. 30) With the addition of Longthorns and other land in Postridge held by the Cridland family in the 17th century, (fn. 31) Little Postridge descended as part of Enmore manor. (fn. 32) A house stood at Little Postridge in 1833 but the land had been added to Postridge farm. (fn. 33) The house had gone by 1887. (fn. 34) The house at Longthorns is a 19th-century Italianate villa, probably built between 1861 and 1866. (fn. 35)

Joan, William de Reigny's illegitimate daughter, gave an estate at Lower Aisholt to a villein tenant, Robert Tropenel, in 1292. (fn. 36) By the 15th century it was held with Plainsfield in Over Stowey (fn. 37) and in 1492 was said to be held of the bishop of Bath and Wells. (fn. 38) After the death of Nicholas Williams without male issue it reverted to the Crown. (fn. 39) By 1601 the estate had been acquired by Humphrey Blake and appears to have descended with the advowson until 1842 or later. (fn. 40) The rest of Lower Aisholt remained part of Aisholt manor until that manor was divided and sold in 1833 (fn. 41) when it was probably bought by Mary Stephens, the owner in 1834. (fn. 42) Both farms at Lower Aisholt became part of the Quantock estate; in 1933 they were sold as a single farm. One house, since demolished, was then being used for storage and the owner was said to have used an adjacent building with panelled ceilings as a cider cellar. (fn. 43) The other house probably dates from the 16th century and has 19th- and 20th-century additions.