Wisbech: Subsidiary manors

SUBSIDIARY MANORS (fn. 1)

The manor or capital messuage of CORNERS or CORINS HOLT, which lay in the north-west corner of Wheatmaths Field, (fn. 2) first appears in 1512. It had been settled on Sir Edward Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton (Warws.), (fn. 3) who bequeathed it to his relict Constance (d. 1551), with remainder to his daughter Alice for life, his grandson Edward in tail male, and to the right heirs of his younger son Nicholas. (fn. 4) In 1581 it was passed by Thomas Gray and Joan his wife to Henry Stapleton of Rempstone (Notts.), (fn. 5) who two years later settled it on his wife Elizabeth for life, with remainder to his daughter Faith, wife of Matthew Babbington. Faith predeceased her mother, after whose death (1593) the estate passed to John Stapleton, Henry's nephew. (fn. 6) In the last few years of Elizabeth's reign he was engaged in lawsuits over the property with his tenant Gabriel Armstrong. (fn. 7) Stapleton passed the manor in 1600 to Francis Lodge, and the latter in 1606 to William Goodday. (fn. 8) In 1629 Thomas Holmes appears as tenant of 27 acres of pasture in Corners Holt. (fn. 9) Corners Holt was later vested in Thomas Swaine of Leverington. His grandson Spelman Swaine settled the freehold portion of 36 acres on his marriage. It passed to his son Walter, who died seised of it in 1803. (fn. 10)

The manor of WHITE HALL, now represented by the farm of that name on the North Brink about 1½ mile south-west of the town, is first mentioned in 1479-80, when Richard Cause or Caius was in possession of a messuage and 500 acres. (fn. 11) This came by marriage to William Everard, whose granddaughter Grace married Richard Buckworth of Wisbech. The manor remained in possession of the latter family (fn. 12) until 1703, when it was sold to Robert Harris of London. (fn. 13) His descendant Thomas Harris of Chelsea in 1779 bequeathed it to William Wills of East Ham in trust for his wife Mary for her life, then to Christopher Hand of Fleet Street, ironmonger. (fn. 14) The latter died childless and the property, after the life interest of his wife Fanny, passed to his nephew Philip Bennett and his heirs. (fn. 15) Philip Bennett junior made a settlement of the estate on his marriage (1822) to Ann Pilkington, when the house with 248 acres was let to Thomas Moore for £400 a year. William Moore, the latter's son, bought the property in 1842 for £11,000, and on his death in 1882 it was sold in small lots. (fn. 16) The manor house had been pulled down in 1807, and the farmhouse which replaced it was severely damaged by enemy action in 1940. (fn. 17)

A manor of REPPES was in possession of John Reppes in 1542. (fn. 18) In the later 16th century it belonged to the Coney family, (fn. 19) of whom Henry and Martha his wife conveyed it in 1622 to Edward Cason, who died seised of it four years later having settled it on his son John. (fn. 20) The latter with his wife Elizabeth passed it to Francis Polsted in 1634, (fn. 21) and it changed hands several times subsequently. The existence of this manor is last recorded in 1697. (fn. 22)