Eastington: Manors and other estates

MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.

Eastington was not mentioned in Domesday Book. The later manor of Eastington was apparently then included in Thurstan son of Rolf's manor of Fretherne, (fn. 1) and passed with it to Winebaud de Ballon who held Eastington in 1092. (fn. 2) A daughter of Winebaud married one of the Newmarch family, and in 1166 Eastington was perhaps the fee held by Hamelin de Ballon from her son Henry of Newmarch. (fn. 3) The overlordship had passed by 1235 to Nicholas de Moels who had married Hawise, daughter of James of Newmarch, (fn. 4) and in 1275 it belonged to Nicholas's son, Roger. (fn. 5) It then presumably passed to Roger's son, John de Moels, Lord Moels, and in 1326 the overlord was the heir of John's son, Nicholas de Moels (fn. 6) (d. 1316). (fn. 7)

In 1227 lands in Eastington, presumably the later manor of EASTINGTON, were held by John de Ballon. (fn. 8) In 1231 John's land in Eastington, taken into the king's hands because his son was suspected of the murder of a royal servant, was replevied to him, (fn. 9) and in 1236 Margery de Ballon, perhaps his widow, held Eastington as 1 knight's fee. (fn. 10) During the rebellion of the early 1260's the manor was taken by John Giffard, and c. 1265 was restored to John de Ballon, (fn. 11) who was succeeded c. 1275 by his brother Walter. (fn. 12) Walter was dead by c. 1290 when his widow Iseult married Hugh de Audley, who was lord of the manor in 1316 (fn. 13) and had a grant of free warren in 1318. (fn. 14) On Hugh's rebellion in 1322 the manor was taken by the Crown, (fn. 15) which restored it to his widow Iseult in 1326. (fn. 16) On Iseult's death in 1338 (fn. 17) the manor passed to Sir James Audley, son of her son James (d. 1334). Sir James, who died in 1369, held it in 1357 and 1368. (fn. 18) He was succeeded in it by Hugh Stafford, Earl of Stafford, grandson of Sir James's uncle Hugh de Audley, Earl of Gloucester; Hugh Stafford held Eastington manor, together with Alkerton manor, (fn. 19) at his death in 1386. (fn. 20) The manors were held by Hugh's feoffees, who included Nicholas Stafford, until 1390 or later, (fn. 21) but in 1401 the feoffees of the manors were Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter, and Nicholas Bradshawe. (fn. 22) They were held by Hugh Stafford at his death in 1420 when they passed to his nephew Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Stafford, (fn. 23) who was created Duke of Buckingham in 1444 and killed in 1460. In 1467 the manors were apparently held by Humphrey's widow Anne and her husband, Walter Blount, Lord Mountjoy. (fn. 24) Humphrey's grandson Henry, Duke of Buckingham, executed in 1483, presumably held the manors, which passed to the Crown on the execution and attainder of Henry's son Edward, Duke of Buckingham, in 1521. (fn. 25) They were later restored to Edward's widow: Eleanor, but reverted to the Crown on her death in 1530. (fn. 26)

In 1531 the Crown granted the manors to Thomas Heneage and Catherine his wife, (fn. 27) who exchanged them with the Crown for other lands in 1540. (fn. 28) In 1554 the Crown granted them to Henry Stafford, Lord Stafford (d. 1563), son of Edward, Duke of Buckingham, (fn. 29) and in 1564 Henry's widow Ursula with her son Henry, Lord Stafford (d. 1566), leased the manors to another of her sons, Richard Stafford. In 1569 Edward, Lord Stafford, sold the manors to Richard Stafford, but later the same year he and Ursula Stafford sold the chief house and site of Eastington manor to Richard Stephens and in 1570 they sold the manor of Alkerton to Stephens; (fn. 30) Richard Stephens held the whole of both manors at his death in 1577, (fn. 31) but between 1583 and c. 1588 the right of his successors was being challenged by Mary, wife of Richard Stafford. (fn. 32) Richard Stephens was succeeded by his brother Edward (fn. 33) (d. 1587), and Edward by his son Richard (fn. 34) (d. 1599). (fn. 35) The manors were farmed by Daniel and Henry Fowler until 1611, when Richard's son Nathaniel came of age. (fn. 36) Nathaniel Stephens, who was deprived of his office as J.P. for opposing Ship Money, was a strong supporter of Parliament in the Civil War; he sat in the Long Parliament as a member for the county and at the election of 1640 was said to be supported mainly by Puritan clergy. (fn. 37) He died in 1660, (fn. 38) when his son Richard received a pardon under the Act of Indemnity and Oblivion. (fn. 39) Richard Stephens died in 1678 and his son Nathaniel in 1732, (fn. 40) and Nathaniel's widow, Elizabeth, was lady of the manor until c. 1742 when the estate passed to her son Richard. Richard died c. 1770 and the estate passed successively to his brothers, Nathaniel (d. 1776), the Revd. Robert (d. 1777), and Henry (d. 1795). Henry's widow Anne held the estate until her death in 1801, when it passed to Henry's cousin, Henry Willis, who took the name and arms of Stephens. (fn. 41)

In 1806 Henry Stephens sold the estate to Henry Hicks, a clothier, (fn. 42) who owned 783 a. in Eastington c. 1830, (fn. 43) and died in 1836. (fn. 44) In 1835 or later a large part of Hicks's estate, including Westend farm, another farm at Westend, and one at Nastend, was sold to the trustees of Henry Bengough, who held 473 a. in 1839. (fn. 45) The estate then descended with Wheatenhurst manor (fn. 46) until it was divided and sold in 1927; (fn. 47) most of the land was owned by the farmers in 1968. (fn. 48) Millend House, Millend Mill, Alkerton Farm, Muddleshole Farm, and 249 a; passed on Henry Hicks's death to his second son, Henry Purnell Hicks (fn. 49) (d. 1862), and may have passed to his widow Catherine. (fn. 50) Most of that estate was put up for sale in 1869 and 1872. (fn. 51) Another 165 a. of Henry Hicks's estate, including the house called the Leaze with its park, and Churchend and Meadow Mills, passed on his death to Eliza Hicks, (fn. 52) the widow of his eldest son, John Phillimore Hicks (d. 1836). Eliza died in 1868 leaving the estate to her daughters, Emma, Fanny, Julia, and Margaret, who sold the Leaze and its park (88 a.) to Thomas Marling, of the family of millowners, in 1870. Emma and Julia retained 55 a. and Churchend and Meadow Mills in 1892; Julia died in 1896. (fn. 53) Eliza Hicks was apparently the last to claim manorial rights in Eastington manor. (fn. 54)

The manor-house of Eastington, mentioned from 1322, (fn. 55) stood close to the west end of the church. In 1409, when fairly extensive repairs were made, the house, surrounded by a moat with a wall inside, was approached by a drawbridge and great gate with a chamber above, and included a chapel on the north, a great chamber on the west, and a kitchen; (fn. 56) in 1449 repairs to the kitchen included raising three new pairs of crucks, (fn. 57) and in 1457 the roofs of the hall, the hall passage, the kitchen, and the stables were repaired with stone tiles. (fn. 58) The moat was stocked with 16 dozen young pike in 1402. (fn. 59) A new house was built by Edward Stephens c. 1578. (fn. 60) It had 19 hearths in 1672, (fn. 61) and was a large threestory building of ashlar. The north face was of five bays with large rectangular windows and parapet cresting; the two outer bays projected and had windows on each story, the two inner bays had windows to two floors, and in the centre was a porch rising to the full height of the house, containing the main doorway with rusticated pilasters and entablature and windows on the two upper floors flanked by similar pilasters. The east and west sides had gables and smaller windows. In the early 18th century part of the moat survived on the west of the house where there was a range of stone outbuildings with mullioned windows with dripmoulds, and a timber-framed dovecot; gardens lay on the other three sides. (fn. 62) The Stephens family occupied the house until the early 18th century when they became resident at Chavenage in Horsley; (fn. 63) Eastington manor-house, said c. 1775 to have been occupied for many years only as a farm-house and to be going to ruin, (fn. 64) was demolished in 1778. (fn. 65) The stone out-buildings survived as cottages in 1968.

The house called THE LEAZE, later Eastington Park, in the park to the east of the church, was built by Henry Hicks c. 1815; (fn. 66) it was apparently not occupied by the Hicks family after his death. (fn. 67) Sold to Thomas Marling in 1870, (fn. 68) it was owned and occupied by James T. Stanton from 1879 or earlier until his death in 1906. (fn. 69) In 1914 the owner and occupier was George de Lisle Bush, in 1931 Mrs. A. G. de Lisle Bush, and from c. 1935 to his death in 1941, Maj. Claude de Lisle Bush. (fn. 70) Soon after the Second World War the house was acquired by the Gloucestershire County Council for use as an old people's home, which it remained in 1968. (fn. 71) It is a large three-story house of ashlar; it has a porch with Doric columns on the east, segmental bows on the north and south sides, and a moulded cornice.

In 1066 the manor of ALKERTON was held by Chetel, and his son Edric held it from the Crown in 1086. (fn. 72) Henry I granted Edric's lands to Walter of Gloucester and the overlordship passed to his successors the de Bohuns; (fn. 73) Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, held it at, his death in 1373, (fn. 74) and in 1384 it was among the possessions assigned to his daughter Mary and her husband, Henry, later Henry IV. (fn. 75) The manor of Alkerton was held by William de Wauton in 1304 when he was granted a market and fair and free warren there as a reward for good service in Scotland. (fn. 76) The same or a later William de Wauton held it in 1322 when it was taken into the king's hands, perhaps because William like Hugh de Audley had joined the barons' rebellion; a chief house of the manor was mentioned then. (fn. 77) Shortly afterwards the manor became divided into two, and one moiety, which continued to be known as Alkerton manor, was held in 1374 by Hugh Stafford, (fn. 78) Earl of Stafford, then lord of Eastington manor, with which it descended. (fn. 79)

The other moiety, later known as the manor of AMEY COURT or BRADESTONES ALKERTON, was apparently held by John of Gloucester in 1327 when he had the highest tax-assessment among the inhabitants of Alkerton, (fn. 80) and Robert of Gloucester, John's son, held it in 1332. The name Amey Court suggests that Robert's wife Amice held the moiety after his death, and on the failure of issue of Robert and Amice, and of Robert's brothers Roger and John, the moiety apparently passed under the terms of a settlement by Robert in 1332 to the issue of John and Christine of Breadstone (Bradestone). (fn. 81) The estate belonged in 1374 and 1384 to Edmund Breadstone, (fn. 82) in 1454 to John Breadstone, (fn. 83) and in 1467 and 1471 to Thomas Breadstone. (fn. 84) Anthony Breadstone apparently held the estate in 1505 (fn. 85) and he or another Anthony granted it in 1546 to John Breadstone, (fn. 86) who held it in 1565. (fn. 87) Before 1577 the estate was acquired by Richard Stephens, lord of Eastington manor, with which it thereafter descended. (fn. 88) Both Alkerton and Amey Court manors continued to be named with Eastington manor in deeds until the 19th century, (fn. 89) and in 1869 the manorial rights of the two manors were included in the sale of the estate formerly of H. P. Hicks, perhaps because they were regarded as appendant to Alkerton Farm. (fn. 90) They were apparently acquired then by Thomas Ricketts, the owner of Clay pits Farm, (fn. 91) whose trustees were said to be lords of the manor of Alkerton in 1894. (fn. 92)

An estate at Alkerton was owned in 1329 by Hugh le Ballon and his wife Alice; Hugh was dead by 1366 when Alice made the estate over to her son Richard who in the next year granted her a moiety of it for life. (fn. 93) Richard held the estate in 1393, (fn. 94) and in 1409 he, or an heir of the same name, granted the estate to John Oswald, although retaining rights in the house, which included a hall, an upper and lower chamber, and a kitchen. (fn. 95) In 1459 the same or another John Oswald held the estate when his heir apparent was his daughter Rose, the wife of William Pylme, (fn. 96) and c. 1502 Richard Pylme sold it to Roger Porter. (fn. 97) In 1507 Roger Porter granted a house and 68 a. in Alkerton to William Harding. (fn. 98)

CLAYPITS FARM in the west of the parish was apparently occupied by Richard King in 1725; (fn. 99) he may have owned it then or it may have been the estate sold to him by Elizabeth Stephens, lady of the manor, in 1739. Richard died c. 1749 and his estate passed to his widow Elizabeth, who held it in 1760. By 1767 it had passed to their son Richard, (fn. 100) who held Claypits farm in 1778; (fn. 101) he died c. 1801 leaving Claypits farm and other lands to his cousin Thomas Pettat, formerly of Stanley Park, who died c. 1805. (fn. 102) The estate, which amounted to 193 a. c. 1830 and in 1839 included Alkerton Grange, (fn. 103) passed to Thomas's nephew, the Revd. Thomas Pettat (fn. 104) (d. 1839), and to the Revd. Thomas's son, Thomas John Pettat, who sold it in 1840 to Edward Ricketts. Edward and Thomas Ricketts owned it in 1863 and 1874, and in 1899 Thomas's trustees sold it to Thompson Strickland who sold it the same year to Samuel Jefferies. (fn. 105) In 1909 Claypits farm and 136 a. were bought from Jefferies's trustees (fn. 106) by the Gloucestershire County Council for use as small-holdings, and the council owned the estate in 1968. (fn. 107)

An estate at NASTEND, owned by William Clutterbuck (d. 1588), (fn. 108) passed to his son Richard (d. 1623), (fn. 109) and Richard's son William owned seven houses and 160 a. of land at his death in 1626. Part of the estate passed to William's widow, Mary, and the remainder to trustees for his son, Nathaniel, an infant. (fn. 110) Nathaniel was succeeded in 1680 by his son William (d. 1727) who inherited the Cliffords' estate at Frampton; Nastend then passed with the Frampton estate to William's son Richard (d. 1775), and to Richard's niece Elizabeth Phillips, (fn. 111) and, in 1801 it was held by Nathaniel Clifford. (fn. 112) The. Clutterbucks' house at Nastend, which had 5 hearths in 1673, (fn. 113) was that known as Nastend Court; by 1839 it and at least part of the estate belonged to Henry Bengough's trustees. (fn. 114) The core of the house was apparently built in the 16th century and is a long timber-framed range of two stories and attics with a jettied and close-studded gable surviving at its east end. The central gabled wing at the front was probably added in the 17th century when the house was faced in ashlar and given stone-mullioned windows, some later replaced by sashes. Two stone fireplaces with four-centred arches and carved spandrels bear the initials of members of the Clutterbuck family. In 1968 the house was occupied as three dwellings. Another estate at Nastend, which may have included part of the Clutterbucks' land, was owned in 1813 and c. 1830 by H. Eycott, (fn. 115) and in 1839, when it comprised 139 a. based on Nastend Farm, by Frederick Eycott. (fn. 116)

An estate at NUPEND was owned in 1600 by Fabian Clutterbuck, a cousin of William Clutterbuck of Nastend (d. 1588), (fn. 117) and at his death in 1637 he had a house and 1¾ yardland. The estate passed to Fabian's son John (fn. 118) (d. 1664), to John's son William (d. 1700), and to William's son Richard (fn. 119) (d. 1735). Richard was succeeded by his nephew Charles Clutterbuck (d. 1744), and in 1745 the estate was owned by Edward Cox, the husband of Charles's sister Sarah. Cox sold it c. 1758 to Joseph Ellis of Ebley who sold it in 1767 to Samuel Purnell; the estate then included the house later known as Nupend House with c. 150a. of land and six cottages. (fn. 120) Samuel Purnell died c. 1797 and the estate was divided among his children Robert, Samuel, Elizabeth, and Rebecca Purnell, Hester the wife of Nathaniel Miles, and Mary the wife of Henry Jennings. (fn. 121) Certain rooms in Nupend House and a small part of the estate were settled in 1801 on the marriage of Rebecca and Thomas Wall and were sold by Thomas in 1809 to Edward Poulton (d. c. 1815); Edward's nephew Thomas Poulton sold the property in 1832 to Joseph Hill. Ownership of the house was still divided in 1858, (fn. 122) and the fairly small building that remains may be only part of the original house, which had 5 hearths in 1672. (fn. 123) It is a two-story house with a front with flanking gables; it retains some timber-framing in a rear wall but the house was faced in brick in the late 18th or early 19th century.

A third branch of the Clutterbuck family was settled at MILLEND (fn. 124) from c. 1552 when John Sandford granted a fulling-mill there to Richard Clutterbuck and his wife Elizabeth; (fn. 125) Richard had a grant of lands at Alkerton from Richard Stephens in 1572. (fn. 126) Richard Clutterbuck, who later lived at King's Stanley, died in 1591, (fn. 127) and Elizabeth held the mill and lands at her death in 1604. (fn. 128) The estate passed to her son William, who had 10 servants at Eastington in 1608 (fn. 129) and died in 1609, to William's son Richard (fn. 130) (d. 1652), and to Richard's son William (fn. 131) (d. 1705). William's son, Richard Clutterbuck, who was said to have a good house and estate at Millend c. 1710, (fn. 132) died in 1714, his son Giles in 1760, and Giles's son Richard in 1778; The estate passed to Richard's widow Anne, who married William Fryer of Wheatenhurst in 1782, and Anne and William held it in 1805 when their heir apparent was a daughter, Anne Clutterbuck Fryer. (fn. 133) By 1800 the house, Millend House, a small part of the estate, and probably also the mill, had been acquired by Henry Hicks, (fn. 134) and after his death they passed to H. P. Hicks. (fn. 135) On the death of H. P. Hicks in 1862 Millend House, Millend Mill, and 22 a. of land passed to his widow Catherine who married c. 1864 Auguste Rolland. In 1872 Catherine released her remaining rights in the estate to her mortgagees who sold it in that year to George Ford of Ryeford, Stonehouse. Ford sold it c. 1883 to William and Samuel Bridgett of Bristol. (fn. 136) Millend House, later called Eastington House, had 10 hearths in 1672, (fn. 137) and is a large 17th-century gabled house faced in rough-cast; one or two stone-mullioned windows survive but most were replaced in the 18th or early 19th century by sash windows of which some are round-headed.

An estate called PUDDLEWORTH in Alkerton was owned c. 1790 by the widow of Samuel Sheppard. (fn. 138) It was apparently the estate held in 1792 by John Taylor, (fn. 139) and owned and occupied by him or another John Taylor c. 1830 when it comprised III a. (fn. 140) In 1839 the estate was owned by Hannah Taylor along with Alkerton Court. (fn. 141) William Taylor owned and farmed the estate in 1856 and until the 1870's, (fn. 142) and it was apparently owned by the Misses Taylor in 1909. (fn. 143)