Haresfield: Manors and other estates

MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.

In 1086 an estate of 7 hides at Haresfield, held before the Conquest by two brothers Godric and Edric, was owned by Durand, sheriff of Gloucester. Another estate, described as the manors of Haresfield, Hatherley, and Sandhurst, in Dudstone hundred, presumably included Harescombe tithing. (fn. 1) Durand's estate evidently passed to his nephew, Walter of Gloucester, and then to Walter's son, Miles of Gloucester, (fn. 2) created Earl of Hereford in 1141. Miles died in 1143 (fn. 3) and the estate passed in turn to his sons, Roger (d. 1155), Walter, Henry, and Mahel (fn. 4) (d. 1165). Mahel's English estates were divided among two of his sisters, Margaret who married Humphrey de Bohun and Lucy who married Herbert FitzHerbert. (fn. 5)

The main part of the Haresfield estate, called the manor of HARESFIELD was included in Margaret's share, and passed to the de Bohuns, Earls of Hereford. The manor was held as 14½ knights' fees c. 1212, (fn. 6) and the claim made in the later 14th century that the de Bohuns held it, with the manors of Wheatenhurst and Newnham, by service in their hereditary office of Constable of England was evidently mistaken. (fn. 7) Margaret's grandson Henry de Bohun, created Earl of Hereford in 1200, (fn. 8) held the estate c. 1212. (fn. 9) He died in 1220 and was succeeded by his son Humphrey (d. 1275). (fn. 10) From 1287 (fn. 11) or earlier Humphrey's son John de Bohun (d. 1292) held the estate from his nephew Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford (d. 1298). John was succeeded by his son Henry who held the manor in 1309. (fn. 12) The manor later reverted to the main line and the John de Bohun described as lord of the manor in 1319 (fn. 13) and 1326 (fn. 14) was presumably John de Bohun, Earl of Hereford (d. 1336). John's brother and heir Humphrey held the manor at his death in 1361. (fn. 15) By 1363 Humphrey's nephew and heir, also Humphrey, had granted the manor for life to John de Burley, (fn. 16) who held it in 1368. (fn. 17) Humphrey died in 1373 (fn. 18) and his coheirs were his daughters Eleanor who married Thomas of Woodstock (d. 1397), created Earl of Buckingham in 1377, and Mary who married Henry, Earl of Derby, later Henry IV. The manor of Haresfield was committed to Thomas of Woodstock in 1374 in anticipation of his marriage; (fn. 19) in 1384, however, the Earl of Derby received the manor as part of Mary's share, (fn. 20) and in 1419 his son Henry V held the manor. (fn. 21) In 1421, under a new agreement, the king assigned Haresfield to Eleanor's daughter Anne. (fn. 22) Anne married Edmund Stafford, Earl of Stafford, and their son Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham, held the estate in 1458. (fn. 23) He died in 1460 and was succeeded by his grandson Henry, Duke of Buckingham, executed in 1483. Henry's son Edward was restored to his father's estates and honours in 1485, but was executed in 1521. (fn. 24)

In 1522 the Crown granted Haresfield manor to Sir William Kingston (d. 1540), (fn. 25) whose son Sir Anthony received a confirmatory grant in 1550. (fn. 26) On Sir Anthony's death in 1556 his estates passed to his niece Frances and her husband Sir Henry Jerningham (d. 1572). (fn. 27) Frances apparently held the estate until her death in 1583, (fn. 28) and her son Henry had succeeded to it by 1591. Henry died in 1619, and his son, also Henry, (fn. 29) sold Haresfield manor in 1630 to George Minett (fn. 30) (d. 1643). (fn. 31) George Minett's son, also George, sold the manor in 1645 to William Trye of Hardwicke, (fn. 32) and the manor then descended with Hardwicke manor until the sale of Lord Hardwicke's estates in 1808. (fn. 33) At the sale the Haresfield part was bought by Daniel John Niblett, (fn. 34) who already owned land in Haresfield. (fn. 35) In 1813 his estates in Haresfield amounted to over 1,000 a. (fn. 36) He died in 1862, and his son John Daniel Thomas in 1883, when the estate passed to John's nephew, Arthur Edward Niblett. (fn. 37) Arthur Niblett sold the estate c. 1892, to Robert Ingham Tidswell who died in 1924, when it passed to his daughter Miss A. Tidswell. In 1947 Miss Tidswell made the estate over to a relative, Mr. G. B. Heywood, who owned and ran it 1967. (fn. 38)

The lords of the manor presumably had a residence at Haresfield in the mid 12th century when a park had been made. (fn. 39) John de Bohun had a private chapel on the manor in 1318. (fn. 40) The gatehouse and high chamber of the manor-house were referred to in 1460. (fn. 41) The medieval manor-house was apparently at the Mount, the moated mound north of the church; the manor farm-house standing near the Mount was mentioned in 1624. (fn. 42) A house and estate called THE MOUNT were owned in the late 17th century by Lewis Roberts (d. 1679). (fn. 43) His house was assessed at 8 hearths in 1672, (fn. 44) and in 1680 was described as 'adjoining to the great old stone house and shooting towards the moat'. (fn. 45) The house and estate passed to Robert's daughter Elizabeth who married Edward Smith of Nibley; Elizabeth as a widow held the estate c. 1710. (fn. 46) On her death in 1719 she devised it to her nephew Robert Brabant and her niece Elizabeth, wife of Henry de Chair. The de Chairs in 1722 conveyed their interest to Brabant, (fn. 47) who held the estate in 1723. (fn. 48) By 1736 the house and estate had passed to the Earl of Hardwicke. (fn. 49) Mount Farm, the present house, is of brick on a stone plinth; it was wholly or partly rebuilt in 1861 to the design of Francis Niblett. (fn. 50) When the Niblett family acquired the manor their residence, Moat Place, became the manor-house. (fn. 51)

In 1552 Sir Anthony Kingston sold the park of the manor to Richard Andrews. (fn. 52) On Richard's death in 1555 the estate, known as HARESFIELD PARK, passed to his son John. (fn. 53) On John's death after 1566 it passed to his widow Dorothy, and the reversion to his son Richard, (fn. 54) who was presumably the Richard Andrews that occupied the estate c. 1585; (fn. 55) he or another Richard died in 1617 when he was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 56) who held the 220 a. estate in 1629. In 1630 John and his son Richard sold 106 a., the northern part of the park which became included in Hardwicke Park, to William Trye of Hardwicke; in 1632 they sold most of the remainder of the estate, the chief house called THE LODGE, and another house in the park called the Upper House, to Nathaniel Stephens of Eastington, who held them in 1648. (fn. 57) By 1705 Stephens's part of the estate was owned by Daniel Lysons of Hempsted (d. 1736), (fn. 58) and it presumably passed to his son Daniel (d. 1773). In 1775 Daniel Lysons, son of the second Daniel, owned the estate (fn. 59) and it passed on his death in 1800 to his brother the Revd. Samuel Lysons (d. 1804). (fn. 60) In 1815 half of the 195 a. estate was owned by the Revd. Samuel's son, Samuel, and half by Mrs. Lysons, apparently his widow. (fn. 61) Later Samuel acquired the whole estate which passed on his death in 1819 to his brother and fellow antiquary, the Revd. Daniel Lysons (d. 1834). (fn. 62) By 1838 the estate was owned by Henry Vizard, and by 1841 it had been acquired by the Bakers of Hardwicke (fn. 63) whose successor owned it in 1967. The house, called Parkend Lodge, evidently occupies the site of a lodge in Haresfield Park mentioned in 1457; (fn. 64) it is of brick with stone quoins and it appears to be largely a rebuilding of 1785. (fn. 65)

In the early 13th century Henry de Bohun granted a part of his manor and several customary holdings to Richard de Veyne, who granted the estate soon afterwards to Llanthony Priory. (fn. 66) The priory's estate was described as a plough-land in 1291, (fn. 67) and its house at Haresfield was mentioned the year before. (fn. 68) The estate was included in the grant of the priory's possessions to Arthur Porter c. 1540, (fn. 69) but in 1543 another grant of the estate was made to Richard Andrews and Nicholas Temple, who almost immediately sold the site of the manor and the demesne, later known as ROWLES FARM, to Thomas Rowles, (fn. 70) the lessee since 1536. (fn. 71) On Thomas Rowles's death in 1549, the estate passed to his son William (fn. 72) (d. c. 1573), and then to William's son George. (fn. 73) George's son William inherited the estate in 1594, (fn. 74) and was said to have sold it in 1606 to Richard Carrick of Painswick. (fn. 75) In 1632 John Gilby died holding Rowles Farm, comprising a house and 120 a.; his heir was his son Giles. (fn. 76)

Other parts of the Llanthony Priory manor became known as ADAMS and DOWNES. At the Dissolution the customary tenants of the manor included William Adams who held two messuages and a yardland and John Downe who had a messuage and ½ yardland. (fn. 77) By 1557 their lands were owned by Thomas Organs who was licensed to sell them in that year. (fn. 78) By 1624 the Adams estate, and probably also Downes, had passed to William Warner, a clothier of Paganhill, (fn. 79) who held c. 130 a. at Haresfield at his death in 1632. (fn. 80) William's son Thomas died holding the two estates in 1640. (fn. 81) By 1712 the Warners' property had passed to the lord of the chief manor, William Trye of Hardwicke (d. 1717), (fn. 82) and was presumably the former Llanthony Priory land he was recorded as holding in 1705. (fn. 83) The estate passed to his younger son William, who devised it on his death in 1739 to his brother-in-law, the Revd. John Longford (fn. 84) (d. c. 1760). Longford's daughter Mary married her cousin, the Revd. John Trye (d. 1766), and in the late 18th century the estate belonged to their son Charles Brandon Trye of Leckhampton (d. 1811). (fn. 85) He sold it in 1804 to Kitty Niblett, mother of Daniel John Niblett, with whose estates it then descended. (fn. 86)

Another customary holding on the priory's manor, a messuage and ½ yardland later called HUNGERFORDS, was held by Margaret Hungerford at the Dissolution. (fn. 87) It was among the lands granted in 1543 to Richard Andrews and Nicholas Temple; they sold it in 1544 to John Motley who died in the same year when it passed to his brother William Motley. (fn. 88) In 1556 Arthur Motley sold the land to Richard Adeane, (fn. 89) who sold it in 1562 to Thomas Bishop. (fn. 90) Hungerfords later passed to William Linsey, (fn. 91) but by 1591 it was included in the estates of John Trye of Hardwicke (d. 1591). (fn. 92)

The part of the manor of HARESFIELD inherited after 1165 by Lucy and her husband Herbert FitzHerbert presumably passed to their son Peter (d. 1235). (fn. 93) Peter's son Reynold held the estate in 1262 (fn. 94) and at his death in 1286 was succeeded as lord of the manor by his son John. (fn. 95) About 1303 John was succeeded in the estate, assessed as ½ knight's fee, by his son Herbert (fn. 96) who died in 1321. Eleanor, Herbert's widow, (fn. 97) apparently held the estate in 1327, (fn. 98) but their son Matthew had succeeded to it by 1346. (fn. 99) Matthew died in 1356 and the estate, described as a messuage and one plough-land, passed to Edward of St. John to whom Matthew had sold the reversion. (fn. 100) Edward was recorded as holding the estate in 1384, (fn. 101) but by 1401 it had passed to Thomas Brydges who died in 1408. (fn. 102) Thomas's widow Alice, who married John Browning of Leigh, held the estate until her death in 1414 when it passed to her son Giles Brydges, Lord Chandos. (fn. 103) Giles was succeeded on his death in 1467 by his son Thomas (fn. 104) (d. 1493). The Giles Brydges who held the manor in 1498 (fn. 105) was evidently Thomas's younger brother, and not his son who was also called Giles, for Margaret, the brother's widow, held the manor at her death in 1516. It then reverted to Thomas's grandson John Brydges (fn. 106) who was created Baron Chandos of Sudeley in 1554 and died in 1557. (fn. 107) The estate then descended to successive Lords Chandos: Edmund (d. 1573), (fn. 108) Giles (d. 1594), (fn. 109) William (d. 1602), Grey (d. 1621), (fn. 110) and George (d. 1655). (fn. 111)

An estate that centred on the house called MOAT PLACE, the later Haresfield Court, (fn. 112) in the late 17th century, may have been either the estate of the Brydges family or the Rowles Farm estate. It was owned by John Rogers who died in 1698, when he was succeeded by his nephew Richard Pulton (d. 1701). (fn. 113) Pulton's widow Anne held the estate until her death in 1724, (fn. 114) and it apparently passed to her son Samuel (d. 1744), and then to Samuel's nephew Richard (d. 1758). (fn. 115) In 1764 Richard, son of Richard Pulton, sold Moat Place and c. 160 a. to Samuel Niblett (fn. 116) (d. 1798), who in 1778 made the estate over to his son John (d. 1794). (fn. 117) It then passed to John's son Daniel, who bought the chief manor in 1808. (fn. 118)

The old name of Haresfield Court implies an ancient site, and massive foundations are said to have been discovered north of the house in the late 19th century. (fn. 119) The house was presumably that with 4 hearths occupied in 1672 by John Rogers, (fn. 120) who rebuilt it apparently in 1676. (fn. 121) The north part, which is of ashlar and has two gables, stonemullioned windows with dripmoulds, and diagonal stone chimneys, apparently survives from that rebuilding. In the mid 19th century, apparently in 1869 when the house was given a 'thorough repair', (fn. 122) a new ashlar front with a cornice and sash windows and an oriel window at the south was added to the east side, and a large west wing in Cotswold style, designed by Waller & Son, was added by R. I. Tidswell in 1893. (fn. 123)

Another branch of the Rogers family held an estate based on OAKEY FARM in the west of the parish. William Rogers, who was the great-uncle of John Rogers of Moat Place (d. 1698), (fn. 124) and his sons William and Richard received the estate from the lord of the chief manor in 1606 to hold by copy; it then comprised a messuage and yardland and other lands. In 1637 William Rogers, who had evidently acquired the freehold, settled the estate on the marriage of his son William. (fn. 125) William the elder died c. 1650 and William the younger in 1662. The estate then passed to the younger William's son also William (d. 1690), (fn. 126) who was apparently succeeded by his brother John (d. 1721). (fn. 127) In 1775 the estate was held by Edward Rogers, (fn. 128) and by 1779 by Messrs. Bearcroft and Jones who had married his daughters. (fn. 129) By 1815 the estate, then 171 a., was owned by James De Visme (d. c. 1841). (fn. 130) In 1920 it was owned by a Mrs. Goodman, (fn. 131) and in 1967 it was sold by Mr. B. E. Thomas to Mr. D. J. Watts. (fn. 132) Oakey Farm comprises a central block and two wings projecting towards the east. The north wing, which contains two massive cruck-trusses, partly smoke-blackened, apparently represents the original house, to which the two other parts were added in the 16th century; a stone chimney and fireplace in the south wing and a stone fireplace with carved spandrels in the north of the central block appear to survive from a rebuilding of 1583. The south and central parts were probably timber-framed but have been faced in brick and stucco. A porch with columns on the west front and the staircase were probably made at a further remodelling in 1794. (fn. 133)

An estate and the house later called CHESTNUT FARM were owned in 1775 by George Savage. (fn. 134) By 1803 they had been acquired by Sir Thomas Crawley-Boevey, Bt. (fn. 135) (d. 1818). In 1841 his son Sir Thomas (d. 1847) owned 113 a. in Haresfield. (fn. 136) The estate was later bought by the Chandler family who farmed it from 1856, (fn. 137) and in 1911 George Chandler sold it to Robert Tidswell of Haresfield Court. (fn. 138) The house, built in the 18th century, is of brick on a stone plinth with stone quoins and a moulded stone cornice; the Tudor-style windows and doorway were presumably added in the 19th century.

About 1160 Walter of Hereford, lord of Haresfield manor, granted six yardlands in Haresfield to Gloucester Abbey in place of land in Herefordshire given earlier by his brother Roger; four yardlands were apparently in the Harescombe tithing of Haresfield, the other two lay beside the Bristol road. (fn. 139) The two yardlands were evidently the land called BEAUREPAIR, formerly of Godebert of Haresfield, which the abbey granted to William of the Park (fn. 140) of Park manor in Hardwicke in the early 13th century. Beaurepair, variously described as a furlong or 30 a., then descended with Park manor; Aumary Butler (d. 1397) and the Kennes, his successors to a part of the manor, were recorded as holding it from Gloucester Abbey. No record of the estate has been found after the death of Robert Kenne in 1453. (fn. 141)

The great tithes of Haresfield, which belonged to Llanthony Priory, were leased in 1535 to Thomas Rowles (fn. 142) whose family continued to farm them until the early 17th century. (fn. 143) In 1606 the Crown granted the tithes to Lawrence Baskerville and William Blake, who granted them in the next year to Edward Abdye. Later Abdye and others granted them to John Lloyd and John Wayte, (fn. 144) and in 1615 John Lloyd sold them to John Hammonds. (fn. 145) In 1679 another John Hammonds settled the tithes on the marriage of his daughter Katherine and Thomas Webb, (fn. 146) who held them c. 1703. (fn. 147) Although George Webb had an interest in the tithes in 1739, (fn. 148) they passed to Thomas Webb's son, also Thomas, whose daughters sold them in 1762 to Lord Hardwicke. (fn. 149) The tithes then descended with the chief manor, and at inclosure in the early 19th century Daniel John Niblett received c. 230 a. for the great tithes of Haresfield and Parkend tithings; the great tithes of Harescombe tithing had other owners. (fn. 150)