Itchingfield: Manors and other estates

MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.

No Domesday estate or early manor was centred in Itchingfield. The parish was divided between outliers of other manors, principally Sullington, Thakeham, and Muntham in Findon. The Itchingfield portion of Muntham and most of the Itchingfield portion of Sullington became separate manors in the 14th and 17th century respectively, and other reputed manors appeared in the late Middle Ages. Then or later the manors of Denne in Warnham, (fn. 1) Pinkhurst (in Slinfold), Thakeham, Sullington, and Wiston, and perhaps Broadbridge (in Sullington) and Warminghurst, still had tenements in Itchingfield. (fn. 2) In 1895 it was stated that no manorial rights remained in the parish. (fn. 3)

The manor of MUNTHAM included lands in Itchingfield and Findon, and its early descent has been treated elsewhere. (fn. 4) The Itchingfield portion, like that in Findon, was held of Thakeham manor, to which quitrent was payable until 1887 or later. (fn. 5) In 1375 John of Muntham conveyed it to William Marlott, father of John's son-in-law, also William Marlott. The elder William died c. 1379 after settling Muntham on the younger William. (fn. 6) From that William (d. 1400 × 1418) (fn. 7) it descended from father to son through William (d. 1449 × 1464), Richard (d. 1484 × 1499), (fn. 8) Thomas (fl. 1522), John (d. 1528), (fn. 9) and John (d. 1552), to John Marlott (d. a minor 1554). (fn. 10) He was succeeded by his brother Thomas Marlott (d. 1601), from whom Muntham passed to his grandson William (d. 1653). (fn. 11) From that William it descended from father to son through William (d. 1657) and John (d. 1731) to Joseph Marlott (d. 1782). (fn. 12)

Joseph was followed by his nephew John Marlott, a Bristol sugar baker, who devised Muntham by will proved 1786 to his sister Elizabeth Marlott. (fn. 13) She died in 1817, leaving it to her second cousin once removed Charles Chitty. (fn. 14) On his death in 1866 the estate passed to his widow Sarah Elizabeth (née Jourdan), who died in 1876. Her heir was her son William F. Chitty. In 1878 Muntham was sold to P. S. Godman, who had apparently occupied it since 1877. (fn. 15) He was still owner in 1908, and died in 1922. (fn. 16) His executors still held the estate in 1927. (fn. 17) In 1952 the estate, then 538 a., was broken up and sold. (fn. 18) The house and 23 a. became Muntham House School for maladjusted children. (fn. 19)

The mansion house of Muntham was mentioned in 1602 or 1603. (fn. 20) A 17th-century timber-framed wing with two jettied gables survived until the 19th century. The rest of the house was rebuilt in 1742 in brick, with a six-bayed asymmetrical front and chimneys on the gable ends. In 1880 P. S. Godman pulled down the old house and built a new one of three storeys, in brick with stone dressings and Tudor in style. (fn. 21) West of the main building extensive outbuildings, garden walls, and a coach house of c. 1820 survived in 1985, and much of the planting in the park surrounding the house appears to be of the 18th and earlier 19th centuries. An early 19thcentury lodge in cottage orné form survived in 1985 on the drive between Muntham House and the church.

A large estate in Itchingfield was conveyed by Brian Roocliffe and others to Geoffrey and Thomas Boleyn in 1422; both groups were probably acting as trustees for Thomas Hoo, on whom the estate was settled in 1428. (fn. 22) He made another settlement of it in 1457-8. (fn. 23) In that year and in 1460-1 Hoo also made settlements of land in Itchingfield attached to his manors of Warnham and Roffey. (fn. 24) One or both properties may have constituted the manor of ITCHINGFIELD which had belonged to Hoo before his death in 1486 and which was quitclaimed in 1501 by William and Thomas Boleyn to Sir Thomas Lawrence and others. (fn. 25) Later record of it has not been found: it was probably not the manor of Itchingfield which descended with the Parham estate in the late 18th and early 19th century. (fn. 26)

In 1548 Edward Shelley sold to Edward Darknoll tenements of Sullington manor mainly in Itchingfield. Darknoll's grandson, also Edward, (fn. 27) later resold the estate to Henry Shelley or the latter's son Richard, who held it in chief at his death in 1623. He was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 28) who with his son William made a settlement of the manor of SULLINGTON-IN-ITCHINGFIELD in 1657. (fn. 29) In 1668 Sullington-in-Itchingfield was settled on John Shelley's son Timothy (d. 1671). (fn. 30) It seems then to have descended with Champions farm in Thakeham until 1831 or later. (fn. 31) The manorial rights have not been traced thereafter, but most of the property apparently descended with the Stammerham estate. (fn. 32)

The Michell family of Stammerham in Horsham held land in Itchingfield from the late 14th to the 17th century. Roger Michell conveyed a field there to William Marlott in 1395. (fn. 33) A house and land in the parish were settled in 1439 on John Michell the elder and John Michell the younger. (fn. 34) Tenements called Benetts or Forleward (later Valewood farm) passed in 1507 to Richard, John, and Henry Michell, and between 1525 and 1546 to Avery Michell. (fn. 35) Avery died in 1558 leaving the estate to the daughter of John Michell of Stammerham. (fn. 36) That John had held a large estate in Itchingfield from 1543 or earlier. (fn. 37) Both estates and other land there, including by 1627 Weston's farm, descended with the Stammerham estate until the late 17th century or later. (fn. 38) The land belonged to Sir Timothy Shelley c. 1800 and c. 1844. (fn. 39) Valewood farm was sold in 1869 by Sir P. F. Shelley to William Gilford, passing almost immediately to W. H. Worth, in 1870 to John Wade, (fn. 40) and later to the Muntham estate. (fn. 41) Most of the estate, including Fulfords and Weston's farms, descended with Stammerham to Henry Padwick, passing in 1884 to the Southern Counties Dairy Farm Association, from 1885 the Aylesbury Dairy Co. Ltd., and in 1891 or 1892 to Christ's Hospital. (fn. 42)

A William Welle held land in Itchingfield in 1328. (fn. 43) In 1557 Sir Henry Hussey died seised of lands in Itchingfield called the Welle, which he left to his brother John. (fn. 44) In 1589 John Hussey conveyed the manor of WELLE to Stephen Horley. (fn. 45) A rent from the manor was held by Henry Hussey in 1667; (fn. 46) he conveyed it to John Michell in 1672. Elizabeth and Edmund Mills held the rent in 1734 when they conveyed it to John Cheale. (fn. 47) The manor is perhaps identifiable with Wellcross farm, which a Capt. Michell owned in 1706. (fn. 48) It was part of Sullingtonin-Itchingfield manor c. 1800, and passed in 1868 to Henry Padwick. (fn. 49) It descended with the Stammerham estate to the Aylesbury Dairy Co., and was sold in 1891 to Col. Samuel Bradburne. He was succeeded in 1917 by Trevor Bradburne, from whom it passed in 1919 to Charles A. Windham. He sold it in 1924 or 1925 to Euphemia Harper Wrathall, owner in 1927. (fn. 50) In 1930 it was occupied by William Wrathall. (fn. 51)

Wellcross Farm was rebuilt as Wellcross Grange c. 1900, evidently by Samuel Bradburne; it is of brick with stone dressings, in a mixed Tudor style. It was a restaurant in 1984.

An estate at SHARPENHURST was part of 4 knight's fees held by Stephen Power in 1300. (fn. 52) Henry of Guildford held a rent in Sharpenhurst from Roger de Buci at his death in 1312, when he was succeeded by John Marshal. (fn. 53) William Forwelde leased land in Itchingfield from John Covert in 1335, and bought land from William of Slaughterford in 1343. (fn. 54) A house called Forwelles or Sharpenhurst was held of Thakeham manor in 1626 by Joan, widow of Richard Shelley. (fn. 55) It had passed by 1659 to William Shelley, who died in that year and was followed by Thomas Shelley. Thomas died in 1672 leaving as heir his son John. (fn. 56) It later passed to John Shelley of Field Place in Warnham, descending to his brother and heir Bysshe, (fn. 57) and passing by c. 1800 to Bysshe's son Sir Timothy. (fn. 58) It passed in 1839 or 1840 to John Shelley, and in 1866 or 1867 to Edward Shelley. (fn. 59) Edward sold it in 1871 to Henry Padwick, who still owed rent to Thakeham manor in 1875 but redeemed it in that year. (fn. 60) The estate descended with Stammerham in Horsham to the Aylesbury Dairy Co. and Christ's Hospital. (fn. 61)

Sharpenhurst Farm is a 15th-century L-shaped timber-framed house with crown-post roofs in both ranges. The main range contains a two-bayed open hall and a parlour, the narrow north service wing being partitioned into several rooms on both floors. A smoke bay was later formed in the south bay of the hall, and in 1594 a stack serving hall and parlour was inserted into it. The date and BEWARE OF HELL FYRE AS CHRISTE DOTH REQUIRE are inscribed on the stone lintel of the parlour fireplace. The roof above the parlour was rebuilt in the 17th century.

RYE FARM and a large estate in Itchingfield and Horsham were owned between 1543 and 1554 or later by John Michell, (fn. 62) and c. 1600 by Henry Michelborne. He sold them after 1606 to Edward Michelborne, who died in 1609, leaving as heir another Edward Michelborne, the owner in 1610. (fn. 63) In 1611 the owner was apparently James Freeman and in 1652 John Glassington. (fn. 64) The farm was owned in 1836 by P. Dendy, (fn. 65) and was advertised for sale with 152 a. in Itchingfield and 11 a. in Horsham in 1838. (fn. 66) Thomas Barnett (d. by 1850) owned it c. 1844, (fn. 67) and his executors later; the trustees of R. Barnett offered it for sale in 1882, and in 1885 it passed to John Patching (d. by 1890). His trustees sold the farm, without the farmhouse, in 1899 to George Simmins. It passed in 1900 to Alan Richardson, who evidently built on it in 1902 the house known as Marlands. (fn. 68) In 1911 Marlands and most of the land passed to Herbert George Latilla (d. 1949), who formed the Marlands Estate Co. to hold his Itchingfield property. In 1950 Marlands house was sold to the West Sussex county council, and some outlying farms including Barns Green farm were sold off. The estate company still held a home farm of c. 150 a. in 1985. (fn. 69)

Rye Farm is an L-shaped timber-framed house of late medieval origin. The rear range formed the hall and service end of the medieval house and retains a smoke-blackened clasped-purlin roof. The south, parlour, end was rebuilt in the 17th century, re-using medieval timbers perhaps from another house nearby, as a wide cross wing with parlours on either side of a central chimney. At about the same time a ceiling was put into the hall and the roof was raised.

Marlands is a house of dark buff brick in an Arts and Crafts style. A large brick stable block is surmounted by a timber-framed tower. From c. 1950 to 1985 the house was an old people's home run by West Sussex county council; (fn. 70) the stable was used as offices in 1985.

A second large house, Storries, was built on the estate in 1935 for Latilla's son-in-law E. S. Mayo. Designed by J. Douglas Matthews of London, (fn. 71) it is of buff brick with stone dressings and the main block has symmetrical elevations in a predominantly 17th-century style.

In 1341 the prior of Sele and the bishop of Chichester allegedly had land in the parish, not then cultivated. The 100 a. of fallow held by John Covert was presumably part of Broadbridge manor. (fn. 72)

Robert of Wiston held land called Fulford in Itchingfield in the late 13th century (fn. 73) and in 1369 John Clark held land there formerly held by Thomas Fulford. The land, known by 1377 as Bashes, had passed to the brotherhood of St. John the Baptist and St. Anne, Horsham, by 1527. (fn. 74) After the suppression the estate, with a house, 30 a. of land, and 40 a. of woodland, (fn. 75) was granted to John Caryll in 1549. Caryll also received 5 a. which had belonged to the chantry of Holy Trinity, Horsham, which by 1404 had land in Itchingfield. (fn. 76) Bashes later passed to John Michell of Stammerham (d. 1610), and descended with the Michells' property until 1693 or later; (fn. 77) it is presumably BASHURST, which the Aylesbury Dairy Co. sold to F. W. Donkin in 1889. (fn. 78) It had been renamed the Warren by 1898, and belonged in 1910 to F. H. King. (fn. 79) The owner in 1985 was Mr. S. P. Hornung. The Warren retains part of the wall frame of a medieval house. It was rebuilt on a two-celled plan in the 17th century, when the roof timbers were re-used, and extended by one bay to form an L. Further extensions were made c. 1900, when the old house was refitted with panelling and given a new staircase.

Fulfords farm also belonged to the Michell family by 1664, (fn. 80) and descended with Stammerham to Christ's Hospital, which in the early 1960s demolished the farmhouse, apparently including a former open hall. (fn. 81)

In 1444 Richard Wakehurst and others were licensed to grant land and rent in Itchingfield to Butler's chantry in Horsham church. (fn. 82) The Crown's fee-farm rent from the land was recorded in 1652. (fn. 83) Thakeham chantry held land in Itchingfield before 1548, when the Crown granted 25 a. to Henry Polsted of Chilworth (Surr.). (fn. 84)