Huddington

(Descent from King Egferd of Mercia, AD 796)

IN 1086 Alric the Archdeacon held a hide of land here which had formerly been held by Wulfric, as a villein, of the Bishop of Worcester's Manor of Northwick. Alric had two carucates and four villeins and four bordars with two carucates. There was also a mill yielding three seams of corn and a wood worth three shillings a year. At the Conquest the whole was worth 30 shillings.

Huddington is ancient by manorial standards. In the 8th century, Aldred gave Huddington to Beornheard and in 796 Egferd, King of Mercia, gave it to Ethelmund. In the reign of Henry II, the Lordship was held by Alan de Warenestre. It then passed before the end of that reign to Simon, son of Adam de Croome, for Simon was holding a hide at Huddington without doing service for it and this land, he said, he held of Roger de St John, who held it of the Bishop.

In 1299, Richard de Huddington, also known as Richard de Cromelyn, was in possession of the Lordship and it continued to be held by his descendants until the death without heirs male of Thomas de Huddington in the early part of the 15th century. It then passed to Joan, wife of Roger Winter, and their son Robert was in possession in 1487-8. After the marriage of the Huddington heiress with Winter, the family of Winter intermarried with the ancient families of Hungerford, Throgmorton and Ingley. Robert Winter was involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and was executed in 1606. He is still said to walk Huddington Court, his former home, with his head under his arm.

The Lordship eventually descended to Sir George Winter or Wintour, who was created a Baronet in 1642 and died without issue in 1658. Sir George married three times, his first wife being Lady Frances Talbot, daughter of John Talbot, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury. All of his estates, including the Lordship of Huddington, were bequeathed to his brothers-in-law, Francis, the 11th Earl and Gilbert Talbot. Francis, who also bore the title Earl of Waterford, married as his second wife Anne Maria Brudenell, daughter of the Earl of Cardigan, a famous 17th century beauty, who bewitched and beguiled all who came into contact with her. Her beauty captivated the Duke of Buckingham and she became his mistress. Unable to endure the thought of being made a cuckold, her husband challenged the Duke to a duel but the Duke killed him instead. By the Duke Lady Shrewsbury had a son who died in infancy and was buried by his father in Westminster Abbey with great honours, much to the consternation of society as a whole. Lady Shrewsbury's only surviving son, Charles Talbot, was considered to be the most handsome man in England, and bore the nickname “The King of Hearts”. He was created Duke of Shrewsbury and became Lord Treasurer and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He married an Italian Marquesa, a descendant of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, but died without issue.

The title, with the exception of the Dukedom, and estates then passed to his cousin the 13th Earl. This Lordship lies near the centre of the county to the south-east of the town of Droitwich and covers an area of approximately 981 acres. Bow Brook and Little Brook, one of its tributaries, form the north-eastern boundary of the Lordship. There are some excellent examples of half-timbered houses.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• Court Roll 1329-31 Birmingham Reference Lib
• Courts (tourns) 1432-3 Hereford & Worcester RO
• Survey c1650 PRO

Historical holder / succession information

1. Sir George Winter or Wintour
   1642|1658 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: The Lordship eventually descended to Sir George Winter or Wintour, who was created a Baronet in 1642 and died without issue in 1658.