Shepperton

This ancient saxon lordship is in the Spelthorne Hundred of Middlesex, five miles south east of Staines and nineteen miles from London. The area of the manor is about 1,430 acres.

King Edward the Confessor granted this lordship to Westminster Abbey, which he founded. After the Norman Conquest the Abbey retained the overlordship until the Dissolution of the Monastaries.

In 1208 Robert Beauchamp was lord of the manor, but, as he was a minor, King John granted custody of him and Shepperton Manor to Hubert de Burgh. The Beauchamp family continued to hold the lordship until 1373, as recorded in Letter Patent at the Public Records Office. After that, the lordship passed to Sir Matthew Gurney, who had married Alice, widow of the last John Beauchamp.

After Sir Matthew died his second wife Philippa married Sir John Tiptoft. He and Philippa were joint lords and holding the manorial court in 1408. Their son John inherited the lordship in 1443. He became the Earl of Worcester and was beheaded for treason in 1470.

The lordship then passed to King Edward IV but he restored it to Worcester’s son Edward in 1471. He died, lord of the manor, in 1485 but he had no children and the lordship passed to his aunt’s husband Sir Edmund Dudley. His son Lord Dudley conveyed the lordship to Bartholomew Reed in 1490, who died lord of the manor in 1505.

Shepperton then passed to his widow Elizabeth and then to his nephew William Reed, who died in 1534. From the Reed family the lordship came briefly to James Huish of London and his sons before being conveyed to Sir George Reynell. For the next one hundred and thirty years the Reynell family held the lordship.

It is for this period that the fascinating Court Rolls exist. These, together with many other papers and later Court Rolls, provide an insight into the history of the manor and customs of the area.

In 1670 Thomas Reynell died and was succeeded as lord of the manor by his brother Henry, who took the additional name of Spiller. This may have been for an inheritance because, in 1621, Sir Thomas Reynell had married Katherine, the daughter of Sir Henry Spiller. He died, lord of the manor, in 1715 and the lordship came to his son, Brent Reynell Spiller. After his death, in 1736, his son sold the lordship to trustees of Miss Penelope Stratford in 1741.

There are court rolls recording that she held the manorial courts first in her own right and later as joint lord with her husband Richard Geast. After his death Penelope sold the lordship to Thomas Scott in 1811. He was succeeded, as lord of the manor, by his nephew James, from whose estate the lordship was conveyed to the father of the present lord of the manor.

In the beautiful church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, there is a manorial gallery.

J.M. Neale who composed many well known hymns lived at Shepperton. He wrote the historical novel “Shepperton Manor”.

Rights, customs and incidents

There are court rolls recording that she held the manorial courts first in her own right and later as joint lord with her husband Richard Geast.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• 1 Court rolls (view of frankpledge and court barons) 1651-1771
• 2 Miscellaneous documents 1686-1840
• 3 Inquisition post mortem 1496
• 4 Royal Letters Patent, King Edward I 1281 and 1298

Historical holder / succession information

1. In 1208 Robert Beauchamp [source claim requiring identity review]
   1208 · lord_of_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: In 1208 Robert Beauchamp was lord of the manor, but, as he was a minor, King John granted custody of him and Shepperton Manor to Hubert de Burgh.
2. Sir Matthew Gurney
   passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: After that, the lordship passed to Sir Matthew Gurney, who had married Alice, widow of the last John Beauchamp.
3. King Edward IV but he restored it to Worcester’s son Edward [source claim requiring identity review]
   1471 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: The lordship then passed to King Edward IV but he restored it to Worcester’s son Edward in 1471.
4. his aunt’s husband Sir Edmund Dudley [source claim requiring identity review]
   1485 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: He died, lord of the manor, in 1485 but he had no children and the lordship passed to his aunt’s husband Sir Edmund Dudley.
5. Sir George Reynell
   conveyed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: From the Reed family the lordship came briefly to James Huish of London and his sons before being conveyed to Sir George Reynell.
6. For the next one hundred and thirty years the Reynell family
   held_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: For the next one hundred and thirty years the Reynell family held the lordship.
7. his son, Brent Reynell Spiller [source claim requiring identity review]
   1715 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: He died, lord of the manor, in 1715 and the lordship came to his son, Brent Reynell Spiller.
8. father of the present lord of the manor [source claim requiring identity review]
   conveyed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: He was succeeded, as lord of the manor, by his nephew James, from whose estate the lordship was conveyed to the father of the present lord of the manor.