West Ilsley

Lordship account 1

Although no connexion has been found between the 29 hides in Ilsley appurtenant to Sonning Manor which in 1086 were held by Aubrey de Coci and any holding in West Ilsley, it seems probable that these hides lay in West Ilsley, for all the other holdings in Ilsley can be accounted for in East Ilsley. WEST ILSLEY, however, is found at a later date in the hands of the Beaumonts (see below). On the death of Robert de Beaumont Earl of Leicester in 1204 his lands were divided between his sisters Amice wife of Simon de Montfort and Margaret wife of Saer de Quincy Earl of Winchester. The overlordship of the different holdings in West Ilsley passed with the descendants of these two co-heirs, the Earls of Leicester and Lancaster (afterwards Dukes of Lancaster) and the Earls of Winchester and their heirs. Early in the 13th century Robert Fitz Niel held 10 librates of land in West Ilsley, in which he was succeeded by Simon de Steiland, who called himself his heir. Simon de Steiland was holding in 1230–1, but forfeited his lands in 1241, and his half-fee was then granted by the king to John de Mansel, provost of Beverley, who held this half-fee under Simon de Montfort of the king's bailiwick at the time of the Testa de Nevill. Before 1248, however, it had been given by the king to the overlord, Simon de Montfort, John de Mansel receiving other lands in compensation. Probably rather later a feoffment was made by the overlord to one of the Fukeram family. In 1275 Richard Fukeram had return of writs and assize of bread and ale at West Ilsley. In 1279 a fine was levied between Richard Fukeram, senior, and Richard Fukeram, junior, of land in Ilsley. The manor was apparently conveyed before 1349 to Richard de Penley and Isabel his wife, against whom Joan widow of Richard Fukeram claimed a third in dower in that year. In 1362 Richard de Penley granted the manor of West Ilsley to the priory of Edington, in Wiltshire, which held it until the Dissolution. In 1540 the chief 'messuage or grange of West Ilsley' was granted by Henry VIII to William Berners and others, who conveyed it in the following year to William Pleydell and Agnes his wife. They settled it in 1549 upon their son Gabriel, who sold the reversion in 1564 to John Barnes. John Pleydell, brother of William, however, claimed that he had bought the reversion of the manor, and in 1565 the Crown delivered it to him, and he died seised of it in 1591, leaving his son Anthony as his successor. He was followed in 1593 by his brother Richard Pleydell, who was holding in 1608. The manor remained in the hands of the Pleydell family until the marriage of Charlotte Louisa daughter and heir of Robert Pleydell of Ampney Crucis (co. Glouc.) with John Dawnay son of Henry Viscount Downe. Their son Henry Pleydell Dawnay Viscount Downe suffered a recovery of it in 1748. In 1755 Lord Downe sold the manor to William Baker. On 24 March 1857 it was conveyed by William Robert Baker to Lewis Loyd, and then the ownership followed the descent of the manor of East Compton (q.v.), Lady Wantage being the present owner.

Lordship account 2

In the 13th century Agnes de Ponte Audomar, daughter of Henry de Ponte Audomar, was holding a fee in Ilsley under the Earl of Winchester. This probably represents an early feoffment by one of the Beaumonts, who were lords of Pontaudemer, to another branch of the family. Agnes, who married Ralph de Neirnut, had an estate there as late as 1251–2. Later she granted all her lands, rents and tenements in West Ilsley to the Prior of Sandleford, who is returned as tenant in 1270. In 1313 the priory obtained a confirmation of the grant and of a further gift from William de Cherleton. The Prior of Sandleford and Richard Fukeram were said to be holding the vill of West Ilsley in 1316. The later history of this fee has not been traced with any certainty. The priory of Sandleford was dissolved about 1480, but there is no proof that the manor of West Ilsley was then in its possession. In 1428 the lady of Ramsey was returned as holding half a fee which Richard de Penley formerly held. As, however, there is no reason to think that the whole of Penley's property had not passed to Edington (see above), it is possible that a confusion in the succession of fees has been made here and that a Ramsey had been enfeoffed of the Sandleford manor. Elizabeth's successor Thomas Ramsey died seised of the manor in 1499, leavng an annuity to his daughter Joan Court and the manor itself to his son Thomas, who only survived him ten years. He was succeeded by his son Thomas, then six years of age. Margaret mother of Thomas died in 1516. Thomas, who had married Parnel Baldwin, had a posthumous daughter Elizabeth, born in 1524, two months after his death. Elizabeth married Roger Alford, who made a settlement of the manor in 1573. His death took place before 1587, when Elizabeth and Edward Alford, her son, were dealing with it. After 1631, when Edward Alford (apparently son of the lastmentioned Edward) was holding, no further record of the manor by name has been found. The Morland family have held property in the parish, which may represent this estate, since 1711, when John Morland purchased it from William Smith. John Morland was succeeded in 1726 by his son Benjamin, who in 1761 made over the estate to his son William, who died in 1773. His son William died in 1838 and the latter's son in 1854. A cousin, Edward Henry, purchased the property and left it to his nephew Edward, who died in 1894. His son Walter Edward Thomson owns the reversion after the death of Mrs. Edward Morland.

Lordship account 3

Another portion of the Beaumont fee was held by Roger de Beauchamp and had passed in 1361 to Miles de Beauchamp.

Lordship account 4

A further portion of the same fee was held by William de Abingdon, of which nothing is known, unless it is represented by the third of a fee under the same overlordship which in 1313 and 1315 is returned as in the hands of Maud daughter of Ralph de Bradfield.