Westcourt or Shalbourne Dormer

Overlordship

Another Wiltshire manor, consisting of a hide and 3 virgates, was held of King Edward the Confessor by a thegn and in 1086 was in the hands of Hugh Lasne. This manor with other of Hugh's estates passed to Robert de Ewyas of Ewyas Harold, whose only daughter and heiress Sybil married Robert de Tregoz. Her son Robert succeeded to his mother's estates in 1236 and was holding the overlordship of this manor in the 13th century. The manor was still held of the barony of Ewyas in 1428, but some rights of overlordship had passed before 1275 to Roger de Chandos, lord of Snodhill, of which barony it was still held in 1413. In 1411–12 it was said to be held of Humphrey son and heir of Edmund late Earl of Stafford as of his manor of Wexcombe (co. Wilts.), and in 1413–14 it was held by Sir John Chandos during the minority of the heir of Edmund. In 1501 it is again returned as held of the manor of Wexcombe.

Lordship account 1

The greater part of the Wiltshire portion of Shalbourne was held before the Conquest by Ordwold. Before 1086 his land had been divided between Richard Sturmy (Sturmid), one of the king's serjeants, who held 1 hide and 3 virgates, and the thegn Ulvric, probably Ulfric the huntsman, who held a hide and a virgate. Osgot, another thegn, held half a hide here. It is possible that these three holdings were afterwards united in the possession of Richard Sturmy's descendants, who held at Shalbourne a manor called WESTCOURT, or Shalbourne Dormer, by the serjeanty of finding one mounted man armed with hauberk, iron cap and lance for forty days. Before the beginning of the 13th century Richard Sturmy's estates had been divided between Walter and Geoffrey Sturmy, and this manor fell to the share of Walter. Walter died in 1243, his heirs being his sisters Alice wife of Robert Kernet and Letewarie. Letewarie sold her share to Richard de Harden, who was to hold it of Alice, and Alice's share was divided before 1274 between Robert de Punchardon, who had married Alice de Kernet, probably daughter of Robert and Alice, and Roger de Clatford and his wife Hawisia. Roger and Hawisia sold their quarter, which carried with it the advowson of the chapel of St. Margaret at West Shalbourne, in 1285 to William de Harden, who in 1302–3 acquired Richard de Harden's moiety from his widow Maud and son Roger. The Punchardons' share which belonged in 1288–9 to Lawrence de Punchardon may have consisted only in some rights of overlordship, as this family is not afterwards found holding land in Shalbourne, but in 1527 the manor of Westcourt was said to be held of the heir of Fulk de Punchardon. William de Harden died in 1329–30, when his daughter Anastasia, then wife of Robert de Bilkemore, succeeded. A third of the manor was assigned to William's widow Mary, who was still holding it in 1339, when Westcourt was settled on Robert and Anastasia for their lives with remainder to John, Anastasia's son by her first husband William Lilbone. Anastasia died in 1353, her heir being her grandson John son of John Lilbone above mentioned. Sir Robert de Bilkemore held the manor until his death in 1361. In 1395 Sir John Lilbone settled the manor on his wife Isabel with reversion in default of John's issue to William Changton (Changylton). The manor had passed before 1412 to William, and it was probably his son Walter Changton who settled it in 1468 on himself for life, with remainder to his son William and his wife Maud. Walter died in 1472 seised of this manor, when William succeeded. After his death it passed to Maud, who was succeeded in 1527 by her son Thomas. Thomas sold the manor and some land soon after to Thomas Wenman and his brother William, the sale being confirmed in 1545 by Thomas Changton's son Walter, who sold the remaining lands and the advowson of the chapel in 1545 to Sir Michael Dormer. Geoffrey Dormer, the third son of Sir Michael, sold his share in 1548 to Edward Duke of Somerset, and this part followed the descent of Eastcourt (q.v.) from that time. William Wenman, owner of the rest of the manor, was succeeded about 1587 by his son Richard, who sold it in 1590 to William Castell. Thomas Castell and Katherine his wife sold it in 1600 to Edward Earl of Hertford, and it then became united to the other part of the manor.

Lordship account 2

William was holding this manor of Hugh Lasne in 1086. William Drueys was tenant about the middle of the 13th century and Stephen Drueys in 1275–6. In 1361 Robert de Bilkemore, lord of Westcourt, was holding two-thirds of a carucate of John Drueys. In 1411 John Renet died seised of this estate, consisting of a messuage and a carucate of land, which he had held jointly with his wife Maud of the gift of his mother Parnel. His son John succeeded and died while still a minor in 1413, when his heir was Isabel the wife of John Claymond. John was holding this manor in 1428, and at the same date William Browning was in possession of an estate here, formerly belonging to Sir John Lilbone, held of the barony of Ewyas. It may have been this property which as a messuage and carucate of land in Shalbourne and East and West Bedwyn was conveyed in 1433–4 by Henry Clerk and his wife Christina to Robert Collingborn and John Staplehill. In 1501 Christopher Whiting died seised of a third of a messuage and land in Shalbourne held of the manor of Wexcombe, his heir being his brother John. ¶In 1753 Mary Worgan and Elizabeth Worgan, spinsters, held two third parts of a fifth part of the manor of Shalbourne, and a fifth part was held in 1757 by Robert Worgan, clerk. Thomas Watts Oburn held a third of a fifth part in 1760. Elizabeth Worgan held a manor in Shalbourne in 1805, and sold it in 1826 to Anthony Kingston, who died in 1854, leaving it by his will to his son Thomas Kingston, whose executors sold it in 1902 to the Marquess of Ailesbury.