Westleton Grange

The village of Westleton is on the river Minsmere, and appears as West Ledestuna, Westletuna, and Westeltona in 1086; these names are probably a reference to its position about 3 miles west of the city and fortress of Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. The Domesday survey shows Westleton Manor as part of the lands of Robert Malet, held of him by Gilbert Blund, and it was assessed at 7½d. for Danegeld. It was later given to Sibton Abbey, the abbot of which held the manor and its advowson in 1299. The Hundred Rolls show him as holding 30 acres in Westleton of the Earl of Cornwall (Copinger, vol. II, p. 196).

A statute of Edward I forbade the creation of new manors, but before this time the original manor of Westleton had been broken up into eight separate manors, namely, Westleton with the Members, Westleton Grange, Minsmere or Scots Hall, Lenwades or Lembalde’s or Lymbold’s, Claydons, Cleeves or Cliffs Hornehorne, Valens and Rysings.

The earliest of the Court records consists of 16 parchment rolls, written in law-Latin, the first of which dated 1500, shows Westleton as associated with Westleton Rectory and the Abbey. After 1504, there is a long gap which covers the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and the first fifteen years of the reign of Elizabeth I. Fifteen Courts are enrolled from 1573 to 1612, after which no records are available until the first Court Book in 1689. The rolls are for the most part in fairly good condition, although in some places the ink has faded, making reading difficult.

Until 1732, the proceedings are recorded in law-Latin, and from 1737 in English, the change coinciding with a change of Stewardship from William Ingham to John Ingham. The title-page draws attention to the custom of inheritance by Borough English, and states that “Filius Junior est heres”. This is followed by a note on the dower of Ann, the widow of Robert Colvett (Court of 27 September 12 Henry 8), and a statement that the youngest brother is heir (Court of 25 April 25 Eliz.). (Two cases of the operation of Borough English were enrolled in 1583.)

The Lordship of the Manor of Westleton Grange was, for many years before the Dissolution of the monasteries, held by the Abbots of Sibton. At the Dissolution, the manor was granted, in 1536, to Thomas, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, and in 1537 was held by John Soone; in 1547 it passed to Edmund Rous, who disposed of it in 1551 to John Harbotte. The Courts for the years 1597 to 1608 were those of Edward Grimston. Courts were held in 1611 and 1612 for Sir Harbotte Grimston, the father of a better-known Sir Harbotte Grimston who sat in the Parliament of 1640 as member for Colchester, and who served in the Civil War.

The lordship was known to have been held by William Hart in 1635, and by John Fiske in 1651. Fiske was Lord of the Manor in 1661, first of the Court Books opened in 1689; the Manor was conveyed by James Fiske to Mary Woods in 1710, when she held her first Court, her son, Everard Woods, then being a minor. Everard Woods became Lord of the Manor on attaining his majority, for there are occasional references to his Lordship, and at the first Court of a younger Everard Woods in 1742, the new Lord is described as the “eldest son of Everard Woods, Gent., deceased, late Lord of this Manor”. After only two years the younger Everard Woods was succeeded by Richard Crowfoot, who held the Lordship from 1744 to 1763; following this intermission, the title was again held by members of the Woods family, in the persons of Alexander Woods, Samuel Alexander Woods, and Samuel Alexander Woods the Younger. Henry Seymour Montagu acquired the Lordship in 1852—his signature appears on the flyleaf of the third Court Book—and it was later held by Charles Henry Capon. He conveyed the Manor to George Frederick Beaumont, of Coggeshall, the trustees of whose will sold it by private treaty after the first auction of Lordships of Manors in 1954 to E. H. Roberts.

Further records describe court proceedings, copyhold tenures, fines, stewardships, and enfranchisement activity through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including references to families such as Blois, Downing, and Robinson.

The following manorial records will be handed over on completion:

Court Rolls: 1500–1612 on 16 membranes.

Court Books: 1689–1737; 1738–1837; 1839–1876.

Minute Books: 1763–1830; 1844–1875.

The Vendor is Mr. George Cecil Jones the Executor of E. H. Roberts, deceased, and the title shall commence with the Will of George Frederick Beaumont dated 1st June, 1928. The Vendor’s Solicitors are Messrs. Grover Smith and Moss, 18/22 Lloyd Street, Manchester, 2.

Rights, customs and incidents

It was later given to Sibton Abbey, the abbot of which held the manor and its advowson in 1299.

Historical holder / succession information

1. It was later given to Sibton Abbey, the abbot of [source claim requiring identity review]
   1299 · held_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: It was later given to Sibton Abbey, the abbot of which held the manor and its advowson in 1299.
2. Fiske [source claim requiring identity review]
   1661|1689|1710 · lord_of_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: Fiske was Lord of the Manor in 1661, first of the Court Books opened in 1689; the Manor was conveyed by James Fiske to Mary Woods in 1710, when she held her first Court, her son, Everard Woods, then being a minor.
3. Everard Woods
   1742 · lord_of_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: Everard Woods became Lord of the Manor on attaining his majority, for there are occasional references to his Lordship, and at the first Court of a younger Everard Woods in 1742, the new Lord is described as the “eldest son of Everard Woods, Gent., deceased, late Lord of this Manor”.
4. After only two years the younger Everard Woods was succeeded [source claim requiring identity review]
   1744|1763 · held_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: After only two years the younger Everard Woods was succeeded by Richard Crowfoot, who held the Lordship from 1744 to 1763; following this intermission, the title was again held by members of the Woods family, in the persons of Alexander Woods, Samuel Alexander Woods, and Samuel Alexander Woods the Younger.
5. Henry Seymour Montagu
   1852 · purchased · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: Henry Seymour Montagu acquired the Lordship in 1852—his signature appears on the flyleaf of the third Court Book—and it was later held by Charles Henry Capon.