Winterbourne Mayne

Chemarhuec and Norman held land of Hascoit Musard at the time of the Domesday Survey, and Norman was holding his share in the reign of Henry I. Richard son of John was holding the manor in 1234–5, when he sold a messuage and land here to Margery daughter of John Torald. In the same year he sold some land also to Stephen de Chausie. He was holding the manor later in the century, but by 1259 he had taken vows and become preceptor of Dinsley. He obtained a grant of free warren here for his son Maen, who died in 1260–1 seised of this manor, his heir being his daughter Beatrice, then aged nine years. Beatrice married Richard of Clopton, who had warren here in 1275–6, but he died before 1303–4, when Beatrice sold the manor to Henry Pentlow. Henry was holding it in 1315–16, and was succeeded by John Pentlow, who conveyed the manor, now known as the manor of WINTERBOURNE MAYNE, in 1379–80 to Edmund Giffard and others. In 1383 Thomas Loveden and Katherine his wife claimed the manor from some of these others because it had been given to Katherine by the king. The case was postponed, but ultimately decided in their favour, as in 1393 they sold this manor to Richard Abberbury, who had already acquired an interest in the other manors here, after which it passed with the lordship of Donnington in the parish of Shaw (q.v.). Thus the three original manors of this tithing came eventually into the hands of the king or of Sir Richard Abberbury, excepting such rights as William Danvers and Joan his wife had been able to dispose of for the good of their souls. When the manors came with the lordship of Donnington into the hands of the king the Crown became possessed of the whole tithing. The manors passed with the lordship of Donnington (q.v.) until the 17th century, when John Earl of Peterborough and Elizabeth his wife sold them in 1632, under the title of the sites of the manors of Winterbourne Mayne and Winterbourne Danvers, to Robert Awbry and Charles Hamley. For a few years their history is again obscure, but in 1644 Mr. Lawrence Head was living here and is said to have entertained King Charles, Prince Rupert and the royal staff shortly after the second battle of Newbury. That Lawrence Head held the manor of Winterbourne Danvers is clear, for in 1682 he with Elizabeth his wife, together with Giles Clagrove and Christian his wife, conveyed that manor to three trustees. At the death of Lawrence Head the manors seem to have passed to his grandson John Osgood, who settled them in 1714. He was succeeded by his son Lawrence Head Osgood, who in 1757 settled them on his wife Rebecca and his children. He died soon afterwards intestate, when the manors passed to his brother Berry Osgood. He also died intestate and was succeeded by his sister Elizabeth and her husband John Cousins and his nephew Thomas son of another sister Sarah the wife of William Atkinson, and they settled the manor in two moieties in 1774. In 1779 Thomas Atkinson sold his share to John Cousins, late of Henwick, but then of Winterbourne, yeoman, and he and his wife Elizabeth settled the manors in 1780, but after his wife's death, which occurred shortly afterwards, he sold the manor to Thomas Atkinson in 1782. Thomas Atkinson died in or before 1807, and in that year his representatives sold the manor to Richard Basing of Boxford and William Harbert of Bradley. In 1834 Richard Basing of Snelsmore, nephew and heir of Richard of Boxford, sold his share to William Harbert, who was then described as of Winterbourne, and he in turn sold it 17 December 1844 to William Fisher of Copyhold. William Fisher died 4 September 1869, aged sixty-seven, and his representatives sold the manor in 1871 to Richard Fisher of Winterbourne, who sold it 24 January 1903 to Mr. Roland Greene Hill. Mrs. Robert Greene Hill is its present possessor. Leases of the sites of the manors of Winterbourne Danvers and Winterbourne Mayne were made in the 16th century. The site of the latter was known as Bussock's Court.