Woolstone

Extract from Skeats's “The Place Names of Berkshire”.

Not far from Shrivenham. An old name and much contracted; entirely unconnected with “wool” and “stone”. There are other places with a similar name, but they may not be from the same original. Spelt WLRICHESTON, WULRICHESTON, WLRIFHESTONE (error for WLRICHESTONE), by the very frequent substitution of “I” for “r”), WULFRICHESTON, WUIUIRICHESTON. In another reference (1316) we find that WALFRICHESTON is in Shrivenham hundred. The Domesday Book has OLVRICESTONE. The Anglo-Saxon original is unmistakable. It must have been Wulfrices tun, i.e. “Wulfric's town or farm”. Note that in the Domesday Book the name recurs, but is there mis-written ULRITONE (omitting “cs”), and is, moreover, incorrectly said to be in Thatcham hundred, by confusion with Woolhampton. Wild and silly fables have been founded on this misreading, which is a reason for recommending caution.

The Domesday Survey.

II. THE LAND OF THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER. IN HILLESLAU ( ) HUNDRET.¹

Walchelin, Bishop of Winchester, has OLVRICESTONE (Woolstone¹) which finds support (de vicu) for the monks. T.R.E. it was assessed at 20 hides; it is now assessed at 10. There is land for 11 ploughs. On the demesne are 2½ ploughs; and (there are) 12 villeins and 24 bordars with 2½ ploughs. There are 10 serfs and 2 mills worth (de) 12 shillings and 6 pence, and 150 acres of meadow. Of this manor Roger (de Ivrei holds 3½ hides of the bishop and there he has 1 plough. T.R.E. it was worth 16 pounds; afterwards 12 pounds; now (it is worth) 18 pounds. Yet it renders from the farm 22 pounds. What Roger holds (is worth) 3 pounds.

History of the Manor.

In 1086 the Bishop of Winchester held land in WOOLSTONE (Olvrichestone, xi cent.; Wulwricheston, Wulvrycheston, xiii cent.; Wilricheston, Woulricheston, xiv cent.; Wolierston, Wolston, xvi cent.), which was assessed at 10 hides. This was already assigned to the support of the monks of the priory of St. Swithun, Winchester, and from at least the 13th century was in the possession of this house. The Prior retained it until the Dissolution, when it was granted to Sir Thomas Seymour. By this attainder in 1549 it reverted to the Crown, and was granted in 1551 to Thomas Weldon of Cokham, one of the masters of the king's household and afterwards cofferor to Queen Elizabeth. His son William Weldon succeeded him in March 1566–67 and made various settlements, possibly in accordance with the trusts established under his father's will. From William Weldon it passed, probably in 1583, to Edmund Wiseman. Edmund settled it in February, 1597–98 on his son William and his wife, together with an infant daughter Elizabeth, and Edmund then made a settlement on Charles Wiseman, his eldest surviving son. Edmund died in March, 1605–06. Elizabeth received a livery of one-third of the manor in January, 1616–17, and her uncle Charles, who made a settlement of the manor in 1629, died seised of it in 1635, leaving a son and heir Edmund, a minor. The latter made a conveyance of the manor, and was succeeded by a son Edmund. He was holding in 1691, and on his death without issue in 1694 was followed by his brother William. Woolstone formed part of the jointure of Elizabeth wife of William Wiseman, but was sold with her consent before August, 1712, apparently to Bartholomew Tipping of Woolley Park. It then followed the descent of Woolley Park (q.v.), and was inherited by Mary Anne, niece and sole heir of Bartholomew Tipping and wife of the Rev. Philip Wroughton, who was in possession in 1805. They sold it in 1814 to the second Earl of Craven, and it is now the property of the present Earl of Craven.

In 1538 the reputed manor of HALL PLACE in Woolstone was settled by John George on his son John and his wife Edith. The Younger John George died in February, 1538–39, leaving an infant daughter Frideswide, whose custody was in 1542 granted to her stepfather John Wilmot. Frideswide afterwards married Levencot Hide and obtained livery in 1560.

In 1599 John Saunders of Woolstone died, and was apparently succeeded by Thomas Saunders, who in 1617 settled Hall Place on John his son and heir on his marriage with Margaret daughter of John Evelyn of a Godstone, Survey. John, who had been admitted to the Middle Temple in 1608, succeeded his father and died in 1638, leaving a son Thomas, a minor. This boy apparently died without issue, for in 1664 John son of Thomas Saunders declared that he was nephew of John Saunders, “a Barester at Law”. John son of Thomas died in 1674 and had a son Thomas Saunders. The Saunders sold to Thomas Bigg in 1754, who left the property to his brother, Rev. Walter Bigg. His son Lovelace succeeded, and took the name of Wither in 1789. Lovelace's son Harris Bigg-Wither sold it to Capt. Butler in 1828, who in 1864 sold Woolstone Farm to the Earl of Craven, but Mr. W. J. Butler retains the rest.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• Court Roll: 1787.
• In addition to the documents to be handed over, the following, which relate to the Manor, are in the possession of Winchester Cathedral Library and the Public Record Office, London:—
• Court Roll: 1534–35. (Winchester Cathedral Library.)
• Court Rolls: 1 Edw. iij., 25 Hen. vij. (Public Record Office, London.)
• ¹ Now in the Hundred of Shrivenham.

In 1086 the Bishop of Winchester held Woolstone, which had already been assigned to support the monks of St Swithun's Priory, Winchester. From at least the 13th century it was held by the priory until the Dissolution. It was then granted to Sir Thomas Seymour, reverted to the Crown following his attainder in 1549, and was granted in 1551 to Thomas Weldon of Cokham. William Weldon succeeded in March 1566–67. The manor passed, probably in 1583, to Edmund Wiseman. Settlements and family succession followed through William Wiseman, Charles Wiseman and the younger Edmund Wiseman. Edmund was holding in 1691 and died without issue in 1694; his brother William succeeded. The manor was sold before August 1712, apparently to Bartholomew Tipping of Woolley Park. It descended with Woolley Park to Mary Anne Tipping and the Rev. Philip Wroughton, who were in possession in 1805. They sold it in 1814 to the second Earl of Craven, whose family held it thereafter according to the supplied account.