King’s Barton

The lordship of King's Barton, in the hundred of King's Barton and Dudstone, in Gloucestershire, has belonged for many centuries to the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral before it was purchased by the Guise family.

General Sir John Guise was lord of the manor in 1848, on his death the lordship came to his son Sir William and from him the manor descended to Sir Anselm Guise, the last lord of the manor.

THE ORIGINAL site of this Manor is given as Barton Street in the 13th century, and some of it now had a Le Court House at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. In the middle of the 13th century, the king's hall at Kingsholm was the centre of an estate held under King's Barton Manor by the “serjeanry of keeping the door of the King's pantry”. The hamlet of Barton Street now forms part of the City of Gloucester.

When the Manor was sold as a part of William Singleton's estate on 27 June 1786 to Lot III it was described: The Manor of King's Barton, in the County and City of Gloucester, and in the County of Gloucester, or one of them, and the Hundreds of Kif's Barton and Dudston, in the said County of Gloucester, together with the Courts Leet, Courts Baron, Hundred Courts, View of Frankpledge, Franchises, Wastes, Commons, Profits, Privileges, Rights, Members and Appurtenances, thereunto respectively belonging.

The ANNUAL CHIEF RENTS and RESERVED RENTS, issuing out of FREEHOLD ESTATES in this Manor, and from copyholds of inheritance, from Cottages and from common Fines, including the right of fishing in the River Leaden, Granted by Mr Singleton to Sir John Guise, Bart. by Lease dated the first day of February, 1770, for 99 years, from the 25th December 1769, at £4s per annum, clear of land tax, amount to about per annum £22 2s 6d.

The Royal Manor of Barton had nine hides at the time of the Norman Conquest (1066) and included half a hide in Droitwich, said in the Domesday Survey (1086) to belong to the hall of Gloucester. In 1244 the Manor was held in farm by Gloucester Abbey and was called King's Barton to distinguish it from the Barton estate held by the Abbey in its own right. The Abbey later failed to pay the farm (1265) because of the civil war, and the Crown granted the Lordship at farm to Roger de Clifford. The Abbey regained the farm in 1267, but in 1273 the estate was assigned to the town and the castle of Henry III's widow, Eleanor of Provence, under whom it was called Queen's Barton. In 1299 it was included in the dower of Queen Margaret. The estate was later granted by Edward II in 1318 to his brother Edmund of Woodstock. In 1322 it was committed during pleasure to Gilbert Talbot and Hugh le Despenser the younger was appointed to a superior control.

Queen Isabella had a grant for life in 1327, and the reversion for life to Thomas de Brodesdon in 1330. He is again recorded as holding it in 1331, and kept it until 1345 when Edward III granted the Manor to Gloucester Abbey at fee farm. The Abbey, which from 1316 also held Dudston and the hundred at fee farm was granted free warren in 1354, and retained the estate until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The Crown granted the Lordship of King's Barton in March 1611 to George and Thomas Whitmore of London. George later released his interest to Thomas who was succeeded by his brother Sir William Whitmore, who, as a Royalist sympathizer, in 1645-6 he was removed from the Parliamentary interest. In 1651 he later received from and they passed on his death three years later to his second son Richard, who was discharged from the sequestration in 1653. It passed to his daughter Catherine, who married George Walker, a London merchant. They sold it to Catherine's cousin, also Sir William Whitmore, who released his interest in it to her nephew, William Whitmore Howard Slaughter. Gloucestershire family sold it in the mid-1750s to Samuel Blackwell of Northaw, in Hertfordshire.

By 1780, John Price and Thomas Mitchell held the Manor as assignees of Messrs Walker and Singleton, bankrupts, and in 1784 it was mortgaged to Edmund Probyn. The income of the Manor at this time comprised rent from freehold and copyhold and fishing rights in the River Leadon but no under £18 per annum. It was conveyed with his nearby Highnam estate to Sir John Wright Guise. After his death in 1865, King's Barton passed in the direct line to Sir William Vernon Guise (d.1887), Sir William Francis George Guise (d. 1920), and Sir Anselm William Edward Guise, who relinquished his manorial rights in 1986 to the present owner.

Rights, customs and incidents

When the Manor was sold as a part of William Singleton's estate on 27 June 1786 to Lot III it was described: The Manor of King's Barton, in the County and City of Gloucester, and in the County of Gloucester, or one of them, and the Hundreds of Kif's Barton and Dudston, in the said County of Gloucester, together with the Courts Leet, Courts Baron, Hundred Courts, View of Frankpledge, Franchises, Wastes, Commons, Profits, Privileges, Rights, Members and Appurtenances, thereunto respectively belonging.
The ANNUAL CHIEF RENTS and RESERVED RENTS, issuing out of FREEHOLD ESTATES in this Manor, and from copyholds of inheritance, from Cottages and from common Fines, including the right of fishing in the River Leaden, Granted by Mr Singleton to Sir John Guise, Bart. by Lease dated the first day of February, 1770, for 99 years, from the 25th December 1769, at £4s per annum, clear of land tax, amount to about per annum £22 2s 6d.
In 1244 the Manor was held in farm by Gloucester Abbey and was called King's Barton to distinguish it from the Barton estate held by the Abbey in its own right.
The income of the Manor at this time comprised rent from freehold and copyhold and fishing rights in the River Leadon but no under £18 per annum.
After his death in 1865, King's Barton passed in the direct line to Sir William Vernon Guise (d.1887), Sir William Francis George Guise (d. 1920), and Sir Anselm William Edward Guise, who relinquished his manorial rights in 1986 to the present owner.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• 1 Court rolls of King's Barton 1787-1854
• 2 Presentments of King's Barton 1769-92, 1832-1851
• 3 Court leet presentments 1769-1831
• 4 Original presentments c. 1831
• 5 Rentals 1828-1840 & N.D.
• 6 Stewards precepts 1800-1851
• 7 List of names, etc. 1835, 1840
• 8 Forms to be observed at courts leet & baron c. 1796
• 9 Court book 1854-1946
• Manorial Docs .......... 1705-55 .......... Glos RO
• Presentments ........... 1769-1851
• Court Books ............ 1787-(?) 1854
• Rentals (w/Dudston) .... 1828-40
• Steward's precepts ..... 1800-51
• List of Names .......... 1835, 1840
• Court Book ............. 1854-1946

Source notes

((1986 Catalogue Begins)) | ((1996 Catalogue Begins))

Historical holder / succession information

1. his son Sir William and from him the manor descended to Sir Anselm Guise, the last lord of the manor [source claim requiring identity review]
   1848 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: General Sir John Guise was lord of the manor in 1848, on his death the lordship came to his son Sir William and from him the manor descended to Sir Anselm Guise, the last lord of the manor.
2. General Sir John Guise [source claim requiring identity review]
   1848 · lord_of_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: General Sir John Guise was lord of the manor in 1848, on his death the lordship came to his son Sir William and from him the manor descended to Sir Anselm Guise, the last lord of the manor.
3. town and the castle of Henry III's widow, Eleanor of Provence, under whom it was called Queen's Barton [source claim requiring identity review]
   1267|1273 · conveyed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: The Abbey regained the farm in 1267, but in 1273 the estate was assigned to the town and the castle of Henry III's widow, Eleanor of Provence, under whom it was called Queen's Barton.
4. By 1780, John Price and Thomas Mitchell [source claim requiring identity review]
   1780|1784 · held_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: By 1780, John Price and Thomas Mitchell held the Manor as assignees of Messrs Walker and Singleton, bankrupts, and in 1784 it was mortgaged to Edmund Probyn.