Historical names: Aucheston (Manor) | Avicestone (Manor)
Location: Brading, Isle of Wight
Places / associated places: Brading, Isle of Wight
About the Manor
Adgestone Manor was a free manor in Brading, Isle of Wight. It was held by three freemen in the time of Edward the Confessor and was in the king's hands at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086. Two Domesday holdings called Avicestone, held respectively by William son of Azor and Edric the king's thegn, may represent the same estate, although the identification is not certain. The recorded historical forms include Abedestone and Avicestone in the 11th century, Auythestone in the 13th century, Aucheston in the 15th century, Aidotone and Ageston in the 16th century, and Adgestone by the 18th century. The medieval evidence indicates that the estate was not necessarily a single undivided lordship throughout its history: separate fees, portions, and lands in Adgestone were held of different superior lords or manors, including the honour of Carisbrooke Castle and the manor of Alverstone. By the mid-19th century the manor was owned by E. Horlock; it was subsequently purchased by the father of Edward Granville Ward, who was identified as owner in the early twentieth-century account.
Ownership / Holder Account
The secure history is composite and includes both the principal manor and separately recorded fees or parcels in Adgestone. Before the Norman Conquest the estate was held as a free manor by three unnamed freemen; by 1086 it was in the king's hands. Two Domesday entries for Avicestone, held by William son of Azor and Edric the king's thegn, may relate to Adgestone but are not securely identical with the whole manor. In the late 13th century John de Weston held half a fee in Milton and Adgestone from John de Insula, while a separate fortieth of a fee in Adgestone, held of the honour of Carisbrooke Castle, belonged in 1299 to John de Witvil or Wyvill and later passed to Edward de Whitefield and William de Whitefield. Anna Witvil or Wyvill held land in Adgestone in 1384–85. The John de Weston holding followed the descent of Milton until 1431, when it was held by John Haket and John Roucle or Rookley. After 1431, some Adgestone land appears to have followed the descent of Brook and to have passed to the Bowerman family; Joan Bowerman and her grandson Nicholas both died seized of land in Adgestone held of Alverstone. A rental of Alverstone Manor dated 8 October 1510 records Thomas Fitchett holding land in Adgestone and doing homage at Alverstone, suggesting that part of Adgestone, probably the western portion, had been absorbed into the Alverstone holding. In 1576 William Rogers held land in Adgestone for which he owed suit at John Worsley's court at Bembridge. These medieval and early modern entries should not all be treated as successive owners of the entire manor. The later direct ownership statement is that E. Horlock owned Adgestone in the middle of the 19th century, after which it was purchased by the father of Edward Granville Ward; Edward Granville Ward was the owner named by the early twentieth-century source.
Manorial Rights & Privileges
Historic manorial rights / privileges (1)
Suit of court at Bembridge
Provisional
In 1576 William Rogers owed suit at John Worsley's court at Bembridge for land held in Adgestone. This evidences a court-related obligation attached to a holding or parcel, not necessarily a manor-wide right.
Conveyance & Descent
First holder to present holder: blood proximity & distance travelled
First recorded holder: Three unnamed freemen
Present holder:
Recorded title journey: 15 holder entries in this manor's saved Conveyance & Descent history.
No recorded holder currently has a usable saved direct-blood or collateral-blood relationship path from which to calculate proximity percentages.
First recorded holder → present holder
A usable saved blood relationship path between the first recorded holder and the present holder has not yet been recorded, so that first-to-present genealogical distance cannot be calculated.
Transfer: Earliest recorded holding; no conveyance into their hands is stated.
Holding arrangement: Other — Free manor; exact individual shares are not stated.
Shared holding: Domesday predecessor holding
The manor was held by three freemen in the time of Edward the Confessor. This is evidence for the estate's existence and free status before the Norman Conquest, but the source does not name the freemen or describe their individual shares.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: By the Domesday Survey the estate was in the king's hands; the mechanism and date of transfer from the pre-Conquest freemen are unknown.
Shared holding: Crown holding at Domesday
Previous holder: Three unnamed freemen
Adgestone was recorded as being held by the king in 1086. This entry should not be used to identify a particular monarch beyond the Domesday wording or to infer a specific conveyance.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Held half a fee in Milton and Adgestone of John de Insula; the preceding conveyance and later transfer are not stated in the available source.
Holding arrangement: Share — Half a fee in Milton and Adgestone; the division between the two places is not stated.
Shared holding: Weston fee in Milton and Adgestone
Previous holder: John de Insula
This was a feudal fee including land in Adgestone, not necessarily the entire manor. John de Weston was tenant of John de Insula, also known as Lisle, and the source later says that this holding followed the same descent as Milton until 1431.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entries for Adgestone and Milton; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Held a fortieth of a fee in Adgestone of the honour of Carisbrooke Castle; the later transfer is stated only as occurring afterwards.
Holding arrangement: Share — A fortieth of a fee in Adgestone.
Shared holding: Whitefield-related fee
Co-holders: Edward de Whitefield, William de Whitefield
This was a separate feudal holding in Adgestone, distinct from the half fee held by John de Weston. It was held of the honour of Carisbrooke Castle and should not be treated as evidence that John de Witvil owned the entire manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: The fortieth of a fee formerly held by John de Witvil or Wyvill passed afterwards to Edward de Whitefield; the date and instrument are unknown.
Holding arrangement: Share — A fortieth of a fee in Adgestone.
Shared holding: Whitefield-related fee
Co-holders: John de Witvil or Wyvill, William de Whitefield
Previous holder: John de Witvil or Wyvill
Edward de Whitefield is recorded as the subsequent holder of the Adgestone fee formerly associated with John de Witvil or Wyvill. The source does not provide a precise date or conveyance instrument.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: The same Adgestone fee passed from Edward de Whitefield to William de Whitefield; the date and instrument are unknown.
Holding arrangement: Share — A fortieth of a fee in Adgestone.
Shared holding: Whitefield-related fee
Co-holders: John de Witvil or Wyvill, Edward de Whitefield
Previous holder: Edward de Whitefield
William de Whitefield is recorded as the next holder in the Whitefield-related descent. This was a fractional fee rather than the entirety of Adgestone Manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Held land in Adgestone in 1384–85; the source does not establish whether this was the same fractional fee or a different parcel, and no conveyance is stated.
Holding arrangement: Other — Land in Adgestone; extent and tenure not stated.
Shared holding: Wyvill-related Adgestone land
Anna Witvil or Wyvill is documented as holding land at Adgestone in 1384–85. This is evidence of landholding in the place, but not conclusive evidence that she held the whole manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: The Weston fee in Milton and Adgestone was held by John Haket and John Roucle or Rookley in 1431; the preceding and subsequent conveyances are not fully documented in the available source.
Holding arrangement: Joint — The source identifies the holding as the former Weston-related fee but does not state individual shares.
Shared holding: Milton and Adgestone fee
Previous holder: Successors of the Weston holding in Milton and Adgestone
The source states that the Weston-related holding followed the same descent as Milton until 1431, when it was held by John Haket and John Roucle or Rookley. This is a joint holding of a fee or portion associated with Adgestone, not proof of sole ownership of the entire manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entries for Adgestone and Milton; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: The source suggests that some Adgestone land passed with Brook to the Bowermans after 1431; Joan Bowerman later died seized of land in Adgestone held of Alverstone. The precise conveyance is not stated.
Holding arrangement: Other — Land in Adgestone; extent and share not stated.
Shared holding: Bowerman-related Adgestone land
Co-holder: Nicholas Bowerman
Previous holder: John Haket and John Roucle or Rookley
Joan Bowerman was a recorded holder of land in Adgestone, held of the manor of Alverstone. The wording supports a connection with a parcel or portion of the former Adgestone holding, but does not prove that she owned the entire manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; corroborated by the calendar-based summary of Joan Bowerman's inquisition post mortem. — source link
Transfer: The source states that Nicholas Bowerman, Joan Bowerman's grandson, died seized of land in Adgestone held of Alverstone; the exact date and conveyance are not stated in the principal source.
Holding arrangement: Other — Land in Adgestone; extent and share not stated.
Shared holding: Bowerman-related Adgestone land
Co-holder: Joan Bowerman
Previous holder: Joan Bowerman or the intervening Bowerman succession
Nicholas Bowerman held land in Adgestone of the manor of Alverstone. The available evidence does not establish that he held Adgestone Manor as a whole or specify the exact date of succession.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Held land in Adgestone as recorded in the rental of Alverstone Manor and did homage at Alverstone; this is a tenancy or dependent holding, not evidence of ownership of Adgestone Manor.
Holding arrangement: Other — Land in Adgestone; extent not stated.
Shared holding: Alverstone tenancy in Adgestone
Previous holder: Manor of Alverstone or its lord
The Alverstone Manor rental dated 8 October 1510 records Thomas Fitchett holding land in Adgestone and doing homage at Alverstone. This evidence is important for the apparent absorption of part of Adgestone into the Alverstone holding, but Thomas Fitchett should be treated as a tenant or subordinate landholder rather than as lord of Adgestone Manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Held land in Adgestone for which he owed suit at John Worsley's court at Bembridge; no conveyance is stated.
Holding arrangement: Other — Land in Adgestone; extent and tenure not stated.
Shared holding: Bembridge-court landholding
William Rogers is recorded as holding land in Adgestone in 1576 and owing suit at John Worsley's court at Bembridge. This indicates a landholding subject to manorial jurisdiction, not necessarily ownership of Adgestone Manor.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Owned Adgestone by the middle of the 19th century; the manor was later purchased by the father of Edward Granville Ward. The date and instrument of sale are not stated.
Shared holding: Modern manor ownership
Co-holders: Father of Edward Granville Ward, Edward Granville Ward
The early twentieth-century account states that Adgestone was owned by E. Horlock in the middle of the 19th century. The abbreviated name is retained because the source does not supply a forename.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Father of Edward Granville Ward
Transfer: Purchased Adgestone from E. Horlock; the purchaser's personal name and the date and instrument of purchase are not stated.
Shared holding: Modern manor ownership
Co-holders: E. Horlock, Edward Granville Ward
Previous holder: E. Horlock
The source states that Adgestone was purchased from E. Horlock by the father of the then owner, Edward Granville Ward. Because the father's name is not supplied, he is recorded descriptively and not assigned an inferred identity.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
Transfer: Identified as the owner after the purchase by his father; the date and legal form of the transfer from the father are not stated.
Shared holding: Modern manor ownership
Co-holders: E. Horlock, Father of Edward Granville Ward
Previous holder: Father of Edward Granville Ward
Edward Granville Ward was identified as the owner of Adgestone in the early twentieth-century account published in 1912. This is the latest securely sourced historical ownership statement found in the present research. No later owner is entered because the available public evidence reviewed here does not establish a later historical conveyance.
Source: William Page, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (Victoria County History, 1912), Isle of Wight manorial history, entry for Adgestone; reproduced in the modern summary of Adgestone Manor. — source link
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