Wymington

Overlordship account 1

Four tenants are mentioned as holding in Wymington at the Survey of 1086, of whom two held manors. Of these the more important was WYMINGTON MANOR. assessed at 4 hides, and belonging to Walter the Fleming. The overlordship, as in the case of Walter's other lands, became attached to the barony of Wahull. William Cantlow held the overlordship as part of this barony in the early part of the 13th century, and was succeeded by his son George, on whose death without issue in 1273 this right passed to his sister and co-heir Millicent wife of Eudo de la Zouche. The Zouches of Harringworth continued to exercise the overlordship of Wymington Manor as late as 1515, but after 1372 no mention of it as part of the barony of Wahull has been found.

Overlordship account 2

A second manor, also known as WYMINGTON MANOR, was held by Alured of Lincoln at Domesday. It was assessed at 3 hides, and had formerly belonged to Godwin Frampolt. Alured also claimed as successor to Godwin half a hide in Wymington from Walter Fleming, another Domesday tenant, and woodland for 100 swine from the Bishop of Coutances. Both these claims were adjudged to be just by the men of the hundred court.

Mesne Lordship

Towards the end of the 13th century the Burnels appear for a short time as intermediary lords between the Zouches and the mesne lords. Thus in 1278–9 Roger de Nowers held of Robert Burnel, who held of the heirs of George Cantlow, who in their turn held from John de Wahull. By 1299 this interest had passed to Philip Burnel, and after 1301 no further trace of it has been found.

Lordship account 1

In 1086 the tenant of Wymington Manor was Osbert, who succeeded Lant, a man of Levenot. The descent during the following century has not been ascertained, but by the beginning of the 13th century a family called de Welton were in possession of the manor. In 1208 William de Welton received the acknowledgement of his right to 2 virgates of land in this parish. It was probably the same William who a few years later held a knight's fee in the same place. He appears to have had at least two sons, Roger de Welton and John de Welton, who held land in Wymington in 1247. A pedigree extracted from the Plea Rolls gives Roger de Nowers, who is subsequently found holding this manor, as the son of William de Welton, but it seems more likely that Nichols' statement, drawn from the Orlebar MSS. to which he had access, that Roger de Nowers married Joan daughter of John de Welton is correct. Roger de Nowers certainly held the manor, then including 4½ hides, from 1275 onwards. The year of his death is not known, but he was succeeded by his son Roger de Nowers, who died some time previous to 1298–9, at which date the guardianship of Roger, his son and heir, fell into the king's hands by reason of the minority of the overlord. In 1330 this Roger was still holding Wymington Manor, which by 1346 had passed to Richard de Nowers his son. He died some time before 1352, when his brother John de Nowers alienated this manor to Hugh Curteys and John his son. John Curteys, as appears from his epitaph, was Mayor of the Wool Staple at Calais, and appears to have been a man of considerable wealth, for on the occasion of a loan to Richard II in 1379 he furnished £20, a large amount for a private person when it is considered that 'the good men of Bedford' together only produced a similar sum. He also rebuilt Wymington Church, where together with Aubrey his wife he lies buried. He died in 1391, and his wife Aubrey survived him certainly till 1401, in which year together with William Hyde and other executors of her late husband's will she summoned William Chinale touching a debt of £64 7s. 4d. Within the next two years the executors of John Curteys alienated the manor to Sir Thomas Bromfletc, who in 1403 obtained a charter of free warren in his demesne lands there. He died in 1430, and his son Henry Bromflete, who acquired the title of Lord de Vessy through his mother, succeeded to Wymington Manor. By his will, dated 1466, he directed that his lordship of Wymington, amongst other property, should be sold by his executors, and the money realized should go towards the foundation of chantries for the good of his soul. He died in 1468–9, leaving his daughter Margaret wife of Lawrence Threlkeld as his heir, and Wymington was disposed of according to the instructions mentioned above, for it appears three years later as the property of Jaquetta Duchess of Bedford, who after the death of her first husband in 1435 had married Sir Richard Wydville, afterwards Earl Rivers. On her death in 1472 her son Anthony Earl Rivers became heir to Wymington. He was a loyal supporter of the young King Edward V, who was his nephew, and was in consequence beheaded at Pontefract by order of the Duke of Gloucester without any trial. Sir Richard Wydville, his brother and heir, was attainted by the Parliament of Richard III in 1483, and his estates consequently escheated to the Crown. Richard III granted Wymington Manor, valued at £66 13s. 4d. yearly, to Thomas Metcalf in the following year, but the grant never appears to have taken effect, for in 1485 on the accession of Henry VII Richard Wydville obtained a general pardon and resumption of his estates. He died in 1491 without direct heir, but some time previously he had settled the reversion of Wymington on his niece, Joan Le Strange wife of Sir George Stanley. Joan died seised of this manor in 1514, when her heir was her son Thomas Stanley Earl of Derby. He held the manor till his death in 1521, when he was succeeded by his son Edward, followed in 1572 by his son Henry Stanley Earl of Derby. According to an inquisition bearing date 1595, Henry made a settlement of this manor on his son Ferdinand in the year 1567–8, and together with him in 1591 he alienated the property by fine to Roland Lacy and William Hobbes. In 1598 the latter again transferred Wymington Manor to William Bletsoe. He, whose family originally came from Irchester in Northamptonshire, married as second wife Agnes daughter of Thomas Cobbe of Sharnbrook, and this manor passed to their son William Bletsoe on his father's death in 1639–40. William Bletsoe died some time previous to 1669, in which year his widow Elizabeth and Anne Pearles widow, his daughter, made a settlement of the manor. Anne Pearles married a second husband, Charles Williamson, and in 1700 she and her son conveyed the manor to trustees, and finally in 1708 they sold it to John Sawyer, whose son John sold it in 1713 to Major-General Livesay. This manor appears to have followed the same descent as Hinwick (q.v.) until its sale to Mr. John Goosey in 1767. Unlike Hinwick, however, it has since remained in the Goosey family, the present owners being Mr. W. G. Goosey of Kettering and Mr. J. G. Goosey of Forest Hill.

Lordship account 2

In 1086 Glen was the tenant of Alured, in Wymington Manor, whose history during the next hundred years is not ascertainable. It appears in 1215 as late the property of Peter de Surive, and was then made the subject of a temporary grant to the Archbishop of Dublin. In 1224 the king granted this same estate to Robert de la Briwere 'in our service at Dover,' and this grant was confirmed in 1231. In 1234 Robert de Briwere received a grant of six oaks from the royal forest of Salcey to aid in building a house for himself at Wymington. His son William de Briwere succeeded his father whilst still under age, and his wardship was conferred on Ralph de St. Sampson, whose daughter Joan he eventually married. In 1257 William Briwere alienated 2 carucates of land and two messuages in Wymington to Isabella Cardun, the wife of William le Mercer, who still held the manor in 1276. She died in 1284, leaving as heir her son John de Exmouth. The property at this time included a messuage, a dove-cote, 120 acres of arable land, three 'nativi,' whose services were worth 9s. each, two cottars, and 16s. 1d. rent of free tenants. John de Exmouth held in Wymington in 1328, and died in 1347 seised of this property, which he was stated to hold at this time by the service of finding 'one Hobelar in the king's war within the realm of England at his own cost for forty days at 6d. a day.' He left as heir a son John, whose daughter Clementia died under age in 1361, when her heir was declared to be Richard son of William Harcourt. Immediately after her death Richard Harcourt alienated her lands without licence to John Curteys, to whom belonged Wymington Manor, in which this property subsequently becomes merged.

Lordship account 3

A third owner of land at the Survey of 1086 was William Spec, of whom Walter held 3 virgates which had previously belonged to Levret a man of Borgred. This land, like other of William Spec's, became attached to the barony of Warden, and in 1278–9 was held by Isabella Quarel.

Lordship account 4

In 1086 1 hide and 3 virgates in Wymington belonged to the reeves and almsmen of the king. Of this 1 hide was held by Turchil, whilst 3 virgates belonged to five brothers and their mother, and had formerly been held by their father Lant. In 1278–9 Henry Bishop held 3 virgates of land in Wymington of William le Enveyse, who held them of Hemiestowe (Elstow ?) for 5s. and 1 lb. of pepper. By 1316 these virgates had become absorbed in John de Exmouth's manor.