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The
Manors and Estates
In the time of King Edward Stremi
held 'Stoche', an estate which probably included the
later manors of Bradenstoke and Lyneham. Edward of Salisbury
held the estate in 1086 at the time of the Domesday Study.
Edward was succeeded by his son Walter, and the estate
at 'Stoche' subsequently formed one of the chief endowments
of the house of Augustinian canons which Walter founded
at Bradenstoke in c.1139. In 1207 King John confirmed
the manor of Bradenstoke to the convent. Thenceforth
the estate remained with the priory until the house was
dissolved in 1539.
In 1546 the king granted Richard Pexsall the site of the
priory, the prior's lodging, and certain specified lands in
Bradenstoke, Clack, and Lyneham, most of which had previously
formed part of the priory demesne lands. After the Dissolution
until at least the later 17th century the manor was frequently
known as that of Bradenstoke with Clack.
Lyneham Manor
Lyneham apparently remained with the Crown until 1557 when Thomas Matson received
a royal grant of the manor including land at Littlecott (in Hilmarton), Preston,
and Thickthorn, to be held by service of knight's fee. It is likely that
this grant was revoked, since in 1559 the queen granted the manor of Lyneham
to William Button, who died 1st Feb
1590, seized of it in 1591. He had previously settled the manor on his second
son, William
(II) Button, who entered and died seized in 1599. His heir was his son, William
(III) Button 1st Baronet of Alton (d. 28th January 1655), who in turn was
succeeded by his son Sir William (IV) Button 2nd baronet of Alton (d. 8th
March 1659). Sir William (IV) Button's heir was his
brother
Sir Robert
Button 3rd Baronet of Alton (d.
c.1679).
Sir Robert Button's heir was his brother Sir John Button 4th Baronet of Alton,
who was certainly seized by 1679.
Sir John Button, 4th Baronet, died without issue in 1712
and his heir was his great-nephew Heneage Walker, grandson
of
his
sister
Mary,
who had married Clement Walker. During the lifetime of Sir John
Button, the land at Littlecott, until then part of the
manor of Lyneham, was sold as a separate farm. Heneage
Walker died in 1731 and was succeeded by his brother
John (d. 1758). John Walker's heir was his son, another John,
who in 1777 adopted the name Walker-Heneage.
In 1793 his estate at Lyneham comprised 9 substantial farms,
including East Preston, West Preston, and Thickthorn. John
Walker-Heneage died without issue in 1806 and was succeeded
by his great-nephew George Wyld, son of his niece Mary. George
Wyld subsequently adopted the name of Walker-Heneage, and
on his death in 1875 was succeeded by his son Clement
Walker-Heneage (d. 1901)
Clement Walker Heneage was succeeded by his son Godfrey
Walker Heneage (d. 6th May 1939). In 1905 the Lyneham
estate, reckoned at 2,016 acres, was offered for sale. At
this date it comprised most of Lyneham village as well as
various farms which included the Preston and Thickthorn Farms. Godfrey
Walker-Heneage remained lord in 1931, but by this date
the estate had been sold in lots. In 1951 Church Farm, previously
part of the Lyneham estate of the Walker-Heneage family,
and then estimated at 120 acres was bought by the Air Ministry
from the trustees of William Miflin for the enlargement of
the airfield at Lyneham.
Through generations Lyneham Green
was one of the last pieces of manorial land and estate to
be owned by the Heneage family. Godfrey handed the manorial
land over to his son Major John David W.G. (David) Walker-Heneage
MBE who in turn hand it over to the two sons; Simon Anthony
HENEAGE and Timothy Robin WALKER-HENEAGE.
Lyneham and Bradenstoke
Parish Council secured the future
of Lyneham Village Green. The Green, which was formerly owned,
was due to be auctioned. Desperate to see The Green maintained
and used as a public open space, the parish council
applied for funding through the government Community
First scheme to buy the site privately owned. Waste
management company Viridor helped towards the £11,500
purchase price and the sale was completed on the 22nd
September 2006. More..
Bradenstoke Estate
In 1540-1 the lands had been leased to Henry
Long (d. 1556)
for 21 years. Shortly before his death in 1571 Sir Richard
Pexsall devised his estates, including Bradenstoke, to
his
second wife Eleanor (nee Cotgrave) for 13 years until his
grandson Pexsall Brocas, son of his daughter Anne, came
of
age. The will was invalid as to a third of the estate, and
this part descended to 4 coheirs, daughters of Sir Richard
Pexsall. These were Anne, wife of Bernard Brocas; Margery,
who married, first Oliver Beckett, and secondly Francis
Cotton;
Elizabeth, who married John Jobson, and Barbara, the wife
of Anthony Bridges.
It seems that Eleanor Pexsall still retained the two thirds
due to Pexsall Brocas in 1590. By this date, besides the twelfth
she had inherited, Anne Brocas had also acquired her sister
Barbara's twelfth and thus held a sixth of the estate. In
c. 1572-3 Elizabeth Jobson and her husband granted their twelfth
to Eleanor Pexsall, who, by this date, had married John Savage.
Eleanor and John Savage settled this twelfth on Edward Savage,
second son of John Savage, in 1573 and he retained it in 1590.
In 1609 Pexsall Brocas was apparently entitled to a life estate
in the manor of Bradenstoke, but it seems likely that his
stepmother, Eleanor Savage, continued to hold two thirds until
her death in 1617-18. Pexsall Brocas, who by this date had
also inherited his mother's sixth, died seized of ten twelfths
of his estate in 1630. He was succeeded by his son Thomas
in 1630 and Thomas Brocas conveyed some form of interest in
the manor of Bradenstoke to his son Robert in 1635. It was
presumably Robert Brocas who sold ten twelfths of the manor
to Henry, Earl of Danby, in c. 1640.
By the time of his death in 1594 Sir
John Danvers had acquired,
either from Edward Savage or Francis Cotton, a twelfth of
the manor of Bradenstoke. His heir was his son Charles (d.
1601), who was succeeded by his brother Henry (cr. Earl of
Danby 1626), who probably acquired the Brocas ten twelfths
in c. 1640. Henry (d. 1644) was succeeded by his brother John
(d. 1655).
The estate held by the Danverses at this date was still
reckoned to consist of a twelfth of the manor of Bradenstoke,
but there
is no doubt that they had acquired the manor itself by 1655.
John Delivers' heirs were his daughters, Elizabeth (d. 1709),
wife of Robert Wright alias Villiers alias Danvers, and Anne,
wife of Sir Henry Lee. In 1677 Elizabeth Danvers and her
husband
were seized of half of the manor. Presumably Anne Lee and
her husband held the other moiety. Eleanor (d. 1690), daughter
of Henry and Anne Lee, married James, Lord Norreys, later
Earl of Abingdon (d. 1699), and had inherited her mother's
moiety of the Bradenstoke estate by 1678, when James, Lord
Norreys, leased out land there. In 1683 Elizabeth Danvers,
now the wife of John Duvall, conveyed her moiety to James,
Lord Norreys, and he thus acquired the whole manor.
The estate presumably passed to his son Montagu, 2nd Earl
of Abingdon (d. 1743), and during his ownership the Bradenstoke
estate was sold to Germanicus Sheppard, who was in possession
by 1738. At an unknown date Sheppard sold the manor to Paul
Methuen (d. 1795), who was succeeded there by his son Paul
Cobb Methuen (d. 1816).
He in turn was succeeded by his son
Paul, Lord Methuen (d. 1849), whose estate was made up
of lands which included Bradenstoke Farm and Cranley Farm
in
1846 Paul, Lord Methuen, was succeeded by his son Frederick,
Lord Methuen (d. 1891), who sold the estate to Gabriel Goldney
(d. 1900) in 1863. From Gabriel Goldney the estate passed
to his son Gabriel Prior Goldney (d. 1925), who sold it to
Francis, Baron de Tuyll in 1917 Baron de Tuyll sold the
manor to J. A. A. Williams in 1920 and he in turn sold it
in 1921 to H. Lushington Storey.
In 1923 the estate was offered
for sale and it was presumably bought at this date by H.
Fry,
who was owner in 1926. Shortly afterwards it was apparently
broken up. Donald and Hannah Bridges owned Cranley Farm,
estimated
at 133 acres, in 1942, at which date the farm was bought
by the Air Ministry. By 1946 Bradenstoke Abbey Farm was
owned by Maria Cole, who that year sold 235 acres of it to
the
same
purchaser.
The 19th-century farm-house attached to Bradenstoke Abbey
Farm, built on the site of the former priory, may contain
some of the masonry of the conventual buildings, most of
which,
together with the tithe barn, were demolished in c. 1930.
The buildings of the former priory have been outlined elsewhere.
In 1968 little remained on the priory site except the vaulted
undercroft of the cloister's western range and a square turret
which had stood at its north-west angle; both date from the
14th century.
During the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries
the priors
of Bradenstoke consolidated their holding in West Tockenham
by the acquisition of a number of small estates there.
These, together with estates granted by the families of Bohun
and
Mortimer, and the manor known as Little Tockenham or Tockenham
Doygnel, formed the later manor of West Tockenham.
In 755-7 Aethelbald granted Abbot Eanberht of Malmesbury
10 cassati at 'Toccansceaga', an area later known as West
Tockenham. King Ethelwulf may have granted 5 mansiones there
to Malmesbury in 854, although this grant is suspect. By the
time of King Edward an estate at 'Tockenham' was certainly
held by Malmesbury Abbey, but by the time of the Domesday
Survey the abbot and convent had apparently relinquished their
rights in it.
By 1086 the estate had passed to Durand of Gloucester. At
his death his lands passed to his son Roger (d.s.p. 1106)
Roger's heir was his cousin Walter, who was in turn succeeded
by his son Miles (d. 1143), who was created Earl of Hereford
in 1141. Miles's coheirs were his two daughters, one of whom,
Margaret, wife of Humphrey de Bohun, secured most of Durand's
Wiltshire fief. Margaret de Bohun's grandson Henry was created
Earl of Hereford and thenceforth the overlordship descended
with the earldom.
The last recorded mention of the Bohun overlordship occurs
in 1384 when, after the death of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl
of
Hereford (d. 1373), his daughter Mary and her husband Henry,
Earl of Derby, were confirmed in the overlordship of an estate
in West Tockenham.
In 1066 Doun held the 'Tockenham' estate of Malmesbury Abbey.
By 1086 Roger held it of Durand. No more is known until the
13th century, when part at least of the estate was apparently
held under the Bohuns by the Baynton family. In 1242-3 Walter
Baynton held one fifth knight's fee in 'Tockenham' of Humphrey
de Bohun, Earl of Hereford (d. 1275), as of his honour of
Trowbridge. It was presumably this small estate which Henry
Baynton and his wife Joan granted to Bradenstoke Priory in
1262.14 At a date before 1373 Humphrey, Earl of Hereford (d.
1373), granted an estate in West Tockenham to the priory.
In 1066 Alwin held an estate, reckoned at 2½ hides,
in 'Tockenham'. In 1086 the overlord of the estate, which
may have included land previously held by Malmesbury Abbey,
was Ralph Mortimer of Wigmore. The overlordship of this small
estate remained in the family of Mortimer of Wigmore until
the 14th century. It is last mentioned in 1425 when Edmund
Mortimer, Earl of March (d. 1425), was overlord.
In 1086 Oideland held the estate at 'Tockenham' of Ralph
Mortimer. No other mesne tenants are known until 1242-3 when
Thomas of Tockenham held 1/2 knight's fee in 'Tockenham' of
Brian of Branton, who held it of the overlord Ralph Mortimer
(d. 1246). Some time before 1265 Thomas of Tockenham granted
the estate to Bradenstoke Priory, who thenceforth apparently
held it of the Mortimers. The holding was estimated at 1 knight's
fee in 1360.
In 1198 William Spelman held an unspecified amount of land
in West Tockenham, which cannot be identified with any Domesday
estate. At an unknown date between 1198 and 1293 this estate
had passed to Nicholas Spelman. By 1293 it had passed to Christine
Spelman, although her relationship to Nicholas Spelman is
unknown. The estate is perhaps the same as that held in chief
in 1344 by Gilbert Testwood, the grandson of Catherine Spelman.
By 1198 William Spelman had subinfeudated carucate in West
Tockenham to Richard Spelman. Their relationship is unknown.
Before 1293 Nicholas Spelman, as overlord, granted Guy Doygnel
one hide in West Tockenham, a holding which included 1/2 hide
held by Nicholas Spelman in demesne, one virgate held by Henry
Forde, and one virgate held by Humphrey Fitzpayne. In 1293
Silvester Doygnel, presumably the son of Guy Doyanel, died
seized of 3 virgates in West Tockenham, which he had held
since c. 1269. The estate, reckoned in 1313 to contain one
messuage and four virgates, passed to his son Peter, who in
1332-3 conveyed a life estate in the manor of Little Tockenham
to John of Cricklade, bailiff of Lyneham. The manor was known
alternatively as Tockenham Doygnel in the later 14th century.
In 1334 Peter Doygnel conveyed the manor to Bradenstoke
Priory. With this grant, together with that made in the 13th
century by Thomas of Tockenham and that made by Humphrey,
Earl of Hereford (d. 1373), the manor of West Tockenham finally
emerged. It was further augmented in 1412 when John Elcombe
and his wife loan gave the priory land in Lyneham, Littlecott,
and West Tockenham, amounting to about 100 acres. The manor
remained with Bradenstoke until the house was dissolved in
1539.
The manor remained in hand until 1560 when William
Button (d. 1591) and Thomas Estecourte were granted the reversion.
In the same year Estecourte relinquished his rights. The manor,
known from the 17th century as Tockenham Court Farm, descended
in the same way as the manor of Lyneham and passed from the
Buttons in 1712 to their successors, the Walker-Heneages,
who remained lords in 1900.
Tockenham Court Farm
Tockenham Court Farm is a stone house apparently of 18th-century
date, but incorporating an L-shaped building of the late 16th
or early 17th century. The only visible features of the older
house are its heavy chamfered ceiling beams which retain carved
stops of several different designs. The house, then owned
by Sir William Button (d.
1654-5), was looted by Parliamentary troops in 1643 and 1644.
The house known in 1773 as Tockenham House and in 1968 as
Meadow Court, which stands about 500 yards north-cast of Tockenham
Court Farm, is a building of two distinct periods. The southern
part represents the two-storied hall range and service cross-wing
of a stone house of c.1630, partly remodelled in the 18th
century. Alterations to the service wing in the 20th century
included the removal of a massive chimney at its east end.
Externally on the west wall are inscribed the words 'Levavi
Oculos'. It has been suggested that the house was occupied
by the Walker family after the death of the last Button in
1712. If so Heneage
Walker (d. 1731) must have been responsible
for the building or rebuilding of the northern part of the
house on a grand scale between 1720 and 1730. The brick addition,
which is probably on the site of a former solar wing, is only
one room deep but is of considerable height and has an impressive
entrance facing north. This elevation is of seven bays, the
three central bays being surmounted by a pediment; stone dressings
include moulded window-heads with carved keystones and a central
doorway with an open segmental pediment on brackets. Internally
there are panelled rooms and a contemporary staircase. A brick
orangery or coach-house to the southeast of the house also
dates from the earlier 18th century. Tockenham Manor Farm
lies further east and has a stone farm-house probably of 18th
century origin.
Lyneham Estate
In 1341 the glebe attached to the church
of Lyneham amounted to one carucate of land, worth £2
yearly. It is probable that this small rectorial estate had
increased
considerably
by 1541-2, when Henry Long (d. 1556) received a royal grant
of an estate of c.315 acres in Lyneham, and Littlecott,
previously
held by Bradenstoke Priory.
This estate represents he glebe-lands of the impropriate
rectory of Lyneham. On Henry
Long's death the estate apparently
passed to his fifth son, Richard, who died in 1558 seized
of a capital messuage belonging to the rectory of Lyneham,
he was succeeded there by his son Edmund.
Freegrove
In 1571 the estate contained a holding known as 'Fresh Grove'
(Freegrove), and in 1617 -19 included the parsonage house
and a small park stocked with deer. Edmund
Long died seized
in 1635, and by virtue of a settlement made in 1619 the rectorial
estate was divided between his sons Richard and Walter.
The bulk of the estate, reckoned at c. 289 acres, passed
to his elder son Richard, but some 80 acres were settled on
his younger son Walter, who predeceased his father in 1630.
The smaller estate passed to Walter's widow, Mary, as her
jointure, and she was still seized in 1636.
No more is known of this small estate. On Richard (II) Long's
death in 1639 his estate at Lyneham passed to his eldest
son
Edmund (II) Long (d. 1664), who was thus entitled to most
of the glebe-lands. Edmund Long sold off the estate in lots
at an unknown date. Before his death in 1664 Edmund (II) Long
sold part of the
estate of the impropriate rectory of Lyneham to either
Adam or Robert, Tuck.
The estate remained in the Tuck family
and
by 1719 Robert Tuck was seized of Freegrove Farm. In
1744 he devised Freegrove to his son Adam. No more is known
of the estate until 1846 when it was owned by Jacob Large.
By
1880 Freegrove, at this date leased to Arthur Pocock,
had
been acquired by William Henry Poynder (d. 1880), and
by 1885 had passed to William. Dickson-Poynder.
Lyneham Court
By 1667 Oliver Pleydell (d.
1680) was seized of the largest portion of the former rectorial
lands, known by this date
as the Lyneham Court estate. He was apparently succeeded
by his grandson Thomas
Pleydell, who in turn was succeeded by
his son Thomas (II)
Pleydell (d. 1727), who held the estate
in 1704.
Thomas (II) Pleydell was succeeded by his son Sir Mark Stuart
Pleydell (d. 1768), whose daughter and heir Harriet married
William Bouverie, 1st Earl of Radnor (d. 1765). Their son
Jacob, Earl of Radnor (d. 1828), was seized of Lyneham Court
in 1800. William de Bouverie, 1st Earl of Radnor was born
on 26 February 1725 and died on 28 January 1776. He was the
son of Sir Jacob des Bouverie, 1st Viscount Folkestone and
Mary Clarke. He married, firstly, Harriet Pleydell, daughter
of Sir Mark Stuart Pleydell, Bt., on 14 January 1747/48.
They had a child Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, 2nd Earl of Radnor
(b. 4 March 1750, d. 27 January 1828)
The Lyneham estate then
descended with the Radnor
title until the early 20th century. Earlier census
records show the Lyneham Court Farm was occupied by Bryan
Rumboll aged 62 in 1841 living with his wife Mary (nee
Flower) aged 60. Bryan Rumboll was the seventh child, born
on the 27th March 1779, in a large family of sixteen siblings
to parents Jasper and Mary (nee Henly). Bryan
married Mary Flower on the 13th December 1827 at Hilmarton.
Also residing in the
court at the census were Sarah Taylor aged 20, John Taylor
aged 15, and John Garlick aged 20 who was recorded as an
agricultural labourer.
As we pass through the different census records we see that
the 1851 Census documents Bryan Rumboll now aged 72, was
still head of Lyneham Court but living as a widower, sadly
his wife Mary passed away between recordings. Bryan
Rumboll died without issue on the 3rd April 1863 and was
buried at St Giles Church Tockenham. The other
occupants were Susanna Wyld employed as a housekeeper, she
was 30 years old. Mary Ovens born in neighbouring Clack,
was a servant aged 28. Henry Theobalds was employed as an
agricultural labourer aged 17 he was born in Lyneham.
In the 1861 census we see a change of occupancy, Edward
Henly an unmarried farmer born in Lyneham 37 years earlier
was was head of the court farm, his elder sister Mary aged
52 lived there too. Also living in the court house were Hannah
May aged 20 as servant and Thomas Gingel aged 50 an agricultural
servant, both were born in the village.
Edward Henley was still leasing Lyneham Court
from the Earl of Radnor at the next census, but he had
married Martha Large between the census cycle.
Martha married the daughter of John and Elizabeth (nee
Neate) Large in Lyneham Church, on the 30th April 1861, a
few weeks after the last census. Martha was born on the 6th
October 1825 at Ramsbury. They subsequently had two daughters
Martha and Hannah aged 9 and 2 respectively. Edward Henley
sadly passed away on the 3rd May 1883 in Goatacre and was
later buried in Tockenham. Martha passed away eleven years
later at Fairview House Goatacre on the 29th January 1894
aged 69.
At this time (1871) Frank Fry, who was to later move to
Lyneham Court was living with his parents
Charles Fry aged 36 and Sarah Fry aged 33 in the civil parish
of Pitton and Farley. Frank was aged 9 at this time, probably
learning the farming skills from his parents and other siblings.
Henry T Cooke worked at their farm as an agricultural labourer
aged 15. The family members in the house include; Samual
Fry 13, Florence S Fry 11, Francis S Fry aged 7 and Deborah
aged 4, Lot Fry aged 2 and Walter the youngest aged 12 months.
Frank Fry married his first wife Mary Britton in Bremhill Church in 1866.
The 1881 Census shows Thomas
Fry, who was born in Stanley, Wiltshire, as head of the house,
aged 25 years old and he was living with his cousin Emma
H Thomas his cousin aged 20 years, born in Allington Wiltshire.
There was also a Martha Rainger aged 16 living there as a
servant. Thomas married Catherine Bolter in 1883 at Hilmarton,
and moved to Avon Farm, in the ecclesiastical parish of Avon
and Tytherton Kellaways. Thomas and Catherine had three daughters
Francis, Eleanor and Lillian. Thomas Fry sadly passed away,
at a tender age of 58, recorded at Chippenham Register Office
in 1914.
On the same census of 1881, Frank Fry was recorded as
living at Stanley Common Farm, with his sister-in-law Elizabeth,
nee Cole, aged 35 a widow to the late Jacob Fry who sadly passed away
before this census recording. Elizabeth, Jacob's second wife, marrying in 1868 in Calne Register District, was head of the farm of
193 acres, living with four siblings, Helena Annie Fry aged
11, Anna Elizabeth Fry aged 6 born Lyneham, William Fry aged
3 born Lyneham, and Frank Fry brother-in-law unmarried and
one farm servant Georgina Price aged 14.
The 1891 Census shows
Frank Fry (29 years old, documents him as being born in
Calne District Wiltshire) living at Lyneham Court with Mary, nee Ferris,
his wife aged 28 years born in Chippenham Wiltshire.
Their daughter Mildred was born in Lyneham within the last
12 months of the census. Also residing in the house was Emma
Godwin acting as a general servant. Frank married his
first wife Mary Ferris from Compton Bassett in their village
church 1887.
The 1901 Census records gives a little more detail about
Frank Fry, as head of the household at Lyneham Court employed
as a farmer aged 38. Frank was born in Stanley,
Wiltshire during June 1862. He
was married to his second wife Edith Maude Fry (nee Farmer) aged
23 years and they had three children Mildred aged 10 years,
William aged 2 years and Mabel aged 12 months, all born in
Lyneham. Frank married Edith at Wootton Bassett Register
Office in 1898. Sadly Edith Maude Fry passed away at a young age of 30 in 1907.
The 1911 Census documents Frank Fry, a widower aged 48 living at Lyneham Court as a farmer and employer. Also living in the Court was his daughter Mildred Mary Fry, single aged 20, Hilda Kate Fry single aged 16, Mabel Elizabeth Fry, single aged 11, Edith Maude Fry, aged 9 and Walter James Fry aged 6. Other residents included Francis Tanner, father in law aged 64, Mabel Louise Tanner, sister in law aged 31 single, and Alice Hatter aged 17 single and employed as servant.
In 1912 Frank Fry remarried
for a third time to Mabel Louise Tanner again at Wootton Bassett
Register Office. Lyneham Court was sold to the tenant, Frank
Fry, in 1920.
In 1940 Lyneham Court Farm,
estimated at 292 acres, and
owned
by
Frank Fry,
was
bought
by the Air
Ministry. Frank Fry passed away on the 7 June 1947 in the Chippenham district. |