MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
In 1086
Hugh d'Avranches, earl of Chester, held the large
manor of Bisley, extended at 8 hides. It evidently
included the whole of Bisley and Stroud with the
exception of Througham, which the earl also held,
and possibly also of Tunley, which may have been
the ½ hide which the earl was disputing with the lord
of Edgeworth, Roger de Lacy. The tenant of Bisley
manor under Hugh was named as Robert, (fn. 21)
possibly his cousin Robert of Tilleul. (fn. 22) The overlordship of the manor descended to successive earls
of Chester, (fn. 23) and Earl Ranulph de Gernon created
an intermediate overlordship c. 1135 when he
ordered his vavasours of Bisley to do service to Miles
of Gloucester. The rights of Miles's family evidently
lapsed or were challenged, for c. 1170 Ranulph's son
Hugh of Cyveiliog granted the fee of Bisley to
Humphrey de Bohun, Miles's son-in-law and
ancestor of the earls of Hereford, to hold from
him by the service of 3 knights out of the 5 owed
from the fee. Excepted from the grant was a fee held
from the earl by Hugh de Lacy, and from Hugh de
Lacy by Philip de Belmeis. (fn. 24) Three fees at Bisley
were ascribed to John de Scocia, earl of Chester, in
1236, (fn. 25) after whose death in 1237 the overlordship
passed with the earldom to the Crown, from which
the earls of Hereford held in 1303. (fn. 26)
In 1303 a total of 2¾ knights' fees in Bisley and
Stroud were held from the earl of Hereford,
including parts of Bisley manor in the possession
respectively of Joan Corbet, Tibbald de Verdun, and
Richard of Bisley, and the manors of Bidfield, Over
Lypiatt (including Tunley), and Paganhill. (fn. 27) In
1374 those manors, with the omission of Bidfield and
the inclusion of Nether Lypiatt, were assessed with
Winstone at a total of 3¾ fees among the fees of the
late Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford, (fn. 28) and
were assigned in 1384 to his daughter Mary and her
husband Henry of Lancaster. (fn. 29) In 1717, however,
the Staffords, heirs of Humphrey's other daughter
Eleanor, claimed Bisley, Bidfield, and the Stroud
manors as members of their honor of Hereford. (fn. 30)
Througham manor was also included in the de
Bohuns' overlordship but was no longer listed among
their fees after it was acquired by Cirencester Abbey
in the mid 13th century. (fn. 31)
Other rights as overlords in Bisley manor,
apparently representing the fee excepted from the
earl of Chester's grant of c.1170, belonged to the
Mortimers of Wigmore. (fn. 32) Hugh Mortimer (d. 1180
or 1181) married Maud, widow of Philip de
Belmeis, and Hugh's son Roger (d. 1213 or 1214)
received rents in Bisley by gift of his 'brothers'
Philip de Belmeis, son of the elder Philip, and
Ranulph. (fn. 33) The younger Philip may have been the
Philip of Bisley who made a journey to Jerusalem
before 1193. (fn. 34) In 1225 Roger Mortimer's son Hugh
(d. 1227) was disputing property in Bisley, (fn. 35) and in
1236 Hugh's brother Ralph was recorded as holding
2 fees in Bisley and Longborough. (fn. 36) Ralph died in
1246 and was succeeded by his son Roger (d. 1282),
whose son Edmund owned the advowson of the
first portion of Bisley rectory in 1290 (fn. 37) and at his
death in 1304 he had a knight's fee called Stokes End
and Bisley held from him by William of Rodborough. (fn. 38) The fee was recorded among those held
from the Mortimers as of their honor of Wigmore
until 1426, (fn. 39) but the location of Stokes End has not
been established. The Mortimers, in the person of
Edmund's son Roger, became seized in fee of a part
of Bisley manor in 1327.
By 1274 the part of the manor of BISLEY held
from the de Bohuns was evidently divided among the
same three owners as Bisley hundred, half being
held by Peter Corbet in right of his wife Joan, a
quarter by Tibbald de Verdun (or le Botiler) in right
of his wife Margery, and the remaining quarter by
Richard of Bisley (or le Eyer), (fn. 40) for in 1303 Joan
Corbet held ½ fee at Bisley, and Tibbald and
Richard ¼ fees. (fn. 41) The ½ fee was held by Joan, the
widow of Henry de Bohun, in 1316, (fn. 42) and in 1346
by Richard de Denton. (fn. 43) It has not been found
recorded later and may have been added to the
estate of the earls of March.
The part of the manor held by Richard of Bisley
in 1303 may have represented that described as ⅓ fee
which Hawise, widow of Thomas of Bisley, quitclaimed to Nicholas of St. Bridget in 1241 in return
for 30s. rent in Bisley. (fn. 44) Richard of Bisley was in
possession of a share in the advowson of Bisley
church and evidently also of a part of the manor by
1274. (fn. 45) By 1316 his part of the manor had passed
to his son Hugh le Eyer, (fn. 46) who was probably the
Hugh of Bisley who held the estate in 1346 and
1351. (fn. 47) In 1361 it was evidently held by the earl of
Hereford during the minority of Hugh, son of John
of Bisley. (fn. 48) Hugh of Bisley had come of age by
1374 (fn. 49) and retained the estate until at least 1415
when he made his will leaving goods at Bisley to his
wife. (fn. 50) In 1380 Hugh was appointed escheator in
Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and the March of
Wales adjoining and held the office until 1384 or
1385. (fn. 51) His estate was evidently that described as the
manor of Bisley which John Stonehouse of Stonehouse held in 1422; (fn. 52) it was united with the larger
portion of Bisley manor in 1434 when John granted
it, together with the share in the advowson of the
second portion of the church, to the duke of York
in exchange for the manor of Over Siddington. (fn. 53)
The part of the manor held by Tibbald de Verdun
passed on his death in 1309 to his son Tibbald (fn. 54)
(d. 1316) who granted it for 5 years to the elder
Hugh Despenser in 1313. (fn. 55) Hugh later secured a
further term or a grant in fee, for Bisley was one of
the manors which in 1322, on the reversal of his
exile, he complained had been seized by Roger
Mortimer, Roger Mortimer of Chirk, the earl of
Hereford, and others among his enemies. (fn. 56) After
Hugh's execution and forfeiture the estate was
granted in 1327 to Roger Mortimer, who in that or
the following year granted it for life to Gerard
de Alspathe. (fn. 57) In 1337, following Gerard's death,
John de Alspathe had a grant of the estate for life
from the Crown (fn. 58) and in 1340 had a grant in fee. (fn. 59)
John's brother Edmund held it in 1350 when he had
licence to grant it to John de Clinton. (fn. 60) The
Alspathes did not, however, enjoy unchallenged
tenure, for after Gerard's death Elizabeth, widow of
Roger Mortimer's son Edmund, gained temporary
possession of the estate on behalf of her son Roger.
The younger Roger was restored to his grandfather's
estates and title of earl of March in 1354 (fn. 61) but had
apparently gained possession of Bisley by the
beginning of the previous year. (fn. 62) In 1357 Roger and
his mother had a grant of the estate from the Crown
together with all the issues since the death of Gerard
de Alspathe. (fn. 63)
Roger Mortimer, earl of March, died in 1360,
having granted Bisley to the bishop of Winchester
and others, and those feoffees had a further grant
from the Crown to hold for 8 years during the
minority of Roger's son Edmund. (fn. 64) Edmund, still
several years under age, had a grant of his own
wardship in 1367, (fn. 65) and held the estate until his
death in 1381. (fn. 66) His son Roger, a minor, succeeded
in 1394 and died in 1398. His widow Eleanor was
granted the estate as dower in 1399 (fn. 67) and, with her
second husband Edward Cherleton, held it until her
death in 1405 (fn. 68) when it passed to her son Edmund,
earl of March (d. 1425). (fn. 69) Edmund was succeeded
by his nephew Richard, duke of York, (fn. 70) who united
the two portions of the manor in 1434. Richard's
wife Cecily was granted the manor of Bisley for her
life after her husband's forfeiture in 1459 (fn. 71) and she
held it until her death in 1495; the reversionary right,
which passed to the Crown by the accession of her
son as Edward IV, was granted in 1492 to Elizabeth,
wife of Henry VII. (fn. 72)
In 1 09 the manor was granted to Catherine of
Aragon as part of her jointure on her marriage to
Henry VIII (fn. 73) and it was settled in turn on each of
the king's wives. (fn. 74) On the death of Catherine Parr
in 1548 it reverted to the Crown which granted it in
1550 to Sir Walter Mildmay (fn. 75) who granted it back
to the Crown the following year. Edward VI granted
it in 1551 to his sister Elizabeth (fn. 76) who apparently
retained it until her accession; it remained with the
Crown until 1619 when James I granted it, for a feefarm rent of £53 16s. 6¾d., to George Villiers,
marquess (later duke) of Buckingham. (fn. 77) Buckingham, who alienated the demesne lands and most, if
not all, of the customary land, (fn. 78) sold the manor
before his death in 1628 to Thomas Master, master
of the Temple. (fn. 79) On Thomas's death soon afterwards
his heir was another Thomas Master during whose
minority the manor was held by Walter Master. The
younger Thomas had come of age by 1636 (fn. 80) and was
presumably the Thomas Master of Longhope who
sold the manor in 1678 to the younger Sir Robert
Atkyns. (fn. 81) Atkyns sold it in 1708 to Thomas
Stephens (fn. 82) and it thereafter descended with the
Lypiatt Park estate, whose owners also acquired a
number of farms in the north part of Bisley parish;
the manorial rights of Bisley apparently lapsed at the
break-up of the estate in 1919. (fn. 83)
In the 16th century two manor-houses, Over
Court and Higons Court standing near the church,
belonged to the manor estate and presumably
represented the chief houses of the estates of the
earls of March and the Bisley family respectively.
OVER COURT, evidently the 'upper farm' held by
John Borwey in 1536, (fn. 84) was leased, with the
demesne lands belonging to it, to John Snow from
1555 (fn. 85) and to his son John from 1582. (fn. 86) In 1593
it was leased for lives to Thomas Tayloe, clothier,
his wife Alice, and his son Thomas, and they
bought out a reversionary lease granted to Hugh
George in the following year. (fn. 87) Thomas died in
1600 (fn. 88) and by 1608 Over Court was held by Alice's
second husband Richard Webley. (fn. 89) In 1621 Thomas
Tayloe, clothier, presumably the son of Thomas and
Alice, bought the freehold of the estate from the
marquess of Buckingham, and on his death in 1666
it passed to his son Thomas Tayloe, clothier
(d. 1685). In 1695 Robert Tayloe, clothier, nephew
of the younger Thomas, held the reversion of Over
Court after the death of Thomas's widow Anne, and
he sold it that year to his cousin Thomas. The last
Thomas was dead by 1721, having devised the
estate to Samuel Tayloe, clothier, of Hyde,
Minchinhampton, although his heir was the same
Robert from whom he had acquired the reversionary
right; in that year Samuel was joined by Robert in
the sale of the estate to Daniel Watkins of London
(d. 1736). Daniel's estate later became the subject of
a Chancery suit between his widow Sarah and his
daughter Mary and, put up for sale by court order,
it was purchased in 1764 on behalf of Mary, to
whom Sarah released her claim in return for an
annuity in 1766. The estate, comprising Over Court
and c. 120 a., was settled on Mary's marriage to
Henry Peckitt, a London apothecary. (fn. 90) She died
in 1793 and he in 1808, and the estate passed to
Daniel Watkins, grandson of Mary's brother
Thomas. Daniel's heir on his death in 1838 was his
son Daniel but the estate was sold off in 1840, (fn. 91) the
house and part of it being acquired by Thomas
Watkins, half-brother of the younger Daniel, who
sold it in 1852. Subsequently the house passed
through many owners (fn. 92) and in 1972 belonged to
Mr. J. D. Cowen.
Over Court, which in 1608 was described as a
large and beautiful house of 10 bays with outbuildings and a dovecot, (fn. 93) is basically a medieval
house of traditional hall and cross-wing plan; part
of the original hall roof survives. Subsequently
an upper floor was inserted into the hall and in the
17th century a new higher wing, incorporating a
parlour, was added on the north-west. In the early
18th century the angle between the two ranges was
partly filled by a stair and further rooms. In the 19th
century additons were made to the service end and
in the 20th there were some internal alterations. An
18th-century gazebo is built into the garden wall
overlooking the churchyard.
HIGONS COURT, later called JAYNES
COURT, was evidently the 'lower farm' which
Henry Broughton held in 1536, (fn. 94) and he was
granted new leases of Higons Court, together with
the demesne lands belonging and 12 customary
tenements, in 1552 and 1567. (fn. 95) In 1590 the estate
was leased to Richard Hopton, and included in the
lease was a farm called Mortimers, (fn. 96) the name
recalling the earls of March, which had been leased
to the Smart family from 1552. (fn. 97) In 1621 the
marquess of Buckingham sold Higons Court, with
Mortimers and 72 a. of land, to Richard Dean of
Minchinhampton, and Richard's son Clutterbuck
Dean and his daughter Elizabeth, who married
Richard Kent, sold the estate in 1648 to Walter
Hancox of Daneway. (fn. 98) Walter devised it by will
dated 1670 to his nephew Thomas Jayne of Frampton Mansell. (fn. 99) The same or another Thomas Jayne
owned Higons Court in 1731 (fn. 1) and it passed with his
Frampton Mansell estate to Thomas Tyndall
Jayne, (fn. 2) who sold Jaynes Court, as it came to be
called, in 1787 to William Yarnton Mills. Mills
sold it in 1811 to Capt. John Hamstead, R.N.
(d. 1813), and it was acquired by Sir Paul Baghott
who sold the house in 1813 to Joseph Grazebrook
of Farhill, Painswick. Grazebrook settled Jaynes
Court in 1814 on the marriage of his daughter
Hester to Edward Mansfield, vicar of Bisley
(d. 1826), and Hester remained owner until 1861.
Subsequently the house passed through a number of
owners (fn. 3) and in 1972 belonged to Mr. D. F. Rutherston. Jaynes Court, described in 1608 as a house of 6
bays with outbuildings including a detached
kitchen, (fn. 4) was rebuilt in the early 18th century, and a
service wing was added on the west in the early 19th.
An octagonal building in the grounds houses a
cock-pit.
In 1066 a hide, representing the later manor of
THROUGHAM, was held by Levenod by the service of making journeys on the king's behalf. In 1086
it was held with Bisley manor by the earl of Chester. (fn. 5)
In or before 1188 Robert Achard quitclaimed
a 'reasonable part' of a capital messuage and hide
of land at Througham to Hardwin of Througham
who in return quitclaimed to Robert the service
from one yardland there. Hardwin was proceeding
against Robert for the observance of the agreement
c. 1200. (fn. 6) Hardwin's son, Richard of Througham, (fn. 7)
succeeded him, and Robert's right passed to Peter
Achard, and in 1230 they agreed that Richard
should perform the service to the overlord for three
quarters of the fee of Througham while Peter
answered for the remaining quarter. (fn. 8) Richard's
estate had passed by 1251 to Reynold of
Througham, (fn. 9) who granted it to Cirencester Abbey
in 1261, reserving a life interest for himself and his
wife in the manor-house and part of the demesne
lands. (fn. 10) Peter's right passed to John Achard of
Rodborough and apparently comprised only the
12d. chief rent from a tenement which John and the
tenant released to Cirencester Abbey in 1259. (fn. 11) The
abbey had already acquired other lands in the area:
Peter of Edgworth gave it 2½ yardlands at Cliveshale
and Tunley c. 1240 along with the Westwood estate,
and c. 1250 it acquired ½ yardland at Cliveshale
from William son of Henry. (fn. 12) Other grants to the
abbey by freeholders in Througham and Cliveshale (fn. 13)
perhaps date from after its acquisition of Througham
manor, which became the administrative centre of
the abbey's scattered lands at Througham, Cliveshale, Westwood, Tunley, Frampton Mansell,
Cranham, and Stroudend in Painswick. (fn. 14)
Retained by the abbey until the Dissolution,
Througham manor was granted by the Crown in
1544 to Thomas Stroud, Walter Earl, and James
Paget, (fn. 15) who sold it in the same year to William
Compton of Chalford, clothier (d. 1546). William's
son Walter Compton (fn. 16) of Avening sold the manor in
1552 to William Stumpe of Malmesbury (Wilts.),
whose son James sold it that year to Matthew King
of Malmesbury. (fn. 17) King sold it in 1565 to John
Stumpe (fn. 18) who sold it in 1568 to Richard Smart, (fn. 19)
whose family had been lessees of the site of the
manor and demesne lands since 1512. (fn. 20) Richard
Smart was named as one of the lords of Througham
in 1608 (fn. 21) and died in 1621, having settled lands in
Througham on his son John. (fn. 22) Another Richard
Smart of Througham died c. 1647 leaving his son
Thomas, a minor. (fn. 23) Thomas Smart had two houses
at Througham in 1672 with a total of 8 hearths, (fn. 24)
and was possibly the Thomas who died in 1725. (fn. 25)
Another Thomas Smart (d. 1746) owned the manor
in 1731, and it passed to his son Thomas (d. 1752),
and then to another son Richard (d. 1776); Thomas
and his two sons lived at Greys, (fn. 26) the house which
stood in the valley of the Holy brook below
Througham Slad. By the early 1780s the manor had
passed to the widow of Marmaduke Berdoe, (fn. 27) and
one of Marmaduke's sisters married John Edwards (fn. 28)
who sold the manor with a large estate in 1795 to
Sir Robert Harvey, Bt., of Langley (Bucks.). (fn. 29) In
1842 Upper Througham Farm, Greys, and an
estate of 433 a. belonged to Charles Harvey, (fn. 30)
passing by 1883 to G. Harvey. By 1885 the estate
had been bought by J. E. Dorington (fn. 31) and it remained part of the Lypiatt Park estate until the
break-up of that estate in 1919. (fn. 32) In 1926 Upper
Througham Farm was owned by J. E. Bubb. (fn. 33) In
1971 with an estate of 350 a. it was bought by
Mr. R. Courtauld. The house, which presumably
occupies the site of the ancient manor-house of
Througham, is a tall 17th-century building which
was internally refitted in the 18th century when the
roof was reconstructed and a range of outbuildings
added on the east; it was restored in the 1920s (fn. 34) and
was undergoing further restoration in 1972.
The other large estate at Througham, based on
LOWER THROUGHAM FARM, was owned for
many years by the Turner family. In 1540 William
Turner held 2 messuages and 3 yardlands on lease
from Througham manor. (fn. 35) John Turner, who was
named with Richard Smart as lord of Througham
in 1608, (fn. 36) died in 1609 and was succeeded in
various houses and lands at Througham by his son
Thomas. (fn. 37) Thomas was succeeded at his death in
1625 by his brother Edward, (fn. 38) who was assessed on 5
hearths at Througham in 1672 (fn. 39) and died in 1691.
Edward Turner of Througham died c. 1727
devising tenements there to his nephew John
Turner, (fn. 40) presumably the same John who had an
estate at Througham in 1731 (fn. 41) which had passed by
1750 to William Turner. (fn. 42) In 1842 another William
Turner owned Lower Througham Farm, the house
near by called the Manor House, and 346 a. (fn. 43) The
estate had passed by 1859 to Samuel Warren
Turner, M.D., of Tiverton and Charles Turner of
Burrington (Som.). (fn. 44) By 1883 it had been bought by
J. E. Dorington and it remained part of the Lypiatt
Park estate until 1919. (fn. 45) In 1926 the Lower
Througham Farm estate belonged to W. B. Driver (fn. 46)
who sold the house and 84 a. in 1929 to Michael
Sadleir, (fn. 47) author and publisher. (fn. 48) About 1950 the
estate, which was subsequently enlarged to 300 a.,
was bought by Mr. W. E. Dinsdale; he sold 250 a.
c. 1965 to Mrs. P. Koechlin-Smythe of Sudgrove
House, Miserden, retaining the house, then called
Througham Court, and remainder of the estate in
1972. (fn. 49) The house is a 17th-century building of
unusual plan to which a parlour was added on the
south-west and a possible service room to the east,
both additions probably made within the 17th
century. On the exterior are early stone waterchutes. Further service quarters or outbuildings on
the north were restored as part of the house under
the direction of Norman Jewson in 1932. (fn. 50)
The manor of BIDFIELD, in the detached
northern portion of the parish, had emerged as a
separate unit by 1270, (fn. 51) and may have been held by
William of Bidfield who was recorded in 1239. (fn. 52) In
1287 Richard of Bidfield conveyed two-thirds of a
messuage and plough-land at Bidfield and the
reversion of the remaining third, which was held in
dower by Agnes, wife of William of Paris, to Richard
le Maschun of Wishanger. (fn. 53) In 1303 Bidfield
manor was held as ¼ fee by Roderick son of Griffin. (fn. 54)
Roderick had been succeeded by his son Thomas by
1346, (fn. 55) and the manor later passed to Thomas's son
Owen, whose defection to the king's enemies in
France led to the forfeiture of the manor in 1370. (fn. 56)
In that year the Crown granted custody of Bidfield
for 20 years to John of Wotton (fn. 57) but in 1373 a grant
was made to Mary, wife of William Hervy, to hold
while it remained in forfeiture. (fn. 58) Nevertheless the
grant of custody to John of Wotton was confirmed in
1377 (fn. 59) and later in that year William Hervy complained that John had forcibly entered and robbed
his houses at Bidfield. The following year, however,
John's grant was revoked and Mary's confirmed. (fn. 60)
The manor was again confirmed to Mary in 1412
and the reversion granted to her kinswoman Maud
Honte, (fn. 61) who was presumably the Maud who later
held the manor for life with her husband Richard
Boteler. By 1461 the manor had reverted to the
Crown (fn. 62) and it was then held for life successively
by three royal servants, John Baker from 1465,
Thomas Gilbert from 1472, and William Pye from
1477. (fn. 63) Various keepers held the manor for terms of
years after 1485. (fn. 64)
In 1523 it was leased for 30 years to Sir William
Kingston (d. 1540), (fn. 65) who devised his lease to his
wife Mary with reversion to his son Sir Anthony
Kingston (d. 1556). Mary devised it, however, at
her death c. 1548 to Sir Henry Jerningham, the
son of her first husband, (fn. 66) although in 1548 Sir
Anthony secured a 21-year lease in reversion after
the expiration of his father's lease. (fn. 67) As with other
property of the Kingstons, there was later some
confusion over the tenure of Bidfield between Sir
Anthony's illegitimate issue and the Jerninghams.
Sir Henry Jerningham may have held the manor
until the end of Sir William's term by devise from
Mary and then held Sir Anthony's term by right
of his wife Frances, who was Sir Anthony's niece
and legal heir. In 1567 Sir Henry acquired the freehold, in reversion after the expiration of Sir
Anthony's term, from Arthur Grey, Lord Grey, to
whom it had been granted by the Crown earlier the
same year, (fn. 68) and he was said to be seised of Bidfield
at his death in 1572 and to have settled it on his
son Henry. (fn. 69) In 1565, however, Sir Anthony
Kingston's illegitimate son Edmund had licence to
grant the manor of Bidfield to his brother-in-law
Edward Barnard, (fn. 70) and Edward devised the manor
at his death in 1570 to Edmund's son Anthony
Kingston. Both Anthony (d. 1591) and his son
William (d. 1614) were said to be seised of the manor
at their deaths. (fn. 71)
By 1687 Bidfield manor had been acquired by
John Jeffreys of London who devised it to his
nephew John Jeffreys. (fn. 72) John Jeffreys, son of the
nephew, owned Bidfield in 1726 (fn. 73) and was presumably the John Jeffreys of West Sheen (Surr.) who
sold Bidfield in 1753 to Robert Ball. (fn. 74) The estate,
which in 1842 comprised Bidfield Farm and 388 a.,
then descended with the Ebworth Park estate in
Painswick. (fn. 75) The house at Bidfield Farm is an early18th-century building, considerably enlarged in the
late 18th or early 19th century by the addition of a
south range.
The HAZLE HOUSE estate in Bidfield, which
had presumably been held by the Richard atte
Hasele recorded there in 1327, (fn. 76) was conveyed in
1601 by Thomas Sturmy and others of his family to
Edmund Kingston who died in 1623; in that year
his son William conveyed the estate to another son
Edmund, (fn. 77) who sold it in 1625 to Henry Payton. (fn. 78)
Payton sold the estate in 1635 to Edward Rich,
apparently the same man as Sir Edward Rich who
was the owner in 1672 and died c. 1679. (fn. 79) The
mortgagee Edward Booth took possession of the
estate in 1679 and his son William and William's
widow Easter, who married Ralph Butler, successively engaged in litigation with Sir Edward's trustees
and his son Edward. In 1695 a court order enjoined
Edward Rich to settle the mortgage debts and the
mortgagees to reconvey the estate to him. (fn. 80) Edward
conveyed the estate in 1698 to Thomas Master of
Cirencester, (fn. 81) and it later passed to William Mills
(d. 1724). Another William Mills owned the estate
in 1730 and was living at Hazle House in 1733 and
until his death in 1776. (fn. 82) Later it passed to the
Revd. Giles Mills of Miserden, who at his death
c. 1785 left it to trustees who, after paying annuities
to his daughters and son Thomas, were to use the
remainder of the profits for the maintenance and
education of Thomas's children. On Thomas's death
the estate was to pass to his son William, who had
succeeded to it by 1807. (fn. 83) William Mills owned
Hazle House and 197 a. in 1842, (fn. 84) and in the 1860s
the estate was owned by William Laurence. (fn. 85) In
1972 the house and a small acreage belonged to Mrs.
A. P. Barrington.
Hazle House was said to have been pulled down
by Sir Edward Rich's mortgagees before 1695 (fn. 86) but
a small 17th-century block survives as the rear part
of the house. That was greatly enlarged by the
addition of a longer three-storey block with a
symmetrical facade crowned by stone lions and
eagles; the addition apparently dates from 1730
when William Mills leased the house to Thomas
Millard, reserving right of access for workmen to
carry out rebuilding work. (fn. 87) Later in the 18th
century some internal refitting was carried out,
including the insertion of a new staircase dated
1778. (fn. 88)
The position of Tunley tithing, lying south of
Edgeworth and divided from the rest of Bisley by
the Holy brook, suggests that it may represent the ½
hide which was in dispute between the earl of
Chester and Roger de Lacy, lord of Edgeworth, in
1086. (fn. 89) In the 14th century Tunley was regarded as
part of the fee of Over Lypiatt which was held by the
Maunsells from Bisley manor, (fn. 90) and the main
estate, known as the manor of TUNLEY, or more
usually DANEWAY, was a free tenancy of Over
Lypiatt manor in the 16th century. (fn. 91) The tenant in
fee of Daneway manor in 1338 was Henry Clifford (fn. 92)
who with his wife Maud had licence for an oratory
there in 1340. (fn. 93) The manor, described as a messuage
and a plough-land, was held by John Clifford of
Daneway at his death in 1397. (fn. 94) John's estates were
taken by the Crown's escheator, but the escheat was
claimed by Richard Whittington and Hugh of
Bisley, evidently in right of their respective manors
of Over Lypiatt and Bisley, and in 1398 and 1401 the
Crown gave Richard and Hugh leave to hold the
estates until the issue was decided. (fn. 95) Daneway
evidently later passed with John Clifford's estate at
Frampton on Severn to his daughter Alice, the wife
of William Teste, and their heirs. (fn. 96) Giles Teste held
the manor in 1527 (fn. 97) and it passed on his death in
1542 to his nephew Francis Codrington (fn. 98) (d. 1557).
Francis was succeeded by his son Giles (fn. 99) who died
in 1580, having settled Daneway on his son Francis
(d. 1581) and Francis's wife Mary. Richard
Codrington, brother of the younger Francis, may
have later held the manor (fn. 1) but by 1603 it was held
by Francis's daughter Margaret and her husband
Edward Bromwich (fn. 2) (d. 1624). Their son Isaac
Bromwich sold the manor in 1647 to William
Hancox, (fn. 3) whose family had held it as lessees since
1532. (fn. 4)
William Hancox, who served as a captain in the
parliamentary forces in the Civil War and was high
constable of Bisley hundred, died in 1673 (fn. 5) and was
succeeded by his son William (d. 1707). The
younger William, who remained a bachelor,
devised Daneway manor to Nathaniel Hancox, a
great-nephew of William Hancox (d. 1673), who
successfully countered the claim by his cousin
Walter. (fn. 6) From Nathaniel (d. 1729) Daneway manor
passed successively to his brother Walter (d. 1743),
to Thomas (d. 1792), son of another of Nathaniel's
brothers, to Thomas's son Nathaniel (d. 1829), and
to the younger Nathaniel's son Thomas Walter
(d. 1860). (fn. 7) T. W. Hancox's heirs were his sisters
Mary Anne, widow of John Hancox of Tunley
Farm, and Rebecca who was married to Samuel
Bidmead. Mary Anne contracted to sell her moiety
of the manor to the Bidmeads in 1861 but died the
following year when the sale was completed by her
son Henry William Hancox and her other heirs. (fn. 8)
The whole estate, comprising Daneway House,
King's House, and 366 a., was put up for sale by
Samuel Bidmead in 1867, (fn. 9) and by 1879 it had been
acquired by William Dangerfield of Chalford, (fn. 10)
who put it up for sale in 1884. (fn. 11) Daneway was
apparently bought then by William Chapman and
later bought from him by Charles William Smith. (fn. 12)
Before 1903 it was bought by Earl Bathurst and it
remained part of the Bathurst estate in 1972.
Daneway House was used as a cabinet-works and
showroom by Ernest Gimson and his group of craftsmen from c. 1900 until soon after Gimson's death in
1919. (fn. 13) Subsequently it was tenanted by Sir Emery
Walker, the craft printer (d. 1933), and later by the
architect Oliver Hill (d. 1968). (fn. 14)
Daneway House is one of the most ancient houses
of the locality, owing its preservation partly to the
conservative tastes of the Hancox family noted in
the late 18th century. (fn. 15) It has a medieval hall range
which retains smoke-blackened timbers in the roof
and some original doorways and windows. In the
late 17th century a tall five-storey block was added
at the south-east corner; the rooms have contemporary plaster ceilings. In the 18th century a doublegabled extension was made to the west end of the
south front. (fn. 16) The house was restored by Ernest
Barnsley at the beginning of the 20th century. (fn. 17)
Another estate in Tunley tithing, based on
HILLHOUSE FARM, was held from Over
Lypiatt manor by knight service in 1515 when
Thomas Brown died seised of a third of the estate. (fn. 18)
In 1609 the lord of Over Lypiatt sold the freehold of
the Hillhouse estate to Walter Master (fn. 19) who
retained it in 1636. (fn. 20) The estate was tenanted in 1609
by members of the Hancox family, (fn. 21) and John
Hancox of Hillhouse, who was perhaps also only a
tenant, died c. 1665. (fn. 22) By 1676 the estate belonged to
Nathaniel Ridler (fn. 23) and it descended with Edgeworth
manor (being assigned as part of Barbara Ridler's
share in 1751) (fn. 24) until 1833 when the trustees of the
Revd. Edward Greville sold it to Richard Hancox,
miller of Sapperton. Richard (d. 1843) was succeeded
by his son William Walter Hancox, and by 1855 the
estate, comprising Hillhouse Farm, Frith Farm, and
224 a., was in possession of the mortgagees; in that
year they sold Frith Farm with 72 a. to Edmund
Hopkinson of Edgeworth. (fn. 25) In 1972 Hillhouse Farm
and 110 a. were owned by Capt. L. E. D. Walthall,
R.N. (fn. 26) The house was rebuilt in more than one
stage in the early 19th century, the whole or part of
the work being to the designs of Thomas Baker. (fn. 27)
An estate at CHALFORD, which was sometimes
accorded the status of a manor, evidently originated
in Ralph Mortimer's grant of lands and a mill at
Chalford to William son of Hugh of Chalford at
some date between 1227 and 1246; (fn. 28) the estate
continued to be held from the manor of Bisley. (fn. 29) In
the later 13th or early 14th century William of
Chalford made a grant for lives of a house at
Chalford, which had passed by 1355 to William son
of William of Chalford. (fn. 30) William of Chalford
owned a mill and lands there in 1361 when he made
a family settlement of them. (fn. 31) It was perhaps the
same William of Chalford who granted the estate
to Walter Tristram in 1395, reserving the use of part
of the house and lands to himself and his wife, (fn. 32)
and in 1403 William, who was regarded as lord of
Chalford, joined with Walter in a grant of the estate,
with which descended lands in Cowcombe, Minchinhampton, to John Frampton. (fn. 33) In 1441 Frampton
granted the estate to Thomas Mill of Harescombe,
who made a lease of it in 1455. (fn. 34)
After Thomas Mill's death c. 1460 there were a
number of claimants to the Chalford estate. His son
William was attainted of treason in 1461 and
Chalford, which was said to comprise a messuage,
mills, and 260 a. land, was thought to be part of his
estates and was forfeited and granted in 1465 to
Thomas Herbert. Herbert's right passed to his son
Thomas on whose death it reverted to the Crown
which made a grant to Richard Beauchamp in 1474.
In that year, however, Reynold Mill, another son of
Thomas Mill, laid claim to the estate, under a
settlement made by his father. (fn. 35) Another claim was
made in 1461 by Robert Oliffe, who had married
Agnes the daughter of John Frampton; Robert
claimed by virtue of a settlement made by John in
1424, and Robert's son William Oliffe secured a
release of the estate from a trustee of the settlement
in 1462. (fn. 36) In 1469 William Oliffe granted the
Chalford estate to John Moody who was apparently
in possession in 1472 when he made a lease of the
estate (fn. 37) and in 1486 John and his son Edmund were
disputing the estate with Edmund Mill, son of
Reynold. Edmund Moody relinquished his claim in
1488 to Edmund Mill (fn. 38) who had also secured in 1486
a quitclaim from Thomas Mill, son of William Mill, (fn. 39)
and apparently later held the estate unchallenged.
Edmund died in 1514 and the estate was retained by
his widow Anne who married Lionel Norris. The
reversionary right belonged to Edmund's brother,
Gawain Mill, who sold it in 1520 to Richard Fox,
bishop of Winchester. (fn. 40) The bishop was in possession of the Chalford estate by 1523 and he granted
it in that year to his foundation, Corpus Christi
College, Oxford. (fn. 41) The college's estate in the parish
was extended at 67 a. in 1608. (fn. 42) It sold most of its
land, including the Company's Arms inn, in 1872. (fn. 43)
The inn, which stands near the ancient ford, is
apparently on the site of William of Chalford's
house mentioned in the earlier 13th century (fn. 44) and the
Chalford Place which belonged to the estate in
1524. (fn. 45) It was the Company's Arms inn by 1820 and
until the 1960s, (fn. 46) taking its name from the East
India Company, for which most of the local clothiers
manufactured in the early 19th century. (fn. 47) It is a
substantial 17th-century house which in the mid
18th century was heightened, enlarged towards the
west, and given a decorative south front. Further
additions made in the 19th century had been mostly
demolished by 1972 when the house stood empty
and derelict.
About 1200 Maud of Avenis quitclaimed to
Robert Achard her right in lands called Rookwood
and 'Dene', in which Maud and her sister Mabel,
Robert's wife, had apparently inherited moieties.
The sisters had recently disputed the estate with
Kingswood Abbey, (fn. 48) which held an estate called
Rookwood in Bisley in 1243, exchanging it in that
year with John of Edge for land near Uley. (fn. 49) The
abbey still had other unspecified lands in Bisley,
attached to their manor of Culkerton, at the
Dissolution. (fn. 50) The Rookwood estate of the abbey,
and the dwelling of Henry atte Rookwood who was
recorded in 1354, (fn. 51) were presumably at or near the
house called ROOKWOOD'S FARM on the east
boundary of the parish. In 1647 two houses called
Rookwood were sold by William Master of Bisley
to Samuel Sheppard of Bisley, and Philip Sheppard
of Minchinhampton sold them with 17 a. of land in
1675 to John Butler, clothier, who settled the
estate on the marriage of his son John in 1679.
Another John Butler, who was the son of John
Butler of Chalford, clothier, and the grandson of
John Butler of Rookwood's, clothier, owned the
estate in 1769, and in 1783 conveyed it to his son
James in return for an annuity. James was dead by
1793 when his trustees sold Rookwood's to William
Tyler, clothier (d. 1842), whose trustees sold the
estate, comprising the house and 71 a., to Edmund
Hopkinson of Edgeworth in 1843. (fn. 52) Hopkinson sold
it in 1845 to Anthony Austin, but it returned to the
Edgeworth manor estate in 1873 when Austin sold it
to Henry Sperling. (fn. 53) Rookwood's farm remained
part of the Edgeworth estate until at least 1921. (fn. 54)
Later it was the home of R. D. Perkins, M.P. for
Stroud 1931–45. (fn. 55) In 1972 the house, from which the
land had been divorced, was owned by Mr. M.
Milburn-Foster. (fn. 56) It is a substantial farm-house of
the earlier 17th century which was much restored
and enlarged in the early 20th century.
A house and estate in Oakridge called FRAMPTON PLACE were recorded from 1550 when
Thomas Gardner of Harescombe settled them on the
marriage of his son John. (fn. 57) John Gardner sold
Frampton Place c. 1600 to William Twissell (fn. 58) who
owned the house with an estate of 131 a. and the
near-by Twissell's Mill in 1608. (fn. 59) A later owner was
possibly Thomas Twissell of Chalford, clothier
(d. 1656), and his son Thomas, although he was
described as of Oakridge Farm at his death in 1734, (fn. 60)
was perhaps the Thomas Twissell who owned
Frampton Place in 1731. (fn. 61) By 1736 Thomas had
been succeeded by his son John Twissell who by
will proved 1760 devised the estate to his kinsman
Matthias Baker (fn. 62) (d. 1794); (fn. 63) it passed to Matthias's
son John (d. 1829), (fn. 64) and was owned in 1842 with an
estate of 313 a. by John's son Thomas Baker of
Watercombe House (d. 1850). (fn. 65) It subsequently
passed to William Baker of Hattons, Frampton
Mansell, (d. 1876). (fn. 66) William's estate passed to
Charles Driver of Lilly Horn House who was
succeeded before 1897 by Matthias Baker Driver
and William Baker Driver. (fn. 67) In the 1930s Frampton
Place belonged to H. A. Parsons (fn. 68) and in 1972 the
house and c. 50 a. belonged to Brig. D. Fabin. (fn. 69) The
oldest part of the house dates from the late 16th
or early 17th century and was later extended at
both ends, reroofed, and internally refitted.
CALFWAY FARM, north of Bisley village, was
a copyhold estate of 58 a. called Reades in 1608
when it was held from Bisley manor by Thomas
Ward, clerk, in right of his wife Anne. (fn. 70) In 1621
Ward, who was rector of Edgeworth, bought the freehold and in 1632 he granted the estate in reversion
to his nephew Francis Raleigh in return for a
messuage in Edgeworth. In 1639 Francis sold the
estate to Samuel Allen of Daventry (Northants.),
from whom it was bought in 1647 by Walter Sewell
of Stroud, dyer, who settled it on himself, his wife
Elizabeth, and son Robert in 1659. In 1671 Walter
and Robert, both described as clothiers of Nether
Lypiatt, mortgaged the estate (fn. 71) and Robert died,
apparently in possession of the estate, c. 1686. (fn. 72)
In 1689 Calfway Farm was held by Richard
Denton (fn. 73) but by 1698 it belonged to Robert
Sewell, a baker, who later moved to Nympsfield but
apparently retained the estate until 1745 or later. (fn. 74)
In 1770 it belonged to John Sewell (fn. 75) and by 1819
it was part of the Lypiatt Park estate. (fn. 76) In 1842
Calfway Farm and 79 a. belonged to Job Coles; (fn. 77)
by 1885 it was once more part of the Lypiatt
Park estate. (fn. 78) The house dates from the 17th century.
The rectory of Bisley, which was in two portions
in the Middle Ages, later united in the ownership of
Stoke College (Suff.), (fn. 79) formed a lucrative lay
estate after the Dissolution. It included lands,
extended at 293 a. in 1612, (fn. 80) and nine-tenths of the
great tithes from the remainder of Bisley and Stroud
parishes; (fn. 81) the rectory was said to be worth c. £300
at the beginning of the 18th century, (fn. 82) and in 1827
the tithes belonging to it were held on lease by 6
tenants at a total rental of £539. (fn. 83) In 1569 the
rectory was held jointly by Walter Compton and
Richard Sewell under an 80-year lease of 1537,
apparently granted by Stoke College to their
fathers. The Crown granted them a new 21-year
lease in 1583, (fn. 84) and Walter's moiety passed to his
grandson Henry Compton (d. 1593) and to Henry's
widow Joan, (fn. 85) while Richard's moiety was held by
William Sewell in 1597. (fn. 86) In 1605 the Crown
granted the rectory estate in fee, reserving a rent of
£33 10s., to William Blake and Laurence Baskerville (fn. 87) and by 1619 it was held by Whitehill (or
Wheatley) Audley who was described as the lord of
the manor of Bisley rectory. (fn. 88) In 1638 the rectory
was conveyed by Thomas Willis to Thomas
Coventry, Lord Coventry (d. 1640), (fn. 89) and it
descended with the barony (later the earldom) of
Coventry, being held in dower after the death of
Thomas, the 2nd earl, in 1710 by his widow Anne (fn. 90)
(d. 1763). It apparently reverted on Anne's death to
George Coventry, the 6th earl, (fn. 91) but in 1796 it was
owned by his younger brother John Bulkeley
Coventry Bulkeley (fn. 92) (d. 1801). In later passed to
Thomas Coventry Bulkeley, (fn. 93) and was sold,
apparently in 1810, to William Yarnton Mills
(d. 1821). (fn. 94)
The rectory estate passed to William's grandson
Thomas Mills Goodlake of Wadley House, near
Faringdon (Berks.), (fn. 95) who had an estate of 545 a.
in Bisley in 1842; the old rectory lands, which were
known as Coventry Lands and included Rectory
farm with a tithe barn in Bisley village and Upper
Hill farm at Bournes Green, comprised most of the
estate, and Thomas also owned Througham Slad
with a farm of 177 a. Under the award of that year
Thomas's tithes were commuted for a corn-rent of
£1,200. Besides Thomas and the vicar there were
then 4 others who held the tithes arising from small
estates that they owned: Samuel Clutterbuck was
awarded a corn-rent of £4 for the tithes of a part of
Chantry farm, while William Lewis, who owned the
remainder of Chantry farm, Hester Mansfield, the
owner of Jaynes Court, and Joseph Fisher agreed
that their tithes should be merged in the freehold of
their estates. (fn. 96) T. M. Goodlake died in 1877, and
in 1891 his estate was put up for sale by his son
Thomas Leinster Goodlake and William Henry
Waddington, (fn. 97) part, including Througham Slad
farm, being bought then or soon afterwards by
Sir John Dorington. (fn. 98) The tithe rent-charge had
been settled in 1878 on the marriage of T. M.
Goodlake's daughter Olivia (d. 1916) to the Marquis
de Lasteyrie (d. 1923), and in 1926 it was put up
for sale by their son Comte Louis de Lasteyrie du
Saillant. (fn. 99) It was bought then or soon afterwards by
the Revd. W. F. Buttle. (fn. 1)
The two medieval portioners of the rectory
appear to have both had houses in Bisley village, for
in 1593 Henry Compton held a house called the
capital messuage of the upper parsonage, (fn. 2) while in
1597 his partner William Sewell held one called
the lower rectory. (fn. 3) Compton's house apparently
stood on a close called the Parsonage which adjoined
the vicarage house and belonged to the rectory
estate in 1842; the close was then leased to the vicar
Thomas Keble who is said to have demolished the
house on it shortly after his institution in 1827. (fn. 4)
Sewell's house may have been at Rectory Farm or
alternatively at Church House (formerly Chapel
House), both of which belonged to the rectory
estate, in the 19th century. (fn. 5) Church House, a small
building at the south-east corner of the churchyard,
retained medieval windows and a doorway with an
ogee hoodmould until the earlier 20th century when
the doorway and some of the windows were replaced
and a new wing was added on the north end; (fn. 6) the
south wall retains a 15th-century window in situ and
another, perhaps of the 14th century, reset above it.
Rectory Farm, which stands on the east side of the
main village street, is an early-18th-century house
of two storeys. The large rectory tithe barn stands
north-east of the house, and the buildings formerly
belonging to the farm include another large barn of
the 18th century. (fn. 7)
In addition to Cirencester Abbey, Kingswood
Abbey, Stoke College, and Corpus Christi College
a number of smaller institutions held lands in the
parish. The Ansteads farm estate, which was
evidently the messuage and yardland at 'Hanesty'
held by Hugh of Rodborough in 1361, (fn. 8) was granted
by Edmund of Rodborough to Rodborough church
in 1432. The church was also endowed with
Derretts farm at the same period, (fn. 9) and its estates in
Bisley covered 177 a. in 1842. (fn. 10) The Bisley feoffees
for charitable uses in the parish held 44 a. in 1608. (fn. 11)
The chief house of their estate was Sturmyes Court
(later called Pontin's Farm) at Avenis, (fn. 12) for which
the feoffees claimed manorial status and the right
to hold a court for their tenants; (fn. 13) they sold it in
1955. (fn. 14) By 1440 St. John's Hospital at Cirencester
was in possession of land in the parish, (fn. 15) which it
sold in 1865, (fn. 16) and in the 1540s lands on Cirencester
Abbey's manor of Througham were held by the
chantries of Alice Avening and William Nottingham
at Cirencester. (fn. 17)