MOTTISTONE
Modrestan (xi cent.); Motererestone, Moderstone
(xiv cent.).
Mottistone is a small parish on the southern shore
of the Island, having a village of scattered cottages
along the road from Shorwell to Freshwater. The
soil is light loam with a subsoil of clay and sand,
producing crops of wheat, barley, oats, peas and roots.
In 1905 the parish contained 427½ acres of arable
land, 552 acres of permanent grass and 10 acres of
woodland. (fn. 1) The only residence of any note in the
parish is Pitt Place, an 18th-century house belonging
to Sir Charles Seely, bart., and tenanted by Mr.
Aubrey Wykeham.
The manor-house of Mottistone, a picturesque
structure with the down rising behind it, consists of
a main block built of squared local green sandstone
with a long low wing of earlier date. (fn. 2) The entrance
is through a porch in the angle of the two buildings
with a flat arched opening in its south face over
which is the date 1567. (fn. 3) To the left of it lies the
hall, containing a wide arched fireplace with a panel
over it on which are cut the arms of Cheke and the
initials T. C. and I. C. This hall opens to the staircase by what appears originally to have been an
external door, (fn. 4) which rather points to the fact of
this stair having formed a separate building. (fn. 5) The
long office wing is evidently the earliest part of the
building, the date 1569 being a later insertion, and
is formed of the shelly limestone not quarried on this
side of the Island. It may safely be assigned to the
end of the 15th century, and was probably remodelled
at the completion of the main building.
On the down behind the manor-house stands a
menhir 13 ft. high, with another fallen one near it.
MANOR
The manor of MOTTISTONE was
held of the honour of Carisbrooke
Castle. (fn. 6) Before the Conquest four thegns
had held it, but in 1086 William son of Azor held
it of the king. (fn. 7) Like the other manors held by
William son of Azor, it probably passed later to the
Lisles, for, though there is no proof that the Lisles
held it, it subsequently belonged to the Glamorgans,
who were descended from Brian de Lisle (Insula).
Brian died about 1234, leaving William Glamorgan
one of his co-heirs. (fn. 8) Robert de Glamorgan was
holding the manor of Mottistone in demesne at the
end of the 13th and at the beginning of the 14th
century, (fn. 9) and in 1326 John de Glamorgan was
granted free warren at Mottistone. (fn. 10) After his
death in 1337 Alice his widow held the manor in
dower with successive remainders to her daughters
Denise and Anne, (fn. 11) until her death in 1340, (fn. 12) when
Denise and her husband Edmund de Langford entered
into possession. (fn. 13)
In 1347–8 a sixth part of the manor (fn. 14) was claimed
by a William Passelewe, evidently a descendant of the
John de Passelewe who had unsuccessfully claimed a
ninth part of the manor against Robert de Glamorgan
in 1305–6. (fn. 15) William stated that the sixth he
claimed had belonged to his grandmother Sarah, wife
of Brian Passelewe, in the time of Henry III, and had
passed from her to her son John, William's father. (fn. 16)
This suit evidently went against William, for Denise
Langford died in 1362 holding the manor, and
during the minority of her daughter Elizabeth part
of the profits accruing were received by Andrew
Kirkby and afterwards by Henry Emmery, the successive husbands of Anne, sister of Denise. (fn. 17) Elizabeth
Langford possibly married as her first husband
Edward Cheke, (fn. 18) for he was lord of the manor in
1374. (fn. 19) She afterwards married Peter Brian, and
she and her husband conveyed the manor in 1395
to Robert Cammell, (fn. 20) this conveyance being ratified
in 1398 by Nicholas Brian. (fn. 21) Robert Cammell could
not long have retained the manor, for in 1400
Richard Pavy granted it to Henry Emmery and
Anne his wife for their lives, with reversion to Richard
and his heirs. (fn. 22) In 1426 the manor was settled on
John Cheke (fn. 23) and John
Roucle and the heirs male of
John Cheke. (fn. 24) Cheke and
Roucle were together holding
the manor in 1431. (fn. 25)
Cheke. Argent three crescents gules.
John Cheke held the manor
in 1439, (fn. 26) and Robert Cheke
his son died in 1500, leaving
a son and heir David. (fn. 27)
Thomas Cheke, grandson of
David, died holding the manor
in 1618, (fn. 28) leaving a son and
heir Thomas, who sold the
manor to Robert Dillington
in 1621. (fn. 29) Robert was created a baronet in 1628
and was succeeded in 1664 by his grandson Robert, (fn. 30)
who died in 1687, leaving by
his first wife two sons Robert
and John, who succeeded to
the baronetcy in succession,
both dying without heirs.
John seems to have succeeded
his brother about 1693–4,
for Sir Robert presented to
the church in 1692, (fn. 31) and
Sir John was dealing with the
manor in 1694. (fn. 32) Sir John
was succeeded in March
1705–6 by his step-brother
Sir Tristram, (fn. 33) who sold the
manor to John Leigh of North Shorwell. (fn. 34) Mottistone subsequently descended with North Shorwell
until 1792, when it belonged to the co-heirs of John
Leigh. (fn. 35) It was held in 1860 by Sir John Simeon,
who apparently sold it before 1870 to Charles Seely,
father of the present owner, Sir Charles Seely. (fn. 36)
Dillington. Gules a leaping lion or.
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER and
ST. PAUL adjoins the south side of the
road from Shorwell to Freshwater, and
dates from the 12th century, though the last feature
of this period, the west door, was removed in 1863.
It consists of a nave with narrow aisles and a chancel
with a north chapel, a small tower at the west end being
almost swamped by the wide covering roof of the nave.
The details of the nave arcades, with their pointed
double splayed arches, curious capitals, octagonal
shafts and spurred bases, (fn. 37) are of the middle of the
13th century, c. 1250–60, and were the first work
undertaken as an addition to the early chapel of the
manor. The bases of the columns and responds of the
south arcade are similar to those at Brighstone, but
the capitals follow those of the north arcade, and this
aisle was probably added late in the 13th or early in the
14th century. In the 15th century the tower was
added at the west end. It is built of small slate-like
stones here found in abundance on the shore and has a
projecting string-course 7 ft. from the top supporting
an embattled parapet, the whole being finished with
an octagonal spire. (fn. 38) About the end of the century
the chancel was rebuilt of such dimensions as to dwarf
the earlier nave, and a chantry was added by the
Cheke family on the north side with its triple arcade
very similar to that at Brighstone. Square-headed
windows were at the same time inserted in the north
and south walls of the nave. The outer plinth at the
east end is ornamented with grotesque carvings and
over the south door of the chancel, which has a water
groove in the rebate, a head carved as a corbel has
been inserted. Over the jamb of the east window of
the south aisle is a narrow opening probably for a
sanctus bell. There is an octagonal oak pulpit of the
17th century. (fn. 39) In the easternmost bay of the chancel
arcade is a 17th-century altar tomb to Jane Freake, (fn. 40)
wife of Sir Robert Dillington, the lord of the manor.
In 1863 a good deal of injudicious restoration was
undertaken. The early 12th-century doorway in the
west wall and the original chancel arch (fn. 41) gave place
to the present creations and the church was generally
touched up, rendering a correct reading of its
architectural history a difficult matter.
In the new lych gate is inserted the remains of a
credence in which is placed part of a 13th-century
stoup.
The tower contains one bell, uninscribed but
ancient.
The plate consists of a chalice 1576–7, a plated flagon
and paten of the 18th century, and a modern silver
paten, silver gilt spoon and silver mounted cruet.
The earliest register contains baptisms and burials
from 1680 to 1813, marriage from 1680 to 1754; the
second volume contains marriages from 1755 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Mottistone
appears to have been annexed to
the manor (fn. 42) until about 1792.
After the sale of the manor the advowson passed to
Sir Henry P. St. John Mildmay, who presented in
1806, his widow presenting in 1824. (fn. 43) The advowson
seems to have passed about 1830 to Mr. S. Dowell,
and about ten years later to Rev. E. Robertson. (fn. 44)
He held it until 1864, when it passed to Brasenose
College, Oxford. (fn. 45) Of the college it was purchased
in 1877 by Mr. T. C. Baring, who held it until 1888,
when it passed to the trustees for Hertford College, (fn. 46)
who are the present patrons. The living is a rectory,
with the vicarage of Shorwell annexed.
About 1387–8 a dispute arose between William de
Montagu Earl of Salisbury and Richard Cheke as to
the right to present to Mottistone Church. (fn. 47) The
earl probably claimed the presentation as overlord of
the manor, for he held the honour of Carisbrooke at
that time, while Richard's claim may have originated
in the marriage of his son Edward with Elizabeth
Langford. It would seem that the earl was successful,
as he presented to the church in 1388. (fn. 48)
CHARITIES
There are no endowed charities in
this parish. The children attend
the Elementary School at Hulverstone in the parish of Brook