BILLESLEY
Acreage: 822.
Population: 1911, 48; 1921, 53; 1931, 58.
Billesley is a small parish on the north side of the
Stratford-Alcester road. It appears to have been a
place of some importance in early times, and a house in
Warwick was attached to the manor in 1086. (fn. 1) But
the village has long since disappeared and now only
the Hall and church remain. The process of depopulation, which may have begun with the Black Death—the visitation of 1361 was especially severe in this part
of Warwickshire (fn. 2) —was certainly hastened in the following century by inclosures. Rous, writing about
1450, laments the utter decay of the village, of which,
even then, nothing was left but the manor house. (fn. 3) In
Dugdale's time even the church was in ruins. (fn. 4) The
lines of former buildings, which are generally supposed
to mark the site of the village, are still clearly traceable
in a field to the south of the church.
BILLESLEY HALL Sketch Plan
In 1649 the inhabitants of Billesley were directed to
pay 5s. weekly towards the relief of the poor of Henleyin-Arden, but the order was rescinded when it was
found that the parish consisted only of the manor-house,
where Lady Lee maintained three or four aged
pensioners besides contributing to the poor rate in
Grafton. (fn. 5) Billesley is included in Grafton parish in
the Hearth Tax returns of 1662–74, but it remained a
separate parish in fact.
From the main road a by-road runs past the Hall to
Aston Cantlow, with a fork westwards to Haselor, and
south of the Hall another road comes in from Wilmcote.
Billesley and Haselor were once more directly connected
by a road now disused. (fn. 6)
Billesley Hall is built mostly of lias limestone, with
tiled roofs. The plan of the older part is of L-shape,
the main block facing south, (fn. 7) and the wing, now a
galleried hall, being on the north side of the east half.
The wing is probably of late-16th-century date, as its
west wall is of timber-framing in the upper part and
the stone east wall appears to be of older rubble than
that of the main block. The main block was extended
to the west late in the 18th century, (fn. 8) and modern additions have been built towards the north. The stucco
applied to the walls in the 19th century has since been
removed, but much of the masonry still bears the scars
of keying, or has had to be renewed.
The south front has a projecting porch-wing in the
east half, and near each end is a square bay window.
The porch is of three stories: the entrance has moulded
jambs and round head with moulded imposts and
spandrels carved with scrolled strap-work. It is flanked
by detached Doric shafts of red sandstone that carry
an entablature carved with ornament, now much
perished. The inner doorway is of more early-Tudor
type, having moulded jambs and a four-centred arch.
Above it is a three-light stone window with chamfered
mullions, and on either side a small modern light.
There is also an old nail-studded oak door. The first
floor has a tall restored window of three lights with a
transom. The second floor has a small two-light
window. The gable-head has modern kneelers. The
walling is of finely dressed squared lias rubble with
angle-dressings of red-brown freestone. The main
wall on either side of the porch is of less finished
masonry and probably a little earlier. It has a moulded
plinth, and a moulded string-course at the first-floor
level. East of the porch is a six-light window with a
transom, and west of it are three others; above each is
a four-light window. A seam between the middle and
western windows indicates the junction with the late18th-century extension, which is of more evenly worked
lias coursing. The westernmost square bay window,
which rises to a gabled third story, is modern, but the
similar easternmost bay is old, although much restored.
The first-floor window is a late-17th-century tall and
narrow feature of two lights and a transom, a moulded
architrave eared at the top, and a moulded sill; the
second-floor window is contemporary.
The east end of the main block has a slightly projecting gable-head on a moulded string-course and
with carved and moulded kneelers. The ground and
first floors have restored windows of five lights; the
second floor has a three-light window. The wall of
the wing, next north, sets back 6 ft. and is of two stories
with an eaves gutter. It has a six-light lower window
and four-light upper, both restored or modern. The
walling is of thinner stones and less neatly squared
than in the main block, and has an old moulded stringcourse at the first-floor level. The west wall of this
wing has a lower stone wall with a six-light window,
but the upper story is of timber-framing, partly restored but with some ancient posts. The north side
of the main block has a range of four chimney-stacks;
the projecting stack of the old kitchen (now diningroom) has gathered-in sides of ashlar and carries two
octagonal shafts of ancient thin bricks. The others, to
the two fire-places in the billiard-room (east), and to
the western extension, have diagonal and octagonal
shafts of similar bricks. There is another great square
panelled stack over the gabled west end. The back
wall of the main block has wood-framed windows to
the upper story (above the old kitchen). The modern
extension north of the old north wing contains the
principal entrance and entrance hall.
The entrance hall has an 18th-century south screen
of three bays divided by fluted Doric pilasters: the
middle bay has an elliptical-headed doorway to the
galleried hall, the side bays with similar heads are
recesses; the heads have jewelled spandrels. The
galleried hall occupies the old north wing and is lighted
by east and west windows. It has a gallery crossing its
west end, and along its south side to the rooms over the
billiard room. The wall on this side above the gallery
is of ancient timber-framing. Over the east end of the
hall is a chamber with early-17th-century panelling.
In the south wall is a heavily carved oak chimneypiece. The fire-place is flanked by Tuscan shafts and
has a carved rounded mantel-shelf divided by pilasterbrackets. The overmantel is of three bays with elaborately carved round-headed panels and half-round
Corinthian shafts. Rising from the west end of the
north side is the main staircase, modern except for
some 17th-century balusters on the upper landing.
Opposite, in the south wall, is a four-centred moulded
stone archway, into the lobby of the south porch, and
in the west wall is another old stone doorway with
moulded jambs and square head.
The billiard room, occupying all the main block
east of the lobby, was two rooms originally. It has two
moulded stone fire-places with four-centred heads on
its north side. The room is lined with early-17thcentury oak panelling and has overmantels of panels
with heavy moulded frames. The dining-room, west
of the lobby, was formerly the kitchen and has a
north fireplace 10 ft. wide, of stone, with a segmentalpointed arch. The room is lined with Elizabethan
panelling and has late-17th-century east and west doors.
The rooms farther west have late-18th-century fireplaces, &c.
The upper part of the galleried hall has a plastered
frieze of running vine ornament which may be old.
Leading into the galleries are four doors which have
late-16th-century steel locks with pivot-hinged strap
scutcheon-plates, &c. (fn. 9)
There are two rooms over the billiard-room—the
eastern entered from the gallery of the hall through a
thick (chimney) wall. The west reveal of the doorway
has a cupboard in the panelling which was the way into
a hiding-hole, and has a false ceiling to it leading to
a space above. In the north wall is an elaborate early17th-century oak chimney-piece: the fire-place is of
stone with a four-centred head, and is flanked by pairs
of Ionic shafts in oak; the middle panel of the overmantel is deeply moulded and has a central oval jewel
ornament in which is cut a slot, through which it is
said the interior of the room can be seen from the
chimney-flue communicating with the hiding-hole.
The room is lined with Elizabethan and later panelling.
The western bedroom also has an old stone moulded
and arched fire-place flanked by fluted oak pilasters
and having a carved mantel frieze. The overmantel is
of panels formed by raised mouldings separated by
wide pilasters with niches and panels, and has a frieze
above carved with monsters, &c. It is probably earlier
than the other. The room has a dado of late-16thcentury panelling. Above the dining-room is a room
with a stone moulded fire-place, lined with early-17thcentury oak panelling with a carved frieze. A staircase
from the first to the second floor has 17th-century
turned balusters.
A stone garden-wall runs east of the house in line
with the south front, and right against the building is
an arched opening with a pair of good wrought-iron
gates of the 17th century.
In the lawn south of the house is a circular fishpond, and away to the south are the remains of a former
moat. A garden south-west of the house has some good
modern yew topiary, but the yew hedge bordering the
east side of the garden is much older—probably 17thcentury. South-east of the house, on either side of the
road to the church, are outbuildings, mostly of stone,
but one of which shows some 17th-century timber
framing and brick in its west wall. Nearby is a rectangular (formerly square) stone pigeon-house. A gateway into the grounds, west of the road, has a pair of
rusticated stone posts with late-17th-century urn
finials.
South of the church is a moat of which three sides
containing water still remain. The inner faces of the
arms retain rubble walling of a former building, and
there are traces of former banks to north and south.
The west arm was destroyed for a roadway to the
church.
Manor
Billesley was held before the Conquest by
Baldwin. He is probably identical with
Baldwin son of Herlewin, a man of note
before the Conquest whom Hugh de Grentmesnil
succeeded in this manor as in others in Warwickshire (fn. 10)
and other counties. In 1086 Osbern held the manor of
Hugh as 5 hides. (fn. 11)
Ives son of Hugh de Grentmesnil mortgaged all his
estates about 1102 to Robert de Beaumont, Earl of
Leicester, who, in exchange, undertook to obtain
pardon for Ives's rebellion and to advance money to
enable him to go on Crusade. Ives died on Crusade
and Robert retained the estates. (fn. 12) Billesley passed to
Robert's son Robert, Earl of Leicester, who exchanged
it and other manors with Roger, Earl of Warwick. (fn. 13)
The overlordship of the Earls of Warwick was recognized until 1585 or later. (fn. 14)
There appears also to have been a mesne lordship
held by the Botelers of Oversley. William Trussell in
1242 was holding Billesley of Maurice le Boteler, (fn. 15) and
in 1315 William le Boteler held it of the Earl of
Warwick. (fn. 16) But in 1285 William Trussell was
holding Billesley as a knight's fee from Andrew de
Astley as mesne lord between him and the Earl of
Warwick, (fn. 17) probably during the minority of the
Boteler heir. Half a fee in Billesley was returned in
1428 as formerly held by William Boteler. (fn. 18)
Osbert Trussell held the manor in 1166 (fn. 19) and the
Trussell family remained in possession for more than 400 years. (fn. 20)
Osbert's grandson Richard forfeited his lands for rebellion
against King John, but recovered
them soon afterwards, (fn. 21) and
William Trussell held one fee in
Billesley in 1235 and 1242. (fn. 22)
Richard Trussell was lord of the
manor in 1265, (fn. 23) when he was
killed fighting on the baronial
side at Evesham, and the estates
were again forfeited and again recovered, (fn. 24) Richard's
brother William being in possession in 1268. (fn. 25) William,
by his marriage with Rohese daughter and heir of
William Pantolf of Cublesdon, acquired large estates
in Staffordshire and other counties, and Billesley ceased
to be the chief seat of the family. Sir William Trussell,
who was among those pardoned for their part in the
death of Piers Gaveston, (fn. 26) was holding the manor in
1316, (fn. 27) but in 1322 he and his son William and his
brother Edmund were fugitives from justice, having
joined the rebels under Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, (fn. 28)
and his lands were seized by the king. (fn. 29) Billesley was
restored to the family, for Sir William's eldest son John
Trussell of Cublesdon gave the manor to his brother
Warin for life. There is a letter of 1337 still extant
written by John to Warin informing him that he had
granted to Richard Longespey, parson of Warmingham, the reversion of the manor after Warin's death. (fn. 30)
Richard was evidently a trustee for John Trussell,
whose son Sir William died in 1379–80, his only
daughter Katherine having predeceased him. (fn. 31) Katherine had married her cousin Sir Alfred, or Avery,
Trussell, who was descended from Edmund mentioned above, (fn. 32) and they had one daughter, Elizabeth wife of Sir Baldwin Freville. She died before
1383, (fn. 33) when Margaret wife of Fulk Pembrugge,
daughter of Sir William Trussell (brother of John) and
heir of Elizabeth Freville, granted the manor of Billesley
to Sir Alfred Trussell and his issue male. (fn. 34) Sir Alfred
married again and had a son William, (fn. 35) who died in
1432, his son John being then under age. (fn. 36) John's son
Thomas (fn. 37) was sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in 1509. (fn. 38) He died in 1517, having settled
Billesley manor in 1508 upon his son William on his
marriage with Cecily Curzon. (fn. 39) William, however,
died before his father, and in 1517 the manor passed
to William's infant son Alfred, or Avery, then aged 4.
The king granted the wardship of Avery to Sir Robert
Norwich, Chief Justice of Common Pleas, and he sold
it to Robert Fulwood of Tanworth, whose daughter
Margaret Avery afterwards married. (fn. 40) During his
long minority one Richard Fulwood, who occupied
the manor, claiming under. Thomas Trussell's will,
allowed the buildings of the manor to fall into decay
and pulled many of them down, besides cutting and
wasting the timber on the manor. (fn. 41) Avery was succeeded by a son John, (fn. 42) whose son Thomas Trussell
made conveyances of the manor in 1585. (fn. 43) On 6
August of that year Thomas committed robbery and
felony on the highway at Bromley, Kent, and was in
1588 attainted and sentenced to death. (fn. 44) Billesley manor
passed to the Crown and was granted in 1590 to John
Willes and others, being then held on lease by Richard
Ognell. (fn. 45) In 1600 Otho Nicholson of London and
George Ognell of Billesley sold the manor to Robert
Lee for £5,000, of which they received £4,000 and
£1,000 respectively, (fn. 46) with a warranty against the
heirs of Thomas and George Trussell. (fn. 47)
Trussell. Argent fretty gules with a bezant at each crossing of the fret.
Robert Lee, alderman of London, knighted in
1603, (fn. 48) was Lord Mayor in 1602–3. He settled the
manor of Billesley in 1599 upon his second son Robert
Lee and his wife Ann daughter of Sir Thomas Lowe,
Lord Mayor in 1604–5. (fn. 49) The younger Robert
succeeded to Billesley on his father's death in 1605, (fn. 50)
and was knighted in 1608. (fn. 51) Sir Robert's son, a third
Sir Robert, married Frances daughter of Sir William
Cope, (fn. 52) and succeeded his father in 1637. He died
in 1659 leaving an only child,
Anne, married to Sir Edward
Barkham of Boston, co. Lincs.,
and she and her husband sold
Billesley manor in 1659 to
Charles Lee, Anne's uncle. (fn. 53)
Charles sold the manor in 1689
to Bernard Whalley (fn. 54) of Norton, Leicestershire, who rebuilt
the church in 1692. In 1721
his son Bernard Whalley and
Anne his wife sold the manor
to Thomas Sherlock, D.D. (fn. 55)
Lee of Billesley. Argent a fesse between two roundels in chief and a martlet in base all sable.
Thomas Sherlock was eldest
son of William Sherlock, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's. He
followed his father in 1704 as Master of the Temple, and
became Master of St. Catharine's Hall, Cambridge, and
Vice-Chancellor of the University in 1714. He was
consecrated Bishop of Bangor in 1728 and translated to
Salisbury in 1734. He appears to have refused the archbishopric of Canterbury on the ground of ill-health, but
in 1748 he became Bishop of London. He died childless on 18 July 1761, leaving his library to the University
of Cambridge. (fn. 56) His sister Mary married Sir Thomas
Gooch, bart., Bishop of Ely, and her son Thomas
Gooch inherited on the death of his uncle a fortune of
about £150,000, including the manor of Billesley.
He succeeded to his father's title in 1754 and died in
1781. His son Sir Thomas succeeded and with his
son Thomas Sherlock Gooch conveyed Billesley manor
in 1789 to Rickman Young, (fn. 57) —probably for sale to
John Mills, who owned it at the time of his death in
1807. His son Matthew died in 1845 and his daughters
Jane wife of Arthur Crowdy and Harriet Mills, and
his niece Mary Straley wife of the Rev. Thomas
Higgins succeeded.
The co-heiresses of Matthew Mills and their descendants held the manor jointly until 1899 when,
after the death of the widow of Laurence Crowdy, it
was sold to Charles Somerset. Thence it passed by
purchase successively to the Hon. Charles HanburyTracy in 1905–6, to Mr. H. B. Tate, son of the
founder of the Tate Gallery, in 1912, to Mr. H. G.
Bois in 1927, and then to the present owner, Sir
Martin John Melvin, bart., in 1934.
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS is a rectangular
structure 30½ ft. by 13½ ft. inside with a round apse,
a south vestry, and west porch. It is said
to have been rebuilt by Bernard Whalley
in 1692, but there is evidence of a 12thcentury origin in the walling, with remains of later
medieval windows and doorway.
The east window of the 1692 apse, and two windows in each of the main side walls, have moulded
architraves with square imposts, round arches and
moulded sills. West of the two eastern windows and
east of the two western windows are jamb-stones of
former medieval windows, of a hard grey-brown sandstone, and in the middle of the north wall is a 14thcentury blocked doorway of similar stone. The north
wall is of hard, grey stone, thin rubble work in the
lower part, and of streaky lias rubble in the upper
part, and has a moulded eaves-cornice of 1692. The
south wall is of the grey stone rubble, but includes
some herring-bone coursing under and east of the
western window. Patchings in the walling east and
west of the transept suggest former small round-headed
windows of the 12th century. At the angles are
rusticated angle-dressings of 1692. The east gable wall
is of old rubble but much of that in the head is squared
rubble, as in the apse wall. The square-headed west
doorway is of 1692, also the window above, which has
an eared architrave and entablature. A wooden round
head in the window is made up of recut boarding with
elaborate facial carving of the late 17th century inside.
The wall is of old rubble and has some stones of
an earlier window outside the 17th-century window.
Over the window is a round panel on a square stone
with rosettes in the centre and in the spandrels. Above
the gable is a wooden bell-turret with louvred sides
and a leaded ogee roof with a weather-vane.
The south transept or vestry is central with the
south side; it is all of 1692 and has a south window like
the others and a bull's-eye window over. The gable
head had urns on the kneelers (the eastern missing)
and apex. In the west wall is a blocked doorway with a
plain architrave lintel and key-block. Reset in the
blocking is a fragment of a carved stone, 21½ in. by
11 in., carved with a figure of Christ with a cross
nimbus and holding with His left hand a cross staff.
On His left is a lower head, perhaps with a nimbus, the
rest cut away. The carving is probably a part of a
12th-century Harrowing of Hell. (fn. 58)
The west porch is of c. 1692 with a segmentalpointed entrance, rusticated angle-dressings, and a gable
with pinnacles at the kneelers and an urn at the apex.
The interior has no medieval features. The moulded
round arches to the apse and the south transept are of
red sandstone and of 1692. The roof is hidden by a
plain flat plastered ceiling. At the west end is a gallery
of plain woodwork, probably of 1692.
The communion-table has legs, each of four twisted
posts; the communion rails also have twisted balusters
and moulded rail; another small table and a quire desk
also incorporate moulded and twisted balusters; all
are probably of 1692. There are contemporary
box pews under the gallery. The plain slender octagonal font may be of the same period but has had later
crosses cut in relief on four faces of the bowl.
There is one small bell of 1721 by Richard Sanders. (fn. 59)
The communion plate includes a cup and cover of 1634
and an alms-plate 'The gift of Mr. Whalley, A.D. 1700'.
Advowson
The advowson of the church followed the descent of the manor until
the death of Matthew Mills in 1845.
It then passed to his trustees, in whose possession it
still remains. (fn. 60)