HAMFORDSHOE HUNDRED 



ECTON 



population, which numbered 447 in 193 1, is chiefly 

 employed in agriculture. Ecton parish was inclosed in 



'759:'. 



British coins of the late Celtic Age have been found 

 in the parish,^ and Anglo-Saxon remains in the garden 

 at Ecton House.' 



In 1086 Henry de Ferrers held of the 

 MANORS king 4 hides, valued at 100/., in Ecton; 

 Bundi had held them in the Confessor's 

 time, when they had been worth £7,.* This land formed 

 part of the honor of Tutbury. .^fter the death of 

 Henry de Ferrers the overlordship passed to his son 

 Robert, i st Earl of Derby, and with the other pos- 



vmn 



^W 



Ferrers, fairy or and 

 gules. 



Lancaster. England 

 •with a label of France. 



sessions of the Earls of Derby and Ferrers became 

 merged in the Duchy of Lancaster. The last mention 

 of the overlordship occurs in 1575, when it was held as 

 parcel of the Duchy by suit of court and 5/. <)d. rent.' 

 About 1428 Ecton passed to a younger branch of the 

 Montgomery family, who held this manor, together with 

 that of Cubley in Derbyshire, of the Tutbury honor. 

 Between 1482 and 1529 Ecton is found held of the 

 senior branch of the familv as of their manor of Cubley.* 

 The first tenant in ECTON or MONTGOMERIES 

 MANOR was Ralf, who held 4 hides of Henry de 

 Ferrers in 1086.' These hides were held at the time of 

 the Northamptonshire Survey by William de Mont- 

 gomery.' Probably this land was 

 part of the 4 knights' fees held in 

 1 166 by Walter de Montgomer)', 

 from whom the land passed to 

 William de Montgomery by 

 1 177.' This William was suc- 

 ceeded by Sir William, who held 

 two fees in 1242.'° In 1284 

 William held l fee in Ecton and 

 his son Ralph had § of a fee" in 

 the same place, which he held 

 from Isabel de Forz, Countess of 

 Devon. '^ In 1297 William de 

 Montgomery held the manor of Ecton and manors in 

 Derbyshire as 7 fees." By the year 1 3 16 Walterde Mont- 

 gomery, probably his son, held Ecton;'* he died in 1 324 



Montgomery. Or 

 eagle azure. 



and was succeeded by his grandson Walter," who was 

 holding in 1 346. This Walter's younger son Walter'* 

 had I J fees in 1428;" his brother Nicholas succeeded 

 to the manor of Cubley in Derby, and from him and his 

 heirs the younger branch held Ecton.'* In 1482 a John 

 Montgomery died seised of a part of Ecton Manor 

 which had been settled on him and Margaret, daughter 

 of William Holdenby, on their marriage in 1449. The 

 residue had been granted in 1475 to John's son William 

 and his wife Elizabeth; William, therefore, succeeded 

 tothe whole of the manor." Michael Montgomery died 

 holding the manor in 1 507, and Thomas Montgomery, 

 his kinsman, succeeded to the estate," which on his 

 death in i 529 descended to his son Michael, then aged 

 14.^' Thomas left an annuity of 10 marks out of the 

 manor to his younger brothers,^^ which was the subject 

 of litigation after his death. ^' In i 567 Lewis Mont- 

 gomery, son of Michael,^* settled the manor on his wife 

 Jane, daughter of Sir Robert Lane. He appears to 

 have left two parts of Ecton Manor to her for her life, 

 the remaining part to Jane, probably a daughter, the 

 wife of Thomas Eaton. ^s The manor was ultimately to 

 revert to his brother William Montgomery, who in 

 1574, together with his brother Theophilus, alienated 

 their reversionary in terest in Ecton to Thomas Catesby.^* 

 Thomas Catesby died in 1592 and was succeeded by his 

 son George, then about 1 5 years old.^' George stiU held 



<l>4> 



IsTED. Gules a che'veron 



fair bet'ween three tal' 



hoti* heads ra%ed or. 



SoTHEBY. Argent afesse 

 vert betiveen three cross- 

 lets sable ivitA three tal- 

 bots argent on the fesse. 



' Priv. Loc. Act, 32 Ceo. II, cjp. i. 

 » r.C.H. Sorthants. i, 155. 

 ' Ibid, i, 236. 



* Ibid, i, 333. 



» Mem. R. L.T.R. Mich. 18 Elii. 



' Chan. In<]. p.m. 22 Edw. IV, 41 ; ibid. 

 (Ser. 2), iii, 8. 



' y.C.ti. Northanis. I, 333. 



' Ibid. 382. This miy be cither a pre- 

 decessor of Walter or his successor. 



• Ibid. 



"> B*. o/f«», 934. 



" Feud. Aids, iv, 14. 



» In 1268 Hen. Ill granted Isabel in 

 marriage to his son Edmund Plantagcnct, 

 sometimes called Earl of Derby, but the 



marriage never took place and the following 

 year Edmund married her daughter Aveline: 

 C.E.C. Complete Peerage (2nd cd.), i. 356. 



" Cal. Intj. p.m. ii, p. 3 1 1. 



'< Feud. Aids, iv, 27. 



'* Chan. Inq. p.m. 17 Edw. II, no. 66. 



'» Feet of F. Uerb. East. 38 Edw. III. 



" Feud. Aids, iv, 46. 



'« Feet of F. Uerb. East. 38 Edw. III. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 22 Edw. IV, no. 41, 



" Ibid. (Ser. 2), xxi, 8. 



" Exch. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), file 692, 4. 



" Ct. of Req. I (183). 



" Ibid. I (132). 



» Harl. MS. 1187, fol. 56*. 



" Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdlc. 1 66, no. 1 2. 



the manor in 1650.^* From Thomas Catesby, who 

 died seised of the manor in 1699, it descended to his 

 daughter-' Elizabeth,'" who married Ralph Freeman. In 

 1 7 1 2 Ecton Manor was alienated by Ralph Freeman to 

 Thomas Isted," who was succeeded in 173 1 by his son 

 Ambrose. In 1745 Ambrose Isted received licence to 

 inclose certain highwa}-s in Ecton provided he made 

 another common highway in his own lands.'^ He died 

 in 1 78 1 and his estates devolved on his son Samuel; his 

 daughter Mary married William Sotheby." Samuel 

 Isted died in 1827 and his son Ambrose died without 

 issue in 1 88 1 , when Ecton passed to his first cousin once 

 removed, C. W. H. Sotheby,'* and is at present the 

 property of Lt.-Col. Herbert George Sotheby, D.S.O. 



" Feet of F. Northants. 28 East. 16 

 Eliz. Two years later Arthur the youngest 

 brother gave up his right in the manor to 

 Thomas Catesby: Feet of F. Northants. 

 East. 18 Eliz. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxxxii, 73; 

 Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdle. 273, no. 27. 



" Recov. R. East. 1650, ro. 172. 



*' Bridges, Northants. ii, 142. 



'<> Feet of F. Northants. Mich. 1 1 

 Wm. III. 



" Ibid. Mich. 1 1 Anne. 



" Pat. 18 Ceo. II, pt. ii, m. 38. 



» Burke, Landed Gentry, 1 880. 



** Information supplied by the late 

 Ccncral Sotiicby. 



123 



