A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



by Nicholas Write by the rent of is. $J., two mills in 

 the tithing of Oakshott (which is now in the parish of 

 Froxfield), viz. a fulling-mill held by John Pagelham 

 by the annual rent of lo/., and a water-mill called 

 Sheet Mill held by Edward Roche by the annual rent 

 of 101. \d. and a water-mill in Ramsdean held by 

 John Tribe by the annual rent of 1 5/. In the Survey 

 of the manor taken in 1 647 the following mills are 

 mentioned : ' Two corn-mills under one roof com- 

 monly called or known by the name of Shutt Mill, 

 which mills lie west from East Meon,' a mill called 

 South Mill held by Thomas Searle, a mill held by 

 William Heycroft in the tithing of Meonchurch, a 

 water-mill held by John Tribe in the tithing of Rams- 

 dean, and two fulling-mills in Foxcombe (now form- 

 ing part of the parish of Steep) held respectively by 

 Elizabeth Colebrooke and Jane the relict of Joseph 

 Feilder." In the measurement and valuation of the 

 parish of East Meon made in May, 1820, by Mr. Vinn 

 of Drayton 4li two mills are mentioned : Drayton Mill 

 and Frogmore Mill, and they are still in existence. 



WESTBURT (Wesberie xi cent. ; Westburia xii 

 cent. ; Westbyrie xiii cent.) was held by Ulnod of 

 King Edward the Confessor. At the time of the 

 Domesday Survey it was held by Gozelin, not 

 directly of the king, but of Hugh de Port as part of 

 his barony which he held of the king. 4 ' It was assessed 

 at 3 hides both in Edward the Confessor's reign and 

 at the time of the Survey. Like the rest of the Port 

 barony Westbury passed to the St. Johns, 48 from the 

 St. Johns to the Poynings, 49 and possibly from the 

 Poynings to the Paulets, although there is no mention of 

 overlordship after the fourteenth century. There is no 

 evidence to show to whom the manor descended after 

 the death of Gozelin the son of Azor, who held it at 

 the time of the Domesday Survey. In the reign of 

 Henry II or even earlier it seems to have been granted 

 to a family who took the surname of Westbury. 40 In 

 the reign of Henry III John de Westbury held in 

 Westbury one knight's fee of the ancient enfeoffment 

 of Robert de St. John, and the same Robert of the 

 king." John de Westbury seems to have been suc- 

 ceeded by a certain William de Campania, who 

 demised it for a term of five years to a certain Peter 

 de Campania and Margery his wife." Some time 

 afterwards the same William quitclaimed for himself 

 and his heirs all the right and claim which he had in 

 the manor to the said Peter and Margery and their 

 heirs." In 1294 this Peter was in custody in West- 

 minster gaol for the death of Adam Houel, but his 

 lord, John de St. John, interceded for him, and obtained 

 his pardon. 64 After the death of Peter his widow 

 Margery married Robert le Ewer the king's yeoman," 

 evidently before 1316, since in that year he was hold- 

 ing the manor in right of his wife. 58 



In 1322 Robert obtained the king's permission to 

 fortify his house at Westbury," and about the same 

 time the king granted to him and his heirs for ever 



free warren in all their demesne lands of Westbury." 

 Many details concerning the life of this Robert le Ewer 

 can be gathered from a careful examination of the 

 close and patent rolls of the reign of Edward II. The 

 earliest mention of him is in 1306, in which year the 

 king granted safe conduct to him and to certain others 

 of his clerks and serjeants-at-arms while taking money 

 to Scotland for the maintenance of the king's subjects 

 on his service there. 4 ' For some time he rose steadily 

 into favour with King Edward II. In I 308 he was 

 farmer of the gaol of Somerton, and of the hundreds 

 of Cattesashe and Stone. 60 In 1309 the reversion of 

 the manor of Warblington was granted to him for 

 his life, 61 and in 1311 Odiham Castle was committed 

 to him to hold during the king's pleasure. 6 ' How- 

 ever, in 1320 he fell into disfavour with the king, 

 and John de Felton and the king's serjeants-at-arms 

 were commissioned to arrest him for certain trespasses, 

 contempts, and disobediences. 63 He was arrested by 

 them, but broke the attachment by armed force, publicly 

 defied the Serjeants, and in addition threatened some of 

 the king's subjects with loss of life and limb, asserting 

 that he would slay them and cut them up limb by 

 limb, wherever he should find them, either in the 

 presence or absence of the king, in contempt of the 

 king's order and in rebellion." By some means, how- 

 ever, he succeeded in making his peace with the king, 

 and in 1321 the custody of Odiham Castle was 

 restored to him. 64 In 1322 the king summoned him 

 to join the English army in Scotland. 66 Robert dis- 

 regarded the summons, however, and was accordingly 

 deprived of the custody of Odiham Castle, John de 

 St. John being appointed keeper in his stead. 67 

 Thereupon Robert rebelled. He placed himself at 

 the head of an armed force, attempted to seize the 

 castle, and entered the royal manor of Itchel and 

 carried away the king's goods.* 8 Edmund de Ken- 

 dale, keeper of the peace in Hampshire, arrested him, 

 and as a reward received a horse, a ' haketon,' and a 

 dagger which were found with Robert when he was 

 taken. 8 * Robert, when charged with divers felonies 

 before the king, refused to submit to the law of the 

 realm, and being put to feint forte ft Jure, died in 

 prison. 70 When her husband was taken, Margery 

 fled, taking with her two coffers with jewels and 

 other goods and chattels to the value of 200. She 

 took sanctuary in the abbey of St. Mary's, Winchester, 

 where two of her sisters were nuns," but she was soon 

 dragged from her hiding- place and thrown into 

 prison. In the summer of 1324, however, she was 

 released and delivered to Ralph Camois, 7 ' who in 

 1325 was appointed with others to inquire the names 

 of those who had taken and concealed goods and 

 chattels belonging to Robert." In 1327 it was 

 ascertained that Ralph Camois and Elizabeth his wife 

 and Hugh their son had disseised Margery of the 

 manor of Westbury long before the making of the 

 charter whereby Edward II had granted it to them. 74 



45 MS. penes Mr. J. Silvester. 



48 MS. fena Mrs. Vinn of Drayton. 



"I V.C.H. Hants, i, 481. 



48 Testa dc Nevitt (Rec. Com.), 230 ; 

 Inq. p.m. 3 Edw. Ill, No. 67, and n 

 Edw. Ill, No. 49. 



49 Inq. p.m. 47 Edw. Ill (let No.) No. 

 10. 



M Pipe R. 13 Hen. II. 

 41 Tata dt Ne-vitt, 230. 

 ' fide Coram Rege R. Mich. I Edw. Ill, 

 m. 117. 



" Ibid.; Feud. Aids, ii, 336. 

 H Pat. 22 Edw. I, m. 16. 

 M Vide Coram Rege R. Mich, i Edw. Ill, 

 m. 117. 



" Feud. Aids, ii, 307. 

 87 Pat. 15 Edw. II, pt. I, m. I. 

 " Chart. R. 1 5 Edw. II, m. 7. 

 " Pat. 34 Edw. I, m. 12. 



80 Close, 2 Edw. II, m. 20. 



81 Pat. 2 Edw. II, pt. 2, m. 5. 

 " Close, 5 Edw. II, m. 26. 



" Pat. 14 Edw. II, pt. I, m. 16. 



68 



4 Close, 14 Edw. II, m. 21. 

 88 Pat. 14 Edw. II, pt. 2, m 

 and 5. 



66 Ibid. 1 6 Edw. II, pt. 1, m. 24. 



87 Ibid. m. 21. 



Ibid. m. 17. 



Close, 1 8 Edw. II, m. 6. 



70 Pat. 1 8 Edw. II, pt. 2, m. 14</. 



71 Close, 17 Edw. II, m. 14, 

 78 Ibid. 1 8 Edw. II, m. 39. 

 ? Ibid. m. 6. 



74 Close, I Edw. Ill, pt. I, m. 5. 



