FINCHDEAN HUNDRED 



BURITON 



Henry Shelley died in 



BILSON. Gules a Tu- 

 dor rose dimidiated "with 

 a pomegranate or, the 

 stalk and leaves vert. 



following information in 1594 about the hiding- 

 places in the manor house : ' At Mapledurham there 

 is a hollow place in the parlour by the livery cup- 

 board where two men may well lie together, which 

 has many times deceived the searchers ; ' " and again : 

 ' In Mapledurham house under a little table is a 

 vault, with a grate of iron for a light into the garden, 

 as if it were the window of a cellar, and against the 

 grate groweth rosemarye.' 

 prison in 1585," and in 1 60; 

 his widow and sons Fold the 

 manor to Thomas Bilson bi- 

 shop of Winchester,' 6 who held 

 his first court there 25 April, 

 1606." He died seised of 

 the manor in 1616, leaving 

 a son and heir Thomas, aged 

 twenty-four and more." The 

 latter died without issue in 

 1649, and was succeeded by 

 his brother Leonard, on whose 

 son and heir Thomas the 

 manor was settled in 1678 



on his marriage with Susannah Legge " daughter of 

 Colonel William Legge and sister of George Legge 

 afterwards Baron Dartmouth. 80 Two sons were born 

 of this marriage, both of whom died without issue, 

 Thomas on 1 1 June, 1 709, and Leonard on 6 October, 

 1715. Leonard left the re- 

 mainder of his estate, after 

 Thomas Bettesworth 8I and his 

 heirs male, to Henry Legge 

 son of the earl of Dartmouth, 

 provided he took the name 

 of Bilson. Thomas Bettes- 

 worth Bilson died without 

 issue 25 March, 1754, and 

 was buried at Rogate. Hence 

 the manor passed to Henry 

 Legge, a well-known politician 

 who took the name of Bilson 

 in accordance with the terms of Leonard Bilson's 

 will. He died 23 August, 1764, in the fifty-seventh 

 year of his age and was buried at Hinton Ampner 

 (co. Hants). West Mapledurham still belongs to the 

 Legge family, the present holder being the Rev. 

 Augustus George Legge, vicar of North Elmham (co. 

 Norfolk). 



WESTON (Westeton and Westreton xiii cent. ; 

 Westynton xiv cent.) is a tithing in the parish of 

 Buriton and seems to have been, to some extent, 

 co-extensive with the manor of West Maple- 

 durham. Thus in the assessment for an aid in 

 1316 the name of Henry Markaunt is given as a 

 holder of land in the vill of Weston. 8 ' This land 



LEGGI. Azure a barfs 

 bead cabossed argent. 



probably refers to the portion of a knight's fee which 

 Henry was then holding of the chief manor of 

 Mapledurham, as a parcel of the honour of Glou- 

 cester, and which in time, as has been shown, developed 

 into the manor of West Mapledurham. That this is 

 so seems to be supported by the fact that in the fine 

 conveying West Mapledurham to the Shelleys in 

 1 5 5 3> 'he property is described as ' the manor of 

 Mapledurham and Weston." 3 



There was also a free tenement in the tithing of 

 Weston which in origin was of the lands of the 

 Normans and not of the honour of Gloucester, as 

 was ascertained by an inquisition taken in the reign 

 of Henry III. 84 This tenement was held by Robert 

 de St. Remy in the reign of Richard I. 85 King John 

 granted it in 1 204 to his groom Roald to hold during 

 his pleasure, 86 and it was afterwards held by Roland 

 de la Genwar. 87 In September, 1233, Henry III 

 ordered the sheriff of Hampshire to cause his servant 

 Geoffrey de Bathonia to have full seisin of the land 

 which had belonged to Robert de St. Remy in 

 Mapledurham, to hold during the king's pleasure, 

 saving however to Earl Richard, the king's brother, 

 the corn which he caused to be sown in that land, 

 and the stock which he had in it. 88 Henry III some 

 time afterwards bestowed it upon William de Radyng, 19 

 who, for the safety of King Henry III and the safety 

 of his own soul and that of Margaret his wife, 

 granted all the lands, rents, and possessions, which 

 they held of his fee in the manor of Mapledurham, 

 to the abbey and convent of Dureford. 90 His son 

 John de Radyng is described as holding loos, worth 

 of land in Weston of the king in chief in 1280." 

 In 1 294, by a fine between Adam Wygaunt and 

 Maud daughter of John de Radyng, and John de 

 Radyng, five messuages, 90 acres of land, 5 acres of 

 meadow, 8/. rent, and rents of4ilb. of pepper, and 

 I J Ib. of cummin in Mapledurham and ' Westreton,' 

 near Petersfield, were settled on John for the term of 

 his life with reversion on his death to Adam and 

 Maud, and the heirs of Maud. 93 This John pro- 

 bably left two daughters and coheirs, Margaret and 

 Isabel, the latter of whom married Nicholas de 

 Severyngton, who held land in the vill of Weston in 

 1316, no doubt in right of his wife.' 3 In 1324 

 Margaret the daughter of John de Radyng and 

 Nicholas de Severyngton and Isabel his wife quit- 

 claimed lands in Mapledurham to Edelina de Ponte 

 and John her son. 91 In the reign of Edward III 

 Richard le Beel and Joan his wife acquired in fee 

 from Margaret the daughter of John de Radyng the 

 moiety of a messuage, 60 acres of land, 4 acres of 

 meadow, and l i"js. \Q\d. rent in Weston with- 

 out licence. On her husband's death Joan paid to 

 the king a fine of ^3, and obtained licence to retain 



? 8 Cal. ofS.P. Dam. 1591-4, p. 463. 



7< Ibid. 510. 



~ 5 Ibid. 1581-90, p. 294. 



1* Feet of F. Hants, Mil. 3 Jas. I ; Mich. 

 4 Jas. I ; Hil. 7 Ja!. I. 



77 Add. R. 28178. 



7 W. and L. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), bdle. 55, 

 No. 125. In this inquisition comes the 

 latest mention of the dependence f the 

 manor on the main manor of Maple- 

 durham, since it is said to be held of 

 Thomas Hanbury as of his manor of 

 Mapledurham for money-rent and suit 

 of court. 



7 9 Feet of F. Div. Cos. East. 30 Chas. II ; 



deeds penes Lord Dartmouth ; Recov. R. 

 East. 30 Chas. II, m. 8. 



80 Phillipps' Hants Visitations, 1686. 



81 Thomas Bettesworth was of Fyning 

 Rogate (co. Sussex). His paternal grand- 

 mother was Susan daughter of Sir Thomas 

 Bilson. He was also connected with the 

 Bilsons by the marriage of Edith Bettes- 

 worth, a distant relation of his grandfather 

 Thomas Bettesworth, with Thomas Bil- 

 son of Mapledurham (Dallaway, Suss, i, 



212). 



82 feud. Aids, ii, 3H- 



88 Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 25 Hen. 

 VIII. 



8 9 



84 Close, 17 Hen. Ill, m. 2. 



85 Pipe R. 31 Hen. II, and 6 Ric. I. 



86 Close, 6 John, m. 13. 



7 Close, 17 Hen. Ill, m. 2. It is 

 impossible, however, that Roald and 

 Roland are the same man. 



88 Close, 17 Hen. Ill, m. 2. 



8 Assize R. Mich. 8 Edw. I. 



90 Cott. MS. Vesp. E. xxiii, 7. His 

 charter was confirmed by Hen. III. 



91 Assize R. Mich. 8 Edw. I. 



M Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 22 Edw. I. 



93 Feud. Aids, ii, 319. 



91 Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 17 Edw. II. 



12 



