BUDDLESGATE HUNDRED 



CRAWLEY 



Anne." The manor of Hunton was settled on the 

 former, who had married George duke of Clarence, 

 and on her death in 1476" it passed to her husband 

 during his lifetime. On his death in the Tower in 



NEVILL. Gules a 

 salttre argent and a label 

 ent and azure. 



BEAU CHAM p. Gules 

 afesse between six cross- 

 lets or. 



1478, in the traditional butt of Malmsey wine," 

 Hunton passed to his son Edward earl of Warwick, 

 who nominally held the same until attainted and 

 beheaded in 1499. It was then granted by Henry 

 VII to his mother, Margaret countess of Richmond, 

 who held it until her death in 1 509." 



In February of the next year Henry VIII granted 

 the manor to William Arundel Lord Maltravers and 

 Anne his wife, to hold in chief by the service of one 

 red rose. 4 * However, this grant became void in 1513 

 when the king created Margaret Pole, daughter of 

 George duke of Clarence and Isabel sister of Edward 

 earl of Warwick, countess of Salisbury, reversed 

 her brother's attainder, and restored to her the family 

 lands of Salisbury." On her attainder in 1539 

 Hunton once more passed into the king's hands, until 

 sold in 1 547 to John Whitehorne and his daughter 

 Alice, the wife of Thomas Salmon, as ' part of the 

 possessions of Margaret countess of Salisbury, lately 

 attainted of high treason.' 48 



In the particulars for the sale the yearly value of 

 the manor was reckoned at 15 4/., since the 

 annual fixed rent from the free tenants was 2s., from 

 the customary tenants iz, from the farm of the 

 dove-house 1 2/., from the farm of the water-mill 

 z6/. 8<, and from average perquisites of courts 

 23*. 4</. There was a coppice containing 2 acres of 

 wood of nine years' growth, ' the kynd whereof is 

 hassyll and thorne, worth js. the acre ' ; also fourteen 

 oaks appraised at 6J. apiece. On the side of the 

 common forty more old oaks were growing, ' appraised 

 at 6d. the piece, which cometh to 30^.' The ' soyll 

 or grounde ' of the manor was also yearly worth 6V. 

 or 4</. the acre. 



The purchase was made for 307 \s. t^d., and 

 the king discharged John Whitehorne and Alice of 

 all encumbrances, but specially reserved all advowsons 

 of churches, chantries, and chapels. 49 



In 1575 Thomas Salmon and Alice sold the 

 manor to John Hunte, 50 on whose death in August, 

 1586, it passed to his only daughter and heir, Anne, 

 the wife of Thomas Clerke." 



In December of the same year Elizabeth granted 

 Thomas Clerke, jun., gentleman, and Anne his wife 



licence to alienate the manor, with free fishing, for 

 purpose of settlement on himself and his wife." 

 Another licence to alienate to Thomas Clerke, sen., 

 was granted to the same Thomas Clerke, jun., in 

 December, I 592." 



In the same year Thomas Clerke, sen., and 

 Thomas Clerke, jun., demised and granted the 

 manor, excepting one messuage, tenement, and yard- 

 land ' to several persons by several leases for 3,000 

 years for a yearly quit rent.' 64 By the year 1746 

 the manor had descended in tail male to George 

 Clerke, but the title deeds and writings belonging to 

 the same were in the custody or possession of Thomas 

 Dummer of Cranbury, ' or in the custody or posses- 

 sion of some other person or persons who had no 

 right or title to the same.' w 



John Fitter son of John Fitter the elder of 

 Crawley purchased the manor in 1 746, ' with all 

 mills, dovecotes, barns, stables, &c., lying in the 

 tything of Hunton, in the parish of Crawley.' " 

 George Clerke and Thomas Dummer of Cranbury 

 released all their rights and title to John Fitter, but 

 it seems to have been impossible to recover all the 

 title deeds, as it was not known in whose possession 

 they were." 



John Fitter's only son and heir, the Rev. Robert 

 Fitter, succeeded to the estate on the death of his 

 father, and held it until his death in 1 80 1. It then 

 descended to his eldest son Robert Fitter, who died in 

 1866, leaving the estate to his son Robert Fitter, 

 the present lord of the manor and owner of the whole 

 parish. 



The church of ST. MARY, 

 CHURCHES CRAWLEY, stands on the north of 

 the village street, the churchyard 

 being bounded by a low wooden fence. A fine 

 avenue of lime trees leads up to the church porch, 

 and in the churchyard to the east are some fine yew 

 trees, while to the west and north of the church are 

 the trees of Crawley Court. 



The church has a chancel with modern organ 

 transept and vestry on the north, nave with north and 

 south aisles, modern south porch, and west tower. 

 The chancel and north vestry date from 1887, a 

 thirteenth-century lancet window being re-used in the 

 north wall of the former, while a good deal of defaced 

 twelfth-century stonework is built up in the walls. 

 The jambs of the chancel arch are the only surviving 

 part of a church of the middle of the twelfth century, 

 from which the present building has developed. The 

 chancel was probably rebuilt in the thirteenth century, 

 and the body of the church in the fifteenth, nothing 

 of the older nave being retained, and the tower belong- 

 ing to the sixteenth century. In 1887 the chancel was 

 rebuilt and the north vestry added ; the nave has 

 been thoroughly repaired, and the top of the tower 

 was rebuilt in 1901. The walls are of flint and 

 stone and the roofs red-tiled. 



The chancel has three lancets in the east wall, three 

 trefoiled lancets and a doorway on the south, and in 

 the north wall a single thirteenth-century lancet 

 re-used. 



43 Rot. Parl. (Rec. Com.), vi, 100. 

 < Inq. p.m. 1 8 Edw. IV, No. 47. 



44 See Diet, of Nat. Biog. 



45 Exch. Inq. p.m. 4 & 5 Hen. VIII 

 (Ser. 2), file 965, No. 9. 



46 Pat. 2 Hen. VIII, pt. 3, m. 4. 

 4 < See Diet. Nat. Biog. 



48 Partic. for Grants, Aug. Off. file 

 1210. 

 Ibid. 

 60 Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 18 Ellz. 



51 Chan. Inq. p.m. 29 Eliz. (Ser. 2), 

 ccxii, No. 35. 



52 Charter in possession of Mr. Robert 



Fitter of Hunton ; ee also Feet of F. 

 Hants, Mich. 29 & 30 Eliz. 



88 Charter in possession of same ; and 

 Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 35 Eliz. 



64 From Abstract of Title penes 

 Mr. R. Fitter. 



"Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. 



411 



