BUDDLESGATE HUNDRED MICHELMERSH 



was made governor of Flushing, and in the same year 

 the queen confirmed him in his estates." Among 

 these was the manor of Michelmersh, which had not 

 been sold to pay Sir Philip's debts. During his tenure 

 of the manor legal proceedings were taken against him 

 by the tenants. In 1590 they complained that their 

 ' immemorial rights of common ' in a piece of waste 

 called ' Typley Hill ' had been broken by its inclosure 

 and secret conveyance to Thomas Bacon and John 

 Sidney.* 3 Sir Robert at the same time filed a bill 

 against the tenants that they had cut down divers 

 great timber trees without licence, contrary to the 

 custom of the manor and ' to the dysinherysone of 

 Her Majesty, and the said orator and to the dangerous 

 example of others to doe the like, yf condinge punish- 

 ment be not speedily in that behalf provided.' " The 

 tenants answered that by custom of the manor they 

 had wood for house bote, plough bote, and other 

 necessaries." About the same time the tenants made 

 another complaint that the lord of the manor did not 

 exact the customary fine for admission of tenants, but 

 asserted that the fines were uncertain. Judgement was 

 finally given by decree of the Court of Chancery dated 

 20 May, 1598, that the fine was to be 8/. an acre 

 certain, and an heriot." On 7 June, 1606, Sir 

 Robert Sidney, who had been created Viscount Lisle 

 in 1605, was granted the reversion and remainder of 

 the manor and park of Michelmersh." Three days 

 later he sold the same to Sir Thomas Stewkley of 

 Hinton Ampner for a sum of $,ioo. K Sir Thomas 

 died in 1639, and the manor 

 passed to his eldest son Hugh, 

 who died in the same year as 

 his father, leaving a son Hugh, 

 who succeeded to the manor 

 of Michelmersh.* 9 His widow, 

 Sarah Stewkley, married again 

 in 1648, and lived at Michel- 

 mersh. 80 Sir Hugh held the 

 manor until his death in 1719, 

 when dying without heirs male 

 he ordered the manor to be 

 sold among his other posses- 

 sions, giving his daughters pre- 

 ference as purchasers." Michelmersh fell to his eldest 

 daughter Mary, who in the same year married Edward, 

 fourth Lord Stawell of Somerton. 31 She died in 1740, 

 and was buried at Hinton. 33 Her husband survived her 

 until 1755 when, dying without heirs male, he left 

 Michelmersh to his only daughter Mary, 34 the wife of 

 the Rt. Hon. Henry Bilson-Legge, fourth son of 

 William, earl of Dartmouth, whom she had married 

 in 1750." In 1760 she was created Baroness Stawell 

 of Somerton, with remainder of title to her heirs 

 male. 38 Surviving her husband, by whom she had one 

 son and heir, the baroness married Wills, first earl of 

 Hillsborough, in 1768." On her death in 1780 



STEWKLEY. Cheeky 

 argent and table with a 

 fesse and a border gules. 



Michelmersh passed to her son Henry Stawell Legge, 

 Lord Stawell, who died without heirs male in iSzo. 38 

 Michelmersh then descended to his daughter Mary, 

 who had married the Hon. John Dutton, only son 

 and heir of James, Lord Sherborne.' 9 The latter died 

 in 1864, and the manor 

 passed to his son, James Henry 

 Legge Dutton, Lord Sher- 

 borne. 40 The present owner, 

 Edward Lenox, Lord Sher- 

 borne, son of the latter, suc- 

 ceeded to the manor on the 

 death of his father in l883. 41 

 Earl Godwin held AW- 

 BRIDGE (Abedric, xi cent.; 

 Abberuge, Abbederugge, xiii 

 cent. ; Abbederygg, xiv cent. ; 

 Abrige, xvi cent.) of Edward 

 the Confessor. After the Con- 

 quest William divided Aw- 



DUTTON, Lord Sher- 

 borne. Quarterly argent 

 and gules, the gules fretty 

 or, with a crescent for 

 difference. 



bridge into two portions, granting one part together 

 with part of the parish of Houghton, which Godwin 

 had also held, to the great Hampshire landowner Hugh 

 de Port, 4 ' and the other part, which was then assessed 

 at one virgate, to Bernard Pancevolt. 45 The part which 

 was granted to Hugh de Port naturally followed the 

 descent of Houghton. The other portion seems also to 

 have lost its independence and from an early date 

 formed part of the great manor of Michelmersh. 44 

 Thus in the dispute of Elizabeth's reign between Sir 

 Robert Sidney and his tenants mention is made of the 

 fact that the manor of Michelmersh comprised divers 

 copyhold and customary messuages, lands, and tene- 

 ments in Awbridge. 45 



BRAISHFIELD (Brayfeld, Braisfelde, xiv cent. ; 

 Brayesfeld, xv cent.) is not mentioned in Domesday 

 Book, and its early history is somewhat obscure. In 

 1289 William Bonell of Braishfield granted a mes- 

 suage and a carucate of land in Braishfield to Aimery 

 de Somerset and Denise his wife. 46 Twenty years 

 later Aimery granted a messuage, lands, and 14*. 

 rent in Braishfield by Michelmersh to John de 

 Braishfield and Maud his wife to hold of him for life 

 by a rent of 2 I os.," and in 1 3 3 1 he granted the 

 reversion of these tenements to Andrew Payn and 

 Alice his wife. 48 They perhaps descended to Roger 

 Woodlock, who in 1346 was holding the fourth part 

 of a fee in Braishfield formerly belonging to John 

 Brayboef, 49 though this part may possibly represent the 

 land in Braishfield settled on Roger Woodlock and 

 Joan his wife by Roger de la Bere in i3i6. M In 

 1428 this fourth part of a fee had passed to John 

 Emery, but in what way it is difficult to ascertain. 51 

 Braishfield afterwards lost its independence and formed 

 part of the manor of Michelmersh. Thus in the 

 dispute of Elizabeth's reign, mention is made of 

 the fact that divers copyhold and customary tene- 



m Collins, Letters and Mem. of State ; 

 Pat. 3 1 Eliz.pt, i, m.6. 



" Exch. Dep. Hants, Mich. 32 & 33 

 E!iz.No. 1 8. "Ibid. 



Ibid. Hil. 33 Eliz. No. 21. 



M Chan. Enr. Dec. R. 1 06, No. 9. 



* Cal. S.P.Dom. 1603-7, p. 3 2 - 



48 Add. MS. 33278, foL. 165; Close, 

 4 Ja. I, pt. 22 ; Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 

 4 Jas. I. 



89 A. W. Michelmersb and its Antiqui- 

 ties, 7. 



o While there she wrote a letter to the 



archbishop of Canterbury, dated 18 June, 

 1667, requesting some fit employment for 

 her husband against the enemies of the 

 crown (Cal. of S.P. Dam. 1667, p. 208). 



81 A. W. Michelmersh and its Antiqui- 

 ties, 7. 



8a G. E. C. Peerage, vii, 243. 



Ibid. 



84 A. W. Michelmersh and its Antiqui- 

 ties, 7. 



85 Ibid. 



86 G. E. C. Peerage, vii, 243. 



<" Ibid. < Ibid. 



4-5 



" Ibid, 130. 



40 Ibid. 



Ibid. 



V.C.H. Hants, i, 480*. 



48 Ibid. 4940. 



44 Feud, Aids ii, 309. 



45 Chan. Enr. Dec. R. 106, No. 9. 



46 Coram Rege R. Hil. 17 Edw. I. 



4 < Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 13 Edw. II. 



48 Ibid. Mich. 4 Edw. III. 



49 Feud. Aids, ii, 325. 



M Feet of F. Hants, East 9 Edw. II. 

 61 Feud. Aids, ii, 348. 



54 



