BUDDLESGATE HUNDRED 



SPARSHOLT 



ooo 



SKILLING. Argent 

 twto cbei/erons pules and 

 a chief gules tvitb three 

 bezants therein. 



who was evidently in financial difficulties," for he 

 raised 200 on the manors of Soberton and Lainslcn 

 in 1383," but this was not enough to satisfy his 

 creditors, and nine months later he was ordered to be 

 imprisoned and his property valued in order that his 

 debts might be paid. 13 He died, however, the same 

 year, and immediately afterwards his widow Agnes 

 married Nicholas Brus. 14 Nicholas and Agnes Brus 

 dealt with the manor by fine in 1384," but after this 

 there seems to be a gap in the descent of the manor, 

 which, however, ultimately passed to Michael Skilling, 

 who presented to the living 

 in I445- 18 He was succeeded 

 by John Skilling, either his son 

 or grandson, who presented to 

 the living during the episco- 

 pacy of William Waynflete." 

 He died seised of the manor 

 and advowson in 1512, leaving 

 as his heir his son John aged 

 forty and more. 18 The manor 

 remained in the possession of 

 the Skilling family until 1613," 

 in which year Edward, Richard 

 and Michael Skilling sold it to 

 Anthony Dawley. 80 The latter 



died seised of the manor in 1616 leaving a son and 

 heir Walter," who died sixteen years later, his heir being 

 his son Henry aged twelve." Anthony Dawley, grand- 

 son of Henry, high sheriff in 1707, sold the manor 

 in 1711 to Sir Philip Mea- 

 dows,* 3 from whom it passed 

 by purchase in 1721 to John 

 Merrill, 84 whose granddaughter 

 Mary married Dr. Bathurst. 

 Their son and heir, dying 

 without issue, left the manor 

 to his paternal uncle General 

 Henry Bathurst, who dying 

 unmarried left the property by 

 will to Selina, the daughter of 

 his eldest sister Lady Elwill, 

 who married Sir William 

 Freemantle." The manor re- 

 mained with their descendants 



the Harvey-Bathursts until a few years ago, when it 

 was sold to the present owner Mr. Samuel Bostock. 



From an early date, as has been shown, the family 

 of Sparsholt held lands in the parish side by side 

 with the de Caritate family. In 1258 Richard 

 de Sparsholt, chaplain, granted one virgate of land 

 in Sparsholt to Stephen Fromond and his heirs. 86 

 From Stephen this property descended to Richard 

 Fromond of Sparsholt, the bishop's bailiff for the 

 hundreds of Highclere and Overton, probably his 



VST*/ 



BATHURST. Sable nvo 

 bars ermine and three 

 crosses formy or in the 

 chief. 



son or grandson, who in 1318 in conjunction with 

 Alice his wife acquired from Richard Beaupel one 

 messuage, two carucates of land, 200 acres of pasture, 

 6 acres of wood and 6cw. rent in Sparsholt. 87 These 

 tenements must have been equivalent to the manor 

 of SPARSHOLT, sometimes also called FROMOND'S 

 COURT,' 6 in the oratory of which he obtained 

 licence to hear service during the episcopacy of John 

 Stratford. 89 In 1337 John de la Berton, parson of 

 the church of Farleigh, and Henry de Asshe, chaplain, 

 quitclaimed 6 messuages, 3 carucates of land, 36 acres 

 of meadow, 40 acres of wood and l6t. 6J. rent 

 in Sparsholt and Stockbridge to Richard and Alice. 30 

 It is probable that this was a settlement on them 

 of lands which they already possessed, but is just 

 possible that it marks the acquisition of the reputed 

 manor of Westley (q.v.). Richard was succeeded by 

 John Fromond, to whom William Edendon bishop 

 of Winchester granted licence to have mass cele- 

 brated in the oratory within his house of Spars- 

 holt. 31 



The subsequent history of the manor is somewhat 

 uncertain, but it was probably included in the twenty- 

 eight messuages, 4^ carucates of land, 28 acres of 

 meadow, 1,000 acres of pasture, 60 acres of wood and 

 is. ^d. rents in Sparsholt and neighbouring places which 

 in 1433 were settled on Sir William Goushill and 

 Julia his wife, widow of John Esteney, 38 for the life of 

 Julia with remainder to Michael Skilling and his 

 heirs.* 3 John Skilling died seised of the manor of 

 Fromond's Court in 1512," and from this time the 

 manor of Sparsholt, as it was afterwards more usually 

 called," has followed the same descent as Lainston 

 (q.V.). 



The origin of the reputed manor of WESTLET is 

 uncertain. It is possible that it was included in the 

 property in Sparsholt and Stockbridge acquired by 

 Richard Fromond and Alice his wife in 1337, but it 

 seems more probable that it originally belonged to the 

 Sparsholts, passed from them with the manor of 

 Coldrey to the Coldreys,** and descended from Thomas 

 Coldrey to his daughter and heir Christine, wife of 

 Richard Holt. In support of this latter theory the follow- 

 ing documents can be adduced : a fine of 1 2 5 3, whereby 

 the manor of Coldrey and rents in Lainston were 

 settled on Philip Sparsholt for life with remainder to 

 William Sparsholt," and a fine of 1333, whereby a 

 messuage, a carucate of land, 8 acres of meadow, 

 10 acres of wood and 40^. rent in Bentley and Lains- 

 ton were settled on William de Coldrey and Alice his 

 wife, 38 but whether these tenements represent the 

 later manor of Westley is a debatable point. However, 

 they descended to Christine wife of Richard Holt, 39 

 were granted by her to John Esteney and Julia his 

 wife in 1427,* and were included in the lands settled 



11 He owed Hugh Crane 100 in 1377 

 (Inq. p.m. 7 Ric. II, No. 107). 



18 Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 6 Ric. II. 



18 Inq. p.m. 7 Ric. II, No. 107. 



"Close, 7 Ric. II, m. 31 d. 



ls They conveyed it to Thomas Wol- 

 vele and John King, chaplain (Feet of F. 

 Hants, Hil. 7 Ric. II). 



16 Egerton MS. 2034, fol. 48. 



17 Ibid. fol. 80 d. 



18 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xxviii, 

 No. 14. 



19 Ibid.xliv, No. 129. Notes of F. 

 Hants, Mich. 7 & 8 Eliz. and East. 

 27 Eliz. 



80 Feet of F. Hants, East. 1 1 Jas. I, 

 and Recov. R. East, n Jas. I, rot. 45. 



81 Chan. Inq. p.m. 14 Jaj. I, pt. 13, 

 No. 10. 



88 Ibid. (Ser. 2), cccclxxi, No. 95. 

 88 Close, 10 Anne, pt. 7, No. 6. 



84 Feet of F. Hants, East. 7 Geo. I. 



85 Ex infirm, the Rev. Evelyn Heath- 

 cote. 



86 Feet of F. Hants, Trin. 42 Hen. 

 III. 



2 ~Ibid. Trin. n Edw. II. 



88 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xxviii, 

 No. 14. 



89 Egerton MS. 2032, fol. 75. 



445 



" Feet of F. Hants, East. 1 1 Edw. III. 

 81 Egerton MS. 2033, fol. 64. 

 88 Early Chan. Proc. bdle. 12, No. 32. 

 88 Feet of F. Hants, Mich. 12 Hen. 

 VI. 



84 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), xxviii, No. 

 14. 



85 Recov. R. East. 1 I Jas. I, rot 45 ; 

 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2) cccclxxi, No. 95 ; 

 Recov. R. Trin. 2 Anne, rot. I. 



" V.C.H. Hants, ii, 503. 



"7 Feet of F. Hants, Hil 37 Hen. III. 



88 Ibid. Trin. 6 Edw. III. 



"9 F.C.H. Hants, ii, 503. 



40 Feet of F. Hants, Mich. 6 Hen. VI 



