MAINSBRIDGE HUNDRED 



In 1315 Nicholas the son of Guy de South Stone- 

 ham held the manor, 9 and the same family was still 

 in possession in 1 348, when Thomas de Stoneham 

 settled it upon himself and his wife Alice. 10 



Twenty years later the manor of South Stoneham 

 was held by five heiresses," who may possibly have 

 been daughters of this Thomas. They quitclaimed 

 in 1367 all right which they had to Adam le 

 Chaundler and his heirs for ever." 



The descent during the next century is somewhat 

 obscure. In 1436, however, the manor, then in 

 the hands of Nicholas Fitz John, was released by him 

 to William Nicholl " and others. 



In 1478 it was in the possession of Thomas Payne, 

 to whom it had been demised by John Langhorn. 

 On the death of Thomas the manor reverted to 

 William son of this John, 14 and remained in his 

 family until 1553, when Stephen Langhorn, or 

 Langher, sold it for 140 to John Capelyn. 16 He 

 was still in possession in 1 600, but in that year it 

 was purchased by William Conway, 16 and once more 

 changed hands in 1 6 1 z, when it was bought from 

 him by Edmund Clerke." His son, who succeeded 

 to Stoneham in 1634,'* survived him only two years, 

 and in 1636 the estate passed to his grandson Ed- 

 mund, then 8^ years of age. 19 This Edmund was 

 apparently sheriff of the county in 1671, and clerk 

 to the Signet. He married the daughter of one 

 Giles Frampton," and dealt with South Stoneham 

 manor in 1705." 



Before 1 740 South Stoneham had passed into the 

 possession of William Nicholas," for in that year it 

 was purchased from him by William Sloane," who 

 was sheriff of Hampshire in 1 749.** 



John Lane acquired the manor in iSli,* 6 and he, 

 together with Susan his wife, sold it eight years later 

 to John Fleming." Since the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century the manorial rights have not been 

 exercised. The manor was sold in 1878 by Mr. 

 Thomas Fleming to Captain Daveson, and ten years 

 later was purchased from his executors by the present 

 owner, Lord Swaythling, who resides at South Stone- 

 ham House.* 8 The old bridge called Mans Bridge gives 

 its name to the hundred in which it lies and to two 

 manors situated close to it. 



The manor of MAINSBRIDGE (Manesbrigge, 

 xii cent.) I9 alias TOWNHILL in the thirteenth cen- 

 tury was held of the king in chief. 30 That portion 

 held by the Sandfords was divided between the co- 

 heiresses of Gilbert de Sandford, who married re- 

 spectively Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, and John 

 de Rivers. 31 The son of the former purchased that 



SOUTH 

 STONEHAM 



share of the manor which had passed to John dc 

 Rivers in 1317," and in 1329 granted the whole of 

 the Sandford estate to the abbot and convent of 

 Netley for the purpose of supporting a chantry of 

 two monks to pray there for the souls of himself, his 

 ancestors, and descendants. 33 



In 1 1 67 Thomas de Mainsbridge owned land in 

 Mainsbridge, 34 and in 1217 the rent paid to the 

 king for the same by John de Mainsbridge was 

 granted to William Brewere." John died in 1 244 

 without issue, when his lands were divided between 

 his sister Agnes Peverel and Juliana daughter of his 

 sister dementia. 36 



Mainsbridge accrued to the former and then 

 passed down in a direct line through the Peverel 

 family until 1365," when it was purchased from 

 Thomas Peverel, with several other Hampshire 

 manors, by Thomas Tyrell, kt., of Essex. 38 He sold it 

 almost immediately to Thomas Daccombe, and from 

 him it was bought by John Smyth before 1372." 

 The estate was forfeited to the crown for alienation 

 without licence, although in an inquisition taken in 

 1372 the jurors declared that it would be no damage 

 to the king if Smyth were allowed to receive back his 

 lands. 40 The lands, however, were retained by the 

 crown. 41 



In 1464 the custody of all possessions 'late of John 

 of Mainsbridge,' in that place, was granted for life 

 to John Davy." 



No trace of the manor after this date, however, can 

 be found, but it seems probable that it was purchased 

 from the crown by Netley Abbey, who already held 

 one moiety, granted to it by Robert de Vere in 

 1329. After this date the manor of Mainsbridge 

 alias Townhill is known only under the latter name. 43 

 At the Dissolution Townhill was granted with other 

 lands of Netley to William Paulet, kt., marquis of 

 Winchester. 44 



His son John, who succeeded to the property in 

 1572," mortgaged this manor in the same year, but 

 died four years later. His son William then became 

 third marquis of Winchester and earl of Wiltshire. 



During his lifetime this manor was granted, with 

 several other Paulet lands, to ' the fishing grantee ' 

 William Tipper. 46 He failed to make good his claim 

 however, for in 1605 the marquis sold the manor of 

 Townhill to Gideon Amondsham and others. 47 



Nine years later it was purchased by John Serle," 

 and at his death in 1624 passed to his brother. 4 * 



Before 1665 it had passed into the possession of 

 John Dunch, 60 lord of North Baddesley manor, and 

 with it Townhill descended to Francis Keck. 61 



9 Feet of F. Hants, Hi!. 8 Edw. II. 



" Ibid. Trin. 21 Edw. III. 



** Thomas dc Sandwich and Ellen his 

 wife, Agnes sister of Ellen, Isabel sister 

 of Agnes, Edith sister of Isabel, and 

 Thomas atte Parke and Ena his wife. 



Feet of F. Hants, Mich. 40 Edw. III. 



18 Close, 14 Hen. VI, m. 17. 



14 Chan. Inq. p.m. 17 Edw. IV, No. 7. 



Feet of F. Hants, Mich. 6 Edw. VI. 



16 Ibid. Div. Cos. Trin. 42 Eliz. 



V Ibid. Hants, Trin. 9 Jas. I. 



18 Chan. Inq. p.m. 9 Chas. I, pt. 2, No. 

 182. Ibid, ii Chas. I, pt. 3, No. 51. 



*> List of Sheriffs (P.R.O.), 54. 



21 Berry, Hants Genealogies. 



22 Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 3 Anne. 



28 Close, 14 Geo. II, pt. 7, No. n ; 

 Recov. R. Hil. 14 Geo. II, rot. 156. 



34 Feet of F. Div. Co. Mich. 1 5 Geo. II. 



25 List of Sheriff (P.R.O.), 54. 



* Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 5 1 Geo. III. 



v Ibid. Mich. 59 Geo. III. 



88 Ex inform. Lord Swaythling. 



19 Pipe R. 13 Hen. II. 



8 Chan. Inq. p.m. 28 Hen. Ill, No. 

 37 ; Cal. of Inq. p.m. Hen. Ill, No. 386. 



81 G.E.C. Complete Peerage. 



' B.M. Add. Chart. 55, D. 28. 



88 Pat. 2 Edw. Ill, pt. I, m. 9 ; 

 Chan. Inq. a.q.d. z Edw. Ill, No. 19. 

 The manor was to be held subject to the 

 payment of an annual rent of ^26. 



8< Pipe R. 13 Hen. II. 



85 Cal. of Pat. 1216-25, P- Io6 - 



88 Chan. Inq. p.m. 28 Hen. Ill, No. 17. 



8" See Chilworth for details of descent 

 which Mainsbridge follows. 



483 



98 Close, 38 Edw. Ill, m. 32 and 28. 

 89 Abbre-v. Rot. Orig. (Rec. Com.), 318. 



40 Chan. Inq. p.m. 45 Edw. Ill (2nd 

 Nos.), 48. 



41 Mins. Accts. fol. 983, m. 10. 

 48 Pat. 4 Edw. IV. pt. I, m. 7. 



48 At this period the manor included 20 

 acres of great oakwood and a fishery in the 

 River Itchen, both of which still exist. 



44 Pat. 28 Hen. VIII, pt. 3, m. 12. 

 B.M. Add. Chart. 16153. 



49 Pat. 31 Eliz. pt. 5, m. 31. 



Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 2 Jas. I. 



48 Ibid. Mich. 1 1 Jas. I. 



49 Chan. Inq. p.m. 21 Jas. I (Ser. 2.) 

 pt. 13, No. 98. 



*> Lay Subsidy R. 15 Chas. II, |f, 

 61 Recov. R. Mich. 24 Chas. II, rot. 

 210 ; Feet of F. Div. Cos. Trin. 5 Anne. 



