GODALMING HUNDRED 



WITLEY 



previously held on lease. 84 In 1656 Edward More, 

 grandson of Sir Edward, sold it to Thomas Russell ** ; 

 it was probably already broken up into farms. 

 Russell was possibly trustee for Simon Bennett, whose 

 daughter Frances carried a moiety of the park in 

 marriage to James fourth Earl of Salisbury. Her sister 

 Grace died in 1730 without issue, and her moiety 

 also passed to James, the sixth Earl. His son the 

 first Marquess of Salisbury sold it to William Smith 

 of Godalming in 1 79 1. 87 William Smith bequeathed 

 the estate to his brother, Richard Smith of Burgate, 

 whose niece Mary, widow of George Chandler, in- 

 herited it in 1838, and held it with remainder to her 

 son Allen. 88 Mr. Allen Chandler sold it to the Earl 

 of Derby, in 1876. 



In the 1 5th century the lords of Witley Manor 

 had both court baron and view of frankpledge together 

 with the chattels of fugitives and outlaws ; M they 

 also had a right to heriot and relief from certain of 

 their tenants, 90 and claimed a custom called ' grasaves,' 

 or ' Grayside,' which was valued at 5/. ^J. yearly." 

 From time to time their tenants claimed various privi- 

 leges, asserting that Witley was ancient demesne. On 

 this ground in 1380, and again in 1401, they were ex- 

 empted from paying the expenses of knights to Parlia- 

 ment." On the other hand, in the suit brought against 

 Peter of Savoy by the men of Witley, the jurors 

 allowed the exactions of Peter of Savoy, but denied 

 that Witley was ancient demesne of the Crown. 93 In 

 1389 the tenants, with a few exceptions, 94 were said 

 to be villeins and bond-tenants, and were bound to 

 act as reeve of the lord's manor, and to perform 

 certain other services. 94 



They obtained a recognition of their position as 

 tenants in ancient demesne in the proceedings in 

 1401, including right of exemption from juries. 94 

 This privilege, with the exemption from contribution 

 to expenses of knights of the shire, was confirmed 

 20 June 1574." 



Free fishery was recounted among the appurtenances 

 of the manor in I443. 98 



tTYTLEr CHESBERIES aSai WTTLETCHEAS- 

 BURIES is a small reputed manor. It is near Wheeler 

 Street. In 1310 William de Chussebury de Mule- 

 ford was husband of Dionisia, co-heiress of Stephen 

 de Asshurst. 99 They levied a fine of land in Witley, 

 Godalming, &c. The name Chesbury appears in 

 subsidies in 1332 and 1381. In 1 5 66 there was an 

 inquiry in the Catteshull court as to whether Henry 



Chittie, tenant of Chesberies, was or was not subject 

 to the court's jurisdiction. 100 In 1575 Henry Chittie 

 alias Bocher parted with the manor of Chesberies to 

 Laurence Stoughton, parson of Witley."" In 1580 

 Laurence sold to George Weller. 101 In 1605 Weller 

 parted with the manor of Chesberies to Thomas 

 Compton,"" doubtless the owner of Taylors, God- 

 aiming. 10 * It afterwards went to the Buncombes. 

 In 1726 John Duncombe sold to John Marche, 

 yeoman. It descended to Richard Marche, and 

 through theWinkworth and Sparkes families from him 

 to Mrs. Eastwood, who lately sold it to Mr. Heatley. 



OXENFORD GRANGE, within Peper Harrow 

 Park, but in the parish of Witley, was a part of the 

 manor of Witley until Richer de Aquila granted it 

 to the abbey of Waverley early in the I2th century. 104 

 His gift is mentioned in the bull of Pope Eugenius III, 

 dated 1 147, confirming to the abbey all its property, 106 

 and the grange of Oxenford with land at Rihella was 

 included in the lands confirmed to the abbey by 

 Richard I. 107 Richer's grandson, Gilbert de Aquila, in 

 confirming his grandfather's gift, mentioned the right 

 of the abbot to inclose so much of Witley Park as 

 belonged to Oxenford. 1 " 8 In the 'Taxatio ' of 1291 

 Oxenford was rated at ji, 109 and the abbot seems to 

 have objected to paying the tenth for it, 110 but his 

 claim to exemption was disallowed. 111 The grange 

 remained among the possessions of the abbey till the 

 Dissolution, at which time it was valued at 4 1 3/. 4</. n> 



It was included in the grant of the site of Waverley 

 to Sir William Fitz William, 113 with which it descended 

 to Anthony, first Viscount Montague, 114 who died 

 seised of a messuage called Oxenford, 9 October I 592. " 4 



His son by his second wife, Sir Henry Browne, 

 sold to Sir George More of Loseley in 1609."* 

 Sir George, his son Sir Robert, and their respec- 

 tive wives, levied a fine to John Hone in 1613,"' 

 and Bartholomew Hone his son, of Oxenford, and others 

 conveyed to John Chesterton of St. Giles in the Fields 

 in i6i9. 118 After his death in February 1624-5, 

 it was held by his wife Anne for life, who survived 

 her two sons, Walter, who died in i638, 119 and John." 



The reversion became divided among the three sisters 

 of John and their representatives, namely, Mary wife 

 of Henry Fox, Jane wife of John Smith of Riehull, 

 and Martha wife of Antony Covert. On 8 February 

 1667 Antony Covert and his son conveyed their 

 third to John Platt of Westbrook and his heirs, 111 and 

 in 1676 his son Sir John Platt, and John Smith son 



85 dole, 1 1 Jas. I, pt. xxxvi, no. 3. 



86 Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 1656, pt. I. 



87 Cloie, 31 Geo. Ill, pt. iii, no. 7. 



88 Brayley, Hist, of Surr. v, 254. 



89 Pat. 21 Hen. VI, pt. i, no. ig. 



10 Miic. Bk. (Land Rev.), vol. 190, foL 

 134; Mins. Accts. (Gen. Ser.), bdle. 

 1015, no. 8. 



Panic, of Grants (Aug. Off.), 6 Edw. 

 VI, 1515- 



" Add. Chart. 27744-7. 



* Assize R. 873, m. 6 (1259). Peter 

 brought forward as evidence against them 

 the entry under the barony of Aquila in 

 Domesday Book, which, strangely enough, 

 was employed by the tenants themselves in 

 asserting their privileges two centuries 

 later. 



M Viz. the tenants of Bouelith, Winkes- 

 worth, Balham, Dene, Writrowe, Stutley, 

 High Ashurst, and Oxenford. 



M Coram Rege R. 5 1 1 (Hit. 12 Ric. II), 

 '7- 



96 B.M. Add. Chart. 27444-5 ; Cal. 

 Pat. 13991401, p. 502. On the ground 

 that the manor was entered under the 

 barony of Aquila in Domesday Book. 

 Perhaps it was understood that the manor 

 had pertained to the Crown before 1086, 

 and that it had passed from Earl Godwin 

 to Earl Harold, and thus to William I, 

 and had been held by him as ancient de- 

 mesne before the grant to Aquila. 



*! Pat. 1 6 E1U. 



99 Pat. 21 Hen. VI, pt. i, m. ig. 



99 De Banco R. Hil. 3 Edw. II, m. 

 i go. 



lwl View of Frankpledge, 27 Sept. g 

 Eliz. 



l" 1 Feet of F. Surr. Hil. 17 Eli*. 



" Ibid. Trin. 22 Eliz. 



> Ibid. Mich. 3 Ja.. I. 



104 Private information. 



101 The abbey was founded in 1128. 

 The grant must therefore have been made 

 between that date and the confirmatory 



65 



charter of Pope Eugenius, which was given 

 in 1147. 



M Lansd. Chart. 17. 



107 Cart. Antiq. S. 20. 



108 Pat. 1 1 Edw. II, pt. ii, m. 36. 



109 Poft Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 206. 



110 Ibid. 209*. 



111 Ctl. fat. 1340-3, p. 128. 



11J Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), ii, 34. 



" L. and P. Hen. VIII, xi, 88. I 



" See V.C.H. Surr. ii, 624. 



114 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxxxv, 

 no. 



118 Close, 8 Jas. I, Modern Ref. no. 

 2027. 



17 Feet of F. SUIT. East. II Jas. I. 



118 Close, 17 Jas. I, pt. xiv, no. 55. 



u > Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccccxix, 



3'- 



" Ibid. vol. cccclxxxvi, 100. 

 "> Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 19 Chat. II. ; 

 Close, 1 8 Chas. II, pt. !T, no. 17. 



