A HISTORY OF SURREY 



BRAY, of Shiere. Ar- 

 gent a cheveron between 

 three eaglet' legs rasud 



Chapel, Windsor, and at Westminster, but especially 

 notable as being, with Cardinal Morton, probably the 

 true author of Henry's successful policy. Lord Audley 

 was, however, in actual posses- 

 sion of Shiere Vachery, and 

 gave compensation to Sir Regi- 

 nald Bray in the form of an 

 annual rent of jio. !3 He 

 died in 1491, and was buried 

 in Shere Church, and his son 

 James, Lord Audley, received 

 the profits of the manor in 

 1497, whilst encamped with 

 the Cornish rebels at Black- 

 heath." He was leader of 

 the rebellion, and must have 

 marched through Shere on 

 his way with the insurgents 

 from Guildford to Kent. Consequently the manor 

 was again forfeit to the Crown, but seems to have 

 been restored to Sir Reginald, who had perhaps a 

 lawful claim from the Earl of Ormond's grant, and 

 was Henry's chief supporter, and most trusted ser- 

 vant. He had no children, and left this manor, 

 among others, by will, in 1503, to his nephew 

 Edmund Bray," summoned to Parliament as Lord 

 Bray in 1529. From him Shiere Vachery passed by 

 sale, in 1535, to his brother Sir Edward Bray.* 6 He 

 died in 1558, and his son Edward in 1581. Reginald, 

 son of Edward, was baptized in 1555, and his eldest 

 son Edward, baptized in 1580," died seised of 

 Shiere in i635. w His son Edward was dealing with 

 it seven years later, 89 and in 1676 Edward Bray, his 

 wife Susan, and their son Edward were in posses- 

 sion. 30 Edward Bray the elder was buried at Shere in 

 1679. Edward the son was also buried therein 1714. 

 In 1723 Edward and Benjamin Bray his surviving 

 sons were owners of the manor." Benjamin died un- 

 married. Edward had an elder son George in holy 

 orders, who was succeeded in 1803 by his brother 

 William, the historian of Surrey. His great-grandson, 

 Sir Reginald More Bray, Judge of the High Court, 

 is now owner. 



The manor-house, certain lands, and the advowson 

 of the church at Cranleigh were sold owing to a family 

 quarrel between Sir Edward (who died in 1581) and 

 his stepmother, Jane daughter of Sir Matthew Brown. 

 Sir Edward resided at Baynards (q.v.). 



At the time of the partition of the lands of Richard 

 son of John, his nephew Richard de Burgh, Earl of 

 Ulster, received a moiety of Shiere," which ultimately 

 became the manor of SHIERE EBOR or EBOR4- 

 CUM. This descended to William, Earl of Ulster, 

 whose daughter Elizabeth married the son of Edward 

 III, Lionel, Duke of Clarence," and then, through the 

 marriage of their daughter Philippa with Edmund 

 Mortimer, Earl of March, to Roger, Earl of March, 



who was declared heir to the throne in 1385." The 

 moiety passed to his daughter Anne, to whose son 

 Richard, Duke of York', it owes the name of ' Ebor.' 

 The Duke of York seems to have held this manor 

 jointly with his wife Cecily, and with her conveyed 

 it to Sir Thomas Brown and other trustees in 1448- 

 9, 3S perhaps in trust for some of his very numerous 

 family. However, after the death of Richard and 

 the accession of his son to the throne as Edward IV, 

 Sir George Brown, son of the original trustee, released 

 all right in the manor to Cecily, 36 who continued to 

 hold it till her death in 1495," when it descended to 

 Henry VII as heir of Edward IV. 38 During the 

 reign of Henry VIII, Shiere formed part of the dower 

 of his successive queens," until, after the execution of 

 Katharine Howard, he granted it with other lands to 

 John Cokkof Broxbourne. 40 The latter conveyed it in 

 1 544 to William Fitz William and his wife Joan," who 

 alienated it to Sir Edward Bray in 1548." Thus for a 



MORTIMER. Btrrryor 

 and azure a chief or -with 

 tvjo pales between two 

 gyrons assure and a scut- 

 cheon argent over all. 



RICHARD, Duke of 

 York. France quartered 

 'with England with the 

 difference of a label argent 

 having three roundels gules 

 on each point. 



short time the manors of Shiere Vachery and Ebor were 

 owned by one lord, who also possessed Gomshall Netley 

 and Towerhill. He bequeathed Shiere Ebor to his 

 fourth wife Mary, 43 who married Edmund Tilney, Mas- 

 ter of the Revels to Queen Elizabeth." After her death 

 the manor passed to Edward Bray, grandson and heir of 

 Sir Edward, 45 who sold it in 1 609 to William Risbridger, 

 perhaps a descendant of the William Risbridger who 

 under Henry VIII had held demesne lands of Shiere 

 in lease. 46 John Risbridger died holding the manor 

 of Shiere Ebor and a tenement called Shiere Farm 

 in 1631." The manor remained in this family till 

 1754, when William Risbridger sold to William 

 Wakeford. In 1761 it was conveyed to Thomas 

 Page, 48 who sold it in 1771 to William Bray, 49 who 

 subsequently succeeded to Shiere Vachery. Since 

 then the two manors have followed the same descent. 

 The land is still called ' The Queen's Hold.' 



About 1276 the original manor of Shiere had appur- 

 tenant to it six and a half fees. Of these fees there were 

 some at a distance (e.g. Benetfield, co. Sussex, and 

 Lasham, co. Hants M ). View of frankpledge was a 



Rentals and Surv. R. 828. 



Ibid. 



35 P.C.C. 26 Blamys. 



98 Chan. Proc. (Eliz.), G g, X, 44. 



W Wonersh Par. Reg. 



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



44- 



Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 1 8 Chas. I. 

 Ibid. Hit. 28 & 29 Chas. II. 

 81 Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 20 Geo. I. 

 81 Fine R. 27 Edw. I, m. I. 

 * CW. Pat. 1340-3, p. 187. 



84 Chan. Inq. p.m. 5 Ric. II, no. 43 ; 

 22 Ric. II, no. 34. 



'* See Feet, of F. Div. Co. 27 Hen. 



VI, 343- 



88 Close, 12 Edw. IV, m. 21 d. 



8 " Mini. Accts. bdle. 1114, no. 15. 



Ibid.(Hen. VII),bdle. 1423 to 1447. 



L. and P. Htn. mi, i, 155 ; vii, 

 352 ; xv, 144 (2) ; xvii, 1154 (33). 



> Ibid, rix (i), 80 (48). 



Ibid. 278 (76). 



Feet of F. Surr. Hil. 2*3 Edw. VI. 



114 



48 P.C.C. 22 Darcy. 



44 Chan. Proc. Eliz. B b, xiv, 54. 



45 Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 7 Jas. I. 



46 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xvii, 1 1 54 (33). 

 *1 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccclxii, 17. 



48 The conveyance was made by 

 Morgan Morse, probably as agent for 

 William Wakeford ; see Feet of F. Surr. 

 Mich. 2 Geo. III. 



49 Manning and Bray, op. cit. i, 523. 



50 Chan. Inq. p.m. 7 Edw. Ill, no. 39 ; 

 7 Edw. Ill (additional), no. 89. 



