ELMBRIDGE HUNDRED 



oblations, and profits in East Molesey, parcel of the 

 parsonage of Kingston, and all their lands, &c., in 

 East Molesey or elsewhere reputed parcel of the said 

 manor.' " 



Sir Thomas Heneage was Gentleman Usher to 

 Wolsey and counsel to the Prior of Merton, and 

 resided at East Molesey li in a stately house which he 

 had himself built. The estate which he held on lease 

 from Merton Priory becoming the property of the 

 Crown, as shown above, he appears to have resigned 

 his lease, and to have obtained from the king a new 

 grant of Molesey Prior, with tithes in East Molesey 

 of the annual value of 10, with court-leet and view 

 of frankpledge. He died without issue in 1553 ; 

 the renewed lease expired in 1584, but in 1571 

 Anthony Crane obtained from the queen a lease in 

 reversion of the manor, which included a mansion- 

 house, with 2 acres and 2 roods of land annexed, and 

 125 acres and 2 roods of other land, at the same rent 

 at which it was held by Sir Thomas Heneage." 

 In 1594 the manor was granted to Richard Cox," 

 and in 1629 to Sir Nicholas Fortescue, kt., to hold 

 for thirty-one years. 18 



After the Restoration Charles II, in January 

 1668-9, granted to James Clarke for a fine of 450 

 and a rent of z 14.1. zd. ' the manor of East Mole- 

 sey, parcel of the honour of Hampton Court, and 

 formerly a possession of the late monastery of Merton ; 

 except the advowsons of churches and chapels, and a 

 mill and mines and quarries which were granted to 

 Sir Nicholas Fortescue, kt., 19 October 1629, to hold 

 for thirty-one years.' 19 This grant included the 

 capital messuage called East Molesey Manor, the 

 fishery of the River Mole from Cobham Bridge to the 

 Thames, and Hampton Court ferry. In January 

 16756 James Clarke asked that the term for which 

 *-:l(ield the manor might be made up to ninety-nine 

 ye'irs ; " and the grant was finally made out for the 

 respective terms of seventy-eight, seventy-seven, and 

 seventy-six years from Michaelmas 1697, 27 May 

 1698, and Lady Day 1699, at which times some 

 intermediate leases that had been granted to other 

 persons would terminate." 



In 1696 William III, in consideration of services 

 done by Thomas, Duke of Leeds, granted the manor 

 and fishing to Charles Bertie, brother-in-law to the 

 duke, and others, to hold in trust for thirty-one years 

 after the death of Catherine, queen dowager." 

 Brayley says : " ' Since the expiration of those terms 

 (i. e. the terms of the grant to Clarke) in 1775, the 

 lease of this manor has always been granted from the 

 Crown to the proprietors of the manor of Molesey 

 Matham, except in one instance when a grant in 

 reversion was made to a stranger ; but before the 

 estate came into his possession, his interest was pur- 

 chased by the persons who held Molesey Matham.' 

 The reversion is said by Manning and Bray 14 to 



EAST AND 

 WEST MOLESEY 



have been purchased by Mr. Sutton and Sir Beaumont 

 Hotham, 14 afterwards second Baron Hotham. Cap- 

 tain Hotham, great-grandson of the latter, is now 

 lord of the manor. 



A second manor of MOLESET is mentioned in 

 Domesday as held by Odard the crossbowman. Tovi 

 had held it of King Edward.* 6 It appears that the 

 descendants of Odard continued to hold the manor, 

 and assumed a territorial designation. The name of 

 Robert of Molesey occurs in 1 1 64." In 1176 Samson 

 of Molesey was charged with 30 marks for an amerce- 

 ment in the forest." In 1231 Samson of Molesey, 

 whose name occurs in connexion with various lawsuits," 

 ' attornavit ' Gilbert of Eye against Walter of the 

 Wood * and Margaret his wife of customs &c. which 

 Samson exacted (exigit) from them in East and West 

 Molesey." 



Samson son of Samson held half Molesey by the 

 service of supplying a crossbowman for the king's 

 army." His serjeanty descended to Walter of 

 Molesey, probably his son. 13 This Walter had a 

 daughter, by name Isabella, and in 1279 Roger 

 Clifford held this land by the serjeanty of a cross- 

 bowman \arcubaftstarium\ as guardian to her." It 

 seems probable that Isabella married John de Matham, 

 who in 1333 died se i se d of the manor of Molesey, 

 held of the king in chief by finding one man for the 

 army, and by paying by the hands of the men of 

 Kingston 8/. and to them 3/. The manor included a 

 capital messuage, a water-mill, three tenants holding 

 three messuages and 24 acres of land, eighteen 

 customars holding eighteen messuages and 5 virgates 

 of land, &C. 35 



John de Matham left several sons, the eldest 

 being Walter, who died a year after his father, and 

 was succeeded by his brother Samson. 36 The latter 

 in 1358 gave the manor to his son Hamelin in 

 tail. The estate now comprised pastures at Walton 

 and lands at Kingston, Esher, and Hersham (Hauery- 

 chisham). 37 In 1379 a licence was granted to 

 Hamelin de Matham to settle the manor on his wife 

 Cicely. 38 Hamelin died in 1382 seised of I acre of 

 land in East Molesey " (possibly the manor was then 

 in the hands of trustees), leaving two daughters 

 co-heiresses of his property : Elizabeth wife of John 

 Thorpe, and Margaret who married John Michell. 

 Elizabeth died in 1421, and the whole manor became 

 the property of her sister. 40 Margaret lived on for 

 another thirty-four years, and died seised of the manor 

 held of the king in chief by the service of one- 

 twentieth part of a knight's fee. 



The property was now divided into three parts. 

 The first fell to the share of William Sydney, son 

 and heir of Cecilia daughter of Margaret Michell; 

 the second to Margaret's second daughter, Eliza- 

 beth wife of John Wood ; and the last to her third 

 daughter, Joan wife of William Druell." In 1463 



623- 



Star, of the Realm (Rec. Com.), iii, 



- 



15 Pat. 22 Hen. VIII, pt. ii,m. 22 ; L. 

 .and P. Hen. VIII, xiii (2), 1 104. 

 " Pat. 13 Eliz. pt. i, in. 20. 

 " Pat. 36 Eliz. pt. xix, m. I. 

 18 Pat. 5 Cha. I, pt vii, no. 2. 

 18 Pat. 20 Chas. II, pt. vi, no. 14. 

 *>Hisr. MSS. Com. Ref. xiv, App. ix, 



21 Brayley, Hitt. ofSurr. ii, 301. 

 *>Pat. 8 Will. Ill, pt. viii, no. $ 

 x Hiit. ofSurr. ii, 301, 



-' Manning and Bray, op. cit. i, 475, 



475-* 



85 They were then holding the manor 

 of Molesey Matham, see below. 



*> y.C.H. Surr. i, 327,1. 



*" Pipe R. 1 1 Hen. II, m. 2 d. 



38 Manning and Bray, Hitt. of Surr. ii, 

 782, from the Pipe R. 



89 Cat. Pat. 1216-25, p. 393 ; 1225-32, 

 p. 297. 



80 Also called Walter atte Wode ; Cal. 

 Pat. 1317-21, p. 98. He held land in 

 Molesey. 



453 



>l Cal. Chit, 1227-31, p. 602. 



w Teita deNmill(Rec. Com.), 225,417. 



Ibid. 228. 



"B.M. Add. MS. 6167, foU 309. 



83 Chan. Inq. p.m. 7 Edw. Ill (ist nos.), 

 no. 27. " Ibid. 



"Ibid. 32 Edw. Ill (2nd nos.), no. 92 ; 

 Abhrcv, Rot. Orig. (Rec. Com.), ii, 252; 

 Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 32 Edw. III. 



K Cal. Pat. 1377-81, p. 411. 



89 Inq. p.m. 5 Ric. II, no. 41. 



40 Ibid. 8 Hen. V, no. 23. 



41 Chan. Inq. p.m. 33 Hen. VI, no. 31. 



