Estates

Palmers Estate

In 1685, Robert Mathews of Newport, Gentleman and Jane his wife sold to Nicholas Lisle of Palmers in the Parish of Whippingham, Gentleman, a house, barn, stable, garden, orchard, 3 acres of meadow and 9 acres of pasture in Whippingham, which was added to the Palmers estate. Nicholas Lisle made his will on 23 April 1694 leaving amongst other things to his wife, Mary, his messuage and lands called Palmers and Prate and messuage lately purchased from Mr. Robert Mathew in the Parish of Whippingham for his life and then his kinsman, Nicholas Lisle, eldest son of his kinsman Kendrick Lisle of Whippingham, Gentleman. Mary Lisle, widow died in 1694 and Kendrick Lisle succeeded to Palmers.

In 1728 Mary Lisle, widow sold the Palmers estate in Whippingham, Wootton and Brading consisting of 5 houses, 2 brewhouses, 3 barns, 4 stables, 5 gardens, 200 acres of arable land, 30 acres of meadow, 50 acres of pasture, 60 acres of wood, 100 acres of fern and brush to Nicholas Pile, Gentleman. Nicholas Pile died in 1766 and his family owned Palmers farm and Mathew’s tenement in 1776. They must have sold Palmers and Mathews1 tenement in about 1825 to Robert Stayner Holford probably at the same time as he bought Wootton Manor from Mrs. March Phillips, sister of the last of the Lisles.

On the 22 May 1845, J. H. Hearn acting on behalf of Mr. Holford agreed to sell to Queen Victoria. Holford's estate for the life of James Pile Ash and the reversion of about 3 fifths shares of the entirety of Mathews tenement consisting of lands next to Glosses tenement 'being Mr. Holford's lands which lie inter mixed with Her Majesties' and the Queen agreeing at the same time to sell Spratts coppice and a piece of waste at the entrance of Kings Key Luck to Mr. Holford.

Palmers

The name Palmers no doubt comes from John Palmer who held freely lands in Woodeton (Wootton), late John Coterel in 1351-2 for which he paid a free rent of 6s to Carisbrooke Priory although Palmers tenement was actually Wyneatts or Willage.

The Lisle family of Wootton must have owned these four tenements on the west side of their Manor of Wootton from early times but they are not specifically mentioned in the Inquisition Post Mortem of the heiress of the family, Mary, wife of Sir John Lisle, and niece and heiress of Sir John Lisle who died at Thruxton on the 24 March 1539 nor in that of her husband's brother, Lancelot Lisle of Kimpton who succeeded them as owners of Wootton estate and died on 20 March 1542-3 but the said Lancelot in his will dated 20 April 1542 enfeoffed trustees including John Elderton with the Manors of Wootton and Bridlesford and a messuage in Wootton in occupation of John Elderton, John Keyt and Thomas Bull to the use of Ann, his wife, for life and then to their son, Thomas.

In the valuation of properties at the end of the Inquisition, the three holdings are called Palmers, Kelsalls and Ways, valued at 4 Pounds 17s.

Ann Lisle married Sir Anthony Rogers but her son, Thomas Lisle died seized of Palmers, Kelsalls and Ways at Wootton on 4 February 1561-2. His son, Anthony Lisle rebuilt the Manor house at Wootton and died 7 September 1604 which he evidently settled for life on his 5th son, Thomas Lisle who settled at Palmers having married firstly at Carisbrooke in 1606 Elizabeth, daughter of John Searle of Whitcombe and secondly in 1611 Grace, daughter of William Potnell of Newport.

Both his wives were the granddaughters of George Searle of Stone in the Parish of Arreton. By his first wife he had a daughter, Ann who died young and by his second wife five sons, William Lisle of Shale, near Ringwood. Thomas Lisle of Palmers, who died in 1667. Nicholas Lisle of Palmers. Lancelot who died young and George of Newport who married Ann, daughter of Edward Cheeke of Merston but died childless and a daughter, Mary, wife of John Tabor of London.

Thomas Lisle died in 1654. His third son, Nicholas Lisle purchased part of the Wootton estate including Palmers and Trenchards in 1672 from Mary Lisle, widow and relict of his first cousin, Sir William Lisle of Wootton.

Nicholas Lisle died without children at Palmers in 1694 having left his farms of Palmers, Trenchards and Pratts in Whippingham to his wife, Mary for her life and then to Nicholas Lisle, eldest son of his great nephew, Kendrick Lisle, a grandson of his brother, William Lisle of Shales, near Ringwood. He also left to his brother William's son, Anthony Lisle of Ringwood an annuity of 10 Pounds a year out of Palmers and the other lands in the Isle of Wight except Trenchards, which he left to his brother George for life. If his great-nephew Nicholas Lisle died without issue, the properties were to go to Charles Crook Lisle, grandson of his first cousin, John Lisle of Moyles Court, the Regicide and if he died without issue, which he did, to Edward Lisle of Holt in Wiltshire, only child of his first cousin, Sir William Lisle of Wootton.

May Lisle, Nicholas's widow, died at Palmers in 1694. Kendrick Lisle succeeded his great uncle at Palmers but moved to Newport in 1704 and purchased a tenement and malthouse in Crocker Street from John Kent, surgeon. He died bankrupt after 16 April 1706. On the 20 June 1704 his son, Nicholas Lisle having attained the age of 21, released the trustees of the will of his great-uncle, Nicholas Lisle of Palmers, who had been collecting rents for him from their trust.

In 1728, Mary Lisle, widow (apparently the relict of Edward Lisle of Holt, Wiltshire, owner of the Wootton estate sold Palmers, Pratts, Trenchards and Mathews at Whippingham and property at Brading to Nicholas Pyle of Stockbridge, Hampshire. Gentleman.

Willage

A piece of land called Willage, next to Palmers.

Between 1189 and 1204 Godfrey, Bishop of Winchester confirmed to the Abbey of Lyre in Normandy the possessions of it's daughter house, Carisbrooke Priory including 'at Wudeton, one man and his land' and between 1193 and 1216 William Redvers, Earl of Devon and Lord of the Isle of Wight confirmed to the same Abbey, 'at Wedeton, one free tenant and his lands'.

In 1571 a tenement of the lands of Anthony Rogers in the right of his wife, in occupation of Elizabeth Harries, widow, 10 acres of crops. Annual rental of 53s.2

In 1583, the owner of this land was John Lisle who died without children at Wootton Manor house, the house of his brother Anthony Lisle. It passed thereafter with the Wootton estate.