Estates

Wootton Manor

WOOTTON (Odetone, xi cent. Woditon, xiii cent.) was held by Queen Edith, and at the time of Domesday was in the king's hands, being valued at £33. The manor was held of the honour of Carisbrooke by the service of finding a horseman for the defence of the Isle of Wight in time of war and doing suit at the court of knights at Newport every three weeks.4

It had passed by the 13th century to the de Insula or Lisle family, and was held by John son of William de Lisle at the end of the century.5 It had probably also been held by Walter de Lisle who was patron of Shorwell in 1205 and is supposed to have built the church of Wootton.6 He died about 1224, when his son Geoffrey succeeded.7

Geoffrey died about 1251–2 holding land of Baldwin de Lisle, but the names of his manors are not given.8 His son William9 was succeeded by a son John and he is the first member of the family who is known to have held Wootton. He died about 1301–2, leaving a son John who succeeded to the estate10 and obtained a grant of free warren there in 1306.11 He died in 133112 seized of the manor of Wootton which then included a rabbit warren and a fishery in an arm of the sea.13

He was succeeded by a son Bartholomew to whom the manor was delivered in September 1331.14 He died in 1345 holding the manor jointly with his wife Elizabeth.15 Sir John Lisle, son of Bartholomew, died abroad about 1370,16 and to his son and successor John the grant of free warren made in 1306 was confirmed in 1390.17 He was succeeded about 1427–8 by a son John,18 on whose death in 1470–1 the estate passed to his son Nicholas,19

Nicholas Lisle, then Sir Nicholas, died in 1504 and was succeeded by a son Sir John.22 He, the last of the direct line, died in 1523, leaving a niece Mary, married to her cousin Thomas Lisle, his heir.21 Sir John had, however, bequeathed the manor of Wootton to his cousin and heir male Lancelot son of George Lisle, an uncle of Sir Nicholas, in tail-male with remainder to Thomas and the right heirs of John.22 Lancelot died seized of the manor in 1543,23 leaving a son and heir Thomas, who died in 1562.24

Anthony, son of Thomas Lisle,25 held Wootton at his death in 160426 having settled it on his son William on his marriage with Bridget daughter of Sir John Hungerford, kt., in 1622. William (Sir) his heir died 1665. John married Alice, daughter of Sir White Beckanshaw, Kt., of Moyes Court, Hampshire. By her he had a son John who married Jane, daughter of J. Crook, and died 1700 leaving one son Charles Lisle of Moyes Court who married Lucy, daughter of Sir Francis Molyneux, of Treversal, Nottingham and died without issue. Here the younger branch of the Lisles ended.

Edward Lisle of Wodyton and Crux Easton succeeded to Moyes Court on the death of his cousin in 1721. He married Mary, daughter of Sir Ambrose Phillips of Garendon Park, who died 1749. He died 1729 leaving an heir, Edward, died without issue 1752. Charles married Ann, daughter of Nicholas Carey of Upcern, died 1777. Of their children Jane, married Thomas March, died 1764 leaving a son, Thomas and daughter Mary. Thomas March, married his cousin, Susan Lisle and assumed the name of Phillips, 1777. It was Susan Lisle who sold Wootton Manor Farm to Robert Holford of Westonbirt, Gloucs. She died 1837 aged 84, preceed by her husband Thomas March in March 1817.

Edward Lisle probably sold the estate to James Burton, who was in possession in 1767.29 James Burton sold it in 1775 to Joseph Tarver of Romsey and William Hearn,30 and in 1800 Joseph Tarver and his wife Anne conveyed it to William Young.31 In the 19th century the manor was acquired by Mr. Nunn, the introducer of the manufacture of machine lace into the Isle of Wight. The manor then passed to Mrs. Harvey, whose nephew Colonel Stephenson Clarke now exercises the manorial rights, though Mr. R. S. Holford, for the most part, acquired the land itself in the early part of the 19th century.32 In 1492–3 reference is made to the park of Wootton.33

Sources:
Footnotes
3 V.C.H. Hants, i, 459.
4 Cal. Inq. p.m. 1–9 Edw. III, 262; Cal. Close, 1343–6, p. 612.
5 Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 240.
6 Stone, Archit. Antiq. of Isle of Wight, ii, 161; Albin, Hist. of Isle of Wight, 524, but see below under Church.
7 Excerpta e Rot. Fin. (Rec. Com.), i, 119.
8 Ibid. 140; Chan.Inq. p.m. 36 Hen. III, no. 24.
9 Ibid.
10 Chan. Inq. p.m. 32 Edw. I, no. 60.
11 Cal. Chart. R. 1300–26, p. 68.
12 A pedigree of the Lisles given in a Plea Roll of 1402 gives two John Lisles between John son of William Lisle and Bartholomew (Wrottesley, Pedigrees from Plea R. 225, but cf. p. 247).
13 Cal. Inq. p.m. 1–9 Edw. III, 262.
14 Cal. Close, 1330–3, p. 262.
15 Chan. Inq. p.m. 19 Edw. III (1st nos.), no. 52; Cal. Close, 1343–6, p. 612.
16 Chan. Inq. p.m. 45 Edw. III (1st nos.), no. 38.
17 Cal. Pat. 1388–92, p. 262.
18 Chan. Inq. p.m. 7 Hen. VI, no. 42.
19 Ibid. 11 Edw. IV, no. 59.
20 Ibid. (Ser. 2), xxii, 13.
21 Ibid. cxxxvii, 46. Mary was daughter of his sister Eleanor Kingston.
22 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cxxxvii, 46; Berry, Hants Gen. 173–6.
23 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cxxxvii, 46.
24 Ibid. 48.
25 Berry, loc. cit.
26 W. and L. Inq. p.m. xxxvii, 83.
27 Feet of F. Div. Co. Hil. 45 Eliz.
28 Recov. R. Hil. 30 & 31 Chas. II, rot. 123; Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 8 Anne. Edward Lisle presented to the church of Wootton in 1718 (Inst. Bks. P.R.O.).
29 Recov. R. Trin. 7 Geo. III, rot. 377.
30 Feet of F. Hants, Hil. 15 Geo. III.
31 Ibid. East. 40 Geo. III.
32 He redeemed in 1839 (Land Tax Ret.).
The Wootton Millennium Project, A. The history of Wootton Manor.

Link: 33 De Banco R. Mich. 8 Hen. VII, m. 360.From: 'Parishes: Wootton', A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912), pp. 204-06.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42075