Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/577

 GODLEY HUNDRED

��PYRFORD

��manor to Denzil Onslow in 1677, Sir Robert Gayer, Parkhurst's uncle, acting as trustee.* 5 From Denzil Onslow the estate passed by will to his great-nephew, Thomas Lord Onslow,* 6 and has descended to the present Earl of Onslow with the title and the rest of the Onslow estate.

John Evelyn, in his Diary, 23 August 1681, gives an account of a visit which he paid to Denzil Onslow ' at his seat at Purford, where there was much company and an extraordinary feast for any country gentleman's table.' He adds that ' what made it more remarkable was that there was not anything but what was afforded by his estate

����about it, as venison, rabbits, hares, pheasants, partridges,

pigeons quails, poultrie, all QNSIOW f

sorts of fowle in season from his j- elte guhs t etvie, n , ix own decoy near his house and Cornisk chtughs. all sorts of fresh fish. After

dinner we went to see sport at the decoy. I never saw so many herons. The seat stands on a flat, the ground pasture rarely watered and exceedingly improved since Mr. Onslow bought it of Sir Robert Parkhurst, who spent a fair estate. The house is timber but commodious and with one ample dining room, the hall adorned with paintings of fowle & huntinges the work of Mr. Barlow who is excellent at this kind of thing from the life.' " The house was pulled down by Robert Lord Onslow, after the manor came into his possession in 1776. According to Camden and Aubrey it had been originally built by the Earl of Lincoln. Sir John Wolley on obtaining the estate at Pyrford had added to and improved the house,* 8 where he received a visit from Queen Elizabeth.* 9 Owing to the subsequent rebuilding, it cannot be determined how far he rebuilt or replaced the older one. The present farm-house occupies the site of the house pulled down by Lord Onslow. The gateway of the old house, still existing, used to bear the initials j. w. What is known as 'Queen Elizabeth's summer-house,' although probably a century later in date, is of some interest. It is square in plan and of two stories, the roof of the upper chamber showing slight traces of colour decoration. Parts of the terrace walks, and of the avenue of elms nearly half a mile long, remain. Here Dr. Donne was living when he made his clandestine marriage with the daughter of Sir George More of Loseley, niece to Lady Egerton wife of the Lord Keeper, in whose service Donne was secretary.*"

There was a large deer-park which was disparked when the house was pulled down.

The earliest mention of TOUNDESLET is found in a reputed cartulary of Westminster Monastery, which was in private hands in 1836, and of which a transcript was made." In this document is found a

��charter of 1297-8 by which Adam de Toundesley granted the manor of Toundesley to his brother Simon and Agnes daughter of William Morrant of Kent and their heirs. The manor descended to Robert de Toundesley and afterwards to his son John, who in 1362 conveyed his manor of Toundesley to Richard Rook and John Pecche of Westminster." The reversion of lands which Katharine widow of Robert de Toundesley held for life was also granted them in 1363, when William, another son of Robert, also relinquished all his right in the manor. This last conveyance is enrolled on a Close Roll of I363. M Richard Rook and John Pecche conveyed the manor to Nicholas, Abbot of Westminster, in 1366, receiving certain tenements in Westminster instead. 34 The cartulary also states that both Katharine and William de Toundesley received a pension from the Abbot of Westminster. After the manor passed out of the Toundesley family into the possession of Westminster there is no further record of it as a manor. It is henceforth referred to as ' Townesley lands ' only. It was held, under this name, by the abbey of West- minster until the Dissolution, when the rent received from the farm of Townesley lands was stated to be 6 is. 8J. U The land was afterwards leased to Sir Anthony Browne.' 6 In 1 548 it was granted to John Carleton and his wife Joyce, and in 1561 to George Revel for a term of twenty-one years." In 1574 Queen Elizabeth granted the ' parcel of lands called Townesley lands, Blacke lands, Townsley Grove, Great and Little Barbrookes, Borrow Hill ' and other lands to Edward Clinton, Earl of Lincoln, and his heirs. 38 All these lands afterwards passed to Sir John Wolley, lord of the manor of Pyrford, and henceforth descended with the manor.' 9

PTRFORD P4RK.The origin of the park is probably to be found in the 3 hides reserved by King William in his first charter as in the forest, but presumably granted to the abbey by his second charter at the end of his reign. In 1278 the abbey claimed immunity from any interference by the officers of the forest, and free warren in their demesne lands at Pyrford. 40 The park does not seem to be specifically mentioned till after the Dissolution. The grant to John Carleton and Joyce in 1548 in- cluded the park of Pyrford, together with the capital messuage belonging to it. This, too, passed to George Revel and the Earl of Lincoln, and finally became the property of the lord of the manor (see above). Manning" states that Lord Onslow converted the land into farms about 1776.

The Domesday Survey records the existence of two mills at Pyrford, worth IO/., the property of the monastery. 42 They seem, however, to have fallen into disuse. The courts and view of frankpledge in Pyrford belonged, prior to the Dissolution, to the Abbot and convent of Westminster, who enjoyed extensive privileges in their lands of Pyrford and Horsell. 4 ' At the beginning of the igth century the manor still had courts leet and baron, at the

��35 Manning and Bray, op. cit. i, 157 ; Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 29 Chai. II ; Close, 29 Chas. II, pt. vi, 3.

26 Manning and Bray, Hist, of Surr, i,

'53-


 * E-velyns Diary (cd. W. Bray).

28 Aubrey, op. cit. iii, 197.

> Diet. Nat. Bkg. Ibid.

81 Abridge meat ofCartul. offPcstm.dbbey

��in posteiiion of 5. Sentley, 1836 (printed for private circulation by S. Bentley).

N Ibid.

88 Close, 37 Edw. Ill, m. 34 d.

84 See note on cartulary, Inq. a.q.d., file 358, no. 17.

85 Dugdale, Man. i, 328.

86 Mins. Accts. Relig. Houses, 31 & 32 Hen. VIII, rot. 113, m. I.

433

��87 Pat. 4 Eliz. pt. v, m. 5.

88 Ibid. 16 Eliz. pt. xi, m. 5.

89 Chan. Inq. p.m. 39 Eliz. pt. i, no. 74.

40 Quo Warr. 7 Edw. I, rot. 28.

41 Manning and Bray, op. cit. i, 153. V.C.H. Surr. i, 306.

Plot, dt Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 745-

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