Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/601

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

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. x Hiit. ofSurr. ii, 301,
 * >Pat. 8 Will. Ill, pt. viii, no. $

��-' 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.

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