A History of Landford in Wiltshire
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A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 12 – That other Hamptworth manor This history of this estate and the families connected with it has been compiled from various sources using the Internet. Not all sources are 100% reliable and subsequently this account may also perpetuate some of those errors. The information contained in this document is therefore for general information purposes only. Whilst I have tried to ensure that the information given is correct, I cannot guaranty the accuracy or reliability of the sources used or the information contained in this document. CONTENTS Page 2. Section 1 - The history of Hamptworth manor Page 4. Section 2 - Table of Owners of Hamptworth manor Page 5. Section 3 - Family connections with Hamptworth manor Page 5 The Keilway/Kellaway/Kellowe Family Connection Page 5 Robert Keilway (by 1483-1537 or later) A dispute with the Kellaways Page 6 The Escourt Family Page 7 Edmund Estcourt (d.1569) Thomas Estcourt (d. 1599) Page 8 Sir Thomas Estcourt (c.1570-1624) Giles Estcourt (d. 1587) Page 9 Sir Edward Escourt (d. 1608) Sir Giles Escourt Bt (1601-1668) Page 10 The Webb Family Page 10 William Webbe (c.1466-1523), alias Kellowe Page 11 William Webbe (c1499-1554) Page 14 John Webb (1530-1571) Page 15 Sir John Webb (1556-1625) General Sir John Webb (c.1597-1680) Page 16 Sir John Webb (d. 1700) Sir John Webb (d. 1745) Page 17 Sir Thomas Webb (1703-1763) Sir John Webb (c. 1740-1797) Page 18 Frederick Webb (1790-1847) Page 21 Acknowledgements John Martin (Jan 2019) Page 1 of 19 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 12 – That other Hamptworth manor Section 1 – The history of Hamptworth manor Wherever possible, the reference is given for the source of the information quoted, starting with an outline of the manor and the names of families in dispute over its ownership. From the History of Hamptworth in the parish of Downton. Following the Norman Conquest, Hamptworth was part of a large estate first held by the Bishop of Winchester. It was bounded to the west by the woodland at Loosehanger and by Langley Wood and to the north by the river Blackwater. Hamptworth common then stretched southwards as far as Nomansland and eastwards to merge into Landford common. The manor of Hamptworth was acquired by Waleran the huntsman and passed through many generations ending with Sir Simon Harcourt. In 1579 the manor was sold to a Henry Giffard and subsequently sold by his sons to William Stockman of Barford in 1603/4. Stockman inclosed 22 acres of Hamptworth common near Langley Wood, which probably included the site of Hamptworth Lodge and thus creating the initial Hamptworth Lodge estate. However, from the early 16th century there was a second estate in Hamptworth. Between 1533 and 1544 Edmund son of Thomas Estcourt claimed that land there had descended to him from his ancestors but that Robert Kellaway was depriving him of it. Robert had a son John and by 1566 he and Edmund Estcourt had apparently settled the disputes between the two families. John then conveyed the land in Hamptworth to Edmund. Edmund had a son Thomas and a grandson Thomas Estcourt and in 1596 the two Thomases conveyed their manor of Hamptworth to John Webb (d. 1625), the nephew of Edmund’s son Giles. The manor thereafter passed from father to son in the Webb family of Odstock to Sir John (d. 1680), Sir John (d. 1700), Sir John (d. 1745), Sir Thomas (d. 1763), and Sir John (d. 1797) who devised it to Frederick Webb. Between 1822 and 1837 some 245 acres passed to Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto. The remainder was sold in 1858, and later passed into the other manor that became the Hamptworth Lodge estate. From A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8, Warminster, Westbury and Whorwellsdown Hundreds / Fisherton de la Mere. The ownership of an estate in Bapton [JM - Consisting of 1174 acres, almost all owned as a single estate, was part of Fisherton Delamere near Wylye, which is between Warminster and Salisbury] then claimed as a 'manor', was contested in the early 16th century between members of the Kellaway family and other suitors. Sometime between 1486 and 1493 or between 1504 and 1505 a Thomas Hymerford claimed to have been seized of the 'manor', but to have been deprived of the deeds by Thomas Kellaway, and in the period 1532–44 Edmund, son of Thomas Estcourt, laid a similar charge against Robert Kellaway. In 1545 a John Kellaway was living in Bapton, and it was no doubt he who in 1566 bought out Edmund Estcourt's interests in Fisherton and other places and who died in 1568 seised of a capital messuage and lands in Bapton and Tisbury, held of the Marquess of Winchester as of Fisherton manor. There is some reason to think that Robert and Thomas Kellaway, mentioned above, were respectively his father and grandfather. If this is so, then John's great-grandfather was called William Kellaway. William married a Joan Barret, and in 1413 a John Barret was holding land in Bapton, Tisbury, and other nearby places, which he acquired from his cousin, Thomas Payne, who, in his turn, had acquired them from his father-in-law, John Ellis. This Ellis had another son-in- law, called Walter Estcott - presumably the same as Estcourt. It is possible that it was through the John Martin (Jan 2019) Page 2 of 19 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 12 – That other Hamptworth manor gift of John Payne to John Barret that the Kellaway lands in Bapton were first acquired and the claim to those lands by Edmund Estcourt first set up. At this point it is worth making several observations by way of further explanation: a) From the history details of the Escourt family, they held land in several counties and wanted to consolidate their property near Tetbury, Glos., with the intention of creating a large family estate on which to build a grand house. They were therefore keen to exchange or sell some of the more scattered holdings to purchase land around Shipton Moyne to create the Escourt Estate; b) The Kellaway family were involved in more than one land dispute; c) It was clearly in both the Kellaway and Escourt family interests to exchange land and settle their disputes; d) John Webb (d.1625) was the son of John Webb (d.1570) who had a sister Elizabeth. Her second marriage was to Giles Escourt. Thus the younger John was a nephew of Giles Escourt. e) The conveyance of the Hamptworth manor to John Webb by Giles Escourt was probably as a result of John’s grandfather William Webbe (d.1523) in his will referring to his alternative name of KELLOWE, suggesting that he was probably an illegitimate son of the Kelloway family. Thus John Webb or more likely Elizabeth Webb the wife of Giles Escourt, may have used the position and influence of Giles Escourt to dispute and regain the Hampworth manor for the Webb family. The Webb family over time (often by marriage) continued to acquire estates throughout the country. From the British History website for the history of East Cowton, near Northallerton; From: 'Parishes: East Cowton', A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1. Robert Earl of Aylesbury and Elgin and others in 1667 conveyed the manor [JM – of East Cowton] to John Lord Belasyse, whose only surviving daughter and heir Barbara married Sir John Webb of Great Canford in Dorset and Odstock in Wilts., third baronet. From her it has descended to Lady Chermside of Newstead Abbey, Notts., second daughter of the late Frederick William Webb and the present lady of the manor. From the British History website for the history of Easingwold in the North Riding of Yorkshire; From: 'Parishes: Easingwold', A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2. By his third marriage with Anne daughter of John fifth Marquess of Winchester, the first Lord Belasyse left four daughters, among whom the manor of Raskelf was divided. They were: Honora wife of George Lord Abergavenny, Barbara wife of Sir John Webb of Odstock (co. Wilts.), Katherine, who married John Talbot of Longford (co. Salop), and Isabella wife of Thomas Stonor of Stonor (co. Oxon.). Honora, Katherine and Isabella all died without issue and Barbara, Lady Webb, became the sole heiress of her father's estates. She and her husband appear to have settled the manor on their son John Webb. He died without heirs in 1745 in the lifetime of his father, who only survived him a few months, dying in October 1745. The manor then passed to Thomas, the younger and next surviving brother of John, who succeeded as fourth baronet and held the manor until his death in 1763, when it passed to his eldest son Sir John Webb of Odstock, fifth baronet. This Sir John Webb, one of the greatest landowners in England , married Mary the eldest daughter of Thomas Salvin of Easingwold, but had no legitimate male issue, and being displeased with the marriage of his only brother Joseph Webb of Welford (co.Northampton) he cut the entail of the family estates. Sir John Webb had a number of illegitimate children, and though he bequeathed the John Martin (Jan 2019) Page 3 of 19 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 12 – That other Hamptworth manor more important of his possessions to his only legitimate daughter Barbara, afterwards Countess of Shaftesbury, he devised Raskelf Manor and his other Yorkshire estates to a natural son, James Webb.