A History of Landford in Wiltshire

A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 3 – Landford Manor This history of Landford Manor and estate 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 and 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. Page 2. Section 1 - The history of Landford Manor Page 7. Section 2 - Table of Owners and Occupiers of Landford Manor Page 8. Section 3 - Family connections with Landford Manor Page 8 The Lye/Lygh/Leyh, Stanter and Beckett families Page 10 The Dauntsey/Stradling/Danvers families Page 11 The Davenant family Page 13 The Eyre family Page 20 Worsop and Trollope Page 21 The Jeffreys family Page 23 Mrs Sarah Maud Crossley Page 24 Sir Alfred Mond Page 26 Sir Frederick Preston Page 28 Margaret Bell Walmsley Page 30 Extracts from the Newspapers Page 33 Acknowledgements John Martin (Aug 2019) Page 1 of 34 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 3 – Landford Manor Section 1 – The history of Landford Manor Much of the following information regarding the history of Landford Manor is taken from Some Notes on the Parish of Landford written in 1872 by Rev F.G. Girdlestone, and from the Wiltshire Community History and the British History online websites. I have added further notes on the family connections with Landford Manor to try and provide some insight into the people that occupied the property. In places this has required some clarification of the anomalies between the sources used to provide this history of the Manor, bearing in mind that earlier sources did not have the use of the Internet available to them to verify articles by earlier writers. The current Manor House was built in 1599, but by who is disputed. It was originally a gabled building. A south wing was added in 1680 when the manor was in the hands of the Davenant family. The Eyres modernized the principle front in 1717. In the 19th century the estate passed by marriage to the Nelsons of Trafalgar House and they added a bay on the right in 1885. There have been many more minor alterations and additions while in c.1914 a large porch was added. Sir Frederick Preston also made various additions. Built in English bond brickwork with limestone quoins and dressings, and roofed with clay tiles with some lead for the valleys and flat roofs. The windows have stone mullioned surrounds with leaded light windows inset; metal framed openings and fan lights to the majority of the building. In the front façade there are four paned timber sash windows; to the servants/store areas there are timber framed side hung opening windows and dormer windows in the roof. The Manor has a gated entrance to an open forecourt. Walls surrounding the original walled garden are still standing. There is an open garden to the rear of the main building. The boundaries consist of the walled garden, hedgerows and estate fencing. Whereas there is agreement in various accounts that the house was built c.1600, they do not agree as to who was responsible for building the Manor House or the ownership of the estate when it passed out of the possession of the Legh family until it finally came into the total ownership of the Eyre family. By way of an explanation it is necessary to provide some quotations. The first quotation is taken from the historical records of the Church of St Andrew, Landford. Considering that the Rev Girdlestone was purporting to be referring back to such an authority as the History of Wiltshire by Sir Richard Hoare , who used an earlier account by the local historian George Matcham, Esq. LLC, who am I to question such an authority as to the accuracy of this account. However, there do appear to be serious discrepancies that arise as a result of researching the various families that had possession of the estate, details of which are given in the section Family Connections below. a) From: History of Landford Church – Some notes on the Parish of Landford by Rev. F.G. Girdlestone, Rector 1872 – John Martin (Aug 2019) Page 2 of 34 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 3 – Landford Manor From the year 1200 the Manor was in the possession of the Lye or Legh family, who however did not seem to have resided here, as they had large possessions elsewhere. They retained the property in their family until the reign of Henry VIII when they disposed of it to a family of the name of Becket. Two brothers of their family, William and Thomas conveyed the mill to Michael Dornier, Alderman of London in the 25th year of Henry VIII’s reign and before the year 1578, half the manor had passed into the hands of Sir John Dauntsey, who in that year conveyed his moiety of the manor of Landford to Giles Eyre Esq of Brickworth as the other moiety was in the possession of John Stanter who had married a daughter of Robert Legh. And in the year 1638 he and his wife “conveyed their share of the manor, lands and advowson of Land, in trust, for John DAVENANT Bishop of Salisbury and his heirs.” We further learn from the authority already quoted that the great nephew of the Bishop of Salisbury, John Davenant Esq. resided at Landford House, during the reign of Charles I and Charles II. At his decease his son Edward who succeeded, becoming embarrassed, disposed of the property to John, second son of Giles Eyre Esq. of Brickworth. In the year 1800 John Maurice Eyre Esq., son of John Eyre of Landford purchased the other moiety of the manor which had been detached since the reign of Henry VIII. And so the whole manor lands, and advowson, came into the possession of his only daughter and sole heiress, Frances Elizabeth who became Countess Nelson. b) From: British History Online - 'Corsley', A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 8: Warminster, Westbury and Whorwellsdown Hundreds , - William de Lye was said after his death to be of Huntenhull. A son John evidently succeeded him and was followed by Thomas, whose son Robert occurs between 1370 and 1412. Richard, son of Robert, occurs between 1425 and 1441. Another Robert was dead by 1465, leaving a son Robert who survived until the early 16th century. He left two daughters and coheirs, Elizabeth Stanter and Anne Beckett. c) From: Wilts Community History – In 1540 the manor passed to the Dauntsey family and their descendants. Sir John Dauntsey rebuilt Landford Manor House in c.1600. In 1627/8 the manor was conveyed to Giles Eyre of Brickworth in Whiteparish and the Eyre family and their descendants resided at the manor. d) From: British Listed Buildings (Source English Heritage) Large detached house, c1600, south wing c1680, additions of 1885 and 1929. …..3-storey, 5-window front with fenestration of c1717. Panelled brick blocking course has central panel with arms of John Eyre, c1717. Original build by Stanter family; Davenants added south wing and heightened front c1680. Eyres altered front 1717. John Martin (Aug 2019) Page 3 of 34 A History of Landford in Wiltshire Part 3 – Landford Manor e) From: A vision of Britain through time, describing Landford - In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Landford like this: The manor belonged to the Lyghs; passed to the Davenants and the Eyres; and is now held by the Dowager Countess Nelson. Historical records appear to agree that the manor of Landford was in the possession of the Lygh family for some considerable time up until the early part of the 16 th century. [The actual spelling of their name differs according to the reference and could have been Lygh, Lye, Legh or Leigh. To avoid confusion, Lygh will be used in further narrative.] It would appear that the Lygh family did not reside in Landford during their period of tenure as they had estates elsewhere; in particular they held the manor of Huntenhull near Corsley, just west of Warminster. (See Family Connections below.) We know that the last Robert Lygh died in about 1515 and the Landford estate was inherited by his two daughters; Elizabeth who married John Stanter of Horningsham [a neighbouring estate to that owned by the Lygh family, to the west of Warminster] and Anne who married William Becket of Wilton. At that point it would appear that the manor was divided into two separate moieties, one passing into the Stanter family and the other to the Beckets. Rev Girdlestone says that the Lyghs disposed of the Landford estate to the Beckets, which is incorrect. Only half the estate was inherited by the Becket family when Anne Lygh married Willaim Becket. The account by Rev Girdlestone then appears to contain a serious anomaly, by saying that before the year 1578, half the manor had passed into the hands of Sir John Dauntsey, who in that year conveyed his moiety of the manor of Landford to Giles Eyre Esq of Brickworth. However, the first Giles Eyre was only a six year old boy in 1578 and didn’t obtain the land in Whiteparish until 1604 on which to build their family seat at Brickworth Manor in 1605. This confusion may have occurred as a result of the history of the Dauntsey estate.

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