Marshwood History Below you will find extracts from The History of Dorset by John Hutchins. The narrative takes us from Galfridus de Maundevile in Henry the Third’s time up to John Tatchell-Bullen in 1865 who is remembered on a plaque in the chimney breast by the front door. We are currently trying to find out more history of the house itself ... 2 6 0 HISTORY OF DORSET. is now a manor, farm, and hamlet, and tithing; it was anciently an honour, the only one in this county, and the head of a barony. 11 Hen. VI. Anne Countess of March held one-third of the hundred of Marshwood.c It takes its name from the marshy soil of the vale in which it lies, and to which it gives name. Here were two parks, the largest of which was called Marshwood Park; the other, adjoining to the former, called Brekelade or Crekelade Park. Though this place was of great repute not long after the Conquest, yet we find no mention of it in Domesday Book. " Behind these hills (viz. Charmouth) lieth a little territorie, called Mershwood vale, rich and. well stored with woods, by meanes whereof it affordeth convenient dwellings. The principall place in it is called Mershwood, which gave it the name, and was antientlie of much accompt, as the two parkes adjoineing seeme to affirme. This Mershwood was the barony of Galfridus de. Maundevile, who, in Henry the Third's time, helde fourteene knight's fees and an halfe in this tracke, and whose ancestours helde the manour of Hardington in Somerset, as the wordes of the recorde are, de conquestu Anglia. But John Maundevile, his grandson by his son John, 33 Edw. I. alienated the honour of Mershwood, with the hundred of Whitchurch appertaining to it, to f Robert le Fitzpaine” whose grandson Robert sold it to John Maltravers of Lichet Maltravers, who forfeited it to King Edward III. who granted it to William de Montacute, Earl of Sarum, who re- granted it to Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and by his heiress Philippa it came to the Mortimers, Earls of March; thence to the Crown, "unto whose nearest allies [relations] it was ever granted by succeedeing princes, untill of late years; but little doth now remaine at Mershwood worthie the honour of the place and the owners of it, the parkes beeing disparked, the names dispersed, and the house onlie able by ruines to show it has been such.”f The first lords of this place, the ancient family of the Mandevilles or de Magnavilla, came in with the Conqueror. A branch of this family was 5 Stephen created Earl of Essex, and became extinct 2 Rich. I. Those of Marshwood were barons of that place, and were very considerable. in their time for their large possessions in England and Normandy. Galfrid de Mandeville owed 100 marks, to have trial in the King's court concerning his inheritance in England and Normandy, which Henry de Tilli took from him; and when he shall have seisin, to give 400 rnarks.g William de Mandeville gave. the King 100 marks of silver, to have a trial in the King's court upon that suit which his father began against Henry de Tilly for the honour of Mers- wude, on condition to give 100 marks if he lost the suit, and 500 if he gained it.h This Henry de Tilli, 6 Rich. I. paid 141. 15s. scutage for .the' redemption of the King.i 7 John, the sheriff Marshwood, Mershwood, Mersewood, Merswde, accounted for 19l. 6s. 8d. for fourteen fees, a half, and a fourth part, for the honour of Henry lies four miles north-west from Whitchurch, and c Fin. Conc. Hunter, 85. d Testa de Neville. g Mag. Rot. 7 Rich. I. rot. 18, Dors. & Somers. Madox, Hist. Excheq. c. iii. p. 68. h Dugdale, Baron. vol. i. 206. Mag. Rot. 3 Joh. rot. 3 Dors. & Somers. & Rot. de Oblatis anno 1 Johann I Mag. Rot. 6 Rich. I. rot. 3, Dors. & Somers. WHITCHU RCH CANONICORUM. 261 de Tilly.a It appears by the great roll for Cornwall, making Robert and Geffrey, brothers and con- 6 John, that he had lands in that county.b temporaries, to be possessed of the same estates, Robert, son of William, recovered it.c For, 13 and to die the same year, cannot be well John, he accounted to the King for 1831. 6s. 8d. reconciled. But our records give a further and five palfreys, and three Norway goshawks for it. different account of this John. 4 Edw. I. John de By indenture signed by King John, dated 24 Mandeville held, inter alia, the manors of May, 1207, a. r. 8, he is declared to be lawful Marswood vale and Chidiock in Whitchurch descendant and right heir of Geffrey de Mande- hundred, of the King in chief, by knight's service; ville the elder, lord of the barony of Merswude, also certain fees in Morteshorne, Pyneford, and and accordingly that barony is ordered to be Weston, co. Dorset.h 33 Edw. I. it was found not restored to him: and he paid a very considerable to the King's detriment if he gave leave to J. de fine for it, 10 John. He was a great benefactor to Mandevile to enfeoff Robert le Fitzpain. and the church of Whitchurch. 2 Hen. III, he had the Isabel his wife, and their heirs for ever, of his barony of Funtell, co. Wilts, which by his manor of Marshwood, which is held of the King consent and that of the other heirs had been in chief, and the hundred of Whitchurch belongs resigned to King John. 19 and 20 Hen. III. to it.k There remains to the said John, besides this, Robert de Mandeville paid 53s. 4d. for the the manor of Coker, co. Somerset, which belongs scutage of two knight's fees in Dorset.d 38 Hen. to the hundred of Coker. 7 Edw. I. he paid 29l. III. on the collection of the aid for making the 10s. for fourteen fees on the scutage of Wales.l 34 King's eldest son a knight, he paid 29l. for four- Edw. I. Robert, son of John de Mandeville, was teen knight's fees, a half, and one fourth, outlawed, and the manors of East and West Coker belonging to this honour. 30 Hen. III. he paid were in the King's hands for a year and a day.m 14l. 15s. for fourteen fees of this honour, on the In 1282 John de 1VIaundeville of the county aid for marrying the King's eldest daughter. 48 of Dorset, serviens, acknowledges the service of Hen. III, he was in the battle of Lewes amongst two knight's fees, performed by himself and one the rebellious barons; but, 49 Hen. III. had his serviens during eighty days, on the expedition pardon, which is the last account we find of against the Welsh, the muster at Rhuddlan on him.e Sunday the morrow of St. Peter ad Vincula. In Geffrey, supposed to be his brother (for he was 1294 he was summoned to the muster at Ports- his contemporary), was, 17 John, in arms against mouth (Sept. 1) to perform military service in the King, on which his manors of Petersfield, co. person in Gascony. In 1300 he was returned Hants, and Mapledurham, co. Oxford, were from the counties of Somerset and Dorset as seised. 18 John, he was excommunicated by the holding lands, &c. to the amount of 40l. yearly Pope for that transgression. He held the lordships value and upwards, and as such summoned to of Mershwood and Chidiock, of the King in the muster at Carlisle on the Nativity of St. John chief, by barony and service of two knights in the the Baptist (June 24) to perform military service King's army, and sold them to John Gervase and against the Scots. In 1306 he was summoned to his heirs, reserving 20l. per annum rent.f About service against the Scots, or to appear at the 42 Hen. III. being in arms with the barons, he Exchequer to compound for the same. The mus- sold his manor of Sutton, co. Wilts, to Dru de ter at Carlisle in fifteen days of the Nativity of Barentine. He died 49 Hen. III. or before. He held St. John the Baptist. also of that King the hundred of Whitchurch by In 1309 he was again summoned to service barony.g against the Scots; and in 1313 obtained a pardon as John his son succeeded, to whom Dru de Ba- an adherent of the Earl of Lancaster for his rentine gave the lordship of Sutton, before-men- participation in the death of Gaveston, and the tioned, in frank-marriage, with Agnes his daugh- disturbances occasioned thereby. In 1316 he was ter." 4 Edw. I. and. 53 Hen. III. he had livery certified by the sheriff as lord of the township of of the land his father died seised of, and left Buckhorn Weston, co. Dorset, where see some issue, by the said Agnes, one daughter named further notices of this family. Joan.i Here Dugdale closes the account of this “Having already remarked that Dugdale is not family, which does not seem very exact: his The Pedigree of MANDEVILLE of Marshwood. Arms.—Ga. three lions passant in pale arg, debruised with a bendlet az. 1. .............. ==Galfriclus de Mandeville, Sen. baron de Marshwood, t. Hen. II.==……. ____ _______________________________________________ Robert de Mandeville.==…….. Radulf de Mandeville, baron of Marshwood.