The Wither Family
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MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF THE WITHER FAMILY, BY THE 1 RE\ • REGINALD F. BIGG-WITHER, M.A., Rector of Ul'onston, Hanis. 'Wlf ncbester : WARREN & SON, 85, HIGH STREET. WINCHESTER : PRl!i19T£D BY WARREN AN,, SON, THF. WYKEHAM PRF.SS. Otdicattd to tbt tntmorp of tbt .Rutbor's ;atbcr, and of bis Son Jlrtbur Sergius. PREFACE. } N the early sixties a young Oxford undergraduate, preparing for the history schools,- as he leant Sunday after Sunday during the long vacation over· the edge of the high family pew in the unrestored parish Church of Wootton St. Lawrence, near Basingstoke-gazed w_ith ·increasing interest at the following monumental inscription on the opposite wall :- " WILLIAM \VITHER ESQUIRE died Oct: 31 17 89 aged 86• • • • • • • On his death, all the male issue Of an ancient and well respected family, Who had resided at Manydown During the space of four centuries Became extinct." "Four centuries" in 1789, that takes one back (he said to himself) to the reign of Richard I I. I wonder what the suc cession of the \Vithers of Manydo,vn ,vas, and ,vhat sort -of life a country squire lived in those days. Visions of the manorial system ; of the estate divided into two portions, that in demesne and that held by the villagers in villenage ; of the manorial courts and of the lord dispensing justice-rose before him. " Some day I will ,vrite a history of the family and of the manor." Time passed. After Oxford came residence abroad. Then Holy Orders ,vith exacting ministerial ,vork. At length, through an enforced ,vinter's rest, came the opportunity of putting into shape materials that had for years been collected for a. history of the \Vithers of Manydo,vn and of their offshoots at Oakley Hall, Theddon Grange, and other parts of Ha.mpshire, and of prefixing viii. to it a sketch of the origin of the family in Lancashire and, in the nature <;>f an appendix, to add some particulars of its ramifications in other parts of E;ngland ~nd of America. The result is the present volume. The title M'aterials for a History of the Wz"ther Fa11zily is an admission of incompleteness. It is hardly possible in the lifetime of a busy man to collect and adjust all available facts concerning an ancient family, that dates back· to the t\velfth century, and then to ,veave _them into a history proper. As it is, the search for ancient records in the Public offices, the examination of old family deeds, of ,vills at Somerset House and else,vhere, of Church registers all over the country, has taken up already too much time in a life set apart for more important occupations.. The writer, however, is confident that the information here presented will interest many who bear the family name, and many members of allied fan1ilies : moreover he is assured that it ,vill usefully serve the wider purpose of illustrating the history of his own county of Hampshire. The \Vither family may not have produced any, or many, world-famous men and ,vomen ; but it is not ,vithout just pride that its representatives to-day look back to forbears of distinction in all branches of Church and State, of literature, Ia w and commerce;· and especially to a long succession of country "squires" living on their estates, "good old English gentlen1en," serving their country as magistrates, their parish as benefactors, honoured by their neighbours, and beloved by the poor. As the sheets ,vere going through the press the author of this family history experienced an irreparable loss in the death, at the early age of eighteen, at \Vinchester College, of his only surviving son. This fact n1ay be a sufficient excuse for some errors in correcting proofs. It remains for the author to· thank those relatives and friends who have helped him in his congenial task. To his co'usin, l\frs. Norsworthy, whose skilled pen has dra,vn the coats of arms from ,vhich the heraldic illustrations are printed, his thanks are especially due;· also_ to 1\1:r. Frank Sidgwick, of the publishing firm of Bullen & Co., for great help in- connection with the life of George \Vither, the poet, and for the admirable bibliography attached. 'fhe· author is grateful also to l\1rs. Beach and to Mrs. Ellice Hicks Beach for help in the history of the \Vithers of Oakley Hall, and to lV!r. Gathorne \Vood for those of Theddon Grange; to the Rev. F. T. r.1adge for r_esearches in vVinchester Cathedral Library, and to Miss Trice lVIartin for the same at the Record Office ; to the many clergy who have readily supplied him with information from the Registers in their charge ; to the Rev. C. S. vVard, of \Vootton St. Lawrence, and the Rev. George Horner, of vVimbledo·n, who, with -the Dean of Durham, Ivlessrs. F. J. Baigent and \V. H. Jacob, of \Vinchester, and .Dr. Andrews_, of Basingstoke, have from time to time given him valuable help and information on antiquarian and literary matters connected with this ,vork; a:id not least is his gratitude due to !v1essrs. Warren, of \Vinchester, for the admirable ,vay in which the book is printed and the facsin1iles and illustrations prepared. REGINALD F. BIGG-WITI-!ER. Wonston Rectory, July, I<)07. CORRECTIONS. Page 22, for II Richard Fawkener," read II Peter." .. 27, for II Alethea \\Tither," read "Alethea Bethell." ., 55, for '• Tho~as." read cc William Heathcote." ., 81, for II Mrs. Charles Smith," read "Mrs. Charles Wither." On Picture of Mrs. William Beach, for 11 1662-1742," read " 1718-1788. ' .. ., " Dorothy Wither, for II 1783," read II 1752." , " .. William Wither B. Beach, for " 19001 " read " 1901." • XL CONTENTS. H,GB. LIST OF PEDIGREES ••• ••• ••• • •• • •• .. XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ••• ••• ••• • •• • •• xv COLOURED PRINT OF WITHER ARMS AND CREST ... .• to face xvi . EPIGRAM THEREON BY GEORGE WITHER, THE POET ••• XVI .. ... THE NAME WITHER. ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• xv11, xvtn CHAPTER I. (pp. 1-8.) WYTHER OF PENDLETON HALL, LANCASHIRE. The Cotgreave Pedigree (1189-1288). Sir William \Vyther, Knight, Judge (1279-1307). Executor to Edmund, 1st• Earl of Lancaster. Wyther of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Wyther of llum (lpstonesland), Stafford~hire. CHAPTER II. (pp. 9-15.) DESCENDANTS OF THE TWO ELDER SONS OF THOMAS WYTHER OF PENDLETON HALL (1363). (1.) Thomas of Whalley. (2.) Thomas of Hunstanton. Elizabethan Pedigree, date 15 76. George \Vyther, Rector of Danbury; Archdeacon of Colchester (1525-1605). Sir \Villiam \Vither, Knight, Lord ~Iayor of London (1707). CHAPTER I I I. (pp. 19--42.) WITHER OF MANYDOWN, HA?.U~SHIRE (1389-1789). Notices of \Vither in ~ampshire, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. Wither of !\fanydown-Thonias (1484-1506); John (1506-1536); Richard (1536- 1577); John (1577-1620); William i (1620-1653); \Villia~ ii (1653-1671); \Villiam iii (1671-1679); William iv (1679-1733); William v (1733-1789). CHAPTER IV. (pp. 43-65.) BIGG-\VITHER OF l\1ANYDOWN AND TANGIER PARKS (1789-1871). Lovelace Bigg (1741- 1789) ; Lovelace Bigg-\Vither (1789-1813); Harris Bigg \Vither (1813-1833) ; Rev. Lovelace Bigg-Wither (1833-1874). •• XII. CHAPTER V. f (pp ~-81.). WITHER OF HALL (OAKLEY HALL) (1583-1901). George· \Vither of Dummer ( I 520-1586) ; Gilbert \Vither of Dummer ( I 586-1599) ; George \Vitber of Hall (1599-1666) ; Gilbert Wither •of. llall (1666-16i6) ; Charles Wither the elder (1676-1697); Charles Wither Commissioner of \Voods and Forests (1697-1731); l\'lrs. Edmund Bramston, nle \Vither (1748-1790); Wither Bramston (1790-1832) ; Colonel Beach (1832-1856) ; The Right Hon. Williarr1 Wither Bramston Beach {1856-1901). Pictures at Oakley Hall. CHAPTER VI. (pp. 85-103.) WITHER OF BENTWORTH AND THEDDON GRANGE (I 562-1730). George \Vyther of Bent,vonh (1562-1629)·; George \Vither, the Poet (1588-1667); Robert \Vither of Theddon Grange (1635-1667) ; Brigadier-General Hunt Wither (1662-1718); Henry Wither of Theddon (1705-1730). The Bonham Family. Chronological Bibliography of the \Vorks of George Wither. CHAPTER VII. (pp. 107-132.) HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAi. ESTATES HELD EY WITHER AND BIGG. 1. Manydown: the l\1anor, the House, the Park, three old Inventories, twenty-one Leases, Court Provisions. 2. Tangier, or Fabians. J. W orting : the l\1anor and Advowson. 4. Andwell, twenty-four Leases. 5. \Voodgarston l\1anor and Estate. 6. Wymering Manor and Estate. 7. Bighton l\Ianor and Advovv·son. 8. Hainshill. 9. Chilton Folliat. 10. Woolston. CHAPTER VIII. (pp. 133-173.) FAMILIES ALLIED WITH \VITHER AND BIGG-\VITHER. 1. Mason of Sydmanton. 13. Mackenzie. 2. Fa:wkener of Kingsclere. 14. l\fansfield 3. Ayliffe of Scures. 15. Awdry of Notton. 4- Love of Basing Park. 16. Short. 5. Pinke of Ke1npshott. 17. Stainforth. 6. Risley of Chetwoode. 18. Heathcote of Hursley. 7. Emle and Pottenger. 19. Orde. 8. Bramston of Skreens. 20. Carleton. g. Hunt of Bentworth. 21. Massey. 10. Harris of Compton. 22. Craven. 11. Blachford of Osborne. 23. Cuthbert. 12. Simeon. 24- Domville. Families of the name \Vithcrs bearing- the arms of \Vither of Manydown :- 1. \Vithers of London. 2. \Vithers of Li 1.-erpool. 3. \Vithcrs of the United States. ... XIII. APPENDICES. (pp. 177-end.) 1.-EXTRACTS FROM. ANCIENT DOCUMENTS (1005-1413). Wither of Gloucestershire (1220-1379). The Family of Ipstones. Wither of Staffordshire (1250-1412). · Wi~er of Herefordshire (1255-1385). Notices of Wither in other Counties (1191-1413). pp. 177-194. 11.-EXTRACTS FROM DOMESTIC STATE PAPERS (1514-16go), and from HISTORICAL l\iANUSCRIPTS (1558-1709). pp. 197-204- III.-LIST OF 186 WILLS, \VITH THE WILLS IN FULL, OF :-John Wether of ?\fany down (1536), text, p. 26; Richard \Vether of Hereford (1492) ; Richard Wyther of London (1521); George \Vyther of Dummer (1587); George \Vyther of Bentworth (1629); Richard Bigg of Oxford (1677); also ABSTRACTS OF THE \VILLS OF :-Elizabeth Wethers of Burghclere (1539); Ann \Vither, nle Ayliffe (1544), text, pp.