1085

DODDERHILL, ENGLAND
Dodderhill is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, (fn. 17) the chief manor at the time of the Conquest being WYCHBOLD (Wicbold, vii cent.; Wicelbold, xi cent.; Wichebald, xii cent.; Wychebaud, xiii cent.). Land at Wychbold near the River Salwarpe was granted by King Ethelred in 692 to the priory of Worcester, at the request of his former servant Oslaf, then a monk at Worcester. (fn. 18) It is said to have belonged to the priory until the 11th century, when Edwin, brother of Earl Leofric, wrested it from them. (fn. 19) The truth of this story is somewhat discredited by the fact that in 815 and 831 Wychbold appears as a royal residence, from which Kings Coenwulf and Wiglaf of Mercia executed charters. (fn. 20) Edwin, according to the Worcester historian, did not live long to enjoy his ill-gotten lands, being put to death by Griffin, king of the Britons. (fn. 21) Instead of being restored to the priory, Wychbold seems to have been claimed by Earl Godwin and after the Conquest was granted to Osbern Fitz Richard. (fn. 22) On the death of the latter the manor, which was held of the king in chief, (fn. 23) passed to his son Hugh Fitz Osbern, who married Eustacia de Say. Their two sons Osbert and Hugh assumed their mother's surname. Osbert, dying without issue, was succeeded by his brother Hugh, who had two sons, Richard and Hugh. (fn. 24) The former died issueless, and the latter died at the end of the 12th century, (fn. 25) leaving three daughters. (fn. 26) This manor passed to Margery, who married firstly Hugh de Ferrers, secondly Robert Mortimer, and thirdly William Stutevill. (fn. 27) In 1199 Mabel daughter of Robert Marmion and widow of Hugh de Say had £11 3s. 11d. in the manor of Wychbold except the capital messuage which belonged to Hugh de Ferrers, (fn. 28) and in 1222-3 a moiety of the manor was conveyed to her for her lifetime by her daughter Margery and her husband William Stutevill. (fn. 29) The latter held Margery's estates after her death by courtesy; in a fine of 1243-4, (fn. 30) in which he made certain grants to Hugh Mortimer, her son and heir by her second marriage, Wychbold was confirmed to him by Hugh, and he died seised of it in 1259, when it was valued at £15 5s. (fn. 31) The manor then passed to Hugh Mortimer, who received a grant of free warren there in 1266. (fn. 32) On his death in 1275 Wychbold passed to his son Robert, (fn. 33) who died in 1287, (fn. 34) when the estates were held by the king during the minority of the heir Hugh. (fn. 35) The latter died in 1304, it is said from poison administered by Maud his wife, who was only pardoned at the instance of Margaret, the queen consort. (fn. 36) In the inquisition taken after Hugh's death the manor is said to have been a member of Burford, held of the king by barony. His heirs were his daughters Joan and Margaret, (fn. 37) during whose minority the custody of their possessions was granted in 1304 to Queen Margaret. (fn. 38) In the same year, at the king's request, she transferred a moiety of the lands, during the minority of the elder daughter, with her marriage, to Thomas Bykenore, (fn. 39) and sold the custody of the remaining moiety, with the marriage of the younger daughter, to Walter, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. (fn. 40) Soon after, the escheator was ordered to deliver the manor of Wychbold to Maud widow of Hugh Mortimer, (fn. 41) and she remained in possession of it, including a capital messuage and toll paid by persons crossing the Salwarpe, until her death in 1308. (fn. 42) The manor was then assigned to the elder daughter of Hugh Mortimer, Joan, then wife of Thomas Bykenore. (fn. 43) After Thomas Bykenore's death, Joan, his widow, married Sir Richard Talbot, (fn. 44) and in 1320 Wychbold was settled on them and their issue. (fn. 45) In 1325-6 the manor of Wychbold was conveyed by Sir Richard Talbot and Joan to Isabel Mortimer for her life. (fn. 46) Isabel was still living in 1329, when Joan Talbot, after the death of her husband, settled the reversion on her eldest son John and Juliana his wife. (fn. 47) Joan was followed in 1341 by her son John Talbot, (fn. 48) after whose death in 1355 (fn. 49) his widow Juliana held it in dower until her death in 1362, when their son John succeeded. (fn. 50) He died 18 February 1375, the custody of his son Richard (fn. 51) being granted by Edward III to his daughter Isabella. (fn. 52) Wychbold was retained by Katharine, Sir John Talbot's widow, in dower. (fn. 53) Her son Richard Talbot died 13 September 1382, (fn. 54) when Alice, widow of Peter Preston, was granted the custody of John brother and heir of Richard. (fn. 55) On her complaint that certain persons schemed to dispossess her of his marriage and took him from place to place, Robert Beverley, serjeant-at-arms, was ordered to arrest the young heir and bring him before the king and council. (fn. 56) John Talbot died a minor, 3 July 1388, and his three sisters became his co-heirs: Elizabeth wife of Warin Archdekne, Philippa wife of Matthew Gurney, and Eleanor. (fn. 57) Eleanor died unmarried in 1390, (fn. 58) and the lands were divided between Elizabeth and Philippa, the former receiving Wychbold, which passed to the Lucys through the marriage of her eldest daughter Eleanor with Sir Walter Lucy. (fn. 59) Sir Walter and Eleanor left three children, Sir William Lucy, who died childless in 1461, Eleanor the wife of Thomas Hopton, and Maud the wife of William Vaux of Harrowden. (fn. 60) On Sir William Lucy's death his estates passed to Elizabeth wife of Sir Roger Corbett of Moreton Corbet, co. Salop, and daughter of Eleanor Hopton and to Sir William Vaux, son of Maud. (fn. 61) According to Habington, Wychbold was then 'by sale transferred to others.' (fn. 62) The sale took place soon after Sir William Lucy's death, since in 1463-4 the manor was in the possession of Joan widow of Sir Robert Vere, who conveyed it to Nicholas Carew, Alexander and William Carew, two of his younger sons, and others, (fn. 63) evidently for the use of William Carew. It remained in his family for almost a century. In 1523 John Carew, his son, settled it on Margery Kelly, whom he afterwards married. (fn. 64) She was still holding it in 1547, (fn. 65) but before 1562 had been succeeded by her grandson Thomas Carew, who with Elizabeth his wife conveyed it in that year to Edward Villiers and Thomas Savage. (fn. 66) The manor was afterwards purchased by the Pakingtons. (fn. 67) Sir John Pakington held it in 1610-11 (fn. 68) and obtained licence in 1618-19 to impark 1,000 acres of arable land in Hampton Lovett, Westwood, Dodderhill and Droitwich. (fn. 69) He died seised of the manor in 1625, leaving it to his grandson John. (fn. 70) In this family it probably remains, but it has long been extinct. From: 'Parishes: Dodderhill', A History of the County of Worcester: volume 3 (1913), pp. 58-69. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43089 Date accessed: 02 August 2009.