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- Hamo de Gatton, Surrey, Kent
Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward I
Date: 20 Nov 1292-20 Nov 1293
Reference: C133/61/22
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Hamo de Gatton, Surrey, Kent
Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward I
Date: 20 Nov 1299-19 Nov 1300
Reference: C133/98/31
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Reference: C 241/36/249
Description:
Debtor: Robert de Gatton, sometime the son of Hamo de Gatton, of [Gatton, Felborough Hundred] Kent.
Creditor: Henry de Bouges, citizen of London.
Amount: 8m.
Before whom: John le Blund, Mayor of London; Henry de Leicester, Clerk.
First term: 24/06/1302
Last term: 24/06/1302
Writ to: Sheriff of Kent
Sent by: John le Blund, Mayor of London; Henry de Leicester, Clerk.
Date: 1302
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: Latin
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
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Reference: C 241/42/57
Description:
Debtor: Robert de Gatton, the son, formerly, of Henry de Gatton of [Gatton, Felborough Hundred] Kent.
Creditor: John de Ramsey, {Rammeseye} citizen of London.
Amount: 100m.
Before whom: John le Blund, Mayor of London; Henry de Leicester, Clerk.
First term: 25/03/1302
Last term: 25/03/1302
Writ to: Sheriff of Kent
Sent by: John le Blund, Mayor of London; Henry de Leicester, Clerk.
Date: 1302
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: Latin
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Reference: C 132/30/16
Description:
Robert de Gatton alias de Gattune: Surrey: Gatton; Kent
Date: 1264
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: Latin
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
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C - Records created, acquired, and inherited by Chancery, and also of the Wardrobe, Royal Household, Exchequer and various commissions
Records of the Chancery as central secretariat
C 132 - Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Henry III
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aet. 25 and upwards 1264 (Inquis. of his father) Sheriff of Kent, 1285; held, 1274-5 three knight's fees of the honour of Peverel, in Throwley, Boughton Malherbe, Wormshill, Gatton and Caterham (Rot. Hund. 3 Ed. I., p. 208), one-fourth of Ertindon, 1278-9, (Plac. 7 Ed. I. rot. 27); died 1291, seized of Gatton, Catteshull and Ertindon. (Inq. 20 Ed. I.)
[Source: Gatton pedigree. See KAS journal http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/005-1863/005-09.pdf]
WORMSELL.
WESTWARD from Frinsted, near the summit of the chalk hills, lies Wormsell, now vulgarly called, and as frequently written, Wormshill.
THAT PART of it northward of the church, including the borough of Bedmanton, is in the division of East Kent, but the rest of it, including the church and village, is in that of West Kent, to which division therefore this parish is esteemed to belong.
The parish is situated mostly on high ground, about three miles northward from the summit of the chalk hills, the high road through Newnham or Syndallbottom towards Hollingborne, running along the southern part of it. It is parish so obscurely situated, and of so little thoroughfare, as hardly to be known. Being exposed to the northern aspect, it lies very bleak and cold. The church stands rather in the eastern part of it, having the village, consisting of a few scattered houses, at a small distance from it; about a mile northwestward is the hamlet of Bedmanton. The hills here are continual, and very sharp, the soil much the same, as in the adjoining parishes in the like high situation before-described, only the flints, if possible, lie thicker on the ground; the land is poor, and in general let at between five and six shillings an acre; at the northern boundary of the parish there is a considerable quantity of wood, consisting mostly of hazel and oak, with numbers of trees of the latter, interspersed among them, which are but small, never here growing to any size. In Henry the IIId.'s reign there was a family resident here, who took their surname from this parish.
Thomas Pepyr, of this parish, in his will anno 1460, mentions his chief place, called Rychemonds, with other lands here, which he gave to Julian his wife, and afterwards to Richard Pepyr, his son.
THIS MANOR was antiently esteemed as an appendage to the manor of Boughton Malherb, which was held of the manor of Ospring, and they had both, for a length of time, the same owners.
In the reign of Henry III. Robert de Gatton was possessed of the manors of Bocton and Wormesell, whose grandson Hamo de Gatton dying without issue male, Elizabeth, his daughter and coheir, carried both these manors, with their appurtenances, in marriage to William de Dene, who in the 10th year of Edward II [1316/7] obtained a charter of free-warren for his several manors in this county. Margery, the other daughter of Hamo de Gatton, married Simon de Norwood, and had all her father's lands in Surry. In one of the windows of the north chancel of this church are painted the arms of Simon de Norwood, Ermine, a cross engrailed, gules, charged with a bendlet, azure, impaling chequy, argent and azure. William de Dene died in the 15th year of Edward III. holding these manors with their appurtenances, of the king in capite, as of his castle of Dover, and paying to the ward of it. Thomas de Dene, his son and heir, succeeded him in both of them, and in the 20th year of Edward III. paid aid for them, at the making the black prince a knight, as one knight's fee in Bocton and Wormsell, which Hamo de Gatton before held of the king. He died possessed of them in the 23d year of it.
The heirs of his son Thomas de Dene alienated these manors, with their appurtenance, to Robert Corbie, whose son and heir Robert Corbie, of Boughton Malherb, leaving an only daughter and heir Joan, she carried them in marriage to Sir Nicholas Wotton, twice lord-mayor of London. His son Nicholas Wotton, esq. alienated this manor, together with the advowson of the church of Wormesell, to Thomas St. Nicholas, of Thorne, in Thanet, whose son and heir Roger St. Nicholas left an only daughter Elizabeth, who carried this estate in marriage to John Dingley, alias Dyneley, whose descendant Francis Dingley, esq. of Charlton, in Worcestershire, passed it away, at the latter end of the reign of queen Elizabeth, to William Sedley, esq. of the Friars, in Aylesford, created a baronet in 1611, in which name and family it continued down to Sir Charles Sedley, of St. Giles's in the Fields, London, great-grandson of Richard Sedley, younger brother of Sir Wm. Sedley, bart. of Aylesford, before-mentioned. He was created a baronet in 1702, and afterwards resided at the antient family seat of Scadbury, in Southfleet. He alienated this manor, with the advowson of the church, about the year 1712, to the president and governors of Christ's hospital, in London, for the benefit of that charity, part of the revenues of which it remains at this time. It still pays a castle-guard rent to Dover-castle. A court baron is still held for this manor.
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daughter and co-heiress of Hamo de Gatton, of Boughton
Gatton is a small parish 2 miles north-east from Reigate. It is bounded on the north by Chipstead, on the east by Merstham, on the south by Reigate, and on the west by Kingswood in Ewell. It is on the crest and southern slope of the chalk downs, and extends southwards on to the Upper Green Sand and Gault. The church and such village as there is stand on the Green Sand. The parish measures about a mile from east to west, and a trifle more from north to south, and contains 1,200 acres of land and 32 of water. A tongue of the parish ran southwards, south of Merstham to the boundary of Nutfield, but was added to Merstham (q.v.) in 1899.
The situation of Gatton is highly picturesque. The upper part of the parish, on the chalk hills, is upwards of 700 ft. above the sea. A great part of the centre of the parish is taken up by Gatton Park, which covers 550 acres, nearly a half of the whole acreage. In it is the lake formed by damming up water from small springs which ultimately flow down to the Mole. There are two other ponds. The parish is very well wooded with various kinds of trees.
MANOR
One hide at Gatton was bequeathed by Alfred the Ealdorman to Ethelwald his son between the years 871 and 889. (fn. 16) In the time of Edward the Confessor Gatton was assessed at 10 hides. It was held by Earl Leofwine, brother of Earl Harold, who held the earldom of the county. (fn. 17) He fell at Hastings, and Gatton became the land of Bishop Odo of Bayeux, of whom it was held by a certain Herfrey. (fn. 18)
The bishop forfeited the overlordship of Gatton with his other English possessions through his complicity in the Norman rebellion of 1088. Probably it was then held of his manor of Ospringe, co. Kent, to which the lord of Gatton was said to owe suit of court from the 13th century onwards. (fn. 19) Both Ospringe and Gatton were members of the honour of Peverel in Dover. (fn. 20)
The actual tenant in 1086 was Herfrey. His son or grandson Hamon gave a moiety of the manor to Ralph de Dene in marriage with his elder daughter Joan, reserving to himself the other moiety for life, with remainder to Ralph. The agreement was confirmed by Henry II, (fn. 21) but Hamon's heir male, Robert de Gatton, (fn. 22) evidently took possession of his moiety, but was ousted c. 1190, by Geoffrey de Beauvale in right of his wife Idonea. She was mother of Robert de Dene, (fn. 23) and probably connected with Ralph de Dene, for in 1220 the heirs of Ralph de Dene, Geoffrey Sackville, Richard de Cumberland, his wife Sibyl, and Parnel de Beauvale, granddaughter of Geoffrey de Beauvale, impleaded Hamon son of Robert de Gatton for his failure to keep an agreement concerning a moiety of the manor with Robert de Dene. (fn. 24) The plea was postponed on account of the minority of Parnel, whose mother Margery had recovered seisin of one carucate at Gatton against Hamon before 1223. (fn. 25) In that year he recovered this carucate from Parnel, since her father Ralph son of Geoffrey de Beauvale, a spendthrift who hated his heirs, had restored it to Robert de Gatton for £28 in the time of King John. (fn. 26) In 1227 she joined with the other heirs of Ralph de Dene in a release of the whole manor to Hamon de Gatton. (fn. 27) He was appointed escheator of the Crown for Surrey in 1232, (fn. 28) but died in or before 1235, when his lands, saving the dower of his widow Beatrice, were given into the custody of William of York during the minority of his heir. (fn. 29) This heir was probably Robert de Gatton, (fn. 30) who died seised of the manor in or before 1264. (fn. 31) His son and heir Hamon, Sheriff of Kent in 1285, (fn. 32) was holding the manor at his death shortly before 1 February 1291–2. (fn. 33) He was succeeded by a son of the same name, whose infant son Edmund inherited Gatton upon his death, c. 1299. (fn. 34) The custody of all Hamon's lands with the exception of Gatton Park was granted in 1301 to the executors of Edmund Earl of Cornwall in part payment of the king's debt to him. (fn. 35) They conveyed it to Sir William Milksop, kt., who sold it to John Northwood. (fn. 36) Edmund de Gatton did not live to enjoy his inheritance, which was divided between his two sisters and co-heirs, Elizabeth wife of William de Dene, and Margaret wife of Simon Northwood, brother or son of John Northwood. (fn. 37) Gatton was evidently assigned to the latter, for her husband was holding the manor in 1327, (fn. 38) and her son Sir Robert Northwood, kt., was holding in 1344, (fn. 39) and was summoned to do homage for it in 1345. (fn. 40) He died in 1360, leaving a son and heir Thomas. (fn. 41) The latter's sisters and co-heirs, Agnes Northwood and Joan wife of John de Levedale, conveyed the manor to Richard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, in 1364, (fn. 42) and Gatton was among the lands seized by the Crown on the attainder and execution of his son Richard in 1397. (fn. 43) His son Thomas, Earl of Arundel, was restored to his father's lands in 1399, (fn. 43a) and so probably to Gatton, although no record mentions his tenure of it. At his death in 1415 his lands were divided among his three sisters and co-heirs, the eldest of whom, Elizabeth, married Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Her great-grandson, John, Duke of Norfolk, probably granted Gatton about 1446 (fn. 44) to his retainer John Timperley, (fn. 45) who in 1449 had licence to inclose the manor. (fn. 46)
John Timperley conveyed the manor (fn. 47) to feoffees to the use of Roger Copley and his wife Anne and their heirs. (fn. 48) Roger Copley, son of the former Roger and Anne, in May 1537 entailed it on his son Thomas; after his death, which took place in 1548, (fn. 49) his widow Elizabeth nominated the burgesses, and Thomas Copley represented Gatton in 1554, 1557–8, and 1562–3. (fn. 50) Under Queen Mary he was committed to the custody of the Serjeant at Arms for indiscreet words in favour of the Lady Elizabeth in Parliament. (fn. 51) He had scruples about the oath of supremacy, left England without licence in 1569 and became a leader among the English fugitives, was created Baron Copley of Gatton by the King of Spain, and died in Flanders in 1584. (fn. 52) His son and heir William Copley settled the manor on his younger son William in 1615, but the latter died in 1623 in his lifetime, leaving two infant daughters, Mary and Anne. (fn. 53) His estate had been sequestered for his recusancy c. 1611, and an annuity of £160 from it granted to Sir William Lane, who had evidently procured the sequestration. (fn. 54)
Copley. Argent a mill-rind cross sable.
Captain Henry Lane, son of Sir William, petitioned for a lease of Gatton Manor in 1630. (fn. 55) Apparently he was unsuccessful, for in 1632 William Copley the elder was pardoned his recusancy and permitted to hold Gatton for twenty-one years for an annual rent to the Crown. (fn. 56) Meanwhile his granddaughters Mary and Anne had been left under the guardianship of Sir Richard Weston, who married them to his two sons John and George, in spite of the protests of their grandfather. (fn. 57) Their estates were again sequestered for their recusancy, c. 1650. (fn. 58) John Weston's moiety was purchased from the Treason Trustees by John Carrill in 1653. (fn. 59) Finally, a partition of the lands of William Copley the younger assigned Gatton to John and Mary Weston, (fn. 60) who joined with John Carrill and others in a sale to Thomas Turgis in 1654. (fn. 61) He died in 1661 (fn. 62) leaving a son Thomas, who in 1669 obtained a release of the manor from Richard Weston. (fn. 63) By his will (fn. 64) dated 1703 he bequeathed it to his kinsman William, eldest son of George Newland of Smithfield. He left it to his brother Dr. George Newland for life, with remainder to the sons of his own daughters in tail male. The estate was sold after his death to James Colebrooke, (fn. 65) who was created baronet in 1759. His two daughters, Mary wife of John Aubrey and Emma wife of Charles, Earl of Tankerville, sold Gatton to their uncle Sir George Colebrooke, bart., from whom it was purchased in 1774 by Sir William Mayne, afterwards Baron Newhaven of Ireland. (fn. 66) It was then successively purchased by a Mr. Percy and a Mr. Graham. (fn. 67) Mary and George Graham sold to Robert Ladbrooke of Portland Place in 1789. (fn. 68) He sold the manor to John Petrie in February 1796, (fn. 69) and it was purchased in 1808 by Mark Wood, later Sir Mark Wood, bart. (fn. 70) After his death it was purchased by trustees for John, fifth Baron Monson. (fn. 71) It was sold in 1888 by the seventh Lord Monson, created Viscount Oxenbridge in 1886, to Mr. J. Colman, since created Sir J. Colman, bart., the present owner.
A house of considerable importance was attached to Gatton Manor in 1220, (fn. 72) and a deer-park existed in 1278. (fn. 73) The custody of the park was entrusted to John Berwick, a clerk of the king, from 1301 onwards during the minority of the heirs of Hamon de Gatton. (fn. 74) The hall was divided between the sisters of Thomas de Northwood in 1362. (fn. 75) Possibly John Timperley wished to enlarge the park in 1449 when he obtained licence to inclose the manor, 360 acres of land, 40 acres of meadow, and land at Merstham, together with a grant of free warren there. (fn. 76) It has already been stated that the Copleys lived for some time at Gatton. Aubrey, writing late in the 17th century, mentions a fine manor-house there, and states that it was built on the site of a former castle; but of this there is no proof. (fn. 77) The house, then known as Gatton Place, was the residence of Dr. George Newland. (fn. 78) The present Gatton Park is a very fine example of the Italian style of house. It seems to have been begun by Sir Mark Wood, owner in 1808, whose predecessor, Mr. Petrie, had pulled down part of the older house. (fn. 79) The house of Sir Mark Wood was a good deal reconstructed, if not quite rebuilt on a grander scale, by Lord Monson, for what are known as Sir Mark Wood's cellars are outside the wall of the present house. Lord Monson, who died in 1841, left it unfinished, and it was completed by his successor. The Marble Hall, entirely lined by Italian marbles, is very fine, and there was a good collection of pictures and statuary.
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Marion Norwood Callam writes in The Norwoods II. Heraldry and Brasses (Bushy Heath, 1965, pp. 40-42):
"In one of the very quiet by-ways in Kent between Sittingboourne on the north and Boughton Malherbe on the south, we came across a farm named Norwood in the village of Wormsell. It was a long rectangular building, full of old timber, beautifully restored and cared for by its present owner, Mr. Gordon Webb. In the reign of Henry III the manor of Wormsell and that of Boughton Malherbe, was owned by Robert de Gatton 'whose grandson, hamo, dying without male issue, Elizabeth his daughter and co-heir carried both these estates in marriage to William de Dene...Margery, the other daughter of Hamo married Simon de Northwood and possessed all her father's lands in Surry'. Hasted Vol. V. p. 562.
"According to the Harleian MSS Knights of Ed. I p. 272, 'Sir John (Simon [de Northwood]'s father) had custody of two-thirds of the lands of late Hamo de Gatton in minority of heirs (except Gatton Park) with Kt. fees and marriage of heirs of Wm. de Milksope Kt. having sold same to him 19 Ap. 1305'.
"While Elizabeth de Gatton entered into Wormsell Manor, her sister Margery and Sir Simon de Northwood took Gatton in Surrey. the region to the west of Gatton park is known as Norwoodhill, where there is also a farm by the name of Norwood. This Sir Simon was the brother of Sir Humphrey de Northwood of Shalford [Essex].
"In the obscurely situated village church of Wormsell we came across a memorial window to Simon de Northwood and his wife (fig. 60 [b&w photo, p. 61]).
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Abt 1242 - Abt 1292 (~ 50 years)