MANOR
In the time of Edward the Confessor GREENSTEAD was held by Gotild 'as a manor and
2 hides'. (fn. 29) In 1086 it was held in demesne
by Hamon dapifer. (fn. 30) It was also started in
Domesday that one Serlo held 40 acres of the manor, that
three freemen had before 1066 held ½ hide and 45 acres,
and that 'of this land' one Ralph was in 1086 holding
½ hide and 5 acres. As J. H. Round has commented,
this is a confused passage: 'for it is not clear whether the
holding of the 3 free men was valued as part of the main
manor, nor if it were is it clear of which two portions
Ralph's holding was part.' (fn. 31) It seems most likely, however, that Ralph had taken over the greater part of the
land previously occupied by the three men.
From Hamon the lordship of the manor descended
in the same way as Norton Mandeville (q.v.) to Robert,
1st Earl of Gloucester, bastard son of Henry I. (fn. 32) In
about 1170 William, 2nd Earl of Gloucester, granted
the manor to Richard de Lucy, along with the service
of 4 knights owed by Richard de Marcy, 2 knights
owed by Ralph de Marcy, 3 knights owed by Maurice
de Toheham, and 1¼ knight owed by Manasser de
Dammartin. (fn. 33) It is not unlikely that Richard and Ralph
were relatives of the Domesday tenants Ralph and
Serlo. (fn. 34) Greenstead thus became part of Richard de
Lucy's honor of Ongar, and the tenancy in chief of the
manor descended in the same way as Chipping Ongar
(q.v.). (fn. 35)
The descent of the tenancy in demesne between
about 1170 and about 1250 is obscure. It is possible
that the Marcy family continued as tenants for part of
this time. (fn. 36) By about 1250, however, the tenant was
Walter de Baskerville. (fn. 37) He was the son of Walter de
Baskerville (d. 1244) of Orcop (Herefs.). (fn. 38) He fought
against the king in the Barons' Wars and in 1265 his
lands at Orcop, Greenstead, and elsewhere were
granted to Roger de Clifford. (fn. 39) Baskerville subsequently regained possession and in 1279 granted
Greenstead to Roger de la Hay in exchange for land
in Great Cowarne (Herefs.). (fn. 40)
William de la Hay was lord of the manor in 1328
and 1333. (fn. 41) In 1346 he granted Greenstead to Sir
Robert Bourchier. (fn. 42) Bourchier was subsequently summoned to Parliament as a peer. (fn. 43) He died in 1349 and
was succeeded by his son, John Lord Bourchier. (fn. 44)
Greenstead descended with the title to Henry, Lord
Bourchier, who was created Viscount Bourchier (c.
1445) and Earl of Essex (1461). (fn. 45) The manor passed
to Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, and on his
death in 1540 to his daughter Anne, suo jure Baroness
Bourchier, wife of Thomas Parr, Baron Parr of Kendal. (fn. 46) Parr was created Earl of Essex in 1543 and in
the following year conveyed Greenstead to Sir Richard
Rich, later created Baron Rich. (fn. 47)
In 1578 Robert, 2nd Baron Rich, conveyed the
manor to William Bourne. (fn. 48) He was the son of
William Bourne of Bobbingworth. (fn. 49) He died in
1608, leaving an eldest son William (b. 1589), and
younger sons Richard (b. 1599) and John (b. 1602). (fn. 50)
The manor was probably held until her death by Anne
(d. 1624) widow of William Bourne. (fn. 51) She married
Richard Young in 1613. (fn. 52) After her death the manor
appears to have been settled on her son John. (fn. 53) In
1652 complaint was made to quarter sessions that
Richard Bourne, owner of Greenstead Hall, had been
dispossessed by Thomas Smith, labourer, and others
(named). The justices ordered that Richard should be
given possession of the property. (fn. 54) He was probably
identical with Richard (b. 1625) son of John Bourne. (fn. 55)
He died in 1660. (fn. 56)
The next owner of the manor who has been traced
was John Hulson, who held it in 1683. (fn. 57) Robert
Hulson was the owner in 1690. (fn. 58) In 1695 he sold
Greenstead to Alexander Cleeve, citizen and pewterer
of London. (fn. 59) Cleeve's initial purchase comprised
about half the land in the parish. He subsequently
added to it most of the other half. (fn. 60) After his death
in 1738 his widow Anne held the estate for life. (fn. 61) She
died in 1750 and the estate was then divided among
Alexander Cleeve's children. John Cleeve, Rector of
High Laver, inherited New House Farm, Jane Velley
received Hardings, Anne Cleeve had Repentance
Farm, and Mary Hatt had Lodge Farm. (fn. 62) In 1752
Greenstead Hall and the manorial estate were sold by
the nine surviving children of Alexander Cleeve to
David Rebotier of London, merchant. (fn. 63)
David Rebotier died in 1769 and in 1771 his son
Charles and his daughter Esther Rebotier sold the
manor to John Redman of Mile End in the parish of
St. Dunstan (Mdx.). (fn. 64) Redman died in 1798; he left
the manor to Craven Ord of the Cursitors Office, who
had married his daughter Mary. (fn. 65) It was provided
that Greenstead should be held in trust for the younger
children of Craven and Mary. During the Napoleonic
Wars, however, Craven made sufficient profits from
the sale of timber from Greenstead to satisfy the portions of his younger children, and on his death in 1832
the manor passed to his eldest son, the Revd. Craven
Ord (d. 1836). (fn. 66)
In 1837 the manor was bought by the Revd. Philip
Budworth, who was a grandson of Jane, daughter of
Alexander Cleeve and wife of the Revd. Thomas
Velley. (fn. 67) In 1843 Budworth also bought New House
Farm, which had been sold in 1778 by the executors
of John Cleeve and had become the property of
Sympson Jessopp. (fn. 68) Captain Philip J. Budworth was
the only surviving son and heir of the Revd. Philip
Budworth. He settled at Greenstead Hall in 1854. (fn. 69)
In 1867 he bought Lodge Farm from the representatives
of Mrs. Holbrook and thus became owner of all but a
small part of the land in the parish. (fn. 70) He continued
to live at Greenstead Hall until his death in 1885 (fn. 71)
and took an active part in local affairs. (fn. 72) He is commemorated by the Budworth Hall in Chipping Ongar.
His sons, or their representatives, were the main landowners in Greenstead in 1926. (fn. 73)
Greenstead Hall is a large house of two stories with
attics. It is of timber-framing partly covered with a
later facing of red brick. As it exists today most of the
house dates from about 1700 when it was largely rebuilt, probably by Alexander Cleeve. The date 1695
is carved on the east front and a sundial on the south
front bears the date 1698 and the initials A and MC
(Alexander and Mary Cleeve). There are, however,
timbers near the west end which appear to be older,
and in two places there is panelling of the early 17th
century. The report (fn. 74) of an open hearth under the
centre of the present drawing-room on the south side
suggests that there was originally a medieval hall in this
position. A view from the east drawn about 1770
shows the house as altered 70 years before. (fn. 75) It was
then plastered and roughly square in shape but with
two projecting wings on the south side. The main
entrance front to the east had seven windows and a
central pediment. Part of the north side of the house
with a projecting bay no longer exists. This may have
been the dining-room which John Redman is said to
have demolished in the late 18th century in order to
curb the extravagant hospitality of his son. (fn. 76) Redman
made many improvements to the house and its grounds,
including the existing timber-framed brick-fronted
stables. (fn. 77) Large alterations were carried out in 1875
by P. J. Budworth. (fn. 78) The east front was largely rebuilt, including the central pedimented feature in
moulded brickwork. The east and south fronts were
faced with red brick, and one of the south wings was
extended. The dates 1695 and 1698 were probably
recut at this time. Inside the house there are some good
pine chimney-pieces and panelling of about 1700 and
a fine staircase with twisted balusters and carved string
of the same period. This is very similar to work at
Hill Hall, Theydon Mount (q.v.). The present
occupier has made some interior alterations in the same
style. The detached 17th century-brewhouse was converted into a cottage in 1950.