Randwick: Manor

MANOR.

In the late 11th century Roger of Bayeux held Randwick from Thomas, Archbishop of York, as part of Standish manor, and in 1120 Randwick was granted to Gloucester Abbey, presumably because it had formed part of the abbey's ancient endowment of Standish. (fn. 1) The abbey's overlordship of Randwick was not recorded after the late 13th century. (fn. 2)

The manor of RANDWICK was held by Ralph de Vernai in 1216, (fn. 3) and later by Walter of Bayeux (de Bause) who died before 1267. (fn. 4) In 1268 Gloucester Abbey granted to Walter's widow Agnes the marriage of their son Walter and, in the event of the son's death, that of their daughters. (fn. 5) Walter the son was apparently dead by 1287 when parts of the manor were held by his sisters, Margery who married Adam Spilman of Rodborough and Lucy who married John de Wyke. (fn. 6) By 1290 Lucy and Margery were dead and Lucy's heir was John, infant son of Margery and Adam Spilman; Gloucester Abbey retained the marriage of John and granted his wardship to Adam. (fn. 7) Adam was holding the estate in 1295; (fn. 8) John Spilman held it by 1316 and in 1327. (fn. 9) The manor presumably descended to John's son John, and then to Thomas, probably the son of the second John. Thomas Spilman was dead by 1397, (fn. 10) and the manor was apparently divided. Alice daughter of Thomas Spilman married Walter Cook and in 1459 their son John, with Thomas Framilode and John Cugley, was lord of a moiety of the manor. (fn. 11)

One moiety of the manor passed to Elizabeth Trye who was dead by c. 1510 when the claim of Walter Winston and his wife Margaret was being disputed by John Whittington and William Trye. (fn. 12) Walter Winston was described as of Randwick c. 1530, (fn. 13) and was one of the coparceners of the manor c. 1541. (fn. 14) His son Thomas was mentioned in connexion with Randwick c. 1543, (fn. 15) and in 1557 he sold the estate to Thomas Mill of Harescombe, (fn. 16) who held it in 1570. (fn. 17) Thomas Mill was dead by 1583 when his widow Catherine and Edward Mill and his wife Mary were dealing with the estate. (fn. 18) The other moiety of the manor may have been held by Walter Harris of Standish in 1536 when he sold woodland in Randwick, (fn. 19) and in 1607 Thomas Harris and Cecily his wife conveyed a moiety of the manor to Anselm Fowler. (fn. 20)

The moiety held by the Mill family descended with the manor of Harescombe to the Mitchells, (fn. 21) who apparently acquired manorial rights over the whole manor. James Mitchell of Harescombe was described as lord of the manor of Randwick in 1678, (fn. 22) and the same James Mitchell or his son by his second wife was dealing with the manor in 1704. (fn. 23) James Mitchell, the son of the second James, held the estate at his death in 1758 when his son, another James, succeeded. (fn. 24) Miles Mitchell, son of the last James, was lord by 1778 and died in 1814 or 1815, and Mrs. Mitchell, presumably his widow, held the estate in 1817. Miles Mitchell had married his cousin Elizabeth Hogg, and Edward Hogg was lord in 1819 (fn. 25) and until his death in 1836. (fn. 26) By 1841 the estate was owned by the Revd. R. Morris, (fn. 27) who held it in 1856, (fn. 28) but by 1863 T. J. R. Barrow, whose wife Martha Sophia was later said to have been the heir of the Hoggs, (fn. 29) was lord of the manor. (fn. 30) Barrow died in 1863, (fn. 31) and his widow held the estate until her death in 1890. (fn. 32) She was succeeded by her son, the Revd. T. E. M. Barrow of Taunton, (fn. 33) who sold the estate, comprising 187 a., in 1920. (fn. 34) Subsequent record of the lordship of the manor has not been found.

The house of Walter Winston at Randwick was mentioned c. 1520. (fn. 35) James Mitchell, lord of the manor from 1758, and his son Miles were described as of Westrip, (fn. 36) but in 1809 Miles was living at the Ryelands, (fn. 37) a stone house of the late 18th or early 19th century in the fork of the main road and Ash Lane. In 1828 Edward Hogg was living at Long Court on the main road south of the village; (fn. 38) the house, which he apparently built, (fn. 39) is in the Gothic style and adjoins the 17th-century farm-house of the manor farm, which is of rubble with stone-mullioned windows with dripmoulds and may be on the site of Walter Winston's house. T. J. R. Barrow lived at the Ryelands. (fn. 40)