MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
No Domesday estate or early manor was centred in Itchingfield.
The parish was divided between outliers of other
manors, principally Sullington, Thakeham, and
Muntham in Findon. The Itchingfield portion of
Muntham and most of the Itchingfield portion of
Sullington became separate manors in the 14th and
17th century respectively, and other reputed manors
appeared in the late Middle Ages. Then or later the
manors of Denne in Warnham, (fn. 78) Pinkhurst (in
Slinfold), Thakeham, Sullington, and Wiston, and
perhaps Broadbridge (in Sullington) and Warminghurst, still had tenements in Itchingfield. (fn. 79) In 1895
it was stated that no manorial rights remained in the
parish. (fn. 80)
The manor of MUNTHAM included lands in
Itchingfield and Findon, and its early descent has
been treated elsewhere. (fn. 81) The Itchingfield portion,
like that in Findon, was held of Thakeham manor,
to which quitrent was payable until 1887 or later. (fn. 82)
In 1375 John of Muntham conveyed it to William
Marlott, father of John's son-in-law, also William
Marlott. The elder William died c. 1379 after settling Muntham on the younger William. (fn. 83) From
that William (d. 1400 × 1418) (fn. 84) it descended from
father to son through William (d. 1449 × 1464),
Richard (d. 1484 × 1499), (fn. 85) Thomas (fl. 1522), John
(d. 1528), (fn. 86) and John (d. 1552), to John Marlott
(d. a minor 1554). (fn. 87) He was succeeded by his brother
Thomas Marlott (d. 1601), from whom Muntham
passed to his grandson William (d. 1653). (fn. 88) From
that William it descended from father to son through
William (d. 1657) and John (d. 1731) to Joseph
Marlott (d. 1782). (fn. 89)
Joseph was followed by his nephew John Marlott,
a Bristol sugar baker, who devised Muntham by will
proved 1786 to his sister Elizabeth Marlott. (fn. 90) She
died in 1817, leaving it to her second cousin once
removed Charles Chitty. (fn. 91) On his death in 1866 the
estate passed to his widow Sarah Elizabeth (née
Jourdan), who died in 1876. Her heir was her son
William F. Chitty. In 1878 Muntham was sold to
P. S. Godman, who had apparently occupied it since
1877. (fn. 92) He was still owner in 1908, and died in
1922. (fn. 93) His executors still held the estate in 1927. (fn. 94)
In 1952 the estate, then 538 a., was broken up and
sold. (fn. 95) The house and 23 a. became Muntham House
School for maladjusted children. (fn. 96)
The mansion house of Muntham was mentioned
in 1602 or 1603. (fn. 97) A 17th-century timber-framed
wing with two jettied gables survived until the 19th
century. The rest of the house was rebuilt in 1742 in
brick, with a six-bayed asymmetrical front and
chimneys on the gable ends. In 1880 P. S. Godman
pulled down the old house and built a new one of
three storeys, in brick with stone dressings and Tudor
in style. (fn. 98) West of the main building extensive outbuildings, garden walls, and a coach house of c. 1820
survived in 1985, and much of the planting in the
park surrounding the house appears to be of the
18th and earlier 19th centuries. An early 19thcentury lodge in cottage orné form survived in 1985
on the drive between Muntham House and the
church.
A large estate in Itchingfield was conveyed by
Brian Roocliffe and others to Geoffrey and Thomas
Boleyn in 1422; both groups were probably acting
as trustees for Thomas Hoo, on whom the estate was
settled in 1428. (fn. 99) He made another settlement of it
in 1457-8. (fn. 1) In that year and in 1460-1 Hoo also
made settlements of land in Itchingfield attached to
his manors of Warnham and Roffey. (fn. 2) One or both
properties may have constituted the manor of
ITCHINGFIELD which had belonged to Hoo
before his death in 1486 and which was quitclaimed
in 1501 by William and Thomas Boleyn to Sir
Thomas Lawrence and others. (fn. 3) Later record of it
has not been found: it was probably not the manor of
Itchingfield which descended with the Parham estate
in the late 18th and early 19th century. (fn. 4)
In 1548 Edward Shelley sold to Edward Darknoll
tenements of Sullington manor mainly in Itchingfield. Darknoll's grandson, also Edward, (fn. 5) later resold
the estate to Henry Shelley or the latter's son
Richard, who held it in chief at his death in 1623.
He was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 6) who with his
son William made a settlement of the manor of
SULLINGTON-IN-ITCHINGFIELD in 1657. (fn. 7)
In 1668 Sullington-in-Itchingfield was settled on
John Shelley's son Timothy (d. 1671). (fn. 8) It seems
then to have descended with Champions farm in
Thakeham until 1831 or later. (fn. 9) The manorial rights
have not been traced thereafter, but most of the
property apparently descended with the Stammerham estate. (fn. 10)
The Michell family of Stammerham in Horsham
held land in Itchingfield from the late 14th to the
17th century. Roger Michell conveyed a field there
to William Marlott in 1395. (fn. 11) A house and land in
the parish were settled in 1439 on John Michell the
elder and John Michell the younger. (fn. 12) Tenements
called Benetts or Forleward (later Valewood farm)
passed in 1507 to Richard, John, and Henry Michell,
and between 1525 and 1546 to Avery Michell. (fn. 13)
Avery died in 1558 leaving the estate to the daughter
of John Michell of Stammerham. (fn. 14) That John had
held a large estate in Itchingfield from 1543 or
earlier. (fn. 15) Both estates and other land there, including
by 1627 Weston's farm, descended with the Stammerham estate until the late 17th century or later. (fn. 16)
The land belonged to Sir Timothy Shelley c. 1800
and c. 1844. (fn. 17) Valewood farm was sold in 1869 by
Sir P. F. Shelley to William Gilford, passing almost
immediately to W. H. Worth, in 1870 to John
Wade, (fn. 18) and later to the Muntham estate. (fn. 19) Most of
the estate, including Fulfords and Weston's farms,
descended with Stammerham to Henry Padwick,
passing in 1884 to the Southern Counties Dairy
Farm Association, from 1885 the Aylesbury Dairy
Co. Ltd., and in 1891 or 1892 to Christ's Hospital. (fn. 20)
A William Welle held land in Itchingfield in
1328. (fn. 21) In 1557 Sir Henry Hussey died seised of
lands in Itchingfield called the Welle, which he left
to his brother John. (fn. 22) In 1589 John Hussey conveyed
the manor of WELLE to Stephen Horley. (fn. 23) A rent
from the manor was held by Henry Hussey in 1667; (fn. 24)
he conveyed it to John Michell in 1672. Elizabeth
and Edmund Mills held the rent in 1734 when they
conveyed it to John Cheale. (fn. 25) The manor is perhaps
identifiable with Wellcross farm, which a Capt.
Michell owned in 1706. (fn. 26) It was part of Sullingtonin-Itchingfield manor c. 1800, and passed in 1868 to
Henry Padwick. (fn. 27) It descended with the Stammerham estate to the Aylesbury Dairy Co., and was sold
in 1891 to Col. Samuel Bradburne. He was succeeded
in 1917 by Trevor Bradburne, from whom it passed
in 1919 to Charles A. Windham. He sold it in 1924
or 1925 to Euphemia Harper Wrathall, owner in
1927. (fn. 28) In 1930 it was occupied by William
Wrathall. (fn. 29)
Wellcross Farm was rebuilt as Wellcross Grange
c. 1900, evidently by Samuel Bradburne; it is of
brick with stone dressings, in a mixed Tudor style.
It was a restaurant in 1984.
An estate at SHARPENHURST was part of 4
knight's fees held by Stephen Power in 1300. (fn. 30)
Henry of Guildford held a rent in Sharpenhurst from
Roger de Buci at his death in 1312, when he was
succeeded by John Marshal. (fn. 31) William Forwelde
leased land in Itchingfield from John Covert in
1335, and bought land from William of Slaughterford in 1343. (fn. 32) A house called Forwelles or Sharpenhurst was held of Thakeham manor in 1626 by Joan,
widow of Richard Shelley. (fn. 33) It had passed by 1659
to William Shelley, who died in that year and was
followed by Thomas Shelley. Thomas died in 1672
leaving as heir his son John. (fn. 34) It later passed to John
Shelley of Field Place in Warnham, descending to
his brother and heir Bysshe, (fn. 35) and passing by c. 1800
to Bysshe's son Sir Timothy. (fn. 36) It passed in 1839 or
1840 to John Shelley, and in 1866 or 1867 to Edward
Shelley. (fn. 37) Edward sold it in 1871 to Henry Padwick,
who still owed rent to Thakeham manor in 1875 but
redeemed it in that year. (fn. 38) The estate descended
with Stammerham in Horsham to the Aylesbury
Dairy Co. and Christ's Hospital. (fn. 39)
Sharpenhurst Farm is a 15th-century L-shaped
timber-framed house with crown-post roofs in both
ranges. The main range contains a two-bayed open
hall and a parlour, the narrow north service wing
being partitioned into several rooms on both floors.
A smoke bay was later formed in the south bay of the
hall, and in 1594 a stack serving hall and parlour was
inserted into it. The date and BEWARE OF HELL FYRE
AS CHRISTE DOTH REQUIRE are inscribed on the stone
lintel of the parlour fireplace. The roof above the
parlour was rebuilt in the 17th century.
RYE FARM and a large estate in Itchingfield and
Horsham were owned between 1543 and 1554 or
later by John Michell, (fn. 40) and c. 1600 by Henry
Michelborne. He sold them after 1606 to Edward
Michelborne, who died in 1609, leaving as heir
another Edward Michelborne, the owner in 1610. (fn. 41)
In 1611 the owner was apparently James Freeman
and in 1652 John Glassington. (fn. 42) The farm was
owned in 1836 by P. Dendy, (fn. 43) and was advertised for
sale with 152 a. in Itchingfield and 11 a. in Horsham
in 1838. (fn. 44) Thomas Barnett (d. by 1850) owned it
c. 1844, (fn. 45) and his executors later; the trustees of
R. Barnett offered it for sale in 1882, and in 1885 it
passed to John Patching (d. by 1890). His trustees
sold the farm, without the farmhouse, in 1899 to
George Simmins. It passed in 1900 to Alan Richardson, who evidently built on it in 1902 the house
known as Marlands. (fn. 46) In 1911 Marlands and most of
the land passed to Herbert George Latilla (d. 1949),
who formed the Marlands Estate Co. to hold his
Itchingfield property. In 1950 Marlands house was
sold to the West Sussex county council, and some
outlying farms including Barns Green farm were
sold off. The estate company still held a home farm
of c. 150 a. in 1985. (fn. 47)
Rye Farm is an L-shaped timber-framed house of
late medieval origin. The rear range formed the hall
and service end of the medieval house and retains a
smoke-blackened clasped-purlin roof. The south,
parlour, end was rebuilt in the 17th century, re-using
medieval timbers perhaps from another house
nearby, as a wide cross wing with parlours on either
side of a central chimney. At about the same time a
ceiling was put into the hall and the roof was
raised.
Marlands is a house of dark buff brick in an Arts
and Crafts style. A large brick stable block is surmounted by a timber-framed tower. From c. 1950 to
1985 the house was an old people's home run by
West Sussex county council; (fn. 48) the stable was used
as offices in 1985.
A second large house, Storries, was built on the
estate in 1935 for Latilla's son-in-law E. S. Mayo.
Designed by J. Douglas Matthews of London, (fn. 49) it is
of buff brick with stone dressings and the main block
has symmetrical elevations in a predominantly 17th-century style.
In 1341 the prior of Sele and the bishop of
Chichester allegedly had land in the parish, not then
cultivated. The 100 a. of fallow held by John Covert
was presumably part of Broadbridge manor. (fn. 50)
Robert of Wiston held land called Fulford in
Itchingfield in the late 13th century (fn. 51) and in 1369
John Clark held land there formerly held by Thomas
Fulford. The land, known by 1377 as Bashes, had
passed to the brotherhood of St. John the Baptist
and St. Anne, Horsham, by 1527. (fn. 52) After the suppression the estate, with a house, 30 a. of land, and
40 a. of woodland, (fn. 53) was granted to John Caryll in
1549. Caryll also received 5 a. which had belonged to
the chantry of Holy Trinity, Horsham, which by
1404 had land in Itchingfield. (fn. 54) Bashes later passed
to John Michell of Stammerham (d. 1610), and
descended with the Michells' property until 1693 or
later; (fn. 55) it is presumably BASHURST, which the
Aylesbury Dairy Co. sold to F. W. Donkin in 1889. (fn. 56)
It had been renamed the Warren by 1898, and belonged in 1910 to F. H. King. (fn. 57) The owner in 1985
was Mr. S. P. Hornung. The Warren retains part of
the wall frame of a medieval house. It was rebuilt on
a two-celled plan in the 17th century, when the roof
timbers were re-used, and extended by one bay to
form an L. Further extensions were made c. 1900,
when the old house was refitted with panelling and
given a new staircase.
Fulfords farm also belonged to the Michell family
by 1664, (fn. 58) and descended with Stammerham to
Christ's Hospital, which in the early 1960s demolished the farmhouse, apparently including a former
open hall. (fn. 59)
In 1444 Richard Wakehurst and others were
licensed to grant land and rent in Itchingfield to
Butler's chantry in Horsham church. (fn. 60) The Crown's
fee-farm rent from the land was recorded in 1652. (fn. 61)
Thakeham chantry held land in Itchingfield before
1548, when the Crown granted 25 a. to Henry
Polsted of Chilworth (Surr.). (fn. 62)