MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
In 1086
the land of Roger de Courcelles included HOLT
(Olta, probably the later Aisholt) and HOLCOMBE. Alweard had held both in 1066 and
held Holcombe of Roger in 1086, when Roger's
tenant at Holt was one Robert. (fn. 39) The two estates
seem to have been combined in the manor of
AISHOLT, probably a fee of William de Curci's
barony of Stogursey in 1166, (fn. 40) and later held as
of Stogursey manor, as in 1472. (fn. 41) In 1275,
however, it was said to be held by the serjeanty
of following the king in the army. (fn. 42)
William de Reigny held of William de Curci
in 1166 a fee which was identified as Aisholt in
1186 (fn. 43) and descended with Doniford in St.
Decumans (fn. 44) to Sir William de Reigny (d. 1275),
on whose death Aisholt was divided. Land at
Aisholt, Lower Aisholt, and Holcombe, with the
advowson, passed to his illegitimate daughter
Joan, wife of Robert de Acton. Joan was followed by her son Robert (d. c. 1303), her
grandson Robert de Acton (d. c. 1316), and her
great-grandson Richard de Acton. (fn. 45) Richard settled the estate in 1384 on himself and his wife
Margaret, with remainder to Sir Thomas Fichet,
lord of Spaxton. The Fichets had possession by
1395, (fn. 46) and the manor descended with Spaxton. (fn. 47)
Land called in 1202 Postridge and later WEST
POSTRIDGE seems to have descended from
Roger de Reigny to his grandson John de
Reigny. (fn. 48) It may have been the ½ knight's fee
which the heirs of Sir William de Reigny (d.
1275) held of Robert Walerand's heirs, lords of
Rodway in Cannington and mesne tenants of the
barony of Dunster, in 1284-5. (fn. 49) It was said in
1294 to be held of Rodway (fn. 50) but in 1472 to be
held of John FitzJames and his wife Joan, widow
of Hugh Malet. (fn. 51) In 1431 it was held by John
Hill. (fn. 52)
Roger de Reigny gave land later called EAST
POSTRIDGE manor to Plympton priory
(Devon) before 1166. (fn. 53) The priory acquired
more land but in the 13th century granted the
whole estate to Walter of Kentisbere in return
for an annuity which they probably sold before
1372. (fn. 54) East Postridge descended to Gillian of
Kentisbere, who in 1280 assigned it to her
daughter Joan, wife of Hugh Popham. (fn. 55) In
1326 (fn. 56) Joan's son John Popham (d. c. 1345) held
it. John's son Hugh (d. c. 1361) left a widow
Hawise (d. c. 1389) with a life estate in East
Postridge. Their sons sold their reversionary
interests to Sir Thomas Fichet in 1384. (fn. 57) In 1372
Fichet redeemed the annuity charged on the
estate from Katharine Fraunceys but in 1381 he
granted it back to her for her life. (fn. 58) In 1398 the
estate was settled on Robert Hill and his wife
Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas. (fn. 59) Robert's son
John held East and West Postridge as two estates
in 1431, (fn. 60) but they were later a single manor and
descended with Spaxton, merging with it by the
18th century. (fn. 61) In 1920 Postridge farm was sold
by E. A. V. Stanley to Somerset county council,
the owner in 1986. (fn. 62)
Postridge Farm has a double-pile plan incorporating a south range of late 16th or
17th-century origin, remodelled when the parallel north range was added in the later 18th
century. There was further refitting in the early
19th century.
Part of William de Reigny's estate at Postridge
and Aisholt was divided after his death in 1275
among some of the heirs who received shares of
Doniford: (fn. 63) an estate at Aisholt descended in the
Huish family until 1627 or later, (fn. 64) and one called
Horsey's Postridge (fn. 65) in the Horsey family until
1507 or later. (fn. 66)
Lands at West Holcombe were conveyed by
John, son and heir of John of Holcombe of
Dunster, to Sir Edward Hull in 1443-4, and
probably descended in the Malet family with
Enmore. It may be the estate known as Holcombe Colford or Holcombe and Colford in the
later 15th and early 16th century. (fn. 67)
LITTLE POSTRIDGE was owned by the
Malet family in the 16th century like Hulkshay
in North Petherton. (fn. 68) With the addition of
Longthorns and other land in Postridge held by
the Cridland family in the 17th century, (fn. 69) Little
Postridge descended as part of Enmore manor. (fn. 70)
A house stood at Little Postridge in 1833 but
the land had been added to Postridge farm. (fn. 71)
The house had gone by 1887. (fn. 72) The house at
Longthorns is a 19th-century Italianate villa,
probably built between 1861 and 1866. (fn. 73)
Joan, William de Reigny's illegitimate
daughter, gave an estate at Lower Aisholt to a
villein tenant, Robert Tropenel, in 1292. (fn. 74) By
the 15th century it was held with Plainsfield in
Over Stowey (fn. 75) and in 1492 was said to be held
of the bishop of Bath and Wells. (fn. 76) After the death
of Nicholas Williams without male issue it
reverted to the Crown. (fn. 77) By 1601 the estate had
been acquired by Humphrey Blake and appears
to have descended with the advowson until 1842
or later. (fn. 78) The rest of Lower Aisholt remained
part of Aisholt manor until that manor was
divided and sold in 1833 (fn. 79) when it was probably
bought by Mary Stephens, the owner in 1834. (fn. 80)
Both farms at Lower Aisholt became part of the
Quantock estate; in 1933 they were sold as a
single farm. One house, since demolished, was
then being used for storage and the owner was
said to have used an adjacent building with
panelled ceilings as a cider cellar. (fn. 81) The other
house probably dates from the 16th century and
has 19th- and 20th-century additions.