MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
There
were three holdings called Otterhampton in
1066. The first, held by Edwin, had passed to
Roger de Courcelles by 1086 when it was held
of him by Robert. The second, whose owner was
unnamed in 1066, had been divided by 1086,
two thirds passing to the royal estate of Cannington and the remainder to the previous
owner's son Osmer. The third, and the only one
that can be traced further, had been held by
Estan in 1066 and was held by Herbert of Alfred
d'Epaignes in 1086. (fn. 17)
The estate held by Herbert of Alfred d'Epaignes
came to be known as OTTERHAMPTON
manor, and was held of the honor of Nether
Stowey until 1577 or later. (fn. 18) William, son of
Terry of Mudford, held a fee of Nether Stowey
in 1166, and was succeeded by his son Terry and
by Terry's son Henry. (fn. 19) In 1216 Henry's lands
were given to William of Eston, but in 1225
Henry laid claim to land in Otterhampton. (fn. 20)
Beatrice of Otterhampton, probably widow of
Robert of Eston, held a fee of Nether Stowey in
1262, (fn. 21) and her daughter Sarah held Otterhampton with her husband William Trivet c. 1285. (fn. 22)
The estate descended with Cock in Stogursey
until 1433 and may have been sold by William
Trivet to Alexander Hody (d. 1461). Thereafter
it descended with Newnham in Stogursey until
1650. (fn. 23) In 1651 the manor was held by Hugh
Hody, who had purchased it from Gilbert Hody.
In 1664 Hugh settled it on his son Gilbert. Hugh
died c. 1670 and Gilbert by 1697 leaving as his
heirs Anne, wife of Hugh Pomeroy, and Joan,
both probably his daughters. (fn. 24) It was settled by
Joan in 1713 and 1714 on her marriage to George
Chudleigh. (fn. 25) Sir George Chudleigh, Bt., died in
1738 and the estate was held by his second wife
Frances Davie (d. c. 1748). (fn. 26) Margaret Chudleigh, one of their four daughters, sold the manor
to Robert Evered in 1755. (fn. 27) Robert was dead by
1766 and his son John died in 1782 leaving the
estate in trust for his son John, a minor. (fn. 28) John
died in 1848 and was succeeded by his son
Robert who settled the manor on his son Andrew
upon his marriage in 1865. (fn. 29) Andrew died in
1925 and was succeeded by his son Robert who
was described as lord of the manor in 1931.
Lordship was not recorded again and the estate
was broken up and sold, mainly to tenants, in
1946. (fn. 30)
A capital messuage was recorded in 1316. (fn. 31) It
was let during the 18th century, in 1729 to
Robert Evered. It continued to be recorded until
1782. (fn. 32) It was probably the house known in the
19th century as Otterhampton Farm, (fn. 33) which
lies immediately south-west of the church and
is now known as Manor Farm. It is a late
17th-century, three-bayed house with extensive
19th-century alterations. (fn. 34)
Part of Otterhampton manor, (fn. 35) known later as
OTTERHAMPTON RUMSEY manor, was
held in 1286 by Walter of Romsey, son and heir
of Sir Walter of Romsey. Walter or another of
the same name died c. 1333 and his son Sir John
died in 1334 leaving a son Walter under age. (fn. 36)
Sir Walter died in 1403 having settled Otterhampton on his wife Alice (d. 1404) and on his
grandson Walter, son of Thomas Romsey, who
had predeceased his parents. (fn. 37) Walter died probably without issue as the estate was held by his
elder brother Thomas (d. 1420) and Thomas's
wife Joan (d. 1441). Their daughter and heir
Joan married Thomas Paine but died childless
c. 1447 having granted her Somerset estates in
1443 to Henry Champeneys and his wife Elizabeth, probably widow of Walter Romsey, for
life. (fn. 38) Joan's heir to her Somerset estates was
Joan wife of Roger Wyke, granddaughter of Sir
Walter Romsey (d. 1403). Joan and Roger settled
certain lands on Joan, wife of John Cayleway
and possibly their daughter, but remained in
possession of most of the former Romsey lands
in 1462. (fn. 39)
William Cayleway and his wife Anne sold an
estate described as one third of Otterhampton
Rumsey manor in 1542 to John St. Clere who
in 1547 sold it to James Bowerman. (fn. 40) James died
in possession in 1548 leaving a son Andrew who
sold it later that year to his brother Henry. (fn. 41)
Henry died in 1589 leaving it to his brother
William who died in 1591 leaving a son Andrew. (fn. 42) In 1620 Andrew Bowerman sold the
manor, sometimes described as one third of
Otterhampton manor, to William Bacon and
thereafter it descended with Maunsel in North
Petherton until c. 1733 when Alexander Seymour left it to his brother William, a minor. (fn. 43) By
1752 it was held by William's nephew Alexander
Seymour Gapper who sold it to John Evered the
elder in 1759. The estate, also known by then as
Hill, was settled in 1774 by John on his son Robert,
who held it in 1809. (fn. 44) Robert appears to have sold
part to his cousin John Evered c. 1812, possibly
for the construction of Hill House, and by 1838
he had sold Hill Farm and most of the land.
There is no record of a sale of lordship, which
was not recorded after 1809. (fn. 45)
The capital messuage called Twyhouse, recorded
in 1620, and possibly in 1608, was the residence
of the Bacon family and was probably William
Bacon's mansion house at Hill recorded in
1609. (fn. 46) By the 18th century the house was known
as Hill Farm. (fn. 47) Hill Farm is of the early or mid
17th century and has a long central range, which
may incorporate part of an earlier building, with
cross wings which project southwards and a
near-central rear wing. The principal groundfloor room in the western, parlour wing has a
compartmented, beamed ceiling which was subsequently plastered, probably in 1666 when an
ornamental plaster overmantel was put in. The
house has been divided into three dwellings. The
central section was partly refitted in the later
19th century and the west wing was renovated
c. 1988.
There was a mansion on the site of Hill House
in 1782, (fn. 48) but the present house dates from the
early 19th century, possibly c. 1812. It is sited
at the eastern end of a spur of high ground and
the principal rooms have extensive views to the
south and east. The house is built around an
open courtyard which is entered through a central carriageway in the two-storeyed north-west
range. The main house forms the south-east
range and has a tall stuccoed front of five bays
with lateral segmented bays. It has a spacious
central hall and staircase flanked by the principal
rooms, one of which has a ceiling in Adam style.
A small park had been established around the
house by 1822 (fn. 49) and there is an early 19th-century stable block. The house was sold c. 1946
and became a school but in 1976 it was bought
by the Bristol Christian Youth Trust and is used
as a teaching and conference centre. (fn. 50)
MULSELLE, later Moxhill, was held by Alwine in 1066 and by Hugh of Alfred d'Epaignes
in 1086. (fn. 51) In 1201 William le Poer sold it to
Terry of Mudford (fn. 52) and it continued thereafter
as part of Otterhampton manor. (fn. 53)
Stogursey priory received two grants of land
in the parish in the later 12th century, one by
Helewise, sister of Robert FitzBernard and wife
of Hugh Pincerna, and her daughter Cecily, and
the other by Alexander son of Viel. (fn. 54) The land
was later administered as part of its manor of
Monckton in Stogursey. (fn. 55)