MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
In 1066
Alwig Banneson had 1 hide at Stringston and 2
hides in Alfoxton and Dyche. All that land was
held in 1086 by Alfred d'Epaignes, and of Alfred
by Ranulph, (fn. 4) probably Ranulph of Stringston; (fn. 5)
by then a further ½ hide, held in 1066 by
Bristive, had been added to the hide in Stringston and may perhaps be identified as the
detached part of the parish near Perry Mill.
Another hide in Stringston, held in 1066 by
Siward and in 1086 by Roger de Courcelles and
of Roger by one William, has not been traced
later and was presumably absorbed in the main
estate. (fn. 6) Alfred d'Epaignes' overlordship descended like Nether Stowey manor to the
Columbers family. Alfoxton was held by Philip
de Columbers in 1166, (fn. 7) and Alfoxton and
Stringston were still held of the honor or manor
of Nether Stowey in the early 17th century. (fn. 8)
From Ranulph the undertenancy of STRINGSTON apparently descended in the earlier 12th
century to Adam of Stringston, who was probably also known as Adam de Conteville and
whose daughter Aubrey married successively
Hugh Thurlac of Stringston and Hugh Fichet. (fn. 9)
Hugh Fichet held a fee in Stringston in 1166 and
was still alive in 1201. (fn. 10) Aubrey's son and heir
Sir William Fichet was still alive in 1245 (fn. 11) but
by 1249 (fn. 12) had probably been succeeded by another William, who held ½ fee there in 1284-5. (fn. 13)
William, son and heir of the last and probably
of Merridge in Spaxton, held ½ fee in 1303. (fn. 14)
William, his son and heir, was mentioned in
1314-15. (fn. 15) In 1324-5 he granted Stringston
manor and the advowson of the living to (Sir)
Simon Furneaux, heir to Kilve manor. (fn. 16)
From Sir Simon (d. 1358) (fn. 17) the manor passed
with Kilve to his daughter Elizabeth Blount and
her daughter Alice Stafford, later Stury (d.
1414). When the estate was divided in 1421
Stringston was assigned to Joan, great-greatgranddaughter of Simon's sister Hawise, and her
husband Robert Greyndour (d. 1443). (fn. 18) Joan,
who married Sir John Barre as her second
husband, died in 1485, when her heir at Stringston was William Strode of Somerton. (fn. 19)
William Strode died in 1499 leaving his manor
for life to a younger son, John, subject to the life
interest of his widow Alice (d. 1517). (fn. 20) Stringston apparently descended to John's nephew
John Strode, to that John's son Robert (d. 1559),
to Robert's son John (d. 1581), (fn. 21) and to John's
son Sir Robert, who died in 1616 leaving the
manor to his brother Sir John Strode (d. 1642). (fn. 22)
Sir John's son, also Sir John (d. 1679), was
followed in succession by three of his children,
William (d. 1706), Thomas (d. 1718), and Anne
(d. 1731). (fn. 23) Anne died unmarried and was succeeded by George Strode, Sir John's newphew.
George died childless in 1753 and his brother
Thomas also childless in 1764. The heir was Sir
John Oglander, Bt., of Nunwell (I.W.), son of
Sir John Strode's daughter Elizabeth. (fn. 24) Sir John
Oglander was succeeded in 1767 by his son Sir
William (d. 1806) and Sir William by his son,
also Sir William (d. 1852), whose son Sir Henry
after prolonged negotiations sold the manor and
lordship with Stringston farm to Sir Alexander
Hood in 1867. (fn. 25) The manor thereafter descended
with the Fairfield estates to Elizabeth, Lady
Gass, owner in 1986. (fn. 26)
The capital messuage was let for lives in
1398-9 and 1433-4. (fn. 27) It continued to be let in
the 16th century, though in the 17th the tenant
was a member of the Strode family. (fn. 28) Stringston
Farm dates from the later 18th century.
Alfoxton may, like Stringston, have passed
from the Domesday undertenant, Ranulph, to
Adam de Conteville, since in 1201 Richard de
Conteville had a claim to land there and was later
thought to have released his rights to William
son of Jordan. (fn. 29) William had ½ fee in Alfoxton
in 1166 and may have been known as William
of Alfoxton. (fn. 30) John of Alfoxton was recorded in
1275-6, (fn. 31) and in 1311 he or a namesake settled
his estate at Alfoxton on himself and his wife
Maud and his issue, with contingent remainders
to Richard of Birland. (fn. 32) John died c. 1332. In
1342 Richard settled the manor on his brother
Thomas and on Thomas's sons William and
John, (fn. 33) and in 1347 Thomas settled it on himself
and his wife Joan, with reversion to William and
his wife Alice in tail. The heir of William and
Alice may have been Christine, wife of William
Cornu, who had established ownership by 1374.
William Cornu was dead by 1383 and Christine
married Edward Brightley, and she is said to
have settled Alfoxton in 1385-6 on James Ayshe
of Chagford (Devon). The Ayshe family remained in possession until 1419-20 when John
Ayshe sold it to Richard Popham of Porlock. (fn. 34)
Richard Popham's daughter and heir Joan
married first John Sydenham (d. 1464) and
second John St. Albyn of Parracombe (Devon).
Joan died in 1499 and in 1503 her estates were
divided, Alfoxton passing to John St. Albyn,
possibly her grandson. (fn. 35) That John, described as
of Chilton Trivet having married Elizabeth
Trivet, was still in possession in 1507. (fn. 36) His son,
also John (d. c. 1540), was followed by John's
son George, (fn. 37) and George by his son John (d.
1601) and his grandson Lancelot (d. 1624). (fn. 38)
John (d. c. 1652), son of Lancelot, (fn. 39) was succeeded in turn by two of his sons, John (d. 1708)
and Lancelot (d. c. 1709). John, son of Lancelot,
died in 1723 and was followed by his sons John
(d. 1744) and Lancelot (d. 1745). The last, of
Nether Stowey, was followed by his sons John
(d. 1768) and the Revd. Lancelot (d. 1791). (fn. 40)
Lancelot St. Albyn died without issue, and for
a long time the estate was let. (fn. 41) In 1806 his heir,
his great-nephew Langley Gravenor, came of
age and took the name St. Albyn. (fn. 42) Langley died
in 1874, and on the death of his elder son
Lancelot in 1878 Alfoxton passed to Lancelot's
widow Jane (d. 1891) for her life, with remainder
to his elder sister Anne, wife successively of Birt
Jenner (d. 1863) and William Prichard (d. 1888).
Anne was succeeded in 1905 by her son Birt St.
Albyn Jenner. After his death without children
in 1924 Birt's widow made over the estate to his
nephew John Lancelot Brereton (d. 1973). Much
of the estate was sold in 1920 but the house,
park, and woods were retained, the house being
let to a succession of tenants and becoming a
private hotel in 1930. Between 1939 and 1946 it
was occupied by Wellington House preparatory
school from Westgate-on-Sea (Kent), and then
reverted for use first as an hotel and until 1958
as a Christian Endeavour holiday home. The
house and c. 55 a. of land were sold by the
Brereton trustees in 1958, and since that date the
house has been an hotel. The remaining parts of
the estate in the parish were sold in 1978 and
1981. (fn. 43)
Alfoxton Park hotel, standing on a prominent
site with extensive views northwards across the
Bristol Channel, is a large house of two storeys,
cellars, and attics. It comprises a south range of
seven bays, with a three-bayed pediment and
central Tuscan porch of the early 18th century,
and to the north a parallel range built probably
before 1797-8 when the house comprised nine
lodging rooms, three parlours, and a hall. (fn. 44) A
'most superb room' was said to have been lately
built and furnished in 1810. (fn. 45)
In King John's reign one William, perhaps son
of Jordan, granted land in Dyche and 'Lymmbery' to John of Alfoxton. (fn. 46) It had presumably
been part of the 2 hides in Alfoxton recorded in
Domesday. (fn. 47) In 1500 John St. Albyn held a
manor called LYMBER or Lymbards which in
1503 comprised land in Burton in Stogursey,
Dodington, Holford, and Stringston. (fn. 48) It was
merged with Alfoxton manor by the earlier 18th
century, and in the 19th the name was confined
to two fields in Dodington parish, between
Dodington village and Dyche and adjoining both
Holford and Stringston parishes. (fn. 49)
Two other holdings, Gugglemoor and Corewell or Currill, were probably part of Dyche in
1086. GUGGLEMOOR, held by Gilbert of the
marsh and his sons Henry and William in the
mid 13th century, (fn. 50) descended to John Gilbert
of Gugglemoor (fl. 1284) and to John's son John
of Gugglemoor (fl. 1321). By 1427 the estate had
passed to Thomas Gilbert of Exeter, whose
daughter married Nicholas Biccombe. The Biccombes are said to have held it in Henry VII's
reign. (fn. 51) John St. Albyn was owner by 1592 (fn. 52) and
it was still held with Alfoxton in 1839. (fn. 53)
COREWELL, partly in Holford parish, (fn. 54) included a
farm in Stringston which belonged to John St.
Albyn by 1608 (fn. 55) and was still held with Alfoxton
in 1724. (fn. 56)
Hugh Fichet and his wife Aubrey gave a
virgate of land and its tenants to Taunton priory
in the mid 12th century. (fn. 57) The priory's estate,
called Kingshill in 1535, still paid chief rent to
the lord of Stringston. (fn. 58) Montacute priory had
some land in the parish in 1291. (fn. 59) Neither estate
has been identified nor traced further. From the
13th century the Verney family acquired rents
and land, some associated with Barnsworthy in
Dodington, which John Verney of Fairfield in
Stogursey sold in 1416. (fn. 60) The land was partitioned in 1519 and part was thereafter known as
Coles's tenement. (fn. 61) That holding, with additional lands, remained in the Coles family until
1740 and was bought by (Sir) John (Palmer)
Acland in 1791. (fn. 62) Land at Dyche, also formerly
held by the Coles family, was owned by Nicholas
Palmer of Fairfield by 1699 and descended with
the Fairfield estate. (fn. 63) Sir Francis Dodington had
a freehold tenement in 1651 which in 1705
comprised a farm of 73 a. at Dyche. (fn. 64) It descended with Dodington manor and in 1786 was
owned by George Grenville, marquess of Buckingham (d. 1813). (fn. 65) The farm seems to have been
sold before 1827 (fn. 66) and was later absorbed into
the Fairfield estate. (fn. 67) George Prior, whose family had been resident at Stringston in 1497 (fn. 68) and
were tenants of part of Alfoxton manor in 1567 (fn. 69)
and part of the glebe in 1613, (fn. 70) owned the
freehold of Prior's farm in 1765. (fn. 71) John Prior
owned it in 1839. (fn. 72) The house is a 17th-century
building with plaster work bearing the dates
1641 and 1658.