Teddington: Other estates

OTHER ESTATES.

From the Middle Ages until the mid-19th century most of the land in Teddington belonged to the lord of the manor or his copyholders. (fn. 1) Six acres inclosed out of the common by Teddington town end in 1669 were said to belong to Hampton Court manor, (fn. 2) but otherwise the only part of the parish apparently ever held to belong to a manor outside was the southernmost of the three islands lying in the Thames off South Field in 1800, which then formed part of Isleworth Syon. (fn. 3) It may perhaps have been connected with one of Isleworth's weirs and fisheries in the river. (fn. 4) In the early 13th century there were five freeholders of the manor, holding 10 virgates between them. (fn. 5) Two of these holdings (3 and 2½ virgates) probably became Geles manor, (fn. 6) one (3 virgates) had become divided by 1312, and another (1 virgates) had been broken up by 1379. Of these two last, the fragments of the first seem to have comprised just over 40 acres and those of the second about 20 acres. (fn. 7) One of the freeholds seems to have originated in a grant by Westminster to Hugh Warner in the 12th or 13th century of 3 virgates formerly held by Haimund. Hugh had formerly leased 3 hides in Sunbury and Teddington from the abbey and surrendered them in return for the new grant. (fn. 8) Very little if any land seems to have been separated from the manor in the later Middle Ages or afterwards. (fn. 9) At the inclosure of 1800 only 49 persons received free or copyhold allotments in respect of old inclosure, open-field land, or common rights. Apart from the 483 acres allotted to the lord of the manor, there were an allotment of 123 acres of copyhold to the successors of Sir Charles Duncombe (d. 1711), (fn. 10) two allotments, mostly copyhold, of 70- 90 acres, and three, partly copyhold, of 10-20 acres. Forty-six acres were also allotted to the king, of which 33 lay in Bushy Park. The remaining allotments were all of under 10 acres. (fn. 11) In 1862 much of the former common land west of the village belonged to Sir William Clay of Fulwell Park, in Twickenham. (fn. 12)