HANLEY WILLIAM
Hanelege, Henelege (xi cent.); Hanleg Thom,
Hanlee Wyllame, Hanley (xiii cent.); Williamshanley (xiv cent.); Handley William (xvi cent.);
Over Hanley (xviii cent.).
The parish, which covers an area of 1,165 acres,
lies principally on high ground, attaining 800 ft. at
Broad Heath and falling to 300 ft. at Hanley Dingle.
The soil is clay, the subsoil Old Red Sandstone, and
corn and hops are grown.
The village lies to the south of the parish, and
about three-quarters of a mile to the north-east stand
the church and the Court Farm. Hanley Court, the
residence of the lord of the manor, half a mile northeast of the church, is a large brick three-storied house
with slate roofs, built about 1750. The plan is
roughly rectangular, but the central portion of the north
front recedes slightly, the space being occupied by a
Roman Doric portico, while the library has a large
semicircular bay window projecting from the centre of
the south front. The portico has six columns with an
entablature and moulded cornice, and in the recessed
part of the front above, lighting the first floor, is a
Venetian window, over which is a semicircular window
lighting the top floor; these are flanked by plain
rectangular windows and the whole is surmounted by
a dentil cornice and pediment. The hall, entered
through the portico, is sufficiently high to admit of a
gallery which goes all round its walls and communicates
with the first floor rooms. The staircase and the
former dining room are to the east of the hall, the
billiard room and present dining room to the west,
and the library to the south. The arrangement of
the hall and adjoining billiard room has undergone
some modification. The oak staircase is original and
of the well-hole type, and has a moulded handrail
and slender enriched balusters. The former dining
room is panelled and has a good plaster ceiling; the
library, a long rectangular room with a semicircular
bay window on the south, is enriched internally by
Roman Ionic columns supporting two transverse beams,
while externally the bay window has four pairs of
Doric columns supporting an entablature.
East of Hanley Court is the valley known as
Hanley Dingle, from some parts of which very fine
views are obtained over the Teme Valley. Through
it runs a tributary of the Teme. The west of Hanley
William is watered by Pipers Brook, and Shortwood
Brook rises in the south of the parish. Broad Heath,
part of which is in this parish, was inclosed under
an Act of 1865, (fn. 1) the award being dated 1871.
MANOR
At the date of the Domesday Survey
there were two manors of Hanley in
Doddingtree. One of them was held by
Roger under Gilbert Fitz Turold as successor to
Eadwig, and the other by Hugh under Gilbert as
successor to Cheneward and Ulchete, who held it as
two manors. (fn. 2) One of these estates must have been
HANLEY WILLIAM and the other Hanley Child,
but it is impossible to identify them. Atkyns states (fn. 3)
that Gilbert Fitz Turold forfeited all his estates for
joining Robert Curthose in his rebellion against
William Rufus, and his lands were granted to Robert
Fitz Hamon. (fn. 4) Fitz Hamon's daughter Mabel married
Robert Fitz Roy Earl of Gloucester, (fn. 5) and Hanley thus
became a part of the honour of Gloucester. (fn. 6) The
overlordship of the Earls of Gloucester is not mentioned after 1296. (fn. 7) The manor was returned in
1537 as held of the honour of Elmley Castle (fn. 8) and in
1640 as held of the Crown. (fn. 9)
Like many other of the manors in Worcestershire
which belonged to the earldom of Gloucester this
manor was held under the earls by the Delamare
family. It may have been among the fees held in
1166 by Robert Delamare of the earl. (fn. 10) Thomas
Delamare held it in 1210–12 (fn. 11) and William Delamare about the middle of the century. (fn. 12) The mesne
lordship of Hanley passed soon after this time to the
Pleseys family, who may have been connected with the
Delamares. (fn. 13) Hanley was said in 1292 to be held of
Hugh de Pleseys and in 1294 of Robert de Pleseys. (fn. 14)
Probably in both cases it was held of Robert de
Pleseys, who died in 1294, (fn. 15) when his son John
succeeded. John died in 1313, (fn. 16) and Hanley was
held in 1315 of his son Edmund. (fn. 17) Hanley was
still said in 1347 to be held of the heirs of William
Delamare, (fn. 18) but this mesne lordship is not again
mentioned.
Nothing is known of the under-tenants until the
13th century. About the middle of that century
Thomas de Hanley was tenant under the Delamares,
and apparently gave his name to the manor, described
as 'Hanleg Thom.' (fn. 19) In 1276 William de Hanley
paid 1s. 6d. to the subsidy. (fn. 20)
Hanley William Church from the South-west
Though the family of Hanley continued to own
land in Hanley, (fn. 21) they do not seem to have been
holding the manor during this period, for in 1279
William Pikerel, clerk, granted his tenement in Hanley
William to Sir Hugh Burnell, and in 1281 Robert
Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, who may have
been Sir Hugh's brother, obtained a grant of free
warren at Hanley. (fn. 22) He died seised of the manor in
1292, when his nephew Philip Burnell succeeded. (fn. 23)
This manor (fn. 24) passed with some of the bishop's other
property to the Lovels, (fn. 25) Sir John Lovel dying seised
of it in 1347. (fn. 26) The manor next appears in 1522,
when Thomas Cornwall settled it on his son Richard. (fn. 27)
In 1546, however, as the manor of Dounton, it was
conveyed by Thomas Hanley (fn. 28) to George Habington. (fn. 29) .
George Habington's interest in the manor had
passed before 1557 (fn. 30) to Edward Newport, (fn. 31) who
married Anne daughter of John Knyvett and gave
Hanley before his death to his son Edward. After
the death of the elder Edward, Anne sued Edward
the son for provision for herself and her younger
children. (fn. 32) Edward settled Hanley on himself and
his wife Mary in 1581. (fn. 33)
By a will dated 1608 Edward Newport left the
manor of Hanley William to his 'cousin' Hugh Lee
on condition that he married Anne daughter of John
Newton, who appears to have been Edward's adopted
child. As Hugh and Anne did not marry, Edward by
a codicil dated 1618 revoked the settlement on Lee and
left the manor to his 'loving cousin' John Newport,
eldest son of John Newport of Welton, co. Northants,
who was about to marry Anne Newton. (fn. 34) Edward
Newport died in 1619, (fn. 35) but before this time the manor
had been claimed by Jane Bennett, granddaughter of
Thomas Hanley, who seems to have contended that
Thomas was still in possession of the manor at his
death. (fn. 36) Habington writes that the name of Hanley
being extinguished in the reign of Edward VI, 'the
family of Hanley fallinge nowe into the streights of
fortune, (fn. 37) . . . Hanley it sealfe hathe byn tossed in
controversies through all the Courtes of Westminster
hall, in which cause, as I have often byn a wytness,
so shall I neaver be a Judge.' (fn. 38) Edward Newport was
successful in proving his claim to the manor, and, though
Jane Bennett at her death in 1632 was said to be in
possession of the manor, (fn. 39) her daughter Elizabeth wife
of Alexander Hooker (fn. 40) never seems to have held it,
and it passed under Edward's will to John Newport.
On the death of the latter in 1625 (fn. 41) his son John
succeeded, the manor being held during his long
minority by his mother Anne, who afterwards married
John Latham. (fn. 42) In 1667 she and Elizabeth Latham,
her daughter, conveyed to John Newport, her son and
heir, the manor-house of Hanley William, known as
Hanley Court, and all their lands, &c., in the manor,
subject to a rent-charge of £40 per annum payable to
herself, with lodging in the manor-house, and £200 to
Elizabeth Latham, there being reserved to Anne Latham
'the chamber wherein she now lieth, the Linnen
Chamber, Fostor's Chamber, the New Room over the
Bakehouse, and the Hen House Chamber.' This
conveyance contains also a reference to ' the chamber
over the south-east end of the stable where John Latham
son of Anne Latham now lieth.' (fn. 43)
John Newport, who married Elizabeth daughter of
John Hamond, died in 1693, (fn. 44) leaving a son John,
who succeeded to this manor and died in 1705. (fn. 45)
His son John was the last of the family in the
male line, his sons all dying in his lifetime. Hanley
William passed on John's death in 1760 to his
daughter Elizabeth wife of James Wakeman, who
assumed the additional name and arms of Newport. (fn. 46)
Elizabeth was succeeded in 1764 by her son Colonel
James Wakeman Newport, (fn. 47) who assumed the name
Charlett in 1825. (fn. 48) On his death without issue in
1838 Hanley William passed to his half-brother the
Rev. Thomas Henry Newport. (fn. 49) He was succeeded
in 1855 by his cousin and godson Henry Allan
Wakeman, (fn. 50) who assumed the additional name
Newport in 1862, (fn. 51) and is the present owner of the
manor.
Wakeman. Paly argents and vert a saltire engrailed ermine.
Newport. Argent a fesse between three crescents sable.
Mills, the tithes of which belonged to the rectory of
Hanley William, are mentioned in 1535. (fn. 52) There were
two water corn-mills belonging to the manor in 1786 (fn. 53)
and in 1819, when their names are given as the New
House Mill and Daykin's Mill. (fn. 54) The present mill
of Hanley William is on Pipers Brook.
Plan of Hanley William Church
CHURCH
The church of ALL SAINTS consists of a chancel measuring internally
15 ft. 4 in. by 12 ft. 7 in., nave 42 ft.
by 16 ft., south porch, and west bellcote. It is built
of tufa, plastered internally, and roofed with tiles.
The chancel and the eastern part of the nave date
from the early 12th century; the nave was extended westward to its present length early in the
13th century, when the south doorway was blocked,
the present one constructed west of it, and another
doorway formed in the north wall. The south doorway of the chancel, which is of the 13th century, may
have been reset in its present position near the east
end when the church was restored in 1866, as it is
shown further to the west in a sketch made a few
years before that date. During this restoration the
east wall of the chancel was almost entirely rebuilt
and some of the windows were renewed. The present
south porch was erected in 1904.
Hanley William Church: The Nave Looking East, Showing Font
The chancel has a modern east window. In the
north wall is a repaired 12th-century light, to the
west of which is a modern aumbry. In the south
wall is a plain 13th-century doorway. The semicircular chancel arch is of the 12th century and perfectly plain. It springs from plain abaci, the west
faces of which have been partly cut away, probably
for a chancel screen. Above the arch, on the east face
of the wall, is a round-headed niche lined with wood.
At the east end of the north wall of the nave is a
modern single trefoiled light, and at the opposite end
of the wall a narrow 13th-century lancet; between
them is a 13th-century doorway. The windows in
the south wall correspond to those opposite. To
the west of the eastern window is the original 12thcentury doorway, which is now blocked the full
thickness of the wall up to the top of the nave seats,
so as to form internally a round-headed recess. The
present south doorway was built in the 13th century,
and above it is a stone panel of the 12th century
carved with the Agnus Dei; this was
probably removed from the original
doorway and rebuilt here. In the west
wall is a modern trefoiled light. The
timber bellcote, which rises above the
nave roof on the west, is boarded
externally and surmounted by an octagonal spire. The chancel has a trussed
rafter roof and the nave an open-timber
trussed roof with two heavy old trusses
supporting the bellcote.
The font is of sandstone and has a
plain circular bowl of the 12th century
and a modern stem, but no base; on
the top of the bowl are the holes for
the former iron clasps. The pulpit is
modern. It is of semi-octagonal plan,
with concave sides ornamented by diaper
carving in low relief and was carved
out of a solid piece of oak.
Some late 16th-century carved woodwork and panels have been used up in
the reading desk, and in the chancel
are two chairs made up of carved panels
and turned posts about 1600.
The bellcote contains three bells, the
treble of the 15th century, inscribed
'+ KATERINA,' the other two by
Rudhall, 1720 and 1753.
The communion plate consists of a
cup of 1640 and a modern paten.
The registers previous to 1812 are
as follows: (i) all entries 1586 to 1752;
(ii) all entries 1754 to 1812; (iii) a
separate book for marriages 1754 to
1812, all of which are entered in
book ii.
ADVOWSON
The earliest reference to the church of
Hanley William is in
1535, when it was returned among the other rectories
of the deanery of Burford. (fn. 55) The patrons of the
living are not known, but they were probably the
lords of Burford, for in 1560, when the rectory
of Hanley William was annexed to that of Eastham, Richard Cornwall of Burford was patron of
both living. (fn. 56) The rectory remained annexed to
Eastham until 1909, when it and Hanley Child
were constituted a separate parish. The advowson
was presented in 1910 to the Bishop of Hereford by
a private patron. (fn. 57)