WEST ILSLEY
Hislelei (xi cent.); Westildesle (fn. 1) (xiii cent.).
The parish of West Ilsley has an area of 3,038
acres, of which rather more than half is arable
land, over a third is permanent grass, and 188 acres
woods and plantations. (fn. 2) The soil is chalk, and the
subsoil is also mostly chalk, with pockets of clay.
The chief crops are oats, wheat and barley. The
land slopes downwards from west to east, from a height
of 700 ft. to 400 ft. The Old Street bounds the parish
on the west, while on the north a portion of Grimsdyke runs parallel to the Icknield Way. On the
summit of the downs is the Ridgway, by the side
of which is a continuous chain of barrows. (fn. 3) There
are other barrows on a height south of Hodcutt,
now becoming levelled by the plough. (fn. 4) In the
neighbouring fields a number of Roman coins have
been ploughed up, (fn. 5) and a deep pond near Parson's
Copse (fn. 6) is said to be paved with ancient bricks.
West Ilsley: The Village
About 1340 it was stated that a third of the arable
land was so barren that the tenants were forced by
poverty to relinquish their land. (fn. 7) The parish was
inclosed in 1825. (fn. 8)
The village of West Ilsley stands nearly 2½ miles
south-west of Chilton and about 1½ miles west of
East Ilsley. It is built in a hollow in the middle of
the downs, the ground rising sharply on the east and
south. The general lie of the village is east and
west, being built along the road running west from
East Ilsley. It is prettily wooded, and on the northeast is a well-timbered plantation. The cottages are
of little architectural interest, and are generally built
of brick and roofed with tiles, though slate is also
employed in some of the more modern buildings.
The church stands on the south side of the road
in the middle of the settlement. In the churchyard
are two trees planted respectively by the Prince and
Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein at the laying
of the foundation stone of the chancel rebuilt in 1878.
A little to the east of the church on the opposite side
of the road is West Ilsley House, formerly held
by the Morland family, and now the residence of
Dr. Frank W. Humphery. There is a Baptist chapel
in the village, erected in 1866.
Hodcutt House is the residence of Mr. Frank B.
Barling. The old mansion of Hodcutt, which is
said to have been built by Inigo Jones, was raised
upon arches on account of its damp position, and was
famed for its spiral staircase. When it was pulled
down, about 1826, a human skull was discovered in
the foundations, and by a curious coincidence, at the
opening of a vault in West Ilsley Church in the
following year, a headless skeleton was found. (fn. 9)
Harcourt Farm recalls the name given to the manor
of West Ilsley when owned by the Harcourt family.
Manors
Although no connexion has been
found between the 29 hides in Ilsley
appurtenant to Sonning Manor which
in 1086 were held by Aubrey de Coci (fn. 10) and any
holding in West Ilsley, it seems probable that these
hides lay in West Ilsley, for all the other holdings in
Ilsley can be accounted for in East Ilsley. WEST
ILSLEY, however, is found at a later date in the
hands of the Beaumonts (see below). On the death
of Robert de Beaumont Earl of Leicester in 1204 his
lands were divided between his sisters Amice wife of
Simon de Montfort and Margaret wife of Saer de
Quincy Earl of Winchester. The overlordship of
the different holdings in West Ilsley passed with the
descendants of these two co-heirs, the Earls of
Leicester and Lancaster (afterwards Dukes of Lancaster) and the Earls of Winchester and their heirs. (fn. 11)
Early in the 13th century Robert Fitz Niel held
10 librates of land in West Ilsley, in which he was
succeeded by Simon de Steiland, who called himself
his heir. (fn. 12) Simon de Steiland was holding in 1230–1, (fn. 13)
but forfeited his lands in 1241, and his half-fee was
then granted by the king to John de Mansel, provost
of Beverley, who held this half-fee under Simon de
Montfort of the king's bailiwick at the time of the
Testa de Nevill. (fn. 14) Before 1248, however, it had been
given by the king to the overlord, Simon de Montfort, John de Mansel receiving other lands in compensation. (fn. 15)
Probably rather later a feoffment was made by the
overlord to one of the Fukeram family. In 1275
Richard Fukeram had return
of writs and assize of bread and
ale at West Ilsley. (fn. 16) In 1279
a fine was levied between
Richard Fukeram, senior, and
Richard Fukeram, junior, of
land in Ilsley. (fn. 17) The manor
was apparently conveyed before 1349 to Richard de Penley
and Isabel his wife, against
whom Joan widow of Richard
Fukeram claimed a third in
dower in that year. (fn. 18) In
1362 Richard de Penley
granted the manor of West Ilsley to the priory of
Edington, in Wiltshire, (fn. 19) which held it until the
Dissolution.
Fukeram. Or a bend indented azure.
In 1540 the chief 'messuage or grange of West
Ilsley' was granted by Henry VIII to William Berners
and others, (fn. 20) who conveyed
it in the following year to
William Pleydell and Agnes
his wife. (fn. 21) They settled it in
1549 upon their son Gabriel, (fn. 22)
who sold the reversion (fn. 23) in
1564 to John Barnes. (fn. 24) John
Pleydell, brother of William,
however, claimed that he had
bought the reversion of the
manor, and in 1565 the
Crown delivered it to him, (fn. 25)
and he died seised of it in
1591, leaving his son Anthony
as his successor. (fn. 26) He was
followed in 1593 by his
brother Richard Pleydell, (fn. 27) who was holding in
1608. (fn. 28) The manor remained in the hands of the
Pleydell family until the
marriage of Charlotte Louisa
daughter and heir of Robert
Pleydell of Ampney Crucis
(co. Glouc.) with John Dawnay son of Henry Viscount
Downe. (fn. 29) Their son Henry
Pleydell Dawnay Viscount
Downe suffered a recovery of
it in 1748. (fn. 30) In 1755 Lord
Downe sold the manor to
William Baker. (fn. 31) On 24
March 1857 it was conveyed
by William Robert Baker to
Lewis Loyd, and then the
ownership followed the descent of the manor of East
Compton (q.v.), Lady Wantage being the present
owner. (fn. 32)
Edington Priory. Or a cross engrailed gules with five cinqfoils or thereon.
Pleydell. Argent a bend gules with drops argent between two Cornish choughs with a chief checky or and sable.
In the 13th century Agnes de Ponte Audomar,
daughter of Henry de Ponte Audomar, (fn. 33) was holding
a fee in Ilsley under the Earl of Winchester. (fn. 34) This
probably represents an early feoffment by one of
the Beaumonts, who were lords of Pontaudemer, to
another branch of the family. Agnes, who married
Ralph de Neirnut, (fn. 35) had an estate there as late as
1251–2. (fn. 36) Later she granted all her lands, rents
and tenements in West Ilsley to the Prior of Sandleford, who is returned as tenant in 1270. (fn. 37) In 1313
the priory obtained a confirmation of the grant and
of a further gift from William de Cherleton. (fn. 38) The
Prior of Sandleford and Richard Fukeram were said
to be holding the vill of West Ilsley in 1316. (fn. 39)
The later history of this fee has not been traced
with any certainty. The priory of Sandleford was
dissolved about 1480, (fn. 40) but there is no proof that the
manor of West Ilsley was then in its possession. (fn. 41)
In 1428 the lady of Ramsey was returned as holding
half a fee which Richard de Penley formerly held. (fn. 42)
As, however, there is no reason to think that the
whole of Penley's property had not passed to
Edington (see above), it is possible that a confusion
in the succession of fees has been made here and
that a Ramsey had been enfeoffed of the Sandleford
manor. (fn. 43) Elizabeth's successor Thomas Ramsey died
seised of the manor in 1499, leavng an annuity to
his daughter Joan Court and the manor itself to his son
Thomas, (fn. 44)
who only survived him ten years. He was
succeeded by his son Thomas, then six years of age. (fn. 45)
Margaret mother of Thomas died in 1516. (fn. 46)
Thomas, who had married Parnel Baldwin, had a
posthumous daughter Elizabeth, born in 1524, two
months after his death. (fn. 47) Elizabeth married Roger
Alford, (fn. 48) who made a settlement of the manor in
1573. (fn. 49) His death took place
before 1587, when Elizabeth
and Edward Alford, her son,
were dealing with it. (fn. 50) After
1631, when Edward Alford
(apparently son of the lastmentioned Edward) was holding, (fn. 51) no further record of
the manor by name has been
found. The Morland family
have held property in the
parish, which may represent
this estate, since 1711, when
John Morland purchased it
from William Smith. John Morland was succeeded
in 1726 by his son Benjamin, who in 1761 made
over the estate to his son William, who died in 1773.
His son William died in 1838 and the latter's son
in 1854. A cousin, Edward Henry, purchased the
property and left it to his nephew Edward, who died
in 1894. His son Walter Edward Thomson owns the
reversion after the death of Mrs. Edward Morland. (fn. 52)
West Ilsley House
Alford. Gules six pears with a chief or.
Another portion of the Beaumont fee was held
by Roger de Beauchamp (fn. 53) and had passed in 1361
to Miles de Beauchamp. (fn. 54)
A further portion of the same fee was held by
William de Abingdon, (fn. 55) of which nothing is known,
unless it is represented by the third of a fee under the
same overlordship which in 1313 and 1315 is
returned as in the hands of Maud daughter of Ralph
de Bradfield. (fn. 56)
In 1086 the manor of HODCUTT or GREAT
HODCUTT (Hodicote, Hedcote, Hudicott, Hoddecote) was held by Ralph de Mortimer, (fn. 57) with
Oidelard as his under-tenant. (fn. 58) The overlordship
remained with the Mortimers until the death of
Edmund Mortimer Earl of March in 1425, (fn. 59) when it
passed to his nephew Richard afterwards Duke of
York, whose widow Cicely is returned as overlord in
1487. (fn. 60) On her death in 1497 it went to the
Crown. (fn. 61)
In the 13th century Geoffrey Ridel is given as
holding one fee in Hodcutt. (fn. 62) By 1360 (fn. 63) the manor
had passed to Walter de la River. (fn. 64) Either he or his
successor and namesake was holding in 1398, the
estate being then described as one fee. (fn. 65) In 1428
Roger de la River is described as holding half a
fee, 'which Walter and John his son had formerly
held.' (fn. 66)
In 1481 John de la River died seised of the manor
of Hodcutt, (fn. 67) of which he had been enfeoffed by
Henry de la River, and left a
daughter Clemence, then eight
years old, (fn. 68) who eventually married John Sandes. (fn. 69) Clemence
and her husband settled the
manor in 1516 (fn. 70) and 1540. (fn. 71)
In 1557 William Sandes conveyed it to Richard Stampe, (fn. 72)
who died in 1558, leaving a
widow Anne and a son John. (fn. 73)
John grandson of Richard
Stampe conveyed the manor
in 1570 to William Forster. (fn. 74)
In 1594 Sir Humphrey Forster
conveyed it to Hugh Keate, (fn. 75) who died seised in
1616 (fn. 76) of the manor of Magna Hodcutt. Hugh
Keate, junior, son and heir, (fn. 77) was party to a fine of
the manor in 1618. (fn. 78) The manor, it is said, was
purchased in 1662 by John Head, (fn. 79) who died in
1701 and was succeeded by a son John, who, dying
in 1746, bequeathed the manor to his son John, (fn. 80)
who was holding in 1778. (fn. 81) He died in 1803
without issue and was succeeded by his nephew Robert
Southby of Appleton, who was holding in 1813 (fn. 82)
and was party in 1818 to a fine of the manors (fn. 83) of
Great and Little Hodcutt. His nephew Richard
Southby had inherited the estate before 1844. (fn. 84)
De La River. Azure two bars dancetty or.
The second manor of HODCUTT or LITTLE
HODCUTT was held at the time of the Domesday
Survey by William Fitz Ansculf and by Stephen
under him, (fn. 85) and the overlordship followed the
descent of the overlordship of Northbury in East
Ilsley (q.v.).
In the 13th century John de Cormailles (successor
of a Thomas Cormailles who was holding land in
Hodcutt in 1201 (fn. 86) and Philip de Berwick each held
half a fee in Hodcutt, (fn. 87) but in 1272 Walter de la
Poyle was holding the manor, which at that time
owed suit to Bradfield Court (held by the Somerys)
every three weeks. (fn. 88) He is again returned as tenant
in 1290 (fn. 89) and his widow Alice in 1322. (fn. 90) From
this date there is no further trace of the manor until
1491, when Elizabeth de St. Amand died seised of
it. (fn. 91) It then seems to have followed the descent of
the manor of East Ilsley (q.v.) and to have come with
that manor into the possession of Thomas Crompton
and his co-grantees. They apparently conveyed it to
Thomas Lighe, who sold it in 1595 to Hugh Keate.
He died seised of the manor of Great Hodcutt (see
above) and of the messuage called Little Hodcutt. (fn. 92)
The two manors then descend together.
The Prioress of Kington (co. Wilts.) had lands in
Hodcutt appurtenant to the manor of West Compton,
which she conveyed in 1291 to Robert Burnell,
Bishop of Bath and Wells, (fn. 93) and they seem to have
become part of the lands of the see. (fn. 94)
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS consists of a chancel measuring internally
20 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft., with a north vestry
and organ chamber, a nave 46 ft. 4 in. by 18 ft. 8 in.,
a north aisle, a north porch and a small bell-turret
over the west wall of the nave.
The church has now the appearance of a modern
building, the aisle, porch, vestry and organ chamber all
having been added in the latter part of the last century, when new windows were inserted throughout the
original structure and the chancel was partially rebuilt in
the style of the 14th century. As no mediaeval detail
of any description now remains, it is impossible to give
the early history of the building, but the absence of
ancient buttresses to the walls of the nave (the diagonal ones at the angles being additions) as well as the
thickness of the original walls suggest work of considerable antiquity. The north aisle was added in
1876 and the chancel was partially rebuilt and reopened in 1878; the vestry and organ chamber were
built in 1881, when the church underwent a complete restoration, while the chancel was again restored
in 1894.
All the details of the chancel are modern. There
is no structural division between the chancel and nave.
The arcade between the north aisle and the nave is of
four bays, with pointed arches carried on circular piers.
It is designed in the 13th-century style, as is also the
north aisle. In the south wall of the nave are three
modern windows and in the west wall a large perpendicular window of four lights.
West Ilsley Church From The North-West
The chancel is of brick and flint with stone dressings to the windows, while the walls of the nave are
covered with rough-cast; the north aisle and porch
are built of flint with stone dressings. All the walls
are plastered internally.
The chancel roof is modern, but one or two 17thcentury timbers have been re-used in its construction.
The roof to the nave is, however, of much earlier
date. It is divided into four bays by three trusses,
with tie-beams and collars; there are two purlins on
either side, the upper ones being strengthened by
wind braces. The under side of the roof is plastered.
The date 1652 carved on one of its timbers is probably
the year of a restoration, though it is possible that the
whole roof was re-erected at that date.
The font is modern. The octagonal pulpit is,
however, made up of Jacobean panelling.
On the south wall of the chancel is a white marble
tablet to Jane Head, who died 17 May 1695, aged
fifty-two. Carved below a laudatory inscription is a
shield: A cheveron ermine between three unicorns'
heads impaling a cheveron between three luces.
There is one modern bell in the bell-turret.
The plate consists of a silver-gilt chalice and cover
paten of 1897, made from the old plate which was
melted down, and an Indian silver shell.
The registers previous to 1812 are as follows:
(i) all entries 1558 to 1742; (ii) baptisms and
burials 1743 to 1790, marriages 1743 to 1754;
(iii) baptisms and burials 1791 to 1812; (iv) marriages 1754 to 1812.
Advowson
The advowson of the church of
West Ilsley seems to have been vested
in the tenants of certain of the fees
held under the honour of Leicester in the 13th
century, for it was conveyed to the priory of Sandleford before 1313 by Agnes de Ponte Audomar, Miles
de Beauchamp and Maud de Abingdon. (fn. 95) In 1320
the priory received a licence to appropriate it. (fn. 96) In
1350 Richard de Penley, then lord of the other
manor, sued the prior for permission to present. (fn. 97) The
priory continued to hold the advowson until about
1480, when the priory was dispersed and Edward IV
annexed it to the collegiate church of Windsor. (fn. 98)
The living has remained ever since in the gift of the
dean and chapter. (fn. 99) In 1690 the Bishop of Salisbury asserted, but unsuccessfully, his right to refuse
the incumbent appointed by the dean and chapter. (fn. 100)
According to a note in the parish registers there was
some confusion as to the profits of the rectory at the
time of the vacation of Sandleford, which again arose
in the 16th century, for although the living since the
acquisition by the Dean and Chapter of Windsor
seems to have been a rectory, in 1543 the dean and
chapter had leased the parsonage to William Barker, (fn. 101)
while in 1554 Richard Stampe was holding a lease of
it from Sir Robert Pound, who was then the incumbent. (fn. 102) William Barker sold his interest to John
Stampe, (fn. 103) son of Richard, who parted with it to
Edward Keate. (fn. 104) A descendant of Keate was holding
it in the time of Dr. Goodman (1583–1656), who
entered the fact in the church registers.
The parsonage farm, which adjoins the church, is
called the Tithe Farm.
Among famous incumbents was Antonio Archbishop of Spalatro (1566–1624), who, upon becoming
a Protestant, fled to England and was inducted into
this living in 1616. (fn. 105) He afterwards recanted and
returned to Rome, where he was imprisoned by order
of the Inquisition. He was succeeded in 1619 by
Geoffrey Goodman, chaplain to Queen Anne wife
of James I, and afterwards Bishop of Gloucester. It
was under his roof that King Charles slept in 1644
on his way to the relief of Castle Donnington, a
fact which was noted in a rare tract, 'The Carolinum,'
written by one of his attendants. (fn. 106)
There was a chapel at Hodcutt in the 13th century,
the patronage of which belonged to the Prioress of
Kington and was granted to the Bishop of Bath and
Wells in 1291. (fn. 107)
Charities
The Poor's Money consists of a
sum of £51 8s. 2d. consols, arising
from the investment in 1879 of £50
received from the sale in 1862 of cottages formerly
erected on the Gravel Pits allotment (see below) for
a poor-house, with moneys derived from various
bequests, recorded in the Parliamentary Returns of
1786.
In 1876 the Hon. and Rev. Edward George
Moore, by his will proved in London 26 February,
left £50 for distribution amongst the poor. The
legacy is represented by £51 0s. 2d. consols. The
sums of stock are held by the official trustees, producing together £2 10s. 8d. yearly, which is divided,
in equal shares, among eight of the poorest persons in
the parish.
The poor of this parish are also entitled to receive
10 loads of firewood, directed by the will of Erasmus
Wood, dated in 1613, to be raised from a grove
called 'Conne Grove,' in the parish of Farnborough. The land charged is now the property of
Mrs. Morland, whose agent distributes the firewood
at Christmas.
Gravel Allotments.—By the West Ilsley Inclosure
Award, 1828, an allotment of 1 a. on the Shelves
and another of 2 r. in the West Field were allotted
for public gravel and rubble-pits for the repair of the
highways. The first-mentioned allotment was sold
at the same time as the cottages referred to above
under the 'Poor's Money,' and the proceeds invested
in £62 16s. 2d. consols, in the corporate name of
the Wantage Rural District Council, producing
£1 11s. 4d. yearly, which is applied in the relief of
the parish rates.