PEASEMORE
Praxemere (xi cent.); Pesimare (xi cent.); Pasemere (xiii cent.); Pasmere (xiv cent.); Pesemere,
Pesmere (xiii–xv cent.); Pusmere (xiv cent.); Paximere, Peasmoore (xvi cent.); Peasmore (xvi–xvii
cent.); Peysmer, Peasemore (xvii cent.).
The parish of Peasemore lies on the southern slope
of the Berkshire downs and is drained by subterranean
streams in the dry valleys which lie above the sources
of the Winterbourne Brook. From the bounds of
the township of Chieveley as given in the 10th
century it would appear that Peasemore then formed
part of that vill, but before the Conquest it had
become distinct for secular, and shortly afterwards for
ecclesiastical, purposes.
The village lies around a circular inclosure within
which are the church, rectory and some of the houses.
Most of the houses and cottages are of brick and of
no particular architectural interest, but Gobley Farm,
on a hill to the south-west of the village, is an old
brick and timber building. Originally the front had
two gables, but it has been extended and now has
three. The eaves descend very low at the back of
the house. The highest point in the north of the
parish is a little above 600 ft. and the lowest, at the
south-west corner, is 382 ft. above the ordnance
datum. The parish contains 2,049 acres, of which
1,556 are arable, 146 permanent pasture and 15
woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The principal crops are
wheat, barley and oats. The soil is mostly loam and
clay overlying chalk, but there is sand at the northeast corner. No railway or canal runs through the
parish, the nearest railway stations being Welford
Park and Hampstead Norris, both about 5 miles
distant, nor any road which can be termed a
highway. There are no industries in the parish and
the population is purely agricultural. There is a
Primitive Methodist chapel here.
A great fire broke out here on 27 July 1736, doing
damage which was estimated at £1,575 6s. 4d. (fn. 2)
Manors
There were three manors in PEASEMORE at the time of the Domesday
Survey, held respectively by Ralph de
Mortimer, Gilbert de Bretville and the Count of
Evreux.
The overlordship of the first, held by two thegns
in the reign of Edward the Confessor and at the
time of the Domesday Survey by Ralph de Mortimer, (fn. 3)
passed at his death, like the overlordship of Brimpton
in this hundred (q.v.), to his son Hugh and continued
to pass with the Mortimer estates until, after the
death of Cicely Duchess of York in 1495, it reverted
to the Crown. (fn. 4)
Oidelard held this manor of Ralph de Mortimer at
the time of the Domesday Survey, (fn. 5) but it soon
passed into the hands of Richard de Peasemore, who
was the owner of another manor here, and who
appears to have acquired this manor early in the
reign of Henry I. Richard had a son Philip, who
was associated with him in a quarrel with the abbey
of Abingdon, (fn. 6) and another Richard, possibly the
grandson of the former, owed a mark in 1204 for
having recognizance of novel disseisin for his free
tenement here, (fn. 7) which he was holding later in this
century. (fn. 8) He died before 1263, when his widow
Julia claimed one-third of the manor from his son
William, also from another son Richard, and her
dower in other lands there from Reginald Fitz Peter
and others. (fn. 9)
William de Peasemore died before 1280, when his
son Richard was under age. (fn. 10) In due course Richard
obtained seisin of the manor and died seised of it in
1300, when his heir was his daughter Agnes, an
infant less than a year old. (fn. 11) The following year the
king ordered a dower to be assigned to Richard's
widow Agnes, (fn. 12) and it appears that a third of the
manor was held in dower by Alice the widow of
William. (fn. 13) Alice had taken as her second husband
Robert le Poer, and they were holding their share of
this manor in 1307, (fn. 14) and Robert Power, either this
man or a son of the same name, was holding it in
1322–3 (fn. 15) and in 1325. (fn. 16)
Before 1320–1 the manor, with the reversion of
Alice's dower, seems to have passed into the hands of
Richard de Abberbury of Donnington (q.v.), for in
that year he granted it to Simon son of Robert de
Norton and his wife. (fn. 17) The subsequent history is
obscure, but Simon was holding the manor in 1324 (fn. 18)
and 1327, when part of it was held of him by Warin
de Lisle, lord of the adjoining manor of Beedon. (fn. 19)
How long Simon continued to hold it is uncertain,
nor are his heirs known, but it is probable that
William Nououn or Noioun, who held the manor in
1360, was his son. (fn. 20) At this point there is another
difficulty in the descent. A William Noion or
Noun was holding this manor in 1398, (fn. 21) but twenty
years before, in 1377–8, the manor or the reversion
of it seems to have been conveyed by William Lemere
and his wife to Sir Richard de Abberbury. (fn. 22) How
the grantees obtained their right in the manor has
not been found, but it seems clear, at any rate, that
Sir Richard obtained the manor in 1377–8 and
attached it to his manor of Donnington, which he
sold in 1415 to Thomas Chaucer, (fn. 23) whose only
daughter married as her second husband Thomas de
Montagu Earl of Salisbury, who was holding this
manor in 1425 and in 1428, (fn. 24) just before his death
that year. This manor like the others seems to have
continued a parcel of the manor of Donnington (q.v.)
and with that manor to have passed to the Crown in
1535.
The second manor was held in the reign of the
Confessor by Godwin and Urlewin and at the time
of the Domesday Survey by Gilbert de Bretville. (fn. 25)
As in Gilbert's other manors the overlordship seems to
have passed to the king, who in 1232 handed it over
to Herbert son of Roger and others, from whom it
seems to have passed to the Earls of Devon and
eventually to the Earls of Salisbury, and, like the
manor of Wille in the parish of Hampstead Norris
(q.v.), it became forfeit to the king in 1400, on the
death of John de Montagu Earl of Salisbury.
This overlordship was restored with the title and
other estates to his son Thomas on 10 April 1409 and
he died seised of it on 3 November 1428. The later
descent of the overlordship is well known, and it
passed to the Crown on the death and subsequent
attainder in 1499 of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 26)
The manor was held of Gilbert de Bretville at the
time of the Domesday Survey by Richard, (fn. 27) and it
seems possible that this was the fee of which Martin
de Peasemore obtained possession in 1221 at the
death of his father Gilbert. (fn. 28) Land here was also
sold by John de Peasemore to Herbert son of Roger
in 1234–5. (fn. 29) It would seem that in 1232 it was
found that this manor had been held in fee by
Richard de Peasemore and had escheated to the king,
who directed that it should be handed over to Herbert
son of Roger, Hugh son of Alexander and Gervaise
son of Vivian. (fn. 30)
Later in the century Nicholas de Eddington held
half a fee here successively of the king, Herbert son
of Roger, the Earl of Devon and Matthew de
Columbers. (fn. 31) In 1237 Nicholas granted certain
lands here to William Prior of Poughley, (fn. 32) and it
seems likely that the remainder passed into the hands
of Richard de Peasemore (fn. 33) and passed with his
manor to Sir Richard de Abberbury, who had a
grant of free warren here in 1340, (fn. 34) and attached
these lands to his manor of Donnington (q.v.), with
which it passed to the Crown in 1535. (fn. 35)
The lands granted to the Prior of Poughley were
confirmed to him by the king in 1248, (fn. 36) and the
priory acquired fresh lands here in 1260–1 from
William le Bel and his wife. (fn. 37) The prior is returned
as holding land here in 1315–16 (fn. 38) and again in
1428 (fn. 39) and at the time of the dissolution of the
priory in 1525. (fn. 40) The land was granted to Cardinal
Wolsey in 1526 (fn. 41) for his college at Oxford, (fn. 42) and
was conveyed by him the same year to the 'Dean
and Canons of the College of Thomas Wolsey.' (fn. 43)
After Wolsey's attainder these lands were granted in
1531 to the abbey of Westminster, (fn. 44) which was
permitted to exchange them in 1541 with John
Carleton of Walton-upon-Thames, Surrey, and Joyce
his wife. (fn. 45) A farm close to the church known as
Prior's Side seems to represent these lands.
The third manor was held in the reign of the
Confessor by Alwin and at the time of the Domesday
Survey by William Count of Evreux, (fn. 46) who granted
it to the church of Noion. It was confirmed to
them by his grandson Simon between 1140 and
1157. (fn. 47)
It seems probable that as in the case of the count's
manor of Calcote in the parish of Hungerford it was
held of the priory of Noion in the 13th century by
Alan de Farnham, (fn. 48) from whom it passed to John de
St. Helena and his wife Juliana. (fn. 49) These manors
passed to the son of Juliana by a former marriage,
Gilbert de Elsefield, (fn. 50) who granted them to Henry
le Tyes of Chilton and Margaret his wife. (fn. 51) On the
death of Henry and Margaret they passed presumably
to their son Henry, who was executed in 1321, when
his heir was his sister Margaret wife of Warin de
Lisle. (fn. 52) These lands are perhaps included in those
held by Warin in 1324, (fn. 53) and he died seised of them
in 1327, (fn. 54) when they are described as being held of
Simon de Norton or Northampton. Warin had
evidently been interested in lands here as early as
1320, when at his orders several of his servants came
to Peasemore and so ill-used Robert de Ilsley that he
died. (fn. 55) He attached these lands to his adjoining
manor of Beedon, and they have passed with that
manor (q.v.) to the present day and are now owned
by the Lady Wantage. (fn. 56)
By 1535 both of the first two manors had come
into the hands of the king and for ten years these
estates, now treated as one manor, remained part of
the lordship of Donnington. (fn. 57) In 1545 this manor
was leased for forty years to Edward Fettiplace, the
king's servant, (fn. 58) and in 1563 it was granted by Queen
Elizabeth to John Lyford and others. (fn. 59) John Lyford,
who lived at Rushdens in the parish of Stanford
Dingley, conveyed the manor to trustees in 1600. (fn. 60)
He alienated to trustees in 1608–9 for the purposes
of settlement (fn. 61) and died in 1610 seised of the
manor, which passed to his son Richard. (fn. 62) On a
brass erected to his memory in the church of Stanford
Dingley he is described as citizen and merchant tailor
of London. (fn. 63) Richard took possession of the manor
in 1611, (fn. 64) and in 1634, with Joan his wife, (fn. 65) he
settled (fn. 66) it on his son Richard on his marriage with
Mary daughter of Thomas Castell. Richard the
younger died in 1638 seised of this manor. (fn. 67) His
father survived him and died at Rushdens in 1640. (fn. 68)
At the death of the younger Richard the manor
passed under the settlement of 1634 to his widow
with remainder to his daughter Mary, and in 1661
Charles Evans and Mary his wife and Thomas
Edwards and Mary his wife conveyed the manor to
trustees. (fn. 69) It seems possible that these two Marys
were the widow and daughter of Richard Lyford. (fn. 70)
The elder Mary must have died and the younger
Mary married again before 1686, when Thomas
Coward, sen., clerk, and Mary his wife placed the
manor in settlement, (fn. 71) for the Mary in this case, as
appears from the inscription on her monument, was
the daughter of Richard Lyford. (fn. 72) On 5 April 1705
her only daughter Mary was married to Mr. Ralph
Sherley of Oxford, (fn. 73) and Mrs. Coward died 16 October 1709, aged seventy-four years. (fn. 74)
In 1719 Ralph Sherley, clerk, and Mary his
wife conveyed the manor to John Beale, apparently
in trust. (fn. 75) Mary died in 1729 and Anne, her
daughter, in 1745. (fn. 76) In 1756 Ralph and other
members of the family conveyed the manor to John
Archer and John Loder, clerk, (fn. 77) probably as trustees
for a settlement. Ralph died in 1760, when he was
described as 'Rector of Welford and of this Parish
Church and Lord of the Manor of Peasemore.' (fn. 78)
He seems to have been succeeded by his son
William, who is described as lord of the manor, and
who died childless in 1775, aged sixty-one. (fn. 79) The
manor then seems to have passed under the provisions
of the settlement of 1756 to John Archer of Welford,
and he and Rosanna his wife with others conveyed it
to trustees in 1784. (fn. 80) The manor has since passed
with the manor of Welford (q.v.) and is at present
owned by Col. G. B. Archer-Houblon.
Church
The church of ST. BARNABAS
was rebuilt in 1842 and consists of a
chancel, south vestry, organ chamber,
nave, west tower and north porch.
The walls are of hard brick with stone dressings,
and the design is in the 'Decorated' style, the tower
being in three stages with an embattled parapet above
which rises an octagonal stone spire.
The altar has five 17th-century panels carved
in high relief, formerly part of a chest, the bottom
band of ornament being pierced by a key-hole. The
first panel represents the 'Descent from the Cross,'
the second the 'Adoration of the Shepherds,' the
third the 'Last Supper,' the fourth the 'Adoration
of the Magi' and the fifth the 'Conversion of
St. Paul.'
On the north wall of the tower is a brass with an
inscription in verse to Thomas Stampe, who died
in 1636. His arms and crest also appear on the
plate. There are also some 18th and 19th-century
monuments. On the north side of the churchyard,
which contains two cedars and other large trees, is
a lychgate.
There are five bells, the treble, third and fourth
being recast by Taylor, 1889, the second bears the
initials RP and the date 1737, and the fifth was cast
by James Wells of Aldbourne, 1809.
The plate comprises a chalice, paten and flagon of
1853. On the base of the flagon is the inscription
'The gift of William Coward 1737.' Probably the
base is of this date and is soldered on to a later top;
the beaten surface of the metal seems to bear this out.
There are also a Britannia-metal plate and a circular
pewter wafer box.
The registers previous to 1812 are as follows:
(i) baptisms 1538 to 1803, marriages 1574 to 1762
and burials 1574 to 1804; (ii) marriages 1755 to
1812 (baptisms from 1803 and burials from 1804,
both to 1812, are missing). There is an overseers'
book of 1764 with churchwardens' accounts from
1786 at the other end, also a surveyor's book of
1769, housekeeper's book 1761 and a constable book
of 1760 to 1827.
Advowson
Peasemore was originally part of
the parish of Chieveley, and between
1078 and 1097 Richard de Peasemore, who held the main manor, built a chapel with
a cemetery, which was dedicated by Osmund Bishop
of Salisbury. In 1104–5 it would seem that Richard
desired that this should be a parish church, and he
refused to pay his dues to the church of Chieveley.
He was censured by the abbot, but appears to have
had his way, and Peasemore has since that date been
a parish. (fn. 81)
The advowson appears to have remained in the
family of Richard de Peasemore, and a number of
disputes respecting it between his descendants occurred
in 1263, 1280, 1306, 1307 and 1308. (fn. 82) Owing to
the minority of the owner the king presented in
1306, 1307 and 1308. (fn. 83)
In 1320 Richard de Abberbury sold the advowson
to Simon de Norton, (fn. 84) but in 1377–8 his heir Richard
purchased it again from William Lemere or Lesnier. (fn. 85)
It subsequently passed with the lordship of Donnington and came in 1535 to the king, who presented in 1544. (fn. 86)
The advowson was granted in 1563–4 with the
manor to John Lyford, (fn. 87) and descended with the
manor, Richard Lyford presenting in 1637 and Thomas
Lyford in 1678. Alienations of the right of presentation for one turn only were, however, made on
several occasions. In 1632 the presentation was made
by Edward Pocock, clerk, Oliver Smyth and Amos
Avery, clothier, (fn. 88) and in 1680 by John Whitwick.
Mary Coward, who presented in 1686, was lady of
the manor, and the bishop presented in 1710, while
in 1761 the presentation was made by John Archer
and John Loder. The presentation was again sold,
for Catherine Ready presented in 1791, George
Watts, clerk, in 1801, and Thomas Hughes, clerk,
in 1807; but John Archer-Houblon, the lord of the
manor, presented in 1816, and the advowson has
continued in his family. The present patron is
Col. G. B. Archer-Houblon, the lord of the manor.
In 1291 the church was valued at £8, while the
estate of the priory of Poughley in the parish was
valued at £3 17s. 6d. (fn. 89)
In 1340–1 the ninths were valued at 9 marks,
and it was then stated that a carucate of land belonged
to the church. (fn. 90)
A chantry, known as our Lady's chantry, was
suppressed at the time of the Reformation. (fn. 91)
Charities
It is stated in the Parliamentary
Returns of 1786 that William
Coward, by his will dated in 1739,
which was proved in the registry of the Archdeacon
of Berks., left £40 for the use of the poor, the payment of the interest to be made on 23 February
each year (the day the testator died) 'to the world's
end.' The income is duly applied.