ENBORNE
Taneburne, Aneborne (xi cent.); Eneburn (xiii
cent.); Enedebourn (xiv cent.).
The parish of Enborne lies to the south of the
River Kennet, to the west of the borough of Newbury,
and is bounded on the south by the stream from
which it takes its name and which rises just beyond.
The parish contains 2,501 acres, of which 870 are
arable, 1,101 permanent grass and 241 woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is mostly a heavy clay, though
there is sand in places and here and there beds of
gravel; the chief crops are wheat, barley and oats.
The village is scattered and the population, which is
small, is purely agricultural. The highest points are
in the south of the parish, where the land rises to
about 400 ft. above the ordnance datum. In the
north it falls to the valley of the Kennet. The Great
Western railway from Reading to Hungerford and the
line from Didcot to Southampton run through this
parish, but there is no station here, the nearest being
Newbury or East Woodhay on the Southampton line.
The Kennet and Avon Canal, opened early in
1811, runs across the northern part of the parish.
No highways run through Enborne, but there are
a number of by-roads and lanes leading from Newbury
to the villages to the west. Part of the park of
Hampstead Marshall lies within this parish. Enborne
Lodge is the property of the Misses Valpy, and Cope
Hall is at present unoccupied.
The Earl of Essex took up his position at Enborne
before the battle of Newbury. (fn. 2)
The parish was inclosed under an Act of 1810, the
award being dated 25 February 1815. (fn. 3)
Some fragments of Romano-British pottery are said
to have been found within the limits of the parish. (fn. 4)
Manors
There were four manors in Enborne
at the time of the Domesday Survey,
and of these the most important was
held by William son of Corbucion, and had been
held of Edward the Confessor by Toti; it was assessed
in 1086 at 8 hides and contained a mill worth 20s. (fn. 5)
Like the majority of William's lands, ENBORNE,
later known as WEST ENBORNE or ENBORNE
CHENEY, afterwards passed to the Earl of Warwick,
and Thomas de Newburgh Earl of Warwick died
seised of half a knight's fee here in 1242. (fn. 6) There is,
however, no further mention of it in the inquisitions
on the Earls of Warwick, and early in the 14th
century half a fee in Enborne and the mill there
belonged to the Earl Marshal. (fn. 7) As early as 1228
the Marshals held some land in Enborne, (fn. 8) and
Walter Marshal or his brother Anselm probably
acquired the interest of the Earls of Warwick shortly
after Thomas de Newburgh's death, (fn. 9) for the fee was
subsequently divided between two of Anselm's heirs,
represented later by the Earls Marshal and the
Earls of Gloucester. (fn. 10) In 1306 Roger le Bigod, the
grandson of Anselm Marshal's sister and co-heir
Maud, died seised of this half fee in Enborne, (fn. 11) which
subsequently followed the descent of Hampstead
Marshall (fn. 12) (q.v.).
The Earl of Warwick's fee was held of him in the
13th century by Andrew de la Brech and John Belet. (fn. 13)
The Belet family continued to hold lands in Enborne
until 1408, (fn. 14) but they seem to have lost their interest
in the Warwick fee, (fn. 15) which may have passed to the
Crawleys as early as the reign of Henry III. Sir
Alan de Crawley appears as a witness to several of the
local deeds of this period, (fn. 16) and in one of the time of
Edward I his name is followed by that of James his
son. (fn. 17) This was probably the James de Crawley who
held a quarter of a fee in Enborne of the Earl Marshal
in 1306, (fn. 18) and obtained licence to grant it together
with the advowson to Walter
Wodelok in 1308. (fn. 19)
Walter Wodelok had a
grant of free warren in all
his demesne lands here on
2 April 1325. (fn. 20) At the
time of his death in 1342
a park containing 30 acres
was attached to the manor
and a fishery and mill are
also mentioned, together
with a dovecot and a dairy
which was worth nearly
£8 10s. a year. (fn. 21) His heir
was his son Nicholas, (fn. 22) who
granted the manor in 1366
to his son Thomas and
Eleanor the latter's wife
and died on 20 November
1371. (fn. 23) Thomas died before
1401, leaving a son Thomas,
whose wardship Eleanor and
her second husband Aumary
de St. Amand unsuccessfully
disputed with the Bishop of Winchester in that year. (fn. 24)
The child died before November 1406, when William
Pureshute or Spersholt was returned as the heir of
Nicholas (fn. 25) ; but Eleanor survived and was still holding the manor in 1416, when she complained that
Sir Reynold Grey of Ruthyn and other evil-doers
had broken the stank of her mill at Enborne and
turned away the mill stream. (fn. 26) She died about 1426, (fn. 27)
when the manor apparently passed to Sir Robert
Shottesbrook, who was seised of it in 1428. (fn. 28) After
this date it followed the descent of West Woodhay
(q.v.) until 1542, (fn. 29) when John Cheney granted it to
the king in exchange for the manor of Kintbury. (fn. 30)
Newburgh. Checky or and Azure a cheveron ermine.
Marshal. Party or and vers a lion gules.
Bigod. Or a cross gules.
Enborne Lodge
Thomas Cawarden, a groom of the privy chamber,
was made steward and bailiff of this and other adjoining manors, (fn. 31) and in 1543 obtained a lease of
West Enborne for twenty-one years. (fn. 32) In 1556 the
manor was granted for life to Anne Duchess of Somerset. (fn. 33) She was still holding it in 1573, but though
she did not die until 1587, (fn. 34) the manor was granted
in 1579–80 to Thomas Appleby and others, who had
licence in the same year to alienate it to Sir Thomas
Gawdy. (fn. 35) Sir Thomas Gawdy died seised of this
manor on 5 November 1588, leaving as his heir his
son Henry, (fn. 36) who with his wife Elizabeth sold it in
1590 to Thomas Parry. (fn. 37) Thomas was knighted in
1601 and in 1604 he and his wife Dorothy sold it
to Uriah Babington. (fn. 38)
Uriah Babington died on 26 February 1606 seised
of this manor, leaving by his wife Anne, who survived
him, a son Uriah. (fn. 39) In 1619 Uriah the son, owing
to the embezzlement of treasury money by his father,
was forced to mortgage the manor, (fn. 40) which was sold
by two of the mortgagees in 1629 to William Lord
Craven of Hampstead Marshall. (fn. 41) The manor has
since descended as part of the estate of Hampstead
Marshall (fn. 42) (q.v.), and the Earl of Craven is the present
lord of the manor.
Thomas Parry acquired from King Edward VI in
1552 the capital messuage and site of the manor of
West Enborne, (fn. 43) which he seems to have sold to
Walter Cupper, who died seised of it in 1556, when
he was succeeded by his son Henry, then aged three
years. (fn. 44) Henry had livery of the site on 1 June
1579, (fn. 45) placed it in settlement on 16 June 1580, on
his marriage with Frances daughter of John Hunks
of Preston, Gloucestershire, and died seised of twothirds of the site in 1599. (fn. 46) His son Thomas had
livery of this estate on 15 February 1610. (fn. 47) The
remaining third seems to have been held by Anne
the wife of William Lichfield as dower from her
former husband John Smyth, whose interest in the
manor is not clear. (fn. 48) In 1624 Thomas Cupper sold
the two-thirds to William Craven and two others,
and this sale was confirmed in 1632 to William,
then Lord Craven, by Thomas, his son Thomas and
Henry Cupper. (fn. 49)
Andrew de la Brech, who held part of the Warwick
fee in the 13th century, obtained about 1237 a grant
of other lands in Enborne from Gilbert Marshal
Earl of Pembroke. (fn. 50) These lands had been granted
to the earl by Eleanor Countess of Pembroke for the
term of her life, and were possibly those which her
husband William Marshal, Gilbert's elder brother, had
claimed from William Malewayne in 1228. (fn. 51) In 1258
Andrew granted the lands which he first held in
Enborne to Richard de Havering and Lucy his wife
for the life of Lucy with reversion to Andrew and his
heirs. (fn. 52) It is not clear whether this was the fee
held of Warwick or of Pembroke, as the whole of
Andrew's estate is afterwards returned as held of the
Earl Marshal. (fn. 53) On the death of Anselm Marshal,
however, the fee passed to his sister and co-heir
Isabel, the wife of Gilbert de Clare, (fn. 54) and afterwards
followed the descent of the earldom of Gloucester
until its extinction on the death of Hugh Audley in
1347. Hugh's daughter Margaret married Ralph
Earl of Stafford, and the fee descended with that
earldom until the end of the 15th century. (fn. 55)
Possibly Lucy de Havering was a daughter of
Andrew de la Brech, for the Haverings eventually
succeeded to his lands in Enborne. John de Havering,
the son of Richard, was
knighted by Edward I and
summoned to Parliament as a
baron in 1299, (fn. 56) when he
was justice of North Wales. (fn. 57)
He seems to have died in
1305, (fn. 58) though still returned
as holding Enborne in the
following year, (fn. 59) when his
widow Joan was actually in
possession. (fn. 60) His heir was
his son Richard de Havering,
then Archbishop-elect of
Dublin, (fn. 61) who was presumably succeeded either by
his brother Nicholas (fn. 62) or Nicholas's son Richard. (fn. 63)
This Sir Richard de Havering had two sons, John
and Nicholas, (fn. 64) of whom the elder seems to have been
holding Enborne in 1392. (fn. 65) After this date the
history of the manor becomes obscure, but it seems
possible that this was the estate held in 1421 by
John Specheswyke and Christine his wife in right of
Christine, (fn. 66) who may have been the daughter and
heir of Havering. They conveyed it that year to
trustees to the use of Walter Cotton and his heirs, (fn. 67)
and in this way it probably became attached to the
manor of East Enborne.
Havering. Argent a lion gules with a forked tail.
The second manor was held in alod of King
Edward the Confessor by Edmund, and at the time
of the Domesday Survey by Roger de Lacy. (fn. 68) He
was banished in 1092, when his lands were forfeited
and given by the king to his brother Hugh de Lacy. (fn. 69)
The history of this manor is obscure until the
13th century, when the Abbess of Romsey had a
holding in East Enborne, (fn. 70) which may perhaps have
been the same estate. The land was held of her by
Nicholas Pigun, (fn. 71) and in 1256 the king confirmed a
grant of the rents here made by Constance Abbess of
Romsey to John son of Walter of Romsey until he
should be provided with a benefice of the value of
£30 per annum. (fn. 72) Later the abbess appears to have
enfeoffed Thomas de Abberbury of Donnington, who
granted the lands for life to James de Crawley and
Agnes his wife. (fn. 73) Thomas died in 1307, leaving as
his heir his brother Walter, (fn. 74) who seems to have
released his right in it either to the Crawleys or to
Walter Wodelok. Wodelok died seised of it in
1342, (fn. 75) and since there seems to be no further mention
of it as a separate manor, and land in East Enborne
appears after this date among the appurtenances of
West Enborne Manor, it presumably became a part
of that estate. (fn. 76)
The manor of EAST ENBORNE was held of King
Edward the Confessor in alod by Toti and by William
Lovet at the time of the Domesday Survey. (fn. 77) In the
13th century the overlordship
of this manor was in the hands
of William de Forz Earl of
Albemarle, (fn. 78) and passed by
the surrender of the Countess
Isabel in 1293 to the king,
who seems to have granted it
with the honour of Skipton
in Craven to Robert Lord
Clifford, (fn. 79) the descent of whose
barony it followed until 1471,
when the last mention of it
occurs. (fn. 80)
Clifford. Checky or and azure a fesse gules.
In the 13th century this
estate was held by Philip de Sanderville (fn. 81) as one fee
together with his manor in South Moreton (q.v.),
the descent of which it followed until 1419, (fn. 82) when
it was conveyed by Thomas Rothwell and Elizabeth
his wife to Thomas Chaucer and other trustees. (fn. 83)
Walter Cotton was in possession in 1428, (fn. 84) but it
seems to have passed shortly afterwards to John
Roger, for in 1429 he gave the manor of East
Enborne called 'Saundervylys' to his son John and
his wife Elizabeth daughter of John Shottesbrook. (fn. 85)
John Roger the younger was holding the manor, then
known as 'Enborne Roger,' in 1447, (fn. 86) and it passed
to Thomas Roger, who died seised of it in 1471.
His son Thomas died in 1488, leaving as his heir his
daughter Elizabeth, who, though only thirteen years
of age, was the wife of William Essex of Lambourn. (fn. 87)
Under a settlement Thomas's widow Margaret,
afterwards the wife of Sir Thomas Fettiplace, had a
life interest in the manor, of which she died seised
on 22 January 1518. (fn. 88) The estate then passed to
Sir William Essex, who held it in right of his wife
until 1543, (fn. 89) when he exchanged it with the king
for the manor of Brightwalton. (fn. 90)
The site was leased by Edward VI in 1549–50 for
twenty-one years to John Knight, (fn. 91) and the manor and
reversion of the site were granted in 1556 to Anne
Duchess of Somerset for life. (fn. 92) In 1579 Queen
Elizabeth exchanged this manor for other lands with
Henry Cary Lord Hunsdon, (fn. 93) whose trustees, Edward
Downing and John Walker, sold it on 22 November
that year to Sir Thomas Gawdy. (fn. 94) He attached it to
the manor of West Enborne, with which it has passed
to its present possessor, the Earl of Craven.
The fourth manor in Enborne was held of King
Edward the Confessor by Saulf and at the time of the
Domesday Survey by Ghilo
the brother of Ansculf. (fn. 95) Ghilo
usually known as Ghilo de
Pinkney was the founder of
Weedon Priory, co. Northants, and his estates passed
from him to his son Ralph,
who is said to have paid relief
for his father's lands in 1139–40. (fn. 96) Ralph had been succeeded before 1166 by his
son Gilbert de Pinkney. (fn. 97)
Gilbert's son Henry de Pinkney died about 1209, leaving
as his heir his son Robert de Pinkney, (fn. 98) who held
the overlordship of this manor in Enborne early in
the 13th century. (fn. 99) Robert was succeeded in 1232 (fn. 100)
by his son Henry de Pinkney, who died in 1254,
when the fee passed to his son Henry. (fn. 101) This Henry
died in 1275, leaving two sons, Robert and Henry, (fn. 102)
of whom the elder, Robert, died in 1296. (fn. 103) His brother
Sir Henry, who succeeded him, was summoned to
Parliament as a baron in 1299 by King Edward I,
to whom he sold the reversion of most of his lands in
1301. (fn. 104)
Pinkney. Or a fesse indented gules.
This manor was held in two parts by Nicholas de
Aufryke and William de Clervaux (fn. 105) of Robert de
Pinkney. William de Clervaux granted his share early
in the 13th century to the Prior of Sandleford, who
was holding it about the middle of that century (fn. 106)
and afterwards acquired also the land held by
Nicholas Aufryke. (fn. 107) The prior and convent obtained
a grant of free warren in 1292, (fn. 108) and, though they are
said to have granted certain lands here in 1458 to
Thomas Roger for life, (fn. 109) they seem to have retained
the manor, which passed with their other lands at
Sandleford (q.v.) to the Dean and Canons of Windsor.
In 1650 the trustees for the sale of church property
sold these lands to Arthur Dewe, (fn. 110) but they were
given back at the Restoration, and when the common
fields were allotted under an Act of Parliament of
1810 the Dean and Canons of Windsor claimed to
be entitled to the manor of East Enborne and Newbury with its members in the parish of Enborne. (fn. 111)
Plan of Enborne Church
The curious custom is said to have prevailed in
East and West Enborne that if a widow of a copyholder was found guilty of incontinency she could
recover her life interest in her husband's copyhold by
riding into court on a black ram, repeating a petition
in doggerel. (fn. 112)
Church
The church of ST. MICHAEL stands
on high ground commanding a fine view
over a wide expanse of country to the
south and south-east, and consists of chancel 26 ft. 3 in.
by 15ft. 6 in., nave 44 ft. 9 in. by 17 ft., north and
south aisles each 7 ft. 6 in. wide, and north porch, all
these measurements being internal. There is also a
timber bell-turret at the west end containing two
bells. The walling is of flint rubble with stone
dressings patched in places with brick, and the roofs
are eaved and covered with modern red tiles.
The nave with its north and south aisles dates from
the 12th century and the chancel is of a century
later. Since the latter date the plan has remained
unaltered except that the north aisle was demolished
at some period unknown and was not rebuilt till
modern times; other portions of the fabric have been
altered or restored. The original church appears to
have consisted of an aisleless nave 26 ft. 6 in. long by
17 ft. wide with probably a small rectangular chancel
and to have been built some time during the first
half of the 12th century. Later, perhaps c. 1180–90,
aisles were thrown out and an extra bay added at the
west end, thus increasing the nave to its present
length. The detail of the arcades generally may
appear to be rather earlier than the date mentioned,
but the presence of the nail-head ornament in the
capitals of the piers points to a little later period than
the plainer work of the responds would
suggest. In this first alteration the north
and south walls of the original nave were
pierced by two arches on each side, but
the masonry was left standing at the
western angles, the extra bay being added
beyond, and they now form the square
part of the masonry piers. The chancel
was rebuilt in the 13th century on its
present lines and a new arch erected on
the old jambs, but this has since disappeared. The existing jambs are apparently of the same date as the nave
arcades. No evidence of the original
chancel arch, if such existed, remains. It
is, however, possible that the first structure was a plain rectangle, and that when
the chancel was rebuilt in the 13th
century the south wall was erected along
the line of the old wall, thus giving it a
greater thickness. (fn. 113) The south aisle wall
seems to have been largely rebuilt in the
15th century, and its east window is still of that
date, while the east window of the chancel may be
an insertion of c. 1500 or later, the diagonal buttress being perhaps added at the same time. At
what period the north aisle was demolished is not
known, but on its removal the arcade was built up
and a north porch added, the building remaining in
this condition down to 1893, when a general restoration took place. (fn. 114) The chancel had been restored in
1878–9. Previous to 1893 the exterior of the building was covered with rough-cast, and the west wall
and bell-turret were in so bad a condition as to
necessitate their almost entire reconstruction. (fn. 115) The
north arcade was opened out and the aisle rebuilt, a
new porch erected, and the roof renewed. A doorway was inserted at the west end, and the nave,
which is under one roof with the aisles, assumed
externally a more or less modern appearance.
The chancel has two original lancets in the north
and south walls, having internal angle shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. The windows are close
together and have a moulded string-course at the
sill level inside, stopping against the end walls. The
square-headed east window is of three plain lights
with external hood mould and hollow-chamfered jambs
and mullions. In the usual position in the south wall
is a double piscina, with trefoil arches under moulded
labels springing from shafts with moulded capitals and
bases. The bowls are quatrefoils and in the wall behind
is a small rectangular aumbry, the whole composition
being a very good example of 13th-century work.
On the east wall to the north of the altar is a square
stone bracket. The modern boarded roof is of three
bays and is lower than that of the nave. The chancel
arch dates from 1893 and is semicircular in form. (fn. 116)
The nave consists of three bays with north and
south arcades of semicircular arches of
two square orders slightly chamfered
on the edge, springing from half-round
responds and from circular piers between the two eastern bays, all with
moulded bases and shallow scalloped
or carved capitals with square abaci.
On the north side the capital of the
east respond is scalloped, while that at
the west end is fluted. The capital of
the middle pier is carved with an
antique ornament with leaves at the
angles, a small nail head being introduced on the east face. The capitals
of both responds of the western arch
are fluted and have a square chamfered abacus. On the south side the
capital of the pier is of the same
type as that opposite, but the carving
is coarser and the nail-head ornament
is more lavishly used. The capitals
of all the responds on the south side
are fluted.
The south doorway has been built
up, but is of 12th-century date, though probably
reset in the later reconstruction of the aisle. It has
a plain semicircular arch of a single order slightly
chamfered on the edge. On two of the jamb stones
on the east side are the marks of incised sundials
and in the brick filling is built a stone which may
be the head of a 12th-century piscina or aumbry.
The south wall was rebuilt about 1885 with bands of
2-in. brickwork alternating with the flint and the windows are modern. The east window of the aisle is a
square-headed opening of two trefoiled lights. The
west window is modern. High up in the wall inside
are built two carved heads, apparently terminations
of a hood mould, and below is a stone on which is
cut the name 'Nicholas Cvrteus.' (fn. 117) This was found
in 1893, together with an inscription cut on the
east respond of the south arcade—' Richard Elks
1609.' (fn. 118) The roof of the nave is of three bays and
some of the old timber has been used in the principals.
The lower part of the framing carrying the bellturret is filled with solid panelling forming a
vestibule.
The font stands at the east end of the south aisle
and consists of a 12th-century cylindrical unmounted
bowl 19½ in. high on a modern base. It is enriched
with an arcading of sixteen small semicircular 'arches'
carried on shafts or pillars with capitals and moulded
bases, above which in the spandrels is a series of small
heads. The space inclosed by two of the arches is
blank, but in the remaining cases is filled with various
upright ornaments, the precise signification of which
is difficult to determine. (fn. 119)
The pulpit and all the fittings including the seating
date from 1893, but two old oak seats remain in the
vestibule. At the east end of the north side of the
chancel are the remains of a wall painting representing the Annunciation, brought to light on the
removal of the whitewash in 1878. (fn. 120) Other paintings have also been found.
Enborne Church From The North-West
There are a few mural tablets of 18th and early
19th-century date, and in the chancel floor an inscribed
blue stone with coat of arms to the Rev. Henry
Craven, rector, who died in 1770. (fn. 121)
The older of the two bells is of pre-Reformation
date and bears the inscription '+ Michael' in Lombardic characters. The other was cast by Samuel
Knight of Reading in 1688 and bears his initials and
the date. (fn. 122)
The plate consists of a cup of 1633, inscribed
'Enborne 1663,' a paten of 1679 and another of
1801 inscribed 'Enborne,' and an almsdish of 1856
given by R. H. Valpy.
The registers begin in 1666. (fn. 123)
Advowson
The advowson has followed
throughout the descent of the manor
of West Enborne (fn. 124) and belongs at
the present time to Lord Craven. The first reference
to the church occurs in 1291, when it was valued at
£6 13s. 4d. (fn. 125) In 1340 the church was valued at
100s. and the glebe and tithes at 2½ marks a year. (fn. 126)
In 1607 the parishioners complained of the
suspicious conduct of Robert Brooke, the parson, who
not only neglected to read the book of canons, but
defaced both that and the register book. (fn. 127)
Charities
The church lands, which were the
subject of an inquisition of charitable
uses, taken at Abingdon 5 October
1609, (fn. 128) now consist of a cottage and garden adjoining
the churchyard and about 9 acres acquired under
an inclosure award 25 February 1815, (fn. 129) producing
£11 17s. yearly, which is applied towards the general
church expenses.
By the same award 20 a. 1 r. 22 p. were allotted to
the overseers, the rents to be distributed in fuel for
the poor. Nine acres of the land are let at £9 a year
and the remainder in allotments to the poor, producing
£9 yearly. The net income is distributed among
the cottagers in sums of 4s. to each recipient.