Benham Park, Berkshire, England

The original township of BENHAM seems to have consisted not only of the present township of Marsh Benham in this parish, but also of the township or tithing of Hoe Benham in the adjoining parish of Welford (q.v.). Certain lands here, granted in 956 by King Edwy to his servant Elfsy, were given by the latter to the abbey of Abingdon, and the bounds of the township as set out in this charter seem to show that it included land in both parishes. The lands granted to Elfsy seem to have lain in what is now Welford parish, but other lands here were granted about the same time to Wulfric, who held many lands in this part of the county, for we learn that he was deprived of them for some offence, but that they were restored to him by King Edgar in 960.

In the time of Edward the Confessor the Marsh Benham portion was held in alod of the king by three thegns, who seem to have been the three brothers who held the vill of Westbrook in the adjoining parish of Boxford (q.v.). After the Conquest this land was granted to Humphrey Vis de Lou, who was holding the adjoining manor of Speen.

According to an inquisition taken in the reign of Henry III, probably about the year 1250, Humphrey Vis de Lou came over with the Conqueror and received from him the manor of Benham, but having slain a certain knight the manor was taken from him by Henry II. Further it is stated that on account of this forfeiture his son Walkelin did not inherit the manor, but the king granted it to Robert of London, who had married Isabel, Walkelin's only daughter, both of whom died without issue, when the manor returned to the king.

The account thus given cannot be correct, since if Humphrey accompanied the Conqueror he could not have lived to commit a murder in the reign of Henry II. Moreover, it appears that Walkelin did inherit, for between 1100 and 1135 he had a dispute with the abbey of Abingdon as to the vill of Westbrook, then, as since, a part of the manor of Benham. It was perhaps Walkelin who was the murderer, or the crime may have escaped punishment until the reign of Henry II. At all events, before 1158–9 the manor had become forfeit to the Crown, for in that year the sheriff rendered account of 20s. from the land of William Francis at Benham. Till 1164–5 the rent of this manor is yearly accounted for by the sheriff, but in 1166–7 it is entered as from Richard of London, though in the following year his name does not appear. In 1173–4 Robert of London is entered as paying the rent, which had risen to 66s. 8d., and in the following year he paid £6 0s. 12d. towards the aid for marrying the king's daughter. It seems clear from these entries that the manor was not granted to Robert, but leased to him.

At the time of the Domesday Survey 2 hides were held of Humphrey by Anschetil and 2 by William, and, as we have seen, William Francis was holding part, at least, of the manor in 1158–9. Robert of London was tenant in 1166–7, and William of Rochelle held land here in 1167–8. In 1194 part, at least, of the manor had been leased by King Richard I to Richard de Camville, who had already died in the Holy Land, and had been succeeded by his son John. The lands still appear, however, in his name in 1196–7 and 1198, and no inquisition was held as to his death until the reign of Henry III.

John Camville died without issue, and the manor was seized by his uncle Gerard, Richard's elder brother. The king, however, ejected him and granted it to Hugh Wake, to hold by the serjeanty of being usher of the king's chamber. Hugh died in or before 1199, and King John granted the custody of his land and heirs to Hugh Nevill, while in 1205 he gave his widow in marriage to Roger son of Henry. (fn. 187) Hugh Nevill was holding this land, which was valued at 17 librates, between 1210 and 1212.James Wake, son of Hugh, seems to have inherited the manor and to have married Amy daughter of Peter de Harthelakeston. He died shortly afterwards, leaving an only son Hugh, while the manor passed in dower to his widow, who subsequently married Richard of Livington.

Amy died in or before 1243, when her son Hugh did homage for the land.He died in 1245–6 seised of the manor, which passed to his aunts, Joan de Mumby and Aline Wake. Joan de Mumby seems to have died soon afterwards, for in 1247 her son John de Gravenel did homage for his share, (fn. 193) but in 1250 the king claimed the manor, and after a trial, which went against the Wakes, it was taken into the king's hands and granted to William de Valence on 16 August 1251, when it became known as the manor of BENHAM VALENCE.

In 1275–6 William was holding the manor, then called East Benham, to which was attached the right of gallows and assize of bread and ale. It was stated that the manor formerly did service at the hundred of Faircross, which had been withdrawn by William. This statement refers probably to the vills of Westbrook and Weston, in Boxford and Welford, which William held of the abbey of Abingdon, and had attached to his manor of Benham, for Benham itself had always been parcel of the hundred of Kintbury. In 1276 the manor was taken into the king's hands because William was in default against Isabel widow of John Gravenel, and Henry de Lacy Earl of Lincoln and Margaret his wife; but he seems to have been in possession again in 1278.

William died in 1296, when he was succeeded by his son Aymer de Valence, who died without issue on 13 June 1324 seised of this manor.

The king seems to have given the manor to Hugh le Despenser the younger, but John second Lord Hastings son of Isabel sister of Aymer claimed it. He died without obtaining it, and his claim passed to his son Lawrence, who in 1325 as Earl of Pembroke had possession of it ; he was holding in 1340 and 1341, and on 9 September 1342 received licence to grant it for life to William de Hastings, a bastard. Lawrence died in 1348, when the manor passed to the above-mentioned William, who died in 1349 seised for life of this manor,when it passed to Agnes, Lawrence's widow, to hold in dower. On the death of Agnes in 1368 it passed to her son John Earl of Pembroke.

John died on 16 April 1375 or 1376, when it passed to his widow Anne, who died seised of it in 1384. At her death the manor went to her son John,a minor, who died childless in 1389, aged seventeen.

The manor seems to have passed at his death to Sir Reginald de Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin, greatgrandson of John Hastings Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Valence. In 1391 Sir Reginald de Grey obtained licence for a settlement of the reversion of the manor, which was then held in dower by Philippa widow of John Hastings, who had married as her second husband Richard Fitz Alan Earl of Arundel, and afterwards took as her third husband Thomas Poynings Lord St. John of Basing. At her death on 24 September 1401 Reginald Lord Grey of Ruthin came into possession, and the settlement projected in 1391 was effected on 20 October 1406. He seems to have sold the manor soon afterwards to John Roger the elder, who was holding it in 1428, and conveyed it to his son John Roger the younger in 1428, who settled it on his wife Elizabeth daughter of John Shotesbroke in 1432. He was living as late as 1467, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, who died on 31 August 1471, when his heir was his son Thomas, then aged sixteen and a half years.Thomas married twice, and in 1480 settled it on his second wife Margaret. He died on 19 January 1488, leaving by his first wife a daughter Elizabeth, then aged thirteen, married to William Essex, but under the settle- ment the manor was held by his widow till 1497, when Elizabeth came of age. Margaret, who had married Thomas Fettiplace, died in 1518, when the manor passed to Elizabeth.

Essex of Lambourn. Azure a cheveron engrailed or and voided ermine between three eagles or.
Sir William Essex of Lam- bourn in 1543, with Thomas his son, exchanged this manor and others adjoining with the king, receiving in exchange the manor of Brightwalton and some others.

On 25 January 1544 the king appointed Thomas Cawarden, a groom of the Privy Chamber, to be keeper of the mansion and park here, and steward and bailiff of the manor, and on 30 May 1545 leased the manor to him for twenty-one years. In spite of this in 1547 Edward VI granted the manor to Thomas Lord Seymour of Sudeley, who was executed two years later, when his lands were forfeited. In 1552 the same monarch granted the manor to his sister the Lady Elizabeth. The manor re- mained her property until 1575–6, when she granted it to John Baptiste Castiglion (anglicized into Castillion or Castilion) and Margaret his wife, to be held by them of the manor of East Greenwich in free socage.

John Baptiste Castillion de- scended from the noble family of the Counts Castiglioni, who lived near Mantua in Italy, and was a son of Peter Castelion of Thuren in Piedmont. He was one of the gentlemen of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth, and married Margaret daughter and heir of Bartholomew Com- paigne of Florence. He died on 12 February 1597, and was buried at Speen on 17 March, where a monument was erected to him at the end of the south aisle.He was succeeded by his eldest son Francis, who married Elizabeth daughter of William St. John. Francis was knighted at Charterhouse in 1603, and was living at Benham in 1635, when he addressed a letter from there to Sir John Coke. He was gentle- man pensioner to James I and M.P. for Great Bedwyn 1596–7, and is said to have sold the manor in 1630 to the trustees of Sir William Craven. No record of this sale has, however, been found, but in 1630–1 the king granted the lordship and manor, which had been leased to John Baptiste Castillion and Margaret his wife, to Francis Keate and others, who may have been trustees for Sir William Craven.

Sir William Craven was the eldest son of Sir William Craven, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1611. He distinguished himself as a soldier, and was knighted on 4 March 1626, and on 12 March 1626–7 was raised to the peerage as Lord Craven of Hampstead Marshall. He was created Viscount Craven of Uffington and Earl of Craven on 16 March 1664–5, and died unmarried on 9 April 1697, when the manor passed to William, great-grandson of the late earl's cousin Robert. The manor has since passed with the Craven family and is held by the present earl.

The sixth Lord Craven built Benham Place and laid out the grounds in 1775 at the request of his wife, and after his death his son sold the house and park to his mother, who in October 1791 married the Margrave of Anspach. In 1792 the Margrave sold his principality to the King of Prussia, and came with his wife to live at Benham, where he died in 1806. His widow continued to live at Benham until 1811, when, owing to certain disputes with her neighbours as to a right of way through the park, she left England and went to live in Naples, where she built a villa on 2 acres of land given to her by the King of Naples, and here she died on 13 January 1828, leaving Benham Place to her youngest son, the Hon. Richard Keppel Craven.

Benham Place and park were sold by the Hon. Richard Keppel Craven to Frederick Reid Orme Villebois, and after his death the estate was sold to the trustees of Sir Richard Sutton, bart. He died on 2 October 1878, when Ben- ham Place passed to his son Sir Richard Francis Sutton, bart., after whose death it passed to trustees, who held it for his son until he attained his majority in April 1912.

BENHAM LOVELL takes its second name from the family who held it in the 13th century by grant from Henry II or Richard I. The first reference that has been found to a member of the family is in 1198, when land to the value of 100s. was granted to Osbert Lovell in Boxford, a member of the vill of Benham. He was succeeded by his son William, who died before 1213, when his widow Emma had not only married Anger the Hunter, but had again become a widow, and paid the king 60 marks and a palfrey to have the custody of the lands and heirs of her deceased husbands, and for permission not to be married again unless she so desired it. The king granted the custody of her son William in 1216 to his uncle Robert, the king's chaplain, but a few years later Emma had secured it. At a later date William obtained possession of his lands, and was one of the royal huntsmen in 1242, and he seems to have died in 1275, when Master Robert le Pestur, the king's serjeant, was given the custody of the manor and heirs during the minority of the latter. A William Lovell, apparently the son of the former William, was holding the manor in 1284 by serjeanty of keeping a kennel of bloodhounds for the king's use, though subsequent documents state that it was the manor of Weldon that was held by this tenure.William Lovell died before 1306, when John Lovell, who appears to have been his son, settled the manor; it was then stated that it was held of the king as half a knight's fee, and by finding one man and one horse with armour in the king's war wherever he may go in England, Wales and Scotland. In 1313–14 John apparently settled two-thirds of the lands here and the reversion of the third held by Mabel widow of William Lovell on himself and Christina his wife, with remainder to Thomas de Borhunte and his wife Margaret, who seems to have been John Lovell's daughter, and on 8 January 1316 licence was granted to him to convey it in trust to Master Richard de Abingdon, the king's clerk. John died in the same year seised of this manor, which under the deed of settlement passed to Thomas and Margaret de Borhunte, who in 1334 settled the manor on John, their son, and Mary his wife. Thomas died in 1340 seised of this manor, which he had held in right of his wife of the king by finding one armed soldier for forty days for the king's war within the kingdom of England, when his heir was said to be his son John, then aged eighteen years.

The manor was then delivered to Margaret,who married William Danvers, the king's yeoman, and on 28 October 1341 settled the manor on John de Borhunte and Mary his wife, and a similar deed of settlement was made in 1344.William Danvers was holding the manor in 1349, but in 1354, in spite of the deed of settlement, he sold it to the king.

In 1360 the manor had been added to the royal manor of Hampstead Marshall,and in 1361 both manors were delivered to Isabel the king's daughter. The manors appear to have been conveyed to trustees to hold on behalf of Isabel and her husband, Ingram de Couci Earl of Bedford, and in 1382 the survivors of these trustees had licence to grant this manor to Isabel de Feye, Frenchwoman, one of the maids of the countess, without rent, if she outlived her mistress.

In 1392 the king granted the manor to Isabel de Feye and her husband Richard Herfeld, in survivorship, without rent, upon surrender of the grant of 1382.Isabel died before 1408, when the manor of Benham Lovell was confirmed to Richard.At his death it returned to the king, and the custody was granted in 1443 to the king's serjeant, John Norreys, esquire for the body, and in 1465 was on lease to John Matthew. In the same year certain rents from the manor were granted for life to Elizabeth, the king's consort, while on 31 January 1466 the manor was granted to her. The rent, however, received from John Norreys for the custody of the manor, together with certain lands here, was in 1471 granted for life to George Duke of Clarence. The manor of Benham Lovell continued in the hands of the queen until the accession of Henry VII.

In 1487–8 the custody of the manor was granted to Roger Cheyne,and in 1509 the manor was granted as dower to Princess Katherine of Aragon and in like manner to Jane Seymour. Queen Elizabeth granted it to John Yate, who settled it in 1574 on his son Edward and Jane his wife, and died seised of it on 26 January 1579. The following year Edward Yate and Jane his wife sold it to Thomas Parry, who had already purchased the manor of Welford, and it has since passed with that manor (q.v.). The present owner of the manor is Col. G. B. ArcherHoublon.

Several other estates, sometimes termed manors, were held of the manor of Benham Valence, the most considerable of which was one consisting of a third part of a knight's fee held in 1201 by Ralph son of Mainfelin. (fn. 288) He was holding the manor later in the 13th century. This estate seems to have passed probably in the 14th or 15th century to Magdalen College, Oxford, who held it in 1759, when it was described as a manor.

In 1217 Ralph Musard received seisin of land in Benham, Greenham and Boxford, and in 1349–50 John de Eastbury and others seem to have granted 144 acres of land in Newbury, Greenham, Benham and Speen to the Prior and convent of Sandleford. It seems possible that this estate came into the hands of the priory of Poughley, which held land here at the time of its dissolution. These lands were granted in 1526 to Wolsey for his college, and after the cardinal's death to the abbey of Westminster.

The Domesday Survey records that the manor of Speen then possessed one mill. In 1279 there were two fulling-mills, one of which in 1296 is described as a tanning-mill. The other mill seems to have gone with the manor of Church Speen. In 1445 John Rogers bought with the manor a mill called 'Godwyn's Mille.' There is no mill here at the present day.

At Bagnor there was a mill worth 20s. at the time of the Domesday Survey, but in or just before 1428 the Prior of Poughley had erected another mill. ) One of these, probably that erected in the 15th century, was used as a paper-mill in 1839, and the cottages there are still known by that name.

A fishery in the river at Speen is frequently mentioned, and another at Benham, and fishing at Bagnor is also referred to.