Margaret Alphew, heiress of Chiddingstone

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62855

The MANOR OF CHIDINSTONE BURGHERSH, or Burgherst, called formerly Burwash-court, was part of the possessions of the eminent family of Burghersh, vulgarly called Burwash.

In the 16th year of king Edward I. Robert de Burghersh was made constable of Dover-castle, and constituted warden of the cinque ports. In the 32d year of Edward I. he was summoned to parliament among the barons of this realm, and died two years afterwards, being then possessed of this manor, and leaving Stephen his son and heir, who in the 1st year of Edward II. obtained a charter of free warren for all his demesne lands within this manor.

...About the 43d year of king Edward III. [a descendant, Bartholomew] conveyed this manor, with much other land in this county and in Warwickshire, to Sir Walter de Paveley, knight of the Garter, in whose family it remained until the latter end of the reign of king Richard II. when it was conveyed to Vaux, of the county of Northampton, in which name it staid till the reign of king Henry VI. when it was alienated to John Alphegh, or Alphew, of Bore-place, in this parish, who bore for his arms, Argent, a fess between three boars heads couped, sable. He died in 1489, and lies buried in this church, leaving by Isabel, his wife, daughter of Richard Petit, esq. two daughters and coheirs; Elizabeth, who was twice married, first to George Gainsford, esq. a younger son of Sir John Gainsford, of Crowhurst, in Surry; (fn. 8) and secondly to William Brograve, esq. of Beckenham; and Margaret, who married Sir Robert Read, who had this manor allotted to him on the division of their inheritance. He was descended from an ancient family in the county of Northumberland, and being bred to the law, was, in 1507, made chief justice of the common-pleas, (fn. 9) and was so highly esteemed by king Henry VII. that he had made him one of his executors. Sir Robert Read bore for his arms, Gules, on a fess wavy, three pheasant cocks sable; which coat, impaling Alphew, is still remaining in a window, in Sergeant's-inn.

By Margaret, his wife, Sir Robert had one son, Edmund, who was one of the justices of the King's bench, and dying before him, without issue, in 1501, lies buried in this church, and four daughters; Bridget, wife of Sir Thomas Willoughby; Jane, of John Caryll, esq. sergeant at law; Mary, of Sir William Barringtyne; and Dorothy, of Sir Edward Wotton. He died about the 10th year of the reign of Henry VIII. without issue male; so that his four daughters became his coheirs, and on the partition of their inheritance, this manor, with other estates in this parish, was allotted to the share of Sir Thomas Willoughby and Bridget his wife.

Sir Thomas Willoughby was the fifth and youngest son of Sir Christopher Willoughby, and younger brother of William lord Willougby, ancestor of the present baroness Willoughby of Eresby, and of Christopher, ancestor of the lords Willoughby of Parham, now extinct; the origin of the family in this kingdom being Sir John de Willoughby, a Norman knight, who had the lordship of Willoughby, in Lincolnshire, by the gift of the Conqueror.

Sir Thomas Willoughby being bred to the law, was knighted in the 29th year of king Henry VIII. was made a chief justice of the common pleas, (fn. 10) and by his wife Bridget, as above mentioned, became entitled to this manor of Chidingstone Burghersh, with his seat called Bore-place, and other estates in this parish. (fn. 11) In the 31st year of that reign he, among others, by an act then passed, procured his lands to be disgavelled.

He died in the 37th year of king Henry VIII. and lies buried with Bridget, his wife, in this church. His arms, being Gules, on a bend wavy argent, three birds sable, impaling argent, a fess between three boars heads couped sable, are still remaining in one of the windows of Sergeant's inn, in Fleet-street.

His grandson, Sir Thomas Willoughby, was sheriff of this county in the 15th and 32d years of queen Elizabeth, and bore for his arms, Or, fretty azure. He married Catharine, daughter of Sir Percival Hart, of Lullingstone, by whom he left several sons and daughters; of whom Percival, the eldest, succeeded to these estates, and was, on the accession of king James I. knighted by that prince. He married Bridget, eldest daughter and coheir of Sir Francis Willoughby of Wollaton-hall, in Nottinghamshire, by which means he not only possessed that mansion, but a large estate in that county, for which he was elected to serve in the first parliament of king James, and was ancestor of the present Henry Willoughby lord Middleton. Being desirous of increasing his interest in Nottinghamshire, he alienated the manor of Chidingstone Burghersh to Mr. John and Robert Seyliard, of Delaware, from whom it descended to John Seyliard, esq. of Delaware, who was created a baronet in 1661, and from him to Sir Thomas Seyliard, bart. who, about the year 1700, conveyed it, with Delaware, above mentioned, to Henry Streatfeild, esq. and he, at his death, bequeathed it to his youngest son, Thomas Streatfeild, esq. of Sevenoke, who devised it to his nephew, Henry Streatfeild, esq. of High-street house, in this parish; since whose death, in 1762, the inheritance of it is become vested in his eldest son, Henry Streatfeild, esq. of High-street house.

BORE-PLACE is a seat here, which, with the MANOR OF MILBROKE, was antiently, as high as the reign of king Henry III. the estate of a family, which assumed its surname from hence, and was called Bore, and assumed a boar for its arms. In the name of Bore this seat and manor continued till John Bore; in the reign of king Henry VI. conveyed them by sale to John Alphew, who rebuilt Bore-place, and died possessed of them both in 1489, leaving two daughters and coheirs; one of whom, Margaret, became the wife of Sir Robert Read, lord chief justice of the common pleas, of whom a full account has already been given; and on a division of their inheritance entitled him to this seat and manor, as well as the rest of her father's estate in this parish. He resided at Bore-place, which he much enlarged, and dying without male issue surviving, his four daughters became his coheirs; of whom Bridget, the eldest, was married to Sir Thomas Willoughby, chief justice of the common pleas, and on the partition of his estates, had this seat, Milbroke, and his other possessions in this parish, allotted for her share.

Sir Thomas Willoughby likewise resided at Boreplace, and added much to the buildings of it. His grandson, Sir Percival Willoughby, in the beginning of the reign of king James I. alienated Bore-place and Milbroke, to Mr. Bernard Hyde, of London, after wards one of the commissioners of the customs to king Charles I. who was a charitable benefactor, by his will, to several parishes in London, as well as others, in trust to the Skinners company. (fn. 12) His descendant, Bernard Hyde, esq. alienated them about fifty years ago to Henry Streatfeild, esq. of Highstreet house, in this parish; since whose death, in 1762, the inheritance of both Bore-place and Milbroke are become vested in his eldest son, Henry Streatfeild, of High-street house, esq.

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Margarete Alphew is the eldest surviving daughter of John Alphew/Alfeigh and his wife Isabell Pettit. She had married her husband Robert Rede before 1488 her father refers to her as married to Bobert in his will of that date. She and her husband inherit the bulk of her father's estate including his Manor of Bore Place at Chiddingstone, Kent It is not yet known when Margaret died or where she is buried, but she pre-deceased her husband who died 8 January 1518/1519 as he asks for prayers for her soul in his will.