Extracts from: "The Story of Haversham" by Rev. Samuel Hilton, M.A. Rector of Haversham, combined with "A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4." Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1927. This is a project to trace the owners of the manor but also in doing so research the families and the lineage.
- c.966 Aelfgifu (or Elgiva), a kinswoman of King Edgar, to whom she left it in her will.
- c.1059 Countess Gueth, widoe of Ralph, Earl of Hereford, this was before the conquest.
- 1068 conferred on William Peverel, baron, by William the Conqueror.
- 1086 it was assessed at 10 hides and was held by William Peverel himself. It was afterwards attached as one fee to his honour of Peverel, and so remained, the last mention of this overlordship occurring in 1525.
- 1113 William Peverel, baron, his grandson.
- 1154 confiscated by King Henry II. The tenants who held Haversham in the 12th century took their name from the place. Robert and Nicholas de Haversham are mentioned in 1174–7.
- 1175 Robert de Haversham and Nichols de Haversham are first mentioned.
- 1190 Hugh de Haversham in possession. In 1190 Hugh de Haversham rendered account of 30 marks for an agreement concerning the wood of Haversham. Hugh held Haversham as late as 1220.
- 1221 Sir Nicholas de Haversham succeeded his father, Hugh, and did homage for the Knight's fee in Haversham. Nicholas owed 100s. for relief for his father's fee here in 1221. Nicholas de Haversham, who in 1232 was one of the collectors of the one-fortieth in the county, held Haversham until his death about 1251, then to his son of the same name.
- 1251 Sir Nicholas de Haversham his son; termed Lord Haversham; he was Constable of the Castle of Northampton in 1264. This Nicholas died in 1274, leaving a daughter and heir Maud, who was then only six months old, and a widow Joan, to whom dower was assigned in the manor.
- 1273 Maud (or Matilda) his daughter, aged 6 months; custody of the Manor granted to Queen Eleanor. In 1274, during Maud's minority, the bailiff of the king's escheator was accused of selling the timber and destroying a fish-pond there. About this time the custody of the manor was granted to Queen Eleanor.
- Maud married-
- (1) Sir James de la Plaunche, d. 1306
- (2) Sir John de Olney, d 1335 having a son John de Olney
- Children of Maud and Sir James de la Plaunche:-
- * (1) William, who succeeded in 1329
- (2) Joan, who married Sir John de Pabenham. (sons John and James)
- * (1) William, who succeeded in 1329
- 1329 Sir William de la Plaunche, who married:-
- (1) Elizabeth, dau. of Sir John Hillary, Chief Justice of Common Pleas;
- (2) Hawise.
- 1335 Sir William de la Plaunche, his son, aged 10. Roger Hillary and John Legge, guardians.
- 1347 Katherine Brocos, his daughter, aged 4; married William de Birmingham.
- 1389 Elizabeth, Lady Clinton, a daughter of Sir William de la Plaunche; married Sir John de Birmingham; Lord Grey, d. 1387; John, Lord Clinton, d. 1398; Sir John Russell. On her death in 1423 the succession was in dispute for several years. In 1347 William died, leaving two daughters Katherine and Joan, aged four and two, while a third, Elizabeth, was born after his death. By 1356 Joan was dead, Katherine had married William de Birmingham, and Elizabeth five years later was the wife of John son of Fulk de Birmingham. Katherine seems to have died without issue sometime after 1372, when a second inquisition was held as to her father's property, and Elizabeth was seised of the whole by 1389, when she was the wife of John Lord Clinton. She afterwards married Sir John Russell, kt., and various settlements of the manor were made, it being at this period invariably in the hands of trustees, and known as PLANCHES or PLANKUS MANOR. She left no issue at her death in 1423, her heir being William Lucy, the son of Alice, daughter of Margery, daughter of James son of Joan de Pabenham. The manor, however, was claimed under the terms of the settlement of 1324 by Walter de Strickland and Isabel his wife, who was the daughter and heir of John de Olney, son of William, son of John, son of John de Olney and Maud de Haversham.
- 1423 Isobel Strickland, a great-grand-daughter of Lady Maud and Sir John de Olney.
- 1444 Richard Strickland, her son, aged 13 years, grandson of Joan, the daughter of Lady Maud and Sir James de la Plaunche.
- 1457 Sir William Lucy, of Charlcote, a great-great-grandson of Joan, the daughter of Lady Maud and Sir James de la Plaunche.
- 1466 Sir William Lucy.
- 1491 Edmund Lucy'.
- 1497 Sir Thomas Lucy.
- 1525 William Lucy.
- 1551 Sir Thomas Lucy, described in 1572 as "of Harsham, alias Haversham."
- 1600 Sir Thomas Lucy.
- 1605 Sir Thomas Lucy, who was succeeded by 3 sons in turn.
- 1640 Spencer Lucy.
- 1653 Robert Lucy.
- 1660 Richard Lucy, who sold the Manor to
- 1664 Maurice Thompson, succeeded by his son,
- 1671 John Thompson'; created Baronet in 1673; and Baron Haversham of Haversham in 1696.
- 1710 Maurice, Lord Haversham, his son, who sold the estate for £24,500 to
- 1728 Lucy Knightley, a descendant of the Lucy family.
- 1738 Valentine Knightley, his son
- 1754 Lucy Knightley, his son, who sold the Manor, Parish and Advowson to the Trustees of
- 1764 Alexander Small, who was at the time a minor.
- - Alexander Small, his son, at whose death the estate, not included in the Advowson, was sold to
- 1806 William Greaves and Roger Ratcliffe.
- 1815 The Manor and 503 acres assigned to Wm. Greaves for £15,500; the Mill and 360 acres assigned to Roger Ratcliffe for £6,000. On the death of Wm. Greaves in 1816, without children, the estate was further divided, and the reduced Manor portion was vested in his brother:-
- 1817 Thomas Greaves.
- 1826 Edmund Greaves, his son.
- 1867 John Albert Greaves, his nephew, Vicar of Towcester, and afterwards Rector of Great Leighs, Essex.
- 1919 Henry Thomas Shaw, who sold it for £11,000 to
- 1926 Price Jones, who again sold it for £7,000 to
- 1928 Colonel Edwin H. Pickwoad. C.M.G. Died in London, and the estate sold for £3,150 to
- 1932 Alfred Giles O. Randall, the present owner.
Resources
http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/hav/docs/history/prop.html
In 1806 Small sold the manor to Roger Radcliffe and William Greaves. (fn. 83) By a deed of 1815 it was assigned to the latter, (fn. 84) in whose family it has since remained, Mr. Thomas Greaves being now lord of the manor. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol4/pp366-372
"On the death of Wm. Greaves two years later a further division of the Manor property was made, Field Farm being carved out of it, and the reduced Manor portion became vested in his brother, Thomas Greaves, while Field Farm went to the younger brother James. The whole area in which the later farmed is situated was known in the 18th century as the Brook Field, to distinguish it from the Middle Field on the other side of the Slade Way, and the Wood Field beyond the Ridge Way."
http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/hav/docs/history/history.html
It is also possible that Harriet KIGHTLEY Greaves wife of Thomas Greaves, a pioneer to South Australia may be in some way related to the Knightly family. She is often named Knightly or Kightley.
This project is included in The History Link Project - Trace your ancesters! you can add projects here