Manor Profile

Aldsworth

Westbourne, West Sussex· Westbourne and Singleton Hundred· 1150 – 1885

Also known as: Aldesworth

Summary

In the mid-twelfth century William, Earl of Arundel, granted Aldsworth to Ralph de la Roche for the render of a huntingspear at Martinmas. A rental obligation was later established as one boar-spear (borsper) or 6d. In 1243 a half fee in Aldsworth was assigned to John FitzAlan on the division of the d'Aubigny estates. Aldsworth was held as a quarter or half knight's fee of the honour of Arundel.

In 1292 Richard de la Roche transferred the manor to John Dawtrey and Cecily his wife. Cecily Dawtrey appears as holder in 1327. The manor descended through the Dawtrey family. Sir John Dawtrey died in 1542, having settled it upon his son Sir John, who died in 1549. Sir John's heir Richard was described as "an idiot" and died in February 1534, holding the manor "of the Earl of Arundel as of his manor of Stansted." Half-brother William Dawtrey eventually controlled Aldsworth.

In 1624 William's granddaughter Anne and her husband Thomas Stanley of Fittleworth received the manor. In 1633 Francis Dawtrey and John Stanley sold Aldsworth to Philip Jermyn. It then followed the descent of Lordington. In 1661 Alexander Jermyn sold both Aldsworth and Lordington to Lord Lumley. From 1661 Aldsworth followed the main Westbourne descent through the Lumleys, earls of Scarborough, Richard Barwell, Lewis Way, Charles Dixon, and George Wilder, descending with Stansted in Stoughton.

Chain of Lords(7)

#	Name	From	To	Acquired	Notes
1	Ralph de la Roche	1150		grant from Earl of Arundel	Granted by William, Earl of Arundel. Render of a huntingspear at Martinmas.
2	Richard de la Roche		1292	inheritance
3	John Dawtrey and Cecily	1292		transfer from Richard de la Roche	Cecily appears as holder in 1327.
4	Sir John Dawtrey		1542	inheritance	Settled it upon his son Sir John (d. 1549).
5	William Dawtrey		1624	inheritance (half-brother)	Sir John's heir Richard was "an idiot". William eventually controlled the manor.
6	Philip Jermyn	1633		purchase from Dawtrey/Stanley	Followed Lordington descent.
7	Alexander Jermyn		1661	inheritance	Sold both Aldsworth and Lordington to Lord Lumley in 1661. Reunited with Westbourne.

Tenurial Obligations

rent

Earl of Arundel

Render of a huntingspear at Martinmas (original grant); later one boar-spear (borsper) or 6d.

Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 126-132

knight service

Honour of Arundel

Quarter or half knight's fee of the honour of Arundel.

Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 126-132

Connected Manors

Westbourneparent manor

Aldsworth was carved from the main Westbourne manor in the mid-12th century and reunited with it in 1661.

Westbournesame hundred

Both Aldsworth and Westbourne lie within the hundred of Westbourne and Singleton.

Sources

[tna_discovery]SHERBORNE MANOR, court book, with manor of Aldsworth, D678/1 M1/2/12 (1563-1622)View online
court book, with manor of Aldsworth
[tna_discovery]Conveyance (Lease & Release) (copies) for a nominal consideration in trust for sale, Add Mss 5484, 5485 (19, 20 June 1684)View online
Frances Moore of Locking (co. Berks.) (wid. of Francis Moore, esq., decd.) to Richard, 2nd Viscount Lumley of Waterford (Ireland), Hon. Henry Lumley, esq. (bro. of said Viscount Lumley), Sir Henry Moore of Fawley (co. Berks.), bart., William Moore, esq. (second son of said Sir Henry Moore), Sir James Phillips of Stoke (co. Hants), bart., and William Browne of Great Shefford (co. Berks.), esq Manor of Aldsworth in Westbourne; and Woods, underwoods and woodgrounds (117a.) called Lylswood in Stanst
[tna_discovery]Deed of exchange between (a) Andrew Dautre, lord of the manor of Aldsworth in Westbourne and (b) John Gunter, esq, Add Mss 12317 (9 April 1439)View online
I Parcel of the manor of Aldsworth, namely all those lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, feedings, rents and services lying within a certain hedge on the D. of a lane leading from the church of Racton to the cross called Elbruggescrosse at Elbridge in Westbourne and thence E. by le Estheth alias Hannebrok to the end of a certain lane called Waleis Lane, thence within the same hedge N. to the cross called Waleis crosse, and thence W. to the dwelling of (b) in Racton; together with that tenement

VCH Closing Statement

“Alexander Jermyn sold Aldsworth to Lord Lumley in 1661, after which it followed the main Westbourne descent with Stansted in Stoughton.”

VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, pp. 126-132