East Marden

At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the settlement recorded as Meredone lay within the hundred of Ghidenetroi in Sussex. The entire hundred fell under the tenancy-in-chief of Earl Roger de Montgomery. The combined Marden entry encompassed what later became the separate parishes of East Marden, North Marden, Up Marden, and West Marden. The principal holding comprised 5 hides held by Corbelin under Earl Roger. Before the Conquest, the holdings had been held by Aelfric and Alwin in alodium.

In the twelfth century, land in East Marden was given, together with the church, to the cathedral of Chichester to form a prebend. The donors were probably Geoffrey son of Azo and Agnes his wife, who also subsequently gave to the prebend of East Marden land in Horslie which one Aldred had once held of them. Under the prebendal system, the prebendary (also styled rector) received the revenues of the estate in return for his duties as a canon of Chichester Cathedral.

By 1291 the prebend of Mardon was valued at 8 pounds. In 1341, the prebendary held a manse and one virgate of land, together with rents to the value of 6 marks, and the perquisites of the court of his tenants were valued at 26 shillings and 8 pence. The prebendary thus exercised manorial jurisdiction, holding a manor court and collecting its profits. By 1535 the vicarage was rated at 5 pounds, in addition to 30 shillings paid to the prebend, which was then worth only 4 pounds 15 shillings clear.

A separate parcel of land in East Marden passed through lay hands before reaching monastic ownership. Early in the thirteenth century, Robert de Elnested gave to his younger son William one hide of land in East Marden. William sold this to his brother Simon, Rector of Elsted, who in 1236 gave it to Boxgrove Priory. In 1244, Prior Anketill of Boxgrove granted to John de Gatesden for life land in East Marden and on the Downs which had been given by Sir Bartholomew de Elsted.

After the Reformation, the prebendal manor followed the pattern common to most prebendal estates: the prebendaries, who continued to be appointed to the nominal office, leased the manor for three lives. Among the lessee families were Juxon, Brereton, Longcroft, and Woods. W. Layland Woods, who was apparently the lessee around 1870, shortly afterwards purchased the fee simple from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, severing the centuries-old connection between the manor and the cathedral chapter. Before 1876, he had been succeeded by J. W. Woods.