Manor Profile
Wymering, Hampshire· Portsdown Hundred· 1230 – 2026
Also known as: Gatcombe, Little Gatcumbe
The origin of the manor of Little Gatcombe appears to have been one of the Portchester serjeanties. Under Henry III, Fulk de Wymeringes held his land by service at Portchester Castle for eight days in time of war. The name derives from Old English, meaning "goat valley".
In 1291 Sir William de Esturs died seised of 20 acres of land, held by the service of suit at the court of Portchester Castle every three weeks and of providing for eight days in time of war one man armed with a lance, helmet and shield. He also held 20 acres of land from the lord of Warblington and 20 acres of land from Richard de Portsea for the rent of a pound of pepper and one rose.
Sir William was succeeded by his brother Geoffrey Lisle, who died in 1293, leaving a son and heir Baldwin, then aged twenty-three. Baldwin died in 1307 and was succeeded by his son John, who was only four years old and a minor in the king's wardship. John de Lisle of Gatcombe died in 1337 seised of the manor, which was still held from the king in chief by grand serjeanty for the service of arming a man in time of war for the defence of Portchester Castle.
His heir was his son John, aged six, who died in 1349, the year of the Black Death. His sister Elizabeth, wife of John Bramshott of Bramshott in Hampshire, inherited the estate in 1369.
In 1432 William Bramshott, lord of the manor of Gatcombe, granted his lands to his son Baldwin. Baldwin died in 1468 and granted the so-called manor of Little Gatcombe to his brother John before death. This is the first recorded use of "Little Gatcombe" as a distinct name for the holding.
John Bramshott's daughters Elizabeth and Margaret inherited as co-heiresses in 1479. Elizabeth married Sir John Dudley. Margaret married Sir John Pakenham, who died in 1485. Edmund Dudley, son of Sir John Dudley and Elizabeth Bramshott, was Speaker of the House of Commons and Henry VII's chief financial enforcer. He was attainted for high treason and beheaded on Tower Hill on 17 August 1510. His son John Dudley became 1st Duke of Northumberland; his grandson Guildford Dudley married Lady Jane Grey; his other son Robert Dudley became Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I.
The attainder was reversed the following year with lands restored to his son John, but it seems probable that Little Gatcombe was not restored and was instead granted to William Erneley. Erneley held two messuages, 100 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 20 acres of pasture and 10 acres of wood in Little Gatcombe and Little Bramshott. He left the property to his son Francis, with reversion to Richard. The VCH records William Erneley's death as 1445, which appears to be a misprint for 1545.
Richard Erneley sold Little Gatcombe and 120 acres of land in Portsea and Wymering to William Marshe in 1613. Marshe died in 1622 and left the estate by will to his eldest daughter Lucy.
In 1691 William Chafin and Mary held the property in right of the latter, who was possibly a granddaughter of Lucy Marshe, and sold to Thomas Brounker. Brounker sold to Captain Matthew Teate in 1714. Teate held the manor until 1744 and had a daughter who married Matthew Brady.
Admiral Sir Roger Curtis married Sarah Brady and acquired the property. Curtis was a hero of the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783), Flag Captain at the Glorious First of June (1794), and Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth (1809-1812). He rebuilt Gatcombe House around 1780 and was created 1st Baronet in 1794.
In 1794 the manor lands were sold to the Crown for Hilsea Barracks. The lordship, as an incorporeal hereditament, was separate from the land and from any buildings. Admiral Curtis died at Gatcombe House in 1816. The baronetcy passed to his son Sir Lucius Curtis, 2nd Baronet, who served as Admiral of the Fleet. Sir Lucius died in 1869. His grandson Sir Arthur Colin Curtis, 3rd Baronet, disappeared on a Klondike expedition in British Columbia in 1898 and was presumed dead by court order. Sir Roger Curtis, 4th Baronet, died in 1954.
The Victoria County History of Hampshire was published in 1908 and formally documented the manorial descent of Little Gatcombe. Gatcombe House was Grade II listed in 1972. The building has been in separate ownership since the Crown acquisition of 1794.
Morgan Sheldon succeeded to the Manor of Little Gatcombe in 2026.
| # | Name | From | To | Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulk de Wymeringes | serjeanty | Under Henry III held his land by service at Portchester Castle for eight days in time of war. Earliest recorded holder of the serjeanty. | ||
| 2 | Sir William de Esturs(Knight) | 1291 | Died seised of 20 acres of land in 1291. Held by suit at the court of Portchester Castle every three weeks and providing one man armed with lance, helmet and shield for eight days in time of war. Also held 20 acres from the lord of Warblington and 20 acres from Richard de Portsea for a pound of pepper and one rose. | ||
| 3 | Geoffrey Lisle | 1291 | 1293 | inheritance (brother) | Brother of Sir William de Esturs. Died 1293. Left a son and heir Baldwin, aged twenty-three. |
| 4 | Baldwin de Lisle | 1293 | 1307 | inheritance | Son of Geoffrey Lisle. Aged twenty-three at succession. Died 1307. Succeeded by his son John, then aged four. |
| 5 | John de Lisle of Gatcombe | 1307 | 1337 | inheritance (minor in king's wardship) | The Lisle family also held Gatcombe on the Isle of Wight.Aged four at succession, a minor in the king's wardship. Died seised of the manor in 1337. Held from the king in chief by grand serjeanty for the service of arming a man in time of war for the defence of Portchester Castle. |
| 6 | John de Lisle | 1337 | 1349 | inheritance | Son of John de Lisle of Gatcombe. Aged six at succession. Died 1349, the year of the Black Death. |
| 7 | John de Lisle | 1349 | 1369 | inheritance | Died without male heir. The manor passed by marriage to John Bramshott. |
| 8 | John Bramshott | 1369 | marriage (to Elizabeth de Lisle) | Married Elizabeth de Lisle, sister of John de Lisle. Brought the manor into the Bramshott family of Bramshott, Hampshire. | |
| 9 | William Bramshott | 1433 | inheritance | Knight of the Shire, MP, twice High Sheriff of Hampshire.Lord of the manor of Gatcombe. In 1432 granted his lands to his son Baldwin. Knight of the Shire, Member of Parliament for Sussex, High Sheriff of Hampshire (twice). | |
| 10 | Baldwin Bramshott | 1432 | 1468 | grant (from father) | First recorded use of "Little Gatcombe" as a distinct holding.Son of William Bramshott. Died 1468. Granted the so-called manor of Little Gatcombe to his brother John before death. First recorded use of "Little Gatcombe" as a distinct name. |
Portchester Castle
Suit at the court of Portchester Castle every three weeks and providing for eight days in time of war one man armed with a lance, helmet and shield. Held by grand serjeanty from the King in chief.
Source: VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 165-170
Lord of Warblington
Twenty acres of land held from the lord of Warblington.
Source: VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 165-170
Richard de Portsea
Twenty acres of land held from Richard de Portsea for the rent of a pound of pepper and one rose.
Source: VCH Hampshire Vol. 3, pp. 165-170
The Crown
crown · land_acquisition · 1794
Manor lands sold to the Crown for Hilsea Barracks in 1794. The lordship, as an incorporeal hereditament, continued separately from the land.
Portchester Castle
castle · serjeanty_service
Grand serjeanty: one man armed with lance, helmet and shield for eight days in time of war. Suit at court every three weeks.
The Crown
crown · overlord
Held of the king in chief by grand serjeanty throughout the medieval period.
Little Gatcombe was held by grand serjeanty for the defence of Portchester Castle. Suit at the court every three weeks; one armed man for eight days in time of war.
Little Gatcombe lies within the Parish of Wymering. The VCH covers the manor within the Wymering parish entry.
Sir William de Esturs held 20 acres from the lord of Warblington.
Grade II listed 1972. Rebuilt c.1780 for Admiral Sir Roger Curtis. In separate ownership since the Crown acquisition of 1794.
Referenced in VCH for deaths of Sir William de Esturs (1291), Geoffrey Lisle (1293), Baldwin Lisle (1307), John de Lisle (1337, 1349).
Referenced in VCH for grand serjeanty assessments.
Little Gatcombe covered within the Wymering parish entry. Covers the Portchester serjeanty, Lisle/Bramshott/Dudley/Erneley descent, and the Curtis period.
VCH Closing Statement
“Admiral Sir Roger Curtis was obliged to sell his lands to the government as the estate was required for military purposes. Barracks commenced in 1780 and by 1794 a camp was formed for several thousand men.”
VCH Hampshire, Vol. 3, pp. 165-170