Manor Profile
Tortington, West Sussex· Avisford Hundred· 1066 – 1995
Also known as: Tortington Cheyneys, Tortinton
Tortington lies on the west bank of the river Arun south of Arundel. The north-east corner of the parish lay within Arundel Great Park in the Middle Ages, described as a park called the Rooks in 1331. In 1933 Tortington absorbed the whole of Binsted, making a combined area of 2,136 acres.
Leofwine, a free man, held the manor at 4 hides in 1066. By 1086 Ernucion of Greatham held it of Earl Roger. Pharamus de Tracy had land here by 1216 and Roger de Tracy was described as lord of Tortington in 1234-35. In 1279 John de Tracy conveyed the manor to William of Bracklesham, Dean of Chichester, who gave it in 1295 to Ellis de Cheyney. It became known as Tortington Cheyneys. Ellis died by 1327, and his grandson William succeeded in 1341-42.
In 1373 Ralph de Restwold quitclaimed to Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel (d. 1376), and thereafter the manor remained in demesne with the FitzAlans. Under the will of Earl Thomas (d. 1415) it passed to the Holy Trinity Hospital at Arundel, subject to the life interest of his widow Beatrice (d. 1439).
After the Dissolution the Crown granted Tortington to Sir Richard Lee in 1546. Lee conveyed it to Henry FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel in 1547, who with Lord Lumley sold it to John Apsley in 1567. In 1587 Browne and Apsley conveyed it to Roger Gratwicke (d. 1596 without issue). It passed to his cousin Sir William Gratwicke of East Malling, Kent (d. 1613), then to his son William (d.s.p. 1666), brother Francis (d.s.p. 1670), and Francis's heir Oliver Weekes (d. 1689).
In 1706 Carew Weekes sold to William Leeves of Arundel (d. 1710). The manor passed to his eldest son Robert (d. 1743), then Robert's son (also Robert, d.s.p. 1744). In 1790 the younger Robert's brothers-in-law and heirs Robert Edwards, Robert Lamport, and Henry Johnson conveyed Tortington to the Duke of Norfolk, after which it descended with the rape.
Tortington Priory, an Augustinian house, held a separate estate described as a manor from 1380. At the Dissolution it passed to Henry FitzAlan, Lord Maltravers (d. 1556). Through the Crown, Spencer, Compton (Earls of Northampton), and Thomas families, it was conveyed in 1698 by Sir William Thomas to Richard Scrase, who sold it in 1714-15 to William Leeves. Thereafter it descended with the demesne lands of Tortington manor.
After the Duke's purchase of the Tortington estate (965 acres) in 1879, virtually the whole parish belonged to the Norfolk estate. The trustees of the late Bernard, Duke of Norfolk retained woodland in the north and north-west in 1995, though most agricultural land had been sold to the Luckin family, previously tenants.
| # | Name | From | To | Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leofwine | 1066 | 1066 | A free man. Held 4 hides. | |
| 2 | Ernucion of Greatham | 1086 | grant from Earl Roger | Held of Earl Roger of Shrewsbury in 1086. | |
| 3 | Pharamus de Tracy | 1216 | Had land in Tortington by 1216. | ||
| 4 | Roger de Tracy | 1234 | Described as lord of Tortington 1234-35. | ||
| 5 | John de Tracy | 1279 | Conveyed manor to William of Bracklesham, Dean of Chichester, in 1279. | ||
| 6 | William of Bracklesham, Dean of Chichester | 1279 | 1295 | conveyance from John de Tracy | |
| 7 | Ellis de Cheyney | 1295 | 1327 | grant from Dean of Chichester | The manor became known as Tortington Cheyneys. His son William succeeded. |
| 8 | William de Cheyney (son of Ellis) | 1327 | 1341 | inheritance | |
| 9 | William de Cheyney (grandson) | 1341 | 1373 | inheritance | Ralph de Restwold quitclaimed to Earl of Arundel in 1373. |
| 10 | Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel(Earl of Arundel) | 1373 | 1376 | quitclaim from Restwold/Cheyney interest |
Earl Roger / honour of Arundel
Held of the rape of Arundel. The manor was assessed at 4 hides in Domesday.
Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 5 pt 1, pp. 214-224
Holy Trinity Hospital, Arundel
hospital · institutional lord · 1415 – 1546
Thomas FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel (d. 1415) gave the manor to the hospital by will, subject to widow Beatrice's life interest (d. 1439).
Arundel Castle / Norfolk Estate
estate · absorbed into estate · 1790
Conveyed to Duke of Norfolk in 1790. After the Duke's purchase of the full estate (965 acres) in 1879, virtually the whole parish belonged to the Norfolk estate.
TORTINGTON MANOR MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED
company · corporate_holder · 2000
Companies House 04104071
Tortington Priory (Augustinian)
priory · priory within parish · 1536
An Augustinian priory. Its demesne was described as a manor from 1380. At the Dissolution it passed to Henry FitzAlan, Lord Maltravers. Through Crown, Spencer, Compton (Earls of Northampton), and Thomas families, it was conveyed to Richard Scrase (1698), who sold to William Leeves (1714-15). Thereafter it descended with the demesne lands of Tortington manor. The priory barn (surviving 1995) retains remains of the mid-13th-century priory church.
387m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
500m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: LEVELLED EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
468m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
451m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
427m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: CROPMARK\EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
412m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
VCH Closing Statement
“The trustees of the late Bernard, Duke of Norfolk, retained woodland in the north and north-west in 1995, but most of the agricultural land had been sold by then to the Luckin family, previously tenants.”
VCH Sussex, Vol. 5 pt 1, pp. 214-224
404m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: CROPMARK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
291m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: CROPMARK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
299m from manor coordinates. Period: POST MEDIEVAL. Evidence: CROPMARK\EARTHWORK. Project: South East RCZAS (CCC).
Phillimore reference Sussex 11,80. Ernucion held of Earl Roger. 4 hides, 2 demesne ploughs, 6 villani, 2 cottars, 30 acres meadow.
Short title: Gratwicke v Gratwicke. Plaintiffs: Roger Gratwicke. Defendants: Dame Margarey Gratwicke and Thomas Gratwicke. Subject: manor of Tortington, Sussex. Document type: two bills, answer.
INTRODUCTION This is the forty fourth volume of Additional Manuscripts (Add Mss) to have been catalogued in the West Sussex Record office and it has been compiled, in general, along the lines indicated in the introduction to the first volume in November 1956 The class of Additional Manuscripts embraces all the smaller gifts and deposits of documents received by the West Sussex Record Office, as distinct from the large family and estate collections, such as Goodwood MSS.; or accumulations from so
Short title: Gratwick v Tichborne. Plaintiffs: Roger Gratwick (third son of Sir William Gratwick, deceased). Defendants: Benjamin Tichborne and William Gratwicke. Subject: manor of Tortington alias Tortington Cheynes, Sussex. Document type: [pleadings].
Hospital, mansion house and site of the late hospital or almshouse of the Holy Trinity in Arundel, and all the outer and inner walls and buildings, and the site, ambit or enclosure, and all messuages, houses, buildings, barns, stables, backsides, orchards, gardens, land and ground both within the house and site of the hospital or almshouse, and within the town and borough of Arundel, lately belonging to, and parcel of, the lands and possessions of the hospital; the manors of Treyford, Sullington
Short Title: Cooke v Deering. [Cause code: SCEL-17397]. Documents: bill, answer/s, replication. Plaintiffs: Thomas Cooke of Tortington. Defendants: Edmund Dering, William Tottye and others. County: Sussex. Subject: parcel of ground in the manor of Tortington. Regnal year: [unknown].
I Certain lands in 'Codham' (8d. year); lands called Avenalles [Avenals Farm in Angmering] (18s. 11½d. year); lands in Shipley (12s. 6d., year); lands in Billingshurst called Rosiers Landes [cf. Rosier Farm] (2s. 3d. year); manor of Kirdford (4s. 6d. year) sometime of Richard Lord Lumley; the rectory of Rustington, sometime of Henry, Earl of Arundel, now (As properties I-XI are given only in recital, the word 'now', which occurs only twice in the recited text, presumably refers not to the date o
By (a) Samuel Edney of Chichester, furniture dealer, to (b) Charles John Atkey of Chichester, brewer, and Leonard Buckell of Chichester, doctor of medicine Newly erected warehouse or building known as "St. Martin's Hall" and the messuage or dwellinghouse on the S. side of it in the parish of St. Martin in Chichester, together with the backside, yards, gardens and outbuildings belonging to the said property Recites (i) 8 February 1850 Lease for forty years, from (a) the Custos and Poor of the Hos
From (a) the Custos and Poor of the Hospital of the Blessed Mary in Chichester, to (b) Thomas Greene of Chichester, gentleman Messuage, tenement or cottage, with the backside and garden behind, previously in the occupation of Thomas Good, afterwards of Matthew Norris, late of Sarah Slark and now of William Maidlow, in the parish of St. Martin in Chichester, having on the N. a messuage and garden previously of Henry Peckham, clerk, afterwards of Thomas Rhoades, gentleman, held of the Hospital, an
Short title: Apsley v Mutton. Plaintiffs: John Apsley. Defendants: John Mutton. Subject: a lease and incumbrances relating to the manor of Tortington Cheynies, of which William Busbye, late master of the dissolved almshouse [of the Holy Trinity] in Arundel, Sussex, was seised in fee, in right of said house; said manor, since the dissolution, came to Henry [Howard] Earl of Arundel, who sold it to John Apsley in fee, free from incumbrances, but there were outstanding leases etc. Document type: [pl
From (a) Thomas Good of Chichester, cabinet-maker, to (b) Matthew Norris of Chichester, peruke-maker Messuage, tenement or cottage, with the backside and garden behind, previously in the occupation of Joseph Edney, and then [i.e. at the date of the recital below] in the occupation of Thomas Good, in the parish of St. Martin in Chichester, having the messuage and garden of Henry Peckham, clerk, held of the Hospital, on the N., the Street or Lane on the W., and a tenement or cottage and garden of
The moneys arising from the sale of the fourth part of the estate to be used to discharge (inter alia) mortgages of the site of the late priory of Tortington and lands in Tortington and Binsted, and of the capital messuage or site of the manor of Tortington alias Tortington Cheynes with lands in Tortington and Binsted.
Short title: Mutton v Coke. Plaintiffs: John Mutton and Margaret his wife. Defendants: Thomas Coke, Thomas Lylyat, and others. Subject: Forcible ejection from the manor of Tortington. County: Sussex.
By Edward Madgwicke of Arrundell, gent. (administrator of the estate of Wm. Madgwicke late of Yapton, yeoman decd father of the said Edward) to William Edmonds of Yapton, gent., of a demise for 1000 years dated 31 July, 31 Eliz: by Roger Gratwicke of Cowfold, yeoman, to Robert Trumell of South Stoke, yeo. of a croft of ground called the Church Croft containing 3 acres in Yapton, parcel of land belonging to the manor of Tortington Cheynie; which croft the said Robert Trummell by his Will gave to
From (a) Edwin Joshua Curtis of Chichester, seaman, to (b) Samuel Edney of Chichester, furniture dealer Messuage, tenement or cottage, with the backside and garden behind, previously in the occupation of Thomas Good, afterwards of Matthew Norris, since of Sarah Slark, then of William Maidlow, late of Frederic Trewin and now of William Ayling, in the parish of St. Martin in Chichester, having on the N. a messuage and garden previously of Henry Peckham, clerk, afterwards of Thomas Rhoades, gentlem
Between (a) George Edmonds of Arundell, gent., (one of the executors of the will of William Edmonds of Yapton, gent., dec'd.) and (b) Henry Edmonds of Yapton, gent., son of William Edmonds Croft called Church Crofte (3a.) in Yapton, part of the lands of the Manor of Tortington, Cheynes Cites (i) Lease dated 31 July 1589 (ii) Death of William Edmonds
48 x 64. About 22in. to 1m 1068a. in Tortington and Binsted. Field names and acreages; names of adjacent owners. State of cultivation. Buildings, including Tortington parish church and Priory House drawn in elevation. An additional note giving total acreages under different kinds of cultivation in 1779
Tortington parish entry, including manor, priory, church, and economic history.
village in West Sussex, England, UK. Type: village
former manorial estate in Tortington , Sussex. Type: manor estate
former manorial estate in Tortington , Sussex. Type: manor estate
architectural structure in Arundel, Arun, England, UK. Heritage: scheduled monument. Type: architectural structure. NHLE: 1021459
architectural structure in Arundel, Arun, England, UK. Heritage: Grade II* listed building. Type: architectural structure. NHLE: 1221996
