West Marden

West Marden was not called by that name until the early fourteenth century. The settlement lies at about 200 feet elevation in a small valley running from north-west to south-east, approximately half a mile west of Locksash Farm. The road from South Harting and Compton to Walderton passes through it. At the Domesday survey of 1086 four Marden entries were recorded in the Hundred of Ghidentroi, corresponding to the three parishes and West Marden, but the holdings were not differentiated. The VCH confirms that the four entries cannot be mapped to individual settlements.

The manor was held as of the honour of Arundel by the family of de Chartres. In 1304 Joan, widow of Alan de Chartres, claimed dower of one-third of the manor against Robert de Chartres and others. In 1316 Roger de Chartres, Alan's son, leased a messuage and one virgate to Robert the Scot for life. In 1346 Roger de Chartres and his wife Christiane sold the manor to Henry Romyn and his wife Joan. At that date it was described as half a knight's fee held of Alan la Zouche as of the manor of River in Tillington. By 1350 the tenure was described as one-eighth knight's fee service held of Alan la Zouche's heir.

The la Zouche overlordship was itself held of Robert de Tateshale and his heirs. In 1303 and 1305 Alan la Zouche held three fees of Robert de Tateshale in Nutbourne by Pulborough, Wildbridge, and West Marden. Alan la Zouche died in 1346 leaving his son Hugh aged seven; during Hugh's minority John de Beauchamp held wardship. Henry Romyn died in 1350. His heir was his son Edmund, then aged eight. After the mid-fourteenth century the descent of these holdings in West Marden becomes uncertain.

Before 1461 the manor apparently came with Compton to Sir Thomas Browne, who was attainted of treason. In 1461 and 1465 grants were made to Eleanor, Browne's widow, and Thomas Vaughan her second husband, for life. The overlordship belonged to the honour of Arundel, held by Sir George Browne from the Earl at his attainder. Elizabeth, widow of Sir George Browne, died seised in 1489. The manor remained in the Browne family: Sir Matthew Browne and his wife Frideswide dealt with it in 1532, and in 1577 Richard Browne sold the reversion, after the death of his mother Eleanor Gaynesford, to John Hewson.

In 1585 John Hewson granted the secularised chapel of West Marden to John Rowe of Bedhampton. In 1586 Hewson and Rowe sold the manor to Thomas Green, who left it to his eldest son Thomas in 1607. By 1693 William Peckham and his wife Mary mortgaged one quarter to Arthur Bayly, and under Bayly's will of 1699 the mortgage was foreclosed. In 1736 Elizabeth Bayly, widow, sold half the manor to John Shales. Shales died in 1741; his widow Isabel married George Atkins, and Henry Shales (John's brother) conveyed his moiety to her.

The other half of the manor passed in 1727 from John Marden and his wife Rose to John Butler. A West Marden manor was held by Richard Barwell of Stansted in 1798, and belonged to Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby in 1864.