Manor Profile
Up Marden, Sussex· Westbourne and Singleton Hundred· 1304 – 1864
Also known as: Meredone (Domesday, undifferentiated)
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.
| # | Name | From | To | Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert de Tateshale | enfeoffment (part of Arundel honour subdivision) | Overlord. Alan la Zouche held 3 fees of him in Nutbourne, Wildbridge, and West Marden (1303-1305). Robert de Tateshale received 3 fees from the 1244 division of the d'Aubigny estate among coheirs. | ||
| 2 | Alan la Zouche | 1346 | held of Robert de Tateshale | Mesne lord. Held 3 fees of Robert de Tateshale in 1303 and 1305. The half knight's fee in West Marden was held of him as of the manor of River (Tillington). Died 1346 leaving son Hugh aged 7. | |
| 3 | Hugh la Zouche | 1346 | inheritance from father Alan | Aged 7 at father's death in 1346. John de Beauchamp held wardship over him and his lands during minority. | |
| 4 | Alan de Chartres | 1304 | enfeoffment (held of honour of Arundel) | First named holder of the manor. His widow Joan claimed dower of one-third in 1304 against Robert de Chartres and others. | |
| 5 | Robert de Chartres | 1304 | inheritance or partition | Named as defendant in Joan's dower claim of 1304. Relationship to Alan uncertain; may be son or brother. | |
| 6 | Roger de Chartres | 1304 | 1346 | inheritance from father Alan | Son of Alan. Leased a messuage and one virgate to Robert the Scot for life in 1316. Sold the manor in 1346 with wife Christiane to Henry Romyn and wife Joan. |
| 7 | Henry Romyn | 1346 | 1350 | purchase from Roger de Chartres | Purchased 1346 with wife Joan. Held half knight's fee of Alan la Zouche as of manor of River (Tillington); by 1350 described as 1/8 knight's fee of Alan's heir. Died 1350; heir son Edmund aged 8. |
| 8 | Edmund Romyn | 1350 | inheritance from father Henry | Aged 8 at father's death in 1350. Subsequent descent uncertain until the Browne acquisition. | |
| 9 | Sir Thomas Browne(Knight) | 1461 | unknown (came with Compton) | Attainted of treasonAttainted before 1461. The manor apparently came to him with Compton. The gap between Edmund Romyn (1350) and Sir Thomas Browne is unrecorded in the VCH. | |
| 10 | Eleanor Browne | 1461 | grant for life (1461, 1465) | Widow of Sir Thomas Browne. Grants made in 1461 and 1465 to Eleanor and Thomas Vaughan her second husband, for their lives. |
Robert de Tateshale and heirs
The la Zouche overlordship was held of Robert de Tateshale. Alan la Zouche held 3 fees of Robert in 1303 and 1305 in Nutbourne by Pulborough, Wildbridge, and West Marden.
Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 110-113
Alan la Zouche (as manor of River, Tillington)
Half knight's fee held of Alan la Zouche in 1346. By 1350 described as one-eighth knight's fee service held of Alan la Zouche's heir.
Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 110-113
John de Beauchamp
Hugh la Zouche (aged 7) was in wardship under John de Beauchamp after his father Alan's death in 1346. Beauchamp held wardship over Hugh and his lands.
Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 110-113
Honour of Arundel
The manor was held as of the honour of Arundel. The overlordship belonged to the honour at the time of Sir George Browne's attainder.
Source: VCH Sussex Vol. 4, pp. 110-113
Manor of River (Tillington)
manor · feudal superior (la Zouche overlordship) · 1346
West Marden described in 1346 as half knight's fee held of Alan la Zouche as of the manor of River in Tillington.
The Crown
crown · grants after attainder · 1461 – 1465
After Sir Thomas Browne's attainder, grants were made in 1461 and 1465 giving the manor for life to his widow Eleanor and Thomas Vaughan her second husband.
Honour of Arundel
honour · overlordship
The manor was held as of the honour of Arundel by the de Chartres family and subsequently by the Browne family.
Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary (West Marden)
chapel · dependent chapel of Up Marden church · 1585
Referenced in 1414, when all offerings assigned to the vicar of Up Marden. Bequests made in 1515 and 1525. Secularised before 1585, when John Hewson granted the chapel building to John Rowe of Bedhampton. Described as lying between the high road (north), Court Garden meadow (south and west), and a backside (east).
No medieval manor house or manorial earthworks are recorded. The chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary had been secularised by 1585, when it was described as lying between the high road to the north, meadow called Court Garden to the south and west, and a backside to the east. The VCH notes one cottage with a 17th-century central chimney-stack in the village; other buildings are later flint and brick construction. A masonry crutch inserted in Up Marden church (St Michael) may contain reused stones from the demolished West Marden chapel.
Four undifferentiated Marden entries (Sussex 11,31; 11,33; 11,34; 11,38). West Marden cannot be individually identified. Phillimore edition, digitised by Anna Powell-Smith.
West Marden is treated within the Up Marden entry as a separate manor and chapelry. The West Marden section and chapel details appear on pp. 112-113.
VCH Closing Statement
“A West Marden "manor" was held by Richard Barwell of Stansted in 1798, and belonged to Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby in 1864.”
VCH Sussex, Vol. 4, pp. 110-113