Wymering

Wymering was ancient demesne of the Crown at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086. Land in Cosham and Portchester belonged to this manor. The king may have granted Wymering to the Earls of Albemarle before 1167. In that year the Vidame of Picquigny held land in Wymering in right of his wife, daughter of Stephen, second Earl of Albemarle.

William de Fortibus, Earl of Albemarle, died seised of Wymering in 1260. The manor reverted to the Crown. In July 1280 Edward I assigned Wymering to his mother Eleanor. In 1281 Ralph de Sandwich granted the manor in fee simple to John le Botiller in exchange for Ringwood, together with the manor of Blandford in Dorset.

John le Botiller died seised of the manor in 1309. His widow Joan held in dower. Their son John le Botiller was seised in 1316 and married Joan before 1320. A settlement of 1330 placed the manor on John and Joan jointly. At John's death in 1350 the manor passed to his second wife Margery for life. Margery married Richard Chike as her second husband and died in 1387. The manor reverted to John Botiller of Limbourne, stepson of Margery, the son of John and his first wife Joan.

John Botiller of Limbourne died in 1387. The manor passed to his daughter Isabel, wife of Geoffrey de Roucle. Geoffrey died in 1390. The manor then passed to Richard Wayte, Isabel's son by her first husband. Richard Wayte died in 1423 and his son William inherited. William married Margaret, daughter of Robert Barbot. He died in 1448 and left the manor to his son Edward, then aged five.

The manor passed to Simon Wayte, who died in 1518. His brother William Wayte succeeded and died in 1561. William left six daughters as co-heiresses: Eleanor married Richard Bruning; Mary married William Cresswell; Honor married her cousin William Wayte; Margaret married Henry Perkins; Elizabeth married Richard Norton; Susan married William Wollascot.

The division fragmented the lordship for over 150 years. The Perkins family held their portion for nearly 150 years. In 1582 Honor Wayte ceded her share to William Cresweller senior and Mary. In 1604 the manor of Cosham merged into the Wymering descent through the Bruning holdings.

By c.1730 the whole manor was in the hands of George Kelly in right of his wife Sarah. It was apparently conveyed to Sir John Huffield in 1733. Thomas Gosling held the manor in right of his wife Elizabeth in 1821. He sold to Thomas Thistlethwayte. The manor has remained with the Thistlethwayte family from that date.

The manor house stands on the north side of the road between Cosham and Fareham village, close by the church and vicarage on the east. It is H-shaped in plan with a panelled entrance hall in the centre. The kitchen and offices are attached to the south side of the south wing. The beams in this part of the building witness to its antiquity. It is the oldest domestic building in Portsmouth. The house contains a fine stone chimney-piece from Bold Hall in Lancashire.