History
The manor of Piddington
Early settlement and Romans
Before the Romans invaded southern Britain, there were some early tribal settlements in the area connected by an ancient track, the Icknield Way, but the Ray Valley was not widely settled. The Romans undertook an extensive system of road building to link key centres in the south of England, such as Akeman Street, linking St Albans and Cirencester. They constructed fortifications along the way, such as Alchester, south-west of Bicester, which later became a well established Roman town, helped by its location at a strategic road junction. It is probable that there was a Romano-British encampment at Ambrosden, attributed to Ambrosius, a chieftain, and that the area from West Oxfordshire to Aylesbury was a stronghold of resistance to Saxon raids.
Anglo-Saxons
During the 6th century, Anglo-Saxon invasions in this area became more earnest and successful, and over the next two centuries turned the British into a pagan agricultural society speaking a language that was to become the basis of modern English. The village of Piddington probably had its origin in the 7th century, as its name suggests. Place-names with -ing suggest a tribal or family settlement covering a well-defined area (inga). Royal centres in the 7th and 8th centuries were called tunas, and Piddington may have been part of a royal estate associated with Headington (where Æthelred had a royal residence), Islip (birthplace of Edward the Confessor) and Bernwood Forest. Edward, who spent much time hunting deer and wild boar in Bernwood Forest and built a lodge in Brill, is said to have rewarded Nigel, the forester of Bernwood, for his brave exploit with a boar, with land on which Nigel built a mansion he named Boarstall. The remnants of these extensive forests can be seen in the areas of woodland that remain, such as Piddington Wood.
The manorial system
See also Domesday Book entry.
The military structure of society of the 9th to the 11th centuries gave rise to a class of Anglo-Saxon nobles (thegns) who were granted estates in return for service and homage to a royal household. The thegn exacted tribute from the smallholders in return for his patronage as part of a feudal system, and, with thegns becoming resident on their own demesne in a settlement, this was gradually replaced by labour services, giving rise to a dependent peasantry and a rudimentary market economy. It’s clear that the manorial system was well established by the time of the Norman conquest.
A manor was a grant of land from the king measured in hides. Norman manor lands consisted of three parts:
Piddington included sizeable tracts of the protected royal forest of Bernwood leading up to Muswell Hill in its boundaries.
For an interesting account of the labour services and privileges of the villeins of Piddington manor see Green (2000, pages 69 to 71).
The manorial system went into decline after the Black Death in 1348–9. By the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1537 and 1540, when all of the manors which had been owned by religious orders were confiscated, many of the descendants of former bonded labourers now freed from serfdom, were substantial land-owning yeomen, built comfortable manor houses, improved roads and local housing and gave generously to the church.
A manor was a grant of land from the king measured in hides. Norman manor lands consisted of three parts:
- the demesne, land in occupation of a lord or his tenant, on which he built his home or manor house and cultivated arable land using service from dependent peasants
- land leased to various classes of tenant
- glebe land, given by the lord in support of the local church or priest.
Piddington included sizeable tracts of the protected royal forest of Bernwood leading up to Muswell Hill in its boundaries.
For an interesting account of the labour services and privileges of the villeins of Piddington manor see Green (2000, pages 69 to 71).
The manorial system went into decline after the Black Death in 1348–9. By the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1537 and 1540, when all of the manors which had been owned by religious orders were confiscated, many of the descendants of former bonded labourers now freed from serfdom, were substantial land-owning yeomen, built comfortable manor houses, improved roads and local housing and gave generously to the church.
Ownership of Piddington manor
Just before the Norman conquest of England, Hacun, a Dane, held the manor of Piddington, and also the nearby manor of Merton. The Domesday Book records that by 1086 Judith, Countess of Huntingdon, a niece of William I of England, held both these manors. After the Revolt of the Earls in 1075 Judith's husband, Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, was executed and William the Conqueror betrothed her to Simon I de Senlis. She refused to marry him and fled England, so William confiscated her estates and allowed Simon to marry Judith's eldest daughter, Maud. Simon received estates including Merton and Piddington as part of the honour of Huntingdon.
Between 1100 and 1300 all of the manors in the Upper Ray Valley passed into the ownership and management of religious orders. St Frideswide's Priory, Oxford, was granted Piddington manor in 1152 by Simon II de Senlis, who had recently inherited it, but for the next 200 years it was in a variety of private hands before the Priory's rights were finally upheld in 1359.
In 1153 Simon II died, and his heir, King Malcolm IV of Scotland, confirmed the grant of Piddington to the Priory. However, Malcolm's heir-apparent, William the Lion, took Piddington back from the Priory. In about 1174 Henry II deprived William of all his titles and lands in England and granted the Earldom of Huntingdon to Simon III de Senlis. Simon acknowledged the Priory's claim to Piddington but continued to hold the overlordship himself, even ignoring a Papal bull upholding the Priory's rights.
Joan of Piddington had held the manor as a sub-tenant of Simon II de Senlis, and in about 1183 she married Aubrey de Dammartin, son of Albéric I de Mello and Dammartin, Grand Chamberman of France. (There was a manor house at Piddington, occupied by Joan, from as early as the mid-twelfth century.) After Aubrey's death the Crown held Piddington in escheat for several years before it passed to his heir, Reynold de Dammartin. In the Anglo-French War of 1202–14 Reynold supported Philip II of France against King John, for which he was deprived of his English estates. In 1213 Reynold's estates were restored but when he died in 1227 Henry III seized them again.
In 1270 Henry III granted Piddington to a Breton, Alan Plukenet, in exchange for a manor in the New Forest. In 1309 his son, Alan II, granted Piddington to Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester, who in turn granted it to John de Hadlow, lord of nearby Boarstall in Buckinghamshire. In 1326 Despenser was executed for rebelling against Edward II and forefeited his estates, but de Hadlow was allowed to keep Piddington until he died in 1346. However, Sybil, widow of Alan Plukenet, successfully claimed a third of Piddington as dower. Also, in 1331 St Frideswide's Priory began a lawsuit to recover Piddington from John de Hadlow.
In 1337 Edward III granted Piddington to Nicholas de la Beche of Aldworth and in 1340 de la Beche was licenced to grant Piddington to Sir John Sutton, lord of Dudley. In 1347 Sir John was licenced to grant Piddington to John de Peyto for life, with reversion to Sir John thereafter. Title was then disputed between the Sutton and de Peyto families, but in 1359 the Priory finally succeeded in regaining the manor. St Frideswide's Priory retained Piddington until 1525, when Cardinal Wolsey suppressed it to found his Cardinal's College, in Oxford, which was built on the site of the former St Frideswide's Priory. In 1530, though, the king deposed Wolsey, and in 1532 Piddington passed to the now renamed Christ Church College.
However, in 1553 Piddington was granted to Thomas Dynham, lord of the manors of Brill and Boarstall in Buckinghamshire. His descendants sold most of the manor in 1598 and went to live at Muswell Hill where they had an estate. In 1634 Thomas's grandson, John Dynham, died, leaving his estates to his daughters Mary and Alice. Piddington seems to have passed to Mary, as her daughter, Margaret Lewis, was lady of the manor in 1661. Her daughter, Mary Jephson, inherited Piddington manor in 1672 and had married Sir John Aubrey, 2nd Baronet, by 1691. On her death in 1717 Mary's stepson, Sir John Aubrey, 3rd Baronet, inherited Piddington as well as the manors at Brill and Boarstall, and Piddington remained with the Aubrey baronets until Sir Thomas Digby Aubrey, 7th Baronet, died in 1856 and the title became extinct.
A cousin of Sir Thomas, Elizabeth Sophia Ricketts, inherited Piddington. Her son, Charles Aubrey Ricketts, inherited the manor and took the name Charles Aubrey Aubrey. He died in 1901, leaving Piddington to Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 4th Baronet, who was the great grandson of Sir John Aubrey, 3rd Baronet.
Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet, also known as the detective novelist Henry Wade, inherited the manor in 1937 and held it until his death in 1969.
Between 1100 and 1300 all of the manors in the Upper Ray Valley passed into the ownership and management of religious orders. St Frideswide's Priory, Oxford, was granted Piddington manor in 1152 by Simon II de Senlis, who had recently inherited it, but for the next 200 years it was in a variety of private hands before the Priory's rights were finally upheld in 1359.
In 1153 Simon II died, and his heir, King Malcolm IV of Scotland, confirmed the grant of Piddington to the Priory. However, Malcolm's heir-apparent, William the Lion, took Piddington back from the Priory. In about 1174 Henry II deprived William of all his titles and lands in England and granted the Earldom of Huntingdon to Simon III de Senlis. Simon acknowledged the Priory's claim to Piddington but continued to hold the overlordship himself, even ignoring a Papal bull upholding the Priory's rights.
Joan of Piddington had held the manor as a sub-tenant of Simon II de Senlis, and in about 1183 she married Aubrey de Dammartin, son of Albéric I de Mello and Dammartin, Grand Chamberman of France. (There was a manor house at Piddington, occupied by Joan, from as early as the mid-twelfth century.) After Aubrey's death the Crown held Piddington in escheat for several years before it passed to his heir, Reynold de Dammartin. In the Anglo-French War of 1202–14 Reynold supported Philip II of France against King John, for which he was deprived of his English estates. In 1213 Reynold's estates were restored but when he died in 1227 Henry III seized them again.
In 1270 Henry III granted Piddington to a Breton, Alan Plukenet, in exchange for a manor in the New Forest. In 1309 his son, Alan II, granted Piddington to Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester, who in turn granted it to John de Hadlow, lord of nearby Boarstall in Buckinghamshire. In 1326 Despenser was executed for rebelling against Edward II and forefeited his estates, but de Hadlow was allowed to keep Piddington until he died in 1346. However, Sybil, widow of Alan Plukenet, successfully claimed a third of Piddington as dower. Also, in 1331 St Frideswide's Priory began a lawsuit to recover Piddington from John de Hadlow.
In 1337 Edward III granted Piddington to Nicholas de la Beche of Aldworth and in 1340 de la Beche was licenced to grant Piddington to Sir John Sutton, lord of Dudley. In 1347 Sir John was licenced to grant Piddington to John de Peyto for life, with reversion to Sir John thereafter. Title was then disputed between the Sutton and de Peyto families, but in 1359 the Priory finally succeeded in regaining the manor. St Frideswide's Priory retained Piddington until 1525, when Cardinal Wolsey suppressed it to found his Cardinal's College, in Oxford, which was built on the site of the former St Frideswide's Priory. In 1530, though, the king deposed Wolsey, and in 1532 Piddington passed to the now renamed Christ Church College.
However, in 1553 Piddington was granted to Thomas Dynham, lord of the manors of Brill and Boarstall in Buckinghamshire. His descendants sold most of the manor in 1598 and went to live at Muswell Hill where they had an estate. In 1634 Thomas's grandson, John Dynham, died, leaving his estates to his daughters Mary and Alice. Piddington seems to have passed to Mary, as her daughter, Margaret Lewis, was lady of the manor in 1661. Her daughter, Mary Jephson, inherited Piddington manor in 1672 and had married Sir John Aubrey, 2nd Baronet, by 1691. On her death in 1717 Mary's stepson, Sir John Aubrey, 3rd Baronet, inherited Piddington as well as the manors at Brill and Boarstall, and Piddington remained with the Aubrey baronets until Sir Thomas Digby Aubrey, 7th Baronet, died in 1856 and the title became extinct.
A cousin of Sir Thomas, Elizabeth Sophia Ricketts, inherited Piddington. Her son, Charles Aubrey Ricketts, inherited the manor and took the name Charles Aubrey Aubrey. He died in 1901, leaving Piddington to Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 4th Baronet, who was the great grandson of Sir John Aubrey, 3rd Baronet.
Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet, also known as the detective novelist Henry Wade, inherited the manor in 1937 and held it until his death in 1969.
Sources
David Green (2000) In the Wake of Ambrosius: An Illustrated Rural History Focusing on the Upper Ray Valley, D.R. Green, Ambrosden.
Wikipedia, 'Piddington, Oxfordshire'.
A more detailed history of Piddington is available from British History Online. This consists of material taken from A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 5: Bullingdon Hundred, ed. by, Mary D. Lobel, Victoria County History, 1957.
Wikipedia, 'Piddington, Oxfordshire'.
A more detailed history of Piddington is available from British History Online. This consists of material taken from A History of the County of Oxford, Volume 5: Bullingdon Hundred, ed. by, Mary D. Lobel, Victoria County History, 1957.