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A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.

A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.

Jean Nicolas Marjolin (1780-1850) was a surgeon and morbid anatomist who lectured at the Paris Faculté de Médécine.

René Marjolin (1812-1895), son of the surgeon Jean Nicolas Marjolin, served as surgeon to the children's hospital of Sainte Eugénie, Paris. During the siege of Paris and the Commune, 1870-1871, Marjolin was active in treating the wounded until he was arrested as a Bonapartist agent.

Marischal College , Aberdeen

Marischal College, a Protestant college founded in 1593, was united with King's College in 1860 to form the University of Aberdeen, and remains one of its sites.

Marine Society

The Marine Society was founded in 1756 by Jonas Hanway (1712-1786) and others to provide men for the Navy. While men going to sea were fitted out with clothing, boys were invited to attend the Society's office where they could obtain some basic education and wait until they were applied for by captains or masters. In its first year of activity the Society supplied the Navy with 1,961 men and 1,580 boys. In 1763 the Society almost ceased operation, though boys were still assisted in finding work ashore, such as ropemaking and boatbuilding. However from 1769 the income from a bequest was used by the Society to continue its work and in 1772 the Society was strengthened by an act of Parliament for incorporation. From 1786 boys were prepared for sea aboard a training ship; in 1862 the Warspite, a third rate built in 1807, was obtained from the Admiralty and, though other vessels succeeded it, the name of this ship was preserved. The Society continues to function and has recently absorbed a number of other marine charities that are concerned with serving seafarers. See J Hanway, 'The origin, progress and present state of the Marine Society' (London, 1770). There are also other books and pamphlets by Hanway on the Marine Society and related subjects.

Marine Insurance Company

The Marine Insurance Company is an insurance company dealing in marine, aviation and transit insurance, based in Leadenhall Street, London. It was established in 1836 and became a limited liability company in 1881. In 1917 it became part of the London and Lancashire Insurance Group and since 1961 it has been a member of the Royal Group of insurance companies.

By the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, the responsibility for maintaining a systematic wreck register was taken over by the Marine Department of the Board of Trade; for a short period before this date it had been the responsibility of the Admiralty. Between 1864 and 1867 the Wreck Department was created to deal with wrecks, salvage and related matters.

This Society was founded in 1791 by Sir William Blizard (1743-1835), a surgeon at the London Hospital, to provide social welfare services for patients of the hospital. The Society provided services that went beyond the London Hospital's resources, such as financial aid, assistance with lodging and travel, the supply of surgical appliances, artificial limbs, and the provision of convalescent facilities.
In 1898, the Society received a large annual subscription from James Hora (1826-1917), a Vice-President of the London Hospital, in memory of his first wife, Marie-Celeste. Hora wanted to honour her memory by donating to a good cause. The name of the Society was changed to the 'Marie Celeste' Samaritan Society in 1899. Hora left £120,000 to the Society in his will and donated money to endow the Marie Celeste maternity wards.
Each application for assistance that the Society received was reviewed by a committee responsible for the allocation of the funds and services, which met weekly to consider each application. The Society made a significant contribution to the work of the London Hospital throughout the years and is still in existence, continuing to apply the philanthropic ideals that led to its development.

Lilian Mary Marfell (1876-[1965]) was born in Guildford, Surrey, the daughter of a farmer. She began working as a probationer at the Westminster Hospital in 1901 having previously worked at a cottage hospital, and was promoted to staff nurse in 1903. She left the Hospital prior to 1914. She was also a member of the Royal Pension Fund for Nurses.

The Royal Pension Fund for Nurses was founded in 1887 as the National Pension Fund for Nurses by Henry C Burdett (1847-1920), and based at 8 King Street, Cheapside, London. The chief object of the Fund was to provide nurses with a retirement income or give allowances for nurses who found themselves unable to work through sickness or accident. Burdett used his connections to the Prince and Princess of Wales to secure their patronage for the Fund.

The Fund was based upon the contribution of members, the profits made from investments of these contributions, and a Donation Bonus Fund. The Fund attracted a number of benefactors, with the first donation of £20,000 received from Junius S. Morgan (head of merchant bank J S Morgan and Company, which in 1910 became Morgan, Grenfell and Company). The Fund's administrators solicited further donations and annual subscriptions from both from individual donors and organisations involved in the training and employment of nurses.

An allied organisation, the Morgan Benevolent Fund, was established as a memorial to Junius Morgan. The Morgan Benevolent Fund offered relief to members of the Royal Pension Fund for Nurses who were in distress or unable to keep up their pension contributions as well as annuities for Fund members over 60 who, through no fault of their own, were unable to provide for themselves after the age of 60.

In 1901 Marfell was one of the eighth and ninth thousandth nurses to join the fund and was therefore invited to a reception for the Fund's nurses held by the Fund's president, Queen Alexandra, at Marlborough House.

Walter de la Mare was born in Woolwich, Kent in 1873. He was educated at St Paul's Cathedral choir school. Between the ages of 17 and 35 he worked in the statistics division of the Anglo-American Oil Company, spending much of his free time reading and writing. A royal bounty grant in 1908 and a civil list pension in 1915 enabled him to give up his job and write full-time. His first book of poems was published in 1902 and his first novel in 1904. His best-known poem is probably The Listeners (1912).

De La Mare was born on 25 April 1873 at Charlton in Kent. He was educated at St Paul's Cathedral Choristers' School, where he edited the school magazine. He then entered the service of the Anglo-American Oil Company for which he worked until 1908. He began his literary career with Songs of Childhood (1902), followed by a vast array of poems, stories, novels, books for children and anthologies. He died at Twickenham on 22 June 1956.

William Marsden was born in Sheffield in August 1796. He moved to London, 1816, and became apprentice to Mr Dale, a surgeon practicing in Holborn. He trained at the Anatomical School of Joshua Brookes in Blenheim Street, and at St Bartholomew's Hospital under John Abernethy. In 1820 he married Elizabeth-Ann Bishop and also became a member of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. He obtained membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1827. His inability later in that year to obtain hospital treatment for an 18 year old girl, whom he found on the steps of St Andrew's Church, Holborn, almost dead of disease and starvation, turned his attention to the question of hospital relief. At that time treatment was only given to patients with a governor's letter. In 1828 he set up a small dispensary, the London General Institution for the Gratuitous Cure of Malignant Diseases, in Greville Street, Hatton Garden. The Institution initially met with great opposition, but in 1832 its value became widely recognised as it alone, of all the London hospitals, received cholera patients. After the epidemic the in-patient beds remained, and the hospital changed its name to the London Free Hospital. In 1842 the hospital moved to the Light Horse Volunteers Barracks in Gray's Inn Road. Marsden was senior surgeon of the hospital, and in 1838 he obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Erlangen. In 1846 Elizabeth-Ann Marsden died of cancer, and in 1851 Marsden opened a small house in Cannon Row, Westminster, for patients suffering from cancer. Within 10 years the institution moved to Brompton, and became known as the Cancer Hospital, of which Marsden was also the senior surgeon (The Hospital was renamed the Royal Marsden in 1954). In 1846 he married Elizabeth Abbott, daughter of Frances Abbott, a solicitor and member of the RFH Committee of Mamagement. Marsden died of bronchitis in 1867.

Alexander Edwin Marsden was born on 22 Sept 1832, the son of William and Elizabeth-Ann Marsden. He was educated at Wimbledon School and King's College London. He became a licenciate of the Society of Apothecaries, 1853; and MRCS 1854;. He joined the army in 1854 as staff assistant surgeon, and served in the Crimean War. On his return to Britain he was appointed surgeon to the Royal Free Hospital, where he was also curator of the museum and general superintendent. At the Cancer Hospital he was surgeon, 1853-1884, and consulting surgeon, 1884-1902. He married his cousin Catherine Marsden in 1856. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine by the University of St Andrews, 1862; and was elected FRCS, 1868. In 1898 he was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. He died 2 July 1902.

William Walmsley: born, 1868; engineer; lived in Salford, Manchester; his firm Bousteads asked him to accompany a consignment of machinery to Zanzibar to instal in their coconut processing works, 1891; travelled from Gravesend to Zanzibar, 1891; contracted a fever and entered the French Hospital, where he died, 1891.

Lease and release was the most common method of conveying freehold property from the later seventeenth century onwards, before the introduction of the modern conveyance in the late nineteenth century. The lease was granted for a year (sometimes six months), then on the following day the lessor released their right of ownership in return for the consideration (the thing for which land was transferred from one party to another, usually, of course, a sum of money).

An assignment of term, or assignment to attend the inheritance, was an assignment of the remaining term of years in a mortgage to a trustee after the mortgage itself has been redeemed.

Bargain and sale was an early form of conveyance often used in the sixteenth century and by executors to convey land; the bargainee or person to whom the land was bargained and sold, became seised of the land.

Quitclaim was a deed renouncing any possible right to a property. The name derives from the Latin term Quietus Clamatus.

Feoffment was an early form of conveyance involving a simple transfer of freehold land by deed followed by in a ceremony called livery of seisin.

From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".

John March (fl 1768-1774) was a Turkey merchant, with premises at 60 Mark Lane. He died sometime between 2 September and 2 December 1774. After that date the firm was taken over by his nephew Thomas March.

In the London directory of 1777 the address is given as 58 Leman Street, Goodman's Fields. This is the last reference to the firm traceable in London directories.

John March (fl 1768-1774) was a Turkey merchant, with premises at 60 Mark Lane. He died sometime between 2 September and 2 December 1774. After that date the firm was taken over by his nephew Thomas March. In the London directory of 1777 the address is given as 58 Leman Street, Goodman's Fields. This is the last reference to the firm traceable in London directories.

Alexander John Gaspard Marcet was born in Geneva in 1770. He attended Edinburgh University in 1794 and graduated Doctor of Medicine in 1797. He settled in London, and was admitted a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1799. He was also appointed Physician to the City dispensary in 1799. He was appointed Physician to Guy's Hospital in 1804. He was placed in charge of a temporary military hospital at Portsmouth in 1809, after which he returned to London and Guy's Hospital. Upon the death of his father-in-law he came into an ample fortune and began to withdraw from practice and devote himself to science and literature. He resigned his post at Guy's in 1819, and returned to Geneva, being appointed a member of the Representative Council, and an honorary Professor of Chemistry. He gave a course of lectures on Chemistry with Dr de la Rive, in 1820. He returned to England in 1821, and died in 1822. He was a fellow of the Royal and Geographical Societies, and an original promoter of the Medico-Chirurgical Society.

Manton Marble was born in Massachusetts on 16 November 1835. He joined the Evening Post in 1858, having moved to New York. He was the proprietor and editor of the New York World, 1862-1876. Nine years later he travelled to Europe as a delegate at the Bi-Metallic Congress.

Born, 1834; Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 1863; Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries of London, 1866; Member of the British Medical Association; Medical Ref., Pearl Assurance Company; Surgeon, St Marylebone Provident Dispensary and St James and St Anne's General Dispensaries; died, 1897.

A deed is any document affecting title, that is, proof of ownership, of the land in question. The land may or may not have buildings upon it. Common types of deed include conveyances, mortgages, bonds, grants of easements, wills and administrations.

Conveyances are transfers of land from one party to another, usually for money. Early forms of conveyance include feoffments, surrenders and admissions at manor courts (if the property was copyhold), final concords, common recoveries, bargains and sales and leases and releases.

Probate (also called proving a will) is the process of establishing the validity of a will, which was recorded in the grant of probate.

From the British Records Association "Guidelines 3 - Interpreting Deeds: How To Interpret Deeds - A Simple Guide And Glossary".

Kenneth Vundukayi Manyonda was born in 1934 in Buhero, in Southern Rhodesia. After completing his education he worked in various jobs in the industrial and commercial sector. He became a member of the African National Congress of Rhodesia not long after its formation, and then joined the National Democratic Party after the banning of the ANC, becoming the local branch secretary of the NDP in Gwelo. After a short period working in Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia, Manyonda returned to Gwelo in 1962, where he was asked to become chairman of the Gwelo branch of ZAPU. Also at this time, Manyonda first became involved in trade union activity. He obtained a post as an accounts clerk for Charles W Hall Ltd., a hosiery manufacturing company, and when workers at the factory decided to form themselves into a branch of the Textile Workers' Union of Rhodesia, Manyonda was elected their chairman. At a national meeting in Gatooma, the Union's name was changed to the United Textile Workers Union of Rhodesia, and Manyonda was elected President.
Following the split in ZAPU and the formation of ZANU in 1963, Manyonda joined the latter organisation. He became vice-chairman of the Gwelo branch, and was increasingly involved in both political and trade union activities. In 1966 he was arrested and began what turned out to be over two years of detention. On his release in 1968, he found himself unemployable in industry. Instead, he obtained a full-time position with his union, first resigning his presidency which had continued during his detention. Manyonda organised the publication of a union newspaper, which led to his election as Publicity Secretary for the African Trades Union Congress. However, he then made the decision to leave Rhodesia, having obtained a British Government grant to study industrial relations in the UK. He arrived in Britain in 1970, with his two young sons, and wrote the autobiographical account while there.
At some date after the writing of this account, Manyonda returned to Rhodesia and ultimately became involved in the Government of the independent Zimbabwe, latterly holding the position of Provincial Governor of Manicaland.

Patrick Manson was born in 1844 and studied medicine at Aberdeen University, passing M.B. and C.M. in 1865. In 1866 he became medical officer of Formosa for the Chinese imperial maritime customs, moving to Amoy in 1871. Here, while working on elephantoid diseases, he discovered in the tissues of blood-sucking mosquitoes the developmental phase of filaria worms. From 1883 to 1889 he was based in Hong Kong, where he set up a school of medicine that developed into the university and medical school of Hong Kong. Returning to London, he became physician to the Seaman's Hospital in 1892. He played a central role in the development of tropical medicine as a distinct discipline, publishing on tropical diseases, being instrumental in the setting up of the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899, and becoming physician and advisor to the Colonial Office in 1897. He propounded the theory that malaria was propagated by mosquitoes, a theory to be proved by Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932). He was made F.R.S. in 1900 and K.C.M.G. in 1903; he died in 1922.

Patrick Manson was born in 1844 and studied medicine at Aberdeen University, passing M.B. and C.M. in 1865. In 1866 he became medical officer of Formosa for the Chinese imperial maritime customs, moving to Amoy in 1871. Here, while working on elephantoid diseases, he discovered in the tissues of blood-sucking mosquitoes the developmental phase of filaria worms. From 1883 to 1889 he was based in Hong Kong, where he set up a school of medicine that developed into the university and medical school of Hong Kong. Returning to London, he became physician to the Seaman's Hospital in 1892. He played a central role in the development of tropical medicine as a distinct discipline, publishing on tropical diseases, being instrumental in the setting up of the London School of Tropical Medicine in 1899, and becoming physician and advisor to the Colonial Office in 1897. He propounded the theory that malaria was propagated by mosquitoes, a theory to be proved by Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932). He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1900 and awarded CMG, 1900, KCMG in 1903, and GCMG, 1912; he died in 1922.

Mansion House has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London since 1753. It includes the Justice Room where the Mayor held a Magistrates' Court. To this end, incorporated into the fabric of the building are 11 holding cells, including 'the birdcage' for female prisoners.

The final sitting of the Mansion House Justice Room took place on 25 July 1991. It was then amalgamated with the Guildhall Justice Room to form the City of London Magistrates' court, with new premises at 1 Queen Victoria Street, EC4, opened by the Lord Chancellor on 13 Nov 1991.

In the Domesday book the manor of Stepney is described as part of the demense lands of the Bishop of London. In 1550 Bishop Ridley gave the manor to King Edward VI, who granted it to Lord Wentworth, and it subsequently passed to the Earls of Cleveland. The manor then passed to the Colebrooke family.

The manor of Worcesters was established in 1298 from land granted to the son of the Lord of Enfield. In 1550 it was granted to Princess Elizabeth, who, as Queen, granted it to Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury.

The manor of Worcesters was formed in 1298 by John of Enfield. The manor was named for the owner in 1470, John, earl of Worcester. In 1550 it was granted to Princess Elizabeth. As queen she granted it to Robert Cecil, although it was later sold and passed through various owners. The house and land were purchased by the Enfield Urban District Council in 1951.

Source of information: 'Enfield: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 224-229.

The Court Baron was the principal type of manorial court, and was the court of the chief tenants of the manor. It was responsible for the internal regulation of local affairs within the manor, and was attended by all those free tenants whose attendance at court was a condition of their tenure, and by customary tenants. Customary tenants held land by an agreement made at the manor court which was entered on its roll, a 'copy' of which was his regarded as proof of title.
The Manor of Westington was in the area around Hatfield in Hertfordshire.

The Manor and Prebend of Wenlocks Barn was situated in the parishes of Saint Luke, Old Street and Saint Leonard Shoreditch. Tenants included St Bartholomew's Hospital, the Chamber of London and the Prebend of More.

Manor of Twickenham

In 1086 Twickenham was part of the manor of Isleworth Syon. It is not mentioned as a separate manor until 1445 when it was held by the York family. It was sold in 1538 to Edward Seymour, later the Lord Protector, who later swapped it with the Crown for other lands. It was granted to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1629. The Crown leased out the manor houses and lands, and finally sold the manorial rights in 1836. By 1909 the manorial rights had lapsed.

Source of information: 'Twickenham: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 147-150 (available online).

Manor of Tottenham

This collection of deeds relating to the manor of Mockings in Tottenham 1340-1653, provides useful information about the ownership of the manor. The manor originated in the grant made by Edward III to Richard Spigurnel in 1335 of a third part of the manor of Bruces in Tottenham. Spigurnel conveyed his property to John de Mockyng of Somerset, which transaction was confirmed by an indenture of final agreement of 8th July 1340 (the earliest deed in this collection). John de Mockyng died in 1347 leaving the property to his son John, who died in 1360. The Mocking family gave their name to the manor, as is shown by a deed of 1427 first describing the property as the ""manor called Mokking"".

About 1360, it came into the hands of Roger Shipbroke and his wife Margaret who settled it on their daughter Margerie and her husband Helming Leget. Their grandson Thomas inherited it in 1427 but mortgaged it to John Gedeney, a wealthy draper and alderman of the City of London. John Gedeney retained Mockings and also acquired the remaining two thirds of Bruces and the other two Tottenham manors, Dawbeneys and Pembrokes. The four manors remained united after this and passed to Gedeney's daughter and her husband, and their daughter Thomasina and her husband John Risley. The Risleys left no surviving children, and the manors were regained by the crown and granted to Sir William Compton.

It is perhaps worth noting that the holders of this property probably did not live in Tottenham themselves but may have "farmed" or leased the manors to other people. Helming Leget was described as "of Essex", and John Gedeney leased Mokkings to Thomas Remmy, a goldsmith, in 1442, when the manor was in the tenure and occupation of Richard Pigot.

Tottenham Court Manor was usually known as Tottenhall Manor. It was a prebendary held by clergymen at Saint Paul's Cathedral. The manor was leased out by the clergy until 1560 when it was demised to Queen Elizabeth. In 1639 it was leased to Charles the First, but was seized during the Civil War and sold. It was retaken on the Restoration, and in 1661 was granted to Sir Henry Wood by Charles the Second. The lease was taken over by Isabella Countess of Arlington, and inherited by her son Charles, Duke of Grafton and later by his brother the Honorable Charles Fitzroy, first Lord Southampton (descendants of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, an illegitimate son of Charles the Second). In 1768 an act of Parliament vested the fee simple of the manor in Lord Southampton and his heirs, subject to an annual payment to the prebendary.

Part of the Tottenhall manor is now north-west Bloomsbury, while other parts of the manor stretched to Camden and St Pancras. Road names in this area reflect the family, such as Euston Road (Henry Fitzroy was also Earl of Euston) and Tottenham Court Road which is a corruption of Tottenhall.

Information from: 'Pancras', The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex (1795), pp. 342-382 and http://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-project/streets/tottenham_court.htm.

Tottenham Court Manor was usually known as Tottenhall Manor. It was a prebendary held by clergymen at Saint Paul's Cathedral. The manor was leased out by the clergy until 1560 when it was demised to Queen Elizabeth. In 1639 it was leased to Charles the First, but was seized during the Civil War and sold. It was retaken on the Restoration, and in 1661 was granted to Sir Henry Wood by Charles the Second. The lease was taken over by Isabella Countess of Arlington, and inherited by her son Charles, Duke of Grafton and later by his brother the Honorable Charles Fitzroy, first Lord Southampton (descendants of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, an illegitimate son of Charles the Second). In 1768 an act of Parliament vested the fee simple of the manor in Lord Southampton and his heirs, subject to an annual payment to the prebendary.

Part of the Tottenhall manor is now north-west Bloomsbury. Road names in this area reflect the family, such as Euston Road (Henry Fitzroy was also Earl of Euston) and Tottenham Court Road which is a corruption of Tottenhall.

Information from: 'Pancras', The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex (1795), pp. 342-382 and http://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsburyproject/streets/tottenham_court.htm.

The Manor of Topsfield or Topsfield Hall probably originated in a sub-manor created by the Bishop of London, who held large lands in this area. A merchant, Richard of Topsfield, apparently rented the manor in 1342 and may have given it its name. The first confirmed record of ownership is Stephen Maynard of Islington who held 41 acres in 1374. The manor passed through several hands until 1894 when it was sold to builders and the land was developed. The manor house, Topsfield Hall, was built in 1781 on the angle of Tottenham and Middle Lanes. It was demolished in 1895.

From: 'Hornsey, including Highgate: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6: Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey with Highgate (1980), pp. 140-146 (available online).

Manor of Tooting Graveney

Tooting Graveney Manor was held by the abbey of Chertsey from around 675. The abbots rented out the manor to various tenants, including the de Gravenel family who gave their name to the area. The overlordship of the abbey lasted until 1428. The estates were held by the Dymoke family from 1393 till 1593, when they were sold to James Harrington, who conveyed them to Sir Henry Maynard. In 1692 the manor was conveyed by the Maynards to the Rushouts in a marriage settlement. It subsequently changed ownership several times, coming to William James Thompson in 1861. Thompson transferred the manorial rights to the Metropolitan Board of Works sometime after 1870.

Historical information from 'Parishes: Tooting Graveney', A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4 (1912), pp. 102-107 (available online).

Manor of Tooting Graveney

Tooting Graveney Manor was held by the abbey of Chertsey from around 675. The abbots rented out the manor to various tenants, including the de Gravenel family who gave their name to the area. The overlordship of the abbey lasted until 1428. The estates were held by the Dymoke family from 1393 till 1593, when they were sold to James Harrington, who conveyed them to Sir Henry Maynard. In 1692 the manor was conveyed by the Maynards to the Rushouts in a marriage settlement. It subsequently changed ownership several times, coming to William James Thompson in 1861. Thompson transferred the manorial rights to the Metropolitan Board of Works sometime after 1870.

Betts v Thompson was a case between William James Thompson and the tenants of the manor over the right to common land. In 1865 Thompson had initiated legal proceedings against Betts for trespass when he allowed his cattle on the common. At that date an informal agreement had been reached that the lord should give the commoners 26 acres of the common, retaining 37 acres for himself. This portion was to be fenced off, but a question arose whether the commoners should still have the right to walk over the 37 acre portion as they could before, while Thompson wanted to have exclusive use. One night in 1868 the inhabitants of Tooting pulled down £500 of fencing, and Betts filed the complaint against Thompson enforcing his right of recreation on common land. The Master of the Rolls found in favour of Betts favour and Thompson appealed. The Lord Chancellor upheld the earlier decision and confirmed the rights of the freehold tenants of the manor of Tooting.

Historical information from 'Parishes: Tooting Graveney', A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4 (1912), pp. 102-107 (available online), legal case information from report in The Times, Thursday, Aug 03, 1871; pg. 11; Issue 27132; col A.

Manor of Tooting Bec

Tooting Bec Manor originally comprised two estates, Tooting and Streatham. They were united when both came to Richard de Tonbridge, Lord of Clare. In 1086 he granted some of the manorial lands to the abbey of Bec Hellouin in Normandy, and a Priory of Tooting Bec was established. The manor was held by the Tonbridge family until 1349, and then passed to Margaret wife of Hugh Audley. In 1436 the manor was held by her great-great-grandson Humphrey Earl of Stafford. By 1521 the manor was held by the Crown. It was sold to John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who sold it on. The manor passed through various families until 1873 when all the estates were enfranchised and acquired by the Metropolitan Board of Works, and then the London County Council in 1889.

Manor of Teddington

Teddington Manor was originally part of Staines, but was independent by the 13th century. It was owned by Westminster Abbey who also owned Staines. In 1536 the Abbey swapped the manor with king Henry VIII for land at Berkshire; and Teddington was added to the honour of Hampton Court.

Both the Abbey and the Crown leased the manor out; it was taken by various families. The estate was sold in 1861 and all the copyhold land was enfranchised by 1874, after which the manor ceased to exist. The manor house had been pulled down by 1913.

'Teddington: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 69-71.

The manor of Sutton in Chiswick was owned by the canons of Saint Paul's Cathedral from 1181 onwards. In 1502 the ownership was transferred to the dean of Saint Paul's. The manor was known as Sutton Court from 1537. The deans farmed the manor out to various tenants. In 1524 it was leased by Sir Thomas More. In 1800 all the land, but not the manorial rights, were sold to William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire. The lordship remained with the dean (except during the Interregnum when it was held by the City of London) until 1849 when it passed to the Ecclesiatical Commissioners. The manor house, known as Sutton Court, was situated near the centre of the parish. It was demolished in 1905.

'Chiswick: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7: Acton, Chiswick, Ealing and Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden (1982), pp. 71-74 (available online).

Manor of Sunbury

The Manor of Sunbury originated in a grant of land from King Edgar to his relative Earl Aelfheath, in 692. It was purchased from Aelfheath by St Dunstan, who gave it to Westminster Abbey. In 1222 it was transferred to the Bishop of London and remained in their control until 1559 when it passed to the Crown. It was leased by the Crown to Nicasius Yetswiert and was later leased to his widow.

In 1603 the Crown granted the manor to Robert Stratford, who conveyed it to Thomas Lake. Lake's son Lancelot sold it to George Bunyan in 1663. By 1674 it was held by Francis Phelips and then by his three daughters, one of whom was married to Sir John Tyrwhitt. Tyrwhitt is recorded as sole lord in 1693, but sold the manor to Isaac Guiquet St Eloy in 1698.

The manor was sold to Sir Roger Hudson in 1718, and was then held by his daughter Martha, married to Edmund Boehm. The Boehm family were lords until 1820. It changed hands several times between 1820 and 1909. In 1925 the manor virtually lapsed and the exact ownership was unknown in 1957.

Source of information: 'Sunbury: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 53-57 (available online).

The manor of Stepney, also known as Stebunheath, was recorded in the Domesday Book as owned by the Bishop of London, and was probably part of the lands included in the foundation grant of the see of London circa 604. At this date the manor included Stepney, Hackney, and parts of Shoreditch, Islington, Hornsey and Clerkenwell; although parcels of land were later granted to other institutions and people, such as lands in Clerkenwell given to the priory of St Mary, Clerkenwell, and the Knights Hospitallers.

In 1550 the manors of Stepney and Hackney were surrendered to the King, who granted them to Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Wentworth. The manor stayed in the Wentworth family until Thomas, Lord Wentworth, the earl of Cleveland. He incurred large debts and was forced to mortgage the manors. The family eventually lost Hackney manor but retained Stepney until 1695 when it was sold to William Herbert, Lord Montgomery. In 1710 he sold it to Windsor Sandys. By 1754 it belonged to the Colebrooke family who held it until 1939. In 1926 all remaining copyholds were converted into freeholds.

The manor house at Stepney was used as a residence of the bishops of London and the Stepney meadows provided hay for his household's horses. The house later became known as Bishopswood or Bishops Hall, and later Bonner Hall.

Information from: 'Stepney: Manors and Estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green (1998), pp. 19-52 (available online).

Manor of Stepney

In the Domesday book the manor of Stepney is described as part of the demense lands of the Bishop of London. In 1550 Bishop Ridley gave the manor to King Edward VI, who granted it to Lord Wentworth, and it subsequently passed to the Earls of Cleveland. The manor then passed to the Colebrooke family.

For a detailed history see 'Stepney: Manors and Estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green (1998), pp. 19-52.

Manor of Stanwell

In 1086 Stanwell Manor was held by William fitz Other and in the time of King Edward it had belonged to Azor. The estate recorded in Domesday Book probably comprises most of the ancient parish except the manor of West Bedfont, which was already separate. In 1796 there were 539 acres copyhold of the manor, nearly all lying east of Stanwellmoor. By 1844 the lord of the manor owned Hammonds farm, Merricks farm (later known as Southern farm), and Park farm (later Stanhope farm), as well as about 84 acres around his house and a few other small areas. The manorial rights, house, and lands were separated in 1933.

William fitz Other, the Domesday tenant, was constable of Windsor castle and his descendants took the name of Windsor. They held Stanwell of Windsor castle for over four centuries, together with lands principally in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. In 1485 Thomas Windsor left a widow, Elizabeth, who held Stanwell with her second husband Sir Robert Lytton. Thomas's son Andrew was summoned to parliament as Lord Windsor from 1529. Henry VIII compelled him in 1542 to surrender Stanwell in exchange for monastic lands in Gloucestershire and elsewhere. Sir Philip Hobby was made chief steward of the manor in 1545. Sir Thomas Paston was granted a 50-year lease during Edward VI's reign, and Edward Fitzgarret in 1588 secured a lease to run for 30 years from the end of Paston's term. In fact Fitzgarret was in possession when he died before 1590. His estate was much embarrassed and after litigation Stanwell passed to his son Garret subject to certain rent-charges to his daughter.

In 1603 the freehold was granted to Sir Thomas Knyvett, who became Lord Knyvett in 1607. Knyvett and his wife both died in 1622, leaving their property to be shared between John Cary, the grandson of one of Knyvett's sisters, and Elizabeth Leigh, the granddaughter of another. Elizabeth married Sir Humphrey Tracy, and she and Cary held Stanwell jointly until her death. In 1678 the Knyvett estates were divided between Cary and Sir Francis Leigh, who was apparently Elizabeth's heir. Cary retained Stanwell, which he left to his great-niece Elizabeth Willoughby on condition that she married Lord Guildford; otherwise it was to pass to Lord Falkland. After Elizabeth's marriage to James Bertie she held the manor under a chancery decree until her death in 1715.

It then passed to Lucius Cary, Viscount Falkland (d. 1730), who sold it in 1720 to John, Earl of Dunmore (d. 1752). His trustees sold it in 1754 to Sir John Gibbons. It descended in the Gibbons family with the baronetcy until 1933, when the manorial rights were sold to H. Scott Freeman, clerk of Staines urban district council, who still held them in 1956.

Source: 'Stanwell: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3: Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell, Sunbury, Teddington, Heston and Isleworth, Twickenham, Cowley, Cranford, West Drayton, Greenford, Hanwell, Harefield and Harlington (1962), pp. 36-41 (available online).