Lordship of Stoborough Former Crown Manor of Stoborough - Isle of Purbeck - Dorsetshire

More about The Isle of Purbeck, Dorsetshire

Ancient Feudal Lordship and former “Crown Manor” of Stoborough

The Manor of Stoborough (Part of Ancient Feudal Wareham) lies in one of the wildest and beautiful parts of the Dorsetshire.

Map of Dorsetshire

The Romans arrived in Dorset during their conquest of Britain in AD 43 and called it Durnovaria. By the end of the 7th century Dorset had fallen under Saxon control and been incorporated into the Kingdom of Wessex. Stoborough is on the river Frome on the penninsula or Island of Purbeck, and has access to the sea.

Stoborough Nature

A SSSI area of woods and wet and dry heathland with dartford warblers, skylarks and nightjars as the main avian attractions. Insect lovers may bump into the intriguing named wartbiter cricket. Administered via the RSPB Arne reserve in Poole harbour.

Dorsetshire Map with “Isle of Purbeck”

Celtic Kingdom of Durotricia

In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Stoborough like this: STOBOROUGH, a liberty in Wareham-Holy Trinity parish, Dorset; within Wareham borough. Real property, £1,030. Pop., 346. Houses, 81. STOBOROUGH, a liberty, in the parish of the Holy Trinity, borough of WAREHAM, Wareham Division, of the county of DORSET. It was historically governed by a court leet and mayor, chosen annually at Michaelmas. As the Domesday survey “Beastewelle” was held in demesne by the Earle of Moreton, and it was taxed for three hides. In after times it formed part of a manor called the manor of By-est-wall and Stoborough. “Beastewelle, Lolowerde, Loloworde, Stoches,” and “Stanberge,” are surveyed consecutively in Domesday. One of these Lolowordes was probably Lullworth St. Andrew’s, the other may possibly be Belhuish, both Lullworth St. Andrew’s and Belhuish being in the parish of East Stoke; and Stanberge, though supposed by Hutchins to be Stanbridge in Little Hinton, was no doubt Stanberge or Stowborough, part of which is in the same parish. All were held in demesne by the Earl of Moreton. Both Beastewelle and Stoches belonged to Edmer in the time of the Confessor, and all in after times were the property of the family of De Stoke. The co-heirs of Chauntmarle married William Cheverel and John Jordan, and the estates of the Stoke family being partitioned between them, the manor of Biestwall and Stoborough came to the Trenchards of Wolveton and Lytchett in right of Christian, wife of Henry Trenchard, daughter and heir of John Mohun by Johanna daughter and heir of John Jordan of Wolveton. Stowborough, Great part of Stowborough Manor is in the parish of the Holy Trinity in Wareham, but the western portion of the Lordship boundaries is in the parish of East Stoke. There are many historical references to “Stanberge” in the Domesday Dorset lists. It is variously spelled Stoburgh and Stauberge, and it afterwards formed part of a manor styled the manor of Bestwall and Stoborough. Later to be the Manor of Stoborough which included the Liberty and Court Leet. https://www.opcdorset.org/EastStoke/EastStoke-Hutchins.htm King Richard, 1484, March 25 at Nottingham By p.s. Grant to the king's servant William Claxton, esquire, and the heirs male of his body, for his good service against the rebels, of the manors or lordships of Godmanston, Wareham and Stoweborough, co. Dorset, late of John Trenchard, traitor, of the yearly value of 401. 6s. 11d., and Meriot, Bukland St. Mary and Long Sutton in the said county (sic), late of John Bevyn, traitor, of the yearly value of 261. 8s. 21., to hold with knights' fees, wards, marriages, reliefs, escheats, advowsons, lands, waters, woods, underwoods, stews, fisheries, stanks, mills, meadows, warrens, parks, courts, views of frank-pledge, fines, amercements, heriots, rents, services, reversions, liberties and commodities by knight-service and a rent of 100s. yearly. Etymology 'Stony hill or barrow', v. stān , beorg , cf. Warham par. infra .For the loss of ME -n - before a labial consonant, cf. W Stafford par. infra ; for the replacement of the second el. by burh 'fortification', cf. Charborough in Morden par. infra . There was a mill here in 1086 DB (VCHDo 387), cf. the mention of a water mill here or in Worgret infra in 1409 Hutch3 1415. Did the Vikings invade Wareham? The Siege of Wareham and Stoborough occurred in 875 during the Viking invasions of England. The Viking army of Guthrum captured the Anglo-Saxon fortress of Wareham from Wessex at the start of his campaign to conquer the kingdom, which would ultimately be defeated at the Battle of Edington. What river runs through Stoborough Wareham? Stoborough is built on a strategic dry point between the River Frome and the River Piddle at the head of the Wareham Channel of Poole Harbour. The Frome Valley runs through an area of unresistant sand, clay and gravel rocks, and much of its valley has wide flood plains and marsh land. Did the Vikings land in Stoborough ? Dr Britt Baillie, from the University of Cambridge, said: “The whole Viking period started here in Dorset, as the first recorded Viking raid on England took place on Portland with three ships landing here in 789.” Does Stoborough Manor have rivers and lakes and Yacht Clubs? Yes, Stoborough Manor includes the Frome River and entry way to Poole Harbor which is the 2nd largest natural harbor in the world. Stoborough Manor actually has Marinas and Beaches on the river and on the harbor - It appears that the Redclyffe Yacht Club and Ridge Wharf Yacht Center are part of the ancient territory of the: Stoborough Manor & Liberty. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/jul/14/secret-beaches- southwest-shipstal-poole Lords of the Manor and Liberty of Stoborough (Chronological Order) 1 Count Robert of Mortain Earl of Cornwall, half-brother of William the Conqueror c. 1086 Held Stoborough (“Stanberge” / “Stowbergh”) in demesne as Tenant-in-Chief; had a mill in Stanberge; recorded in the Domesday Book. 2 William de Stokes (under Robert FitzPayne) Knight holding of the FitzPayne family c. 1300 Held the manors of Stoke, Bestwall, and Stoborough by knight’s service under Robert FitzPayne; under the overlordship of the Earls of March. 3 John Chauntmarle Lord of Stoke and Biestwall/Stoborough Early 1400s United control of Stoke and Stoborough; one of Dorset’s medieval gentry families. 4 The Trenchards of Lytchett Lords by inheritance c. 1439–late 1400s Inherited through the Chauntmarle daughters and their husbands, the Jurdons/Jurdaine; later forfeited the manor to the Crown. 5 William Claxton, Esquire Crown Grantee of Richard III 1484 Granted “the Crown Manor and Liberty of Stoborough” by King Richard III (Patent Rolls, 1484). 6 The Crown (Reversion) Crown holding Late 15th–16th c. After Claxton’s tenure, Stoborough reverted to Crown ownership. 7 Sir William Pitt Clerk of the Exchequer, MP for Wareham 1591–1636 Granted the manor by Queen Elizabeth I; became Comptroller of the Household to King James I; owned Stratfield Saye. 8 Edward Pitt MP for Poole, Teller of the Exchequer 1636–1643 Son and heir of Sir William Pitt; seized and imprisoned during the Civil War; died 1643; estates pillaged by Parliamentarians. 9 The Pitt Family (heirs of Edward Pitt) Lords by inheritance 1643–1850 The Pitt line retained the manor for nearly 200 years; later styled Lords Rivers of Stratfield Saye. 10 George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers Baron Rivers of Stratfield Saye Late 18th – mid-19th century Owner of Stoborough, Arne, and Slepe; sold the estate in 1850 to the Trustees of the Earl of Eldon. 11 John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon Earl of Eldon 1850–1873 Purchased the Crown Manor from Lord Rivers’s trustees; residence at Encombe House, Corfe Castle. 12 Sir Ernest Stowell Scott KCMG Second son of the 3rd Earl of Eldon; Governor of Jamaica 1873–1953 Inherited Stoborough; continued the Eldon- Scott family’s stewardship of the manor. 13 David Eldon Scott Great-nephew of Sir Ernest Scott 1953–2001 Lived at Encombe House; last of the Scott line to hold the lordship before sale; offered Stoborough title for sale in 2001. 14 Commissioner George Sherwood Mentz, JD MBA DSS Seigneur of Fief Blondel, Seigneur of L’Eperons (Guernsey), Lord of Ennerdale 2021–Present Acquired the Crown Manor and Liberty of Stoborough in fee simple; holds court leet and baron rights; current Lord of Stoborough, continuing the ancient Wessex lineage. . . . . . .

King Richard, 1484, March 25 at Nottingham

Kings Barrow The ancient burial places of Danes or Vikings occurred in the Manor of Stoborough. The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on a low ridge occupying the northern edge of Stoborough Heath within the Isle of Purbeck, overlooking the Frome Valley to the north. The site, which is known as the King's Barrow, has a mound composed of earth, sand and turf with a maximum diameter of 20m and a maximum height of c.1.5m. This is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years, but will survive as a buried feature 2m wide. The barrow was partly excavated during 1767 when a primary inhumation without a skull was found wrapped in stitched animal skins within a hollowed out wooden coffin which was 3m long, 1.2m wide and 0.9m deep and orientated north west by south east. The burial was associated with a probable shale cup; this has since been lost, although illustrations suggest that it was decorated with incised lines.