Tile Hill Kid Fletchampstead Hall

TileHillKid.UK - Fletchamstead Hall

B&W photo courtesy of Tyrone Scott, photo colourised by William Hartley

map of Fletchamstead Hall c1889.
Fletchamstead Hall stood roughly opposite what is now Wolfe Road, Torrington Avenue. The map shows the L&NW Railway cutting to the south.
Fletchamstead Hall was formerly know as 'Templar Manor'. It was also referred to as 'Over Fletchamstead'. Fletchamstead Farm was referred to as 'Nether or Lower Fletchamstead' and was located at, what is now, Queen Margarets Road in Canley, site of a former Medieval Village [Deserted].

Henry I gave to one Gerard, a hermit, a carucate of land in FLETCHAMSTEAD, where he built a dwelling and a chapel, which was dedicated by Bishop Walter Duredent (1149–61), subject to the payment of tithes to Kenilworth Priory as rectors of Stoneleigh. Here Gerard was buried, and King Henry II then pre sented Brian, a priest, to the hermitage. He was sent on business connected with the Templars to Ireland, where he died; during his absence his brother, Peter Lomsy, who was himself a Templar, officiated in the chapel. The Templars next persuaded Henry II to present Robert Pirou, with reversion after his death to the Order. Accordingly, in 1185 the Templars were receiving 14s. rents from 12 tenants in Fletchamstead, as well as 3s. 'of the king's alms' from the mill there. Richard I in 1189 confirmed to them the hermitage with its appurtenances, as did King John in 1199, but the Prior of Kenilworth disputed their right to it. In 1279 the Master of the Temple held Fletchamstead as a hamlet of Stoneleigh, having there a mill and a carucate of land, which he held of the king by finding a chaplain to celebrate for the souls of the kings of England and of Gerard the hermit.

In 1293 an arrangement was made by which the Templars gave up their rights of pasturage or other easements in the manor of Stoneleigh in return for a grant by the monks of 200 acres of waste land in Westwood. When the Order of the Temple was suppressed Robert de Hockele, Abbot of Stoneleigh, seized the chapel lands, but later, by the advice of his brother Thomas, made them over to the Knights Hospitallers. The estate was then made a member of their Preceptory of Balsall, and in 1338 was returned as including a messuage, 360 acres of land (worth £6), and pasture to the value of 50s.; the chaplain received a stipend of 5 marks and the bailiff 2 marks and a robe.

Queen Katherine Parr [1512-1548], the14th Great Grandmother of William Hartley [TileHillKid], owned Balsall to Fletchamstead and occasionally lived in the Old Fletchamstead Hall. Picture colourised by William Hartley.

At the Dissolution the estates of Balsall were given to Queen Katherine (Parr), including the manor of Fletchamsted, which, however, was granted in February 1545 to John Beaumont, who at once assigned it to William Humberstone. Four years later Humberstone made a settlement of the house, chapel, and lands (then in the tenure of Henry Porter) on himself and Dorothy Spryng, his intended wife.

They sold the manor and chapel in 1564 to the 14th Great Grandparents of William Hartley [TileHillKid] Sir Thomas and Dame Alice Leigh, whose son Sir Thomas built 'a fair house' there and made a park.The property then descended with the main manor of Stoneleigh. Stoneleigh [or Stoneley as it had been called] had been bought from Cistercian Monks by Lord and Lady Leigh.

Sir John Catesby was seised of lands in Fletchamstead in 1487 and his son Humphrey is said to have sold them to John Smith, a wealthy lawyer of Coventry. He died in 1501, holding of the abbot of Stoneleigh 2 messuages and certain lands here, in which he had enfeoffed his son Henry. John had inclosed 100 acres of pasture to make a new park, which he had stocked with deer, and his son Henry enlarged the park by taking in more than 100 acres of arable, whereby 4 ploughs were rendered idle and 26 persons homeless. Henry died in 1513, seised of the manor, usually distinguished as NETHER FLETCHAMSTEAD, which on the death of Henry's widow Joan Stafford in 1515 passed to their son Walter, then aged 14. This Sir Walter was murdered in 1553, and his son Richard was said to have been tricked into making over his estates to the heirs of his intended son-in-law William Littleton. The latter's elder brother Gilbert Littleton died seised of the manor in 1599. His son John was attainted, but his forfeited estates were restored by James I to his widow Meriel, to whom Gilbert's daughter Anne with her husband Sir Thomas Cornewall granted the manor in 1605. Richard Smith's son by his second wife Dorothy, daughter of Richard Wallop, John Smith of Crabbet (Sussex), evidently recovered possession, as in 1613 he and his mother, then wife of Sir William Monson, were dealing with the manor, and he still held it in 1640, but in 1699 his son John sold it to Lord Leigh.

Old Fletchamstead Map showing the Fletchamstead area that included the Manor Hall, Farm and Water Mill, c.William Hartley.

An inventory of the property of William Meigh, owner of Nether Fletchamstead Hall in 1695, records the house as containing five bed chambers, a parlour, hall, buttery, kitchen, bakehouse, parlour, cheese chamber, millhouse, dairy house, yard and barn.

Upper or Over Fletchamstead Manor was acquired by Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh.
Lower or Nether Fletchamstead Farm was owned by the Smith family [Solicitors] of Spon Street, Coventry and was once a well-kept Country Park.

1881 Census

Dwelling: Fletchamstead Farm
Census Place: Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Source: FHL Film 1341738 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 3096 Folio 47 Page 2
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
James HARRISS U 44 M Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Farmer Of 510 Acres Employing 15 Men & 2 Boys
Elizabeth S. GARRARD W 58 F Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Rel: Sister
Occ: Housekeeper
Stamp GARRARD U 28 M Hinckley, Leicester, England
Rel: Nephew
Occ: Farm Bailif
Ellen E. GARRARD U 25 F Hinckley, Leicester, England
Rel: Neice
Elizabeth CLARK U 24 F London, Middlesex, England
Rel: Serv
Occ: Cook (Domestic)

Dwelling: Fletchampstead Hall
Census Place: Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Source: FHL Film 1341738 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 3096 Folio 47 Page 2
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
William S. WAKEFIELD M 50 M Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Farmer (Bankrupt)
Helen WAKEFIELD M 53 F Stoneleigh, Warwick, England
Rel: Wife
Occ: Farmer Wife
George TARVER M 45 M Leamington, Warwick, England
Rel: Visitor
Occ: Sale Porter
William JACKSON M 50 M Coventry, Warwick, England
Rel: Visitor
Occ: Sale Porter
Harriett BRITTAIN U 15 F Eastern Green, Warwick, England
Rel: Serv
Occ: Serv Domestic
Edward TREADGOLD U 16 M Berkswell, Warwick, England
Rel: Serv
Occ: Serv Farm (Indoor)

1851 Census

Head: WAKEFIELD, Ann
Name Relationship Mar Age Sex Occupation Birthplace
Ann WAKEFIELD Head W 52 M Farmer 216 Acres Emp 3 Lab Coventry-War
Ann WAKEFIELD Daur U 27 F Farmer Dau Stoneleigh-War
Sarah WAKEFIELD Daur U 26 F Farmer Dau Stoneleigh-War
Emma WAKEFIELD Daur U 23 F Farmer Dau Stoneleigh-War
William WAKEFIELD Son U 21 M Farmer Son Stoneleigh-War
Sarah STAPTLESS Serv U 16 F House Servant Berkswell-War
William BOWERS Serv U 20 M Waggoner Long Buckby-Nth
Henry EAVES Serv U 22 M Shepherard Berkswell-War
John FLOWERS Serv U 14 M Plough Boy Stoneleigh-War
Address: Fletchamstead Park, St John Westwood
Census Place: Stoneleigh Warwick, Warwickshire
PRO Reference: HO/107/2073 Folio: 32 Page: 18 FHL Film: 0087339

Head: SAMMONS, Thomas
Name Relationship Mar Age Sex Occupation Birthplace
Thomas SAMMONS Head M 58 M Farmer 237 Acres Emp 5 Lab Stoneleigh-War
Sarah SAMMONS Wife M 58 F --- Frankton-War
Sarah C. SAMMONS Daur U 34 F Farmers Dau Stoneleigh-War
Elizabeth SAMMONS Daur U 31 F Farmers Dau Stoneleigh-War
Mary Ann SAMMONS Daur U 29 F Farmers Dau Stoneleigh-War
Helen SAMMONS Daur U 23 F Farmers Dau Stoneleigh-War
Thomas R. PHILLIPS Neph U 24 M Farmers Nephew Holy Trinity Coventry-War
Mary HITCHMAN Serv U 21 F Dairy Maid Wellsborne-War
Thomas BOSTIN Serv U 20 M Shepheard Kenilworth-War
Jerry O'BRYAN Serv U 21 M Cow Boy --- (British Subject)-Ire
William SMITH Serv U 20 M Waggoner Warwick-War
Address: Fletchamstead Hall, St John Westwood
Census Place: Stoneleigh Warwick, Warwickshire
PRO Reference: HO/107/2073 Folio: 32 Page: 18 FHL Film: 0087339

Head: HARRIS, Thomas
Name Relationship Mar Age Sex Occupation Birthplace
Thomas HARRIS Head M 52 M Farmer 270 Acres Emp 12 Lab Weston Under Weatherly-War
Elizabeth HARRIS Wife M 54 F --- Ashow-War
William HARRIS Son U 20 M Farmer Son Stoneleigh-War
Thomas HARRIS Son U 18 M Farmer Son Stoneleigh-War
Elizabeth TAYLOR Serv U 19 F House Servt Wasperton-War
Maria HALL Serv U 23 F House Servt Balsall-War
John WEAVER Serv U 22 M Farm Servt Kenilworth-War
James SAVAGE Serv U 21 M Farm Servt Berkswell-War
Address: Fletchamstead Farm, St John Westwood
Census Place: Stoneleigh Warwick, Warwickshire
PRO Reference: HO/107/2073 Folio: 32 Page: 18 FHL Film: 0087339

[photo: Amanda Slater - flickr]

just opposite where Fletchampstead Hall once stood, is Wolfe Road railway bridge

Tile Hill Kid - Links
please scroll to click on links below

william@tilehillkid.uk williamhartleyuk@gmail.com

tilehillkid.uk

Please do not copy any of the website TileHillKid.UK without prior permissions. Any commercial use or any use in future publications is prohibited. If you encounter any problems on this website, please email William@TileHillKid.UK immediately