| Bonchurch Manor | |
|---|---|
 Bonchurch Manor c. 2016 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Manor house |
| Town or city | Bonchurch |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Bonchurch Manor is a manor house on the Isle of Wight, situated in Bonchurch.
History
Bonchurch was held before the Conquest as an alod by Estan of Earl Godwin. In 1086 it belonged to William son of Azor, and was of considerable worth, doubtless owing to the grazing value of its chalk downs. Sir John Oglander gives the following fanciful account of its early history: 'The church was erected in the reign of William the Conqueror by John de Argenton, a Frenchman, to whom William Fitz Osbern gave Bonchurch. Argenton "got it to be made a parish by means of his brother's son Walkelin, then Bishop of Winton." ' The Argenteins, however, do not seem to have held any land in the Isle of Wight until the end of the 12th century. It was one of the manors held by John de Lisle at the end of the 13th century of the honour of Carisbrooke Castle, and it followed the same descent as West Court in Shorwell (q.v.) to the Popham and Hill families. The part held by the Hills passed to Rosa daughter of Lieut.-Col. Charles Fitz Maurice Hill, who married the Rev. James White. The Bonchurch estate, belonging to Mrs. Rosa White, was put up for sale in 1836 and passed to different owners. In 1863 the manorial rights were purchased by Dr. Leeson, but none are now exercised. Bonchurch Manor is currently owned by Christopher Rose, an attorney, and his wife Khadine.
The house was initially named Hawthorn Dean, also known as Hawthorndean. c.1860, Rev Edmund Venables occupied Hawthorndean, which was used as a boarding school. Between 1870 and 1891, members of the Cubitt family, whose descendants include Queen Camilla, occupied the house. In the Lands of Register, November 8th, 1875, Charles Cubitt notes a Covenant dated July 25, 1842, between Rev James White, Rosa White, and Jonathan Joliffe not to permit a Hotel or Inn to be erected on the hereditaments. Hawthorndean later became a Sanatorium for the treatment of Tuberculosis. The name changed from Hawthorndean to Bonchurch Manor when it became a hotel, and it then returned to being a private residence.
Colonel Hill, Rosa Hill's father, was seated at Bonchurch House, also known as Bonchurch Cottage. The house, located behind St Boniface Road and Maples Drive (now allotments), was demolished in 1890 to avoid paying tax. Numerous engravings of the period illustrate the manor house.
References
- ^ Page, William (1912). "A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5. Victoria County History. Parishes: Bonchurch". University of London & History of Parliament Trust, accessed through British History Online. pp. 155–156. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- https://digitalarchives.landregistry.gov.uk/browse/register/19/18
- https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/924c46ce-5b0c-4425-9b45-e2ddd9ed0211
This article includes text incorporated from William Page's "A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912)", a publication now in the public domain
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