Ankerwycke 1584-1652
Ankerwycke remained in the ownership of the Smith family for the next 70 years. Success sons inherited the property, some electing to reside there, whilst others felt there was more value in leasing the manor out.
Sir William Smith (1549-1626) of Ankerwycke
Sir William held Ankerwycke from 1584 until 1626.
During the reign of James I, several surveys were commissioned by Sir William Smith, some of which survive: In February 1604, for example, a survey was made of “all such corn and cattle as is now in or upon the grounde” at Ankerwycke. The survey records the number and type of cattle, sheep, horses, mares and hoggs, as well as records the crops in the ground and unthreshed wheat in the barn. It is likely this was undertaken ahead of a lease granted the same year a lease which was granted to Henry Windsor, 5th Lord Bradenham. It was worth £28 a year and comprised just “the house, garden, orchard and Ankerwick mead” - an area of about 18 acres.
Other parcels of the farm were leased out too: Great Day Mead was let with two other parcels of meadow to Mr Hamberry doe 12sh annually, whilst Long Mead (10 acres), for example was leased by James Gold of Egham for £6 10sh. A later reference of “the half yeare rent of the mannor of Ankerwick” is given as £98 8d, suggesting that the entire 165 acres of land was leased, but no details survive of the leasee.
An Account Book detailing “memoranda of rents from property in Northampton, Ankerwyke and Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire, Egham, Surrey and Thaxted, Broxted and Theydon Mount, Essex" was maintained for the years 1600-1624. Unfortunately this document has yet to be seen, as it is in America, but hopefully when examined it will be of significant interest.
The 1604 survey at Ankerwycke illustrates a mixed farm, with 80 acres under arable cultivation (60acres Wheat, 20 acres Oats). The survey also records 28 Cattle, 71 sheep, and 11 pigs. There were 25 horses, four of which were coach horses, an old nag called 'Gray Rogers', and colts for ploughing. The survey records their net worth, amounting to over £80, and valued the whole farm at £324 10sh. [ERO D/DSh/Z1 ]
The Leasing of Ankerwycke Purnish (Coopers Hill)
A similar story is evident at Purnish: The land here was formerly owned by the Nunnery, having been bequeathed to the Priory by Chertsey Abbey in the 1150s. The survey and accompanying map undertaken by William Smith c1604 records that it was a most valuable resource, being comprised of 60 acres arable land, 33 acres meadow and 94 acres woodland (187 acres in total). The woodlands consisted mostly of hazel and oak, and provided charcoal, hedging products, and wattle for construction. The large number of oaks were of immense value for timber frame buildings. The clay slopes also provided a source of brick clay and for tiles. The woods were known as Rowel, Rowick and Kingswood (formerly Anchoress Wood). These would have extended from the present day JFK memorial, behind the American Bar Association memorial, as far as the wooden steps ascending the hill, near Writ in Water. Today the hillside in question is mostly open grassland, with pockets of woodland. Terracing is still evident from former times of clay extraction.
To see how the landscape there once looked, you need only walk a few feet into the present day woodland to see large hazel stools, coppices for many centuries, as well as oaks standing tall, along with carpets of bluebells in the spring.
The c1604map, [Haverfordwest Record Office D/POW C1] titled 'Eggam and Purnish" is orientated to the south west, as if viewed from the Mansion at Ankerwycke. It shows the landscape slowly being enclosed. To the top (SW) is Englefield Heath or Infield Green; to the south is the township of Egham; and to the northwest is Windsor Forest.
Many features are disenable including the meads of Runnymede, Langhams Pond, and the route of many modern roads. These include Priest Hill, Coopers Hill Lane, Tite Hill and Oak Lane (adjacent to JFK memorial). From a research point of view it helps us understand how the hillside developed, and is a very valuable tool for the landscape archaeologist. Key features of the map include a sketch of the 1551 Mansion in Wraysbury, surrounded by trees, medieval fisheries belonging to Chertsey Abbey, and a significant 'dog leg' in the River Thames to the north, alluding to a deliberate blocking of the southwest channel at the foot of Coopers Hill. Was this undertaken to ensure a deeper channel to facilitate boat traffic, and was it undertaken in the Roman or Medieval Period?
There is a legend in the top right corner of the map, that list the all the tenants of both lands in Purnish and in Egham. Unfortunately the text has faded and only a few partial names are evident. Likewise many of the enclosures contain the name of the owner, such as Henry Stroud, 'The King' or William Smith. Four of the Purnish fields were arable, which lay between the crest of Coopers Hill and Englefield Green. A series of buildings are located in the area, with narrow plots associated with piecemeal enclosure of the heath and waste.
There is a modest house within the bounds of the Manor of Ankerwycke Purnish, but its purpose and true size is impossible to quantify. It is known that courts were held both by the nunnery, and later owners of the manor, but whether this was a Manor Hall is uncertain. It might have made sense for the tenants to attend court in Wraysbury at the nunnery / mansion at Ankerwycke.
William Smith maintained an Account Book (1600-1624) detailing “memoranda of rents from property in Northampton, Ankerwyke and Wraysbury, Egham (Ankerwycke Purnish) and Thaxted, Broxted and Theydon Mount, Essex*. Unfortunately it is located in America, and it is intended to add further details here as I suspect it will be of great interest.
Sir William Smith died 12 Dec 1626, aged 77, and the entail created by Sir Thomas Smith passed to Sir William's eldest son and heir, William.
Sir William Smith (1599-1631) of Ankerwycke
Sir William Smith held Ankerwycke between 1626 and 1631
At the age of 27, William Smith became Lord of the Manor of Ankerwycke, Wraysbury, Purnish and the Manor of ‘Remenham and Cow’. Very little is known of his life and activities: Initially an officer in the army, he was knighted later in 1631, and appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire. He married Helen Conway, daughter of his step-uncle, Lord Conway on 9 April 1627, however Helen died in childbirth.
In 1631 William Smith married Anne Croft (1608-75), daughter of Edward Croft who had died earlier the same year. Curiously she was ‘lady of the chamber’ to Helen Conway, and was a wealthy heiress. However within 3 months in the March of 1631, William Smith died at aged just 32. He left Anne a financial legacy, stating in his will:
“I give and bequeath unto my deare wife Anne Smith all my goodes, moveable and unmoveable and all chattle, plate and jewells and householde stuffe that I am possessed of in this worlde to the bare walls allsoe all the profittes and rentes as well as of the demeanse as alsoe the whole mannor of Ankerwike for fower years next ensuing after my decease and one thousand poundes in money”.[TNA PROB 11/161/613]
Its unclear which house and demense is being referred to. It could be Hill Hall, but because of the Buckinghamshire links it could equally be Wraysbury or Ankerwycke Purnish. There is a reference to a house known as "Mr Smith's house" that is recorded in documents in the 1650s, but this might transpire to be a red herring. It is mentioned in relation to the Ankerwycke's fishing rights, but appears to be located in Old Windsor:
This extract makes mention of Mr Smith's house on the North side of the Thames. [Bucks Record Office D/BSAM 86/11]
“Fishings The River of Thames and fishinge which belong to Ankerwicke which is a little above Mr / Smithes house of Old Windsor on the North side [of the river] and the westside beginning att an / Elme at Padnett (Patscroft)and soe leading down the River to the lower end of Cappehill (now Bell Weir Lock).
Edward Smith (1602 -1668) of Ankerwycke 1632 -1651
Born 1602, Smith was admitted to Grays Inn on 5th February 1619/20 to study as a Barrister or Solicitor. Inheriting all the lands of his father upon the death of his brother, William in 1631, he became Lord of the manor of Thaxted, and occupied Horham Hall in Thaxted.
Meanwhile his aunt, Dame Anne remarried on 15th November 1632 to Sir William Salter of Richings Park, Iver. They had 5 children: Ursula, William, Briana, Margaret and Lucy, and resided at Ankerwycke House, initially prior to returning to Iver. However upon the decease of Sir William Salter in 1643, Dame Anne receives “an estate for life” suggesting she could receive income from the Ankerwycke lands until her death.
Though Edward remained Lord of the Manor at Ankerwycke, Wraysbury and Purnish, he has little interest in the properties there, relinquishing the Wraysbury Manor in1642 to Sir Andrew King. Curiously he (or his son, also Andrew King) is recorded by William Gyll to live at Ankerwycke House whilst Lords of the Wraysbury Manor.
Keen to focus on his Essex properties, Edward sells the Manor of Remenham and Cow on 11th February 1651 to Richard Hale, for £1960.[Gyll p61 deed in his possession.]
Ankerwycke Purnish was next in line to be sold. However, surprisingly this was not undertaken by Smith, but by Dame Anne Salter. She attempted to sell Ankerwycke Purnish to William Brittridge [? Bettridge?]. However, in November 1651 Thomas Smith enters a plea to prevent Dame Anne completing this, and an “exemplification of recovery” is issued. This was a method of utilising the existing laws to safeguard land that was held through the male line. In this case, under the will of his great uncle, Sir Thomas Smith in tail male. It would seem Dame Anne was anticipating selling the house to obtain additional funds, however, the property was not hers to sell.
Smith wins the case, and elects to sell the Ankerwycke Purnish Estate on Cooper's Hill to John Lee, a London Fish Merchant. A lease is drawn up on 28 Nov 1651 “Manor of Parvish alias Parnish alias Pernish, of 1 messuage, 2 gardens, 60a land, 40a meadow, 20a pasture, 120a wood, in Egham and Staines” [SRO: 212/42/14].
Ankerwycke under the Lees (1652 - 1725)
John Lee (1602-1682)
John Lee was a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. At the age of 50, John Lee takes a greater interest in Ankerwycke, specifically the Manor of Purnish.
He may have been familiar with the name, due to the vast private fishery it held, and may have directly purchased fish from its tenants [including Stephen Day and Thomas Harrison].
Thomas Smith sold Ankerwycke Purnish in January 1652 to John Lee for £3700, and shortly after Ankerwycke Priory follows suit, also being purchased by Lee.
The process of purchase of Ankerwycke Purnish was far from simple for Lee, as he had to sign a plea of Covenant with Thomas Smith and Joane, his wife, and payments were spread over several months. The sale comprised:
“one messuage, three barns, one stable, one dovehouse, one garden, one orchard, one hundred acres of land, sixty acres of meadow, one hundred acres of pasture, common of pasture for all catell and free fishing in the river of Thames with the appurtances. Pasture for all catell, view of frankpledge, belongeth with the appurtances in Egham, Staines and Old Windsor in the County of Surrey” .
It is difficult to be certain if there was a mansion at Purnish by the time John Lee purchases Ankerwycke Purnish. The vague description of Purnish in November 1651 doesn’t provide sufficient evidence, when compared to the following research:
28 Nov 1651 “Manor of Parvish alias Parnish alias Pernish, 1 messuage, 2 gardens, 60a land, 40a meadow, 20a pasture, 120a wood, in Egham and Staines” [SRO: 212/42/14] comprises 260 acres of land
But within two months, Ankerwykce Purnish is thus described:
“one messuage, three barns, one stable, one dovehouse, one garden, one orchard, one hundred acres of land, sixty acres of meadow, one hundred acres of pasture .
Clearly Lee would not be able to redevelop the site that quickly, but at least the reference provides greater accuracy to what infrastructure was at Purnish. The most likely suggestion is that there was a farmhouse and outbuildings present there.
Lee was also active buying up land elsewhere in Wraysbury, Horton and Datchet.
Later the same year between the 5th and 7th July, several indentures are produced that enables John Lee to purchase a lease for one year of Ankerwycke Purnish and all subsidiary manors (including Ankerwycke Priory as well as lands in Staines, Egham and Horton) for 5 shillings. The lease is deliberately short, and deliberately cheap, as evident that John Lee intended to use the 12-month period to raise the funds to purchase the Manors and estates from Thomas Smith for £3700 (Virginia History Soc). Following delivery of a deposit of £1030 (SB conjectured) John Lee settles the outstanding £2670 over 4 payments (27 October £670; 29th October £300; 24th November £970 and £730 on 26th January).
On 21st December 1652 a lease is issued as follows: - John Lee, Richard Lee & Lancelot Lee – manor of Purnish from Dame Anne Salter to Lee. It suggests Dame Anne, now residing now in Riche Kinges, Buckinghamshire choses to sell her estate for life,.Viz:
Dame Anne Salter of Riche Kinges in Bucks , late wife of Sir William Salter & before that wife of Sir William Smith, and John Lee, Richard Lee & Lancelot Lee the younger of London, gentlemen of the other part. £530. 13s. 4d. by said John Lee – has sold unto the said Richard Lee & Lancelot Lee all that manor of Purnish in County of Middlesex, Surrey, Bucks & Berks. Signed by John Lee, Richard Lee & Lancelot Lee
Thus by January 1653 John Lee fully purchases the estates of Ankerwycke and Ankerwycke Purnish.
[1] SRO 212/42/14 28 Nov 1651. According to Nottinghamshire University “The description of the land (which may be exaggerated) merely stated the improvements: number of houses etc.; extent: acres of land; type: meadow, pasture etc.; and the location: township or parish where it was….these descriptions are not particularly useful as historical sources. Since the purpose of the transaction cannot be known from the recovery, it is possible to say only that the vouchee dealt with the land”.
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