| History | Descent of manor
At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086 there were two manors in Stretton that both belonged to Ralph Fitzhubert and were held by Robert. They passed to Henry Fitzralph, but by a partition of his barony they passed to Henry de Stuteville. It has been conjectured that one of the Domesday manors centred on the village of Stretton but all or some of it became part of the manor of Shirland in the mid-13th century. The other manor centred on the Domesday manor of Stretton, Egstow and Handley. This manor was held by Robert de Meynell (presumed ancestor of the Robert holding the manor at Domesday) in the mid-13th century and was held by Robert de Riboef in 1284. By 1346 it had passed to Robert de Ingram and then it seems to have become the property of Reginald, 4th Lord Grey of Wilton (died 1370), lord of the neighbouring manor of Shirland. Both manors came into the possession of the Talbots, earls of Shrewsbury in the mid-15th century, as it was being held by John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, at the time of his death in 1460. It remained with the Talbots until the death of Gilbert, Earl of Shrewsbury in 1616 without male issue.
The manor was then shared between three co-heiresses of the wives of the earls of Pembroke, Kent and Arundel. The Pembroke share passed to Sir William Savile and then to the daughters of William, Marquess of Halifax (died 1700). The Kent share passed to her uncle, Edward, 8th Earl of Shrewsbury, and then onto his successors up to Charles Talbot, 12th Earl, later Duke of Shrewsbury. The Arundel share passed to the Duke of Norfolk (died 1768). The manorial tenants started to pursue a policy of buying out the lords. In 1660 the Norfolk share was purchased jointly by the tenants and Thomas Gladwin of Tupton Hall, and 1708/9 the Shrewsbury share solely by the tenants. The Pembroke share was allotted to the Countess of Thanet in 1743. Gladwin’s 6th share had passed to the Bourne family by 1800, and then to William Turbutt by 1817. In 1869 Gladwin Turbutt sold 1/18th of the manor to the Clay Cross Company. In 1895 W.G. Turbutt and the Clay Cross Company were recorded as being joint lords, but subsequently the Company became sole lord, thereby having exclusive mineral rights.
Geographical extent
The manor included the settlements of Stretton Ford, Handley, Woolley Moor, Smithymoor, Newmarket, Holmgate, Henmoor, Woodthorpe, Egstow and Danesmoor. It also included what is now known as Clay Cross. The acreage was over 4000. |