The Kensington District | Page 3

a strip of Kensington
to the Abbot. This was done with the consent of the next heir. The strip
thus granted became a subordinate manor; it is described as containing
"2 hides and a virgate" of land, or about 270 acres. This estate was cut
right out of the original manor, and formed a detached piece or island
lying within it.
The second Aubrey de Vere was made Great Chamberlain of England
by King Henry I. This office was made hereditary. The third Aubrey
was created Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda, a purely honorary title,
as he held no possessions in Oxfordshire. The third Earl, Robert, was
one of the guardians of the Magna Charta. The fifth of the same name
granted lands, in 1284, to one Simon Downham, chaplain, and his heirs,
at a rent of one penny. This formed another manor in Kensington. This
Robert and the three succeeding Earls held high commands. The ninth
Earl was one of the favourites of Richard II., under whom he held many
offices. He was made Knight of the Garter, Marquis of Dublin (the first
Marquis created in England), and later on Duke of Ireland. His honours
were forfeited at Richard's fall. However, as he died without issue, this
can have been no great punishment. Eventually his uncle Aubrey was
restored by Act of Parliament to the earldom, and became the tenth Earl.
Kensington had, however, been settled on the widowed Duchess of
Ireland, and at her death in 1411 it went to the King. By a special gift in
1420 it was restored to the twelfth Earl. In 1462 he was beheaded by
King Edward IV., and his eldest son with him. The thirteenth Earl was
restored to the family honours and estates under King Henry VII., but
he was forced to part with "Knotting Barnes or Knotting barnes,
sometimes written Notting or Nutting barns." This is said to have been
more valuable than the original manor itself. It formed the third
subordinate manor in Kensington. The thirteenth Earl was succeeded
by his nephew, who died young. The titles went to a collateral branch,
and the Manor of Kensington was settled on the two widowed
Countesses, and later upon three sisters, co-heiresses of the fourteenth
Earl.
We have now to trace the histories of the secondary manors after their

severance from the main estate. The Abbot's manor still survives in the
name of St. Mary Abbots Church. About 1260 it was discovered that
Aubrey de Vere had not obtained the consent of the Archbishop of
Canterbury or the Bishop of London before granting the manor to the
Abbot. Thereupon a great dispute arose as to the Abbot's rights over the
land in question, and it was finally decided that the Abbot was to retain
half the great tithes, but that the vicarage was to be in the gift of the
Bishop of London. The Abbot's manor was leased to William Walwyn
in the beginning of the sixteenth century. It afterwards was held by the
Grenvilles, who had obtained the reversion. In 1564 the tithes and
demesne lands were separated from the manor and rectory, which were
still held by the Grenvilles. The tithes passed through the hands of
many people in succession, as did also the manor. In 1595 one Robert
Horseman was the lessee under the Crown. The Queen sold the estate
to Walter (afterwards Sir Walter) Cope, and a special agreement was
made by which Robert Horseman still retained his right to live in the
manor house. This is important, as it led to the foundation of Holland
House by Cope, who had no suitable residence as lord of the manor.
West Town, created out of lands known as the Groves, was granted by
the fifth Earl, as we have seen, to his chaplain Simon Downham. This
grant is described by Mr. Loftie thus: "It appears to have been that
piece of land which was intercepted between the Abbot's manor and the
western border of the parish, and would answer to Addison Road and
the land on either side of it." Robins, in his "History of Paddington,"
mentions an inquisition taken in 1481, in which "The Groves, formerly
only three fields, had extended themselves out of Kensington into
Brompton, Chelsea, Tybourn, and Westbourne."
The manor passed later to William Essex. It was bought from him in
1570 by the Marquis of Winchester, Lord High Treasurer of England.
He sold it to William Dodington, who resold it to Christopher Barker,
printer to Queen Elizabeth, who was responsible for the "Breeches"
Bible. It was bought from him by Walter Cope for £1,300.
Knotting Barnes was sold by the thirteenth Earl, whose fortunes had
been impoverished by adhesion to the House of Lancaster. It was

bought by Sir Reginald Bray, who sold