Holt, Worcestershire
Encyclopedia
Holt Fleet is a village in the Malvern Hills District
in the county of Worcestershire
, England
. The church is dedicated to St. Martin, and dates from about the 12th century. Holt Bridge, over the River Severn
, was designed by Thomas Telford
, and opened in 1830.
recovered were late Neolithic
flint
s and pottery, possibly dating to about 2000 BC. Sherd
s of burial pottery from the Beaker
period (c. 2000-1900 BC) were also found.
The bulk of the archaeological evidence related to the early British Bronze Age (c. 1700-1450 BC) in the form of traces of low barrows and enclosures with associated cremations. No dwellings were identified. In 1844 a bronze axe was found during dredging operations in the River Severn
below the site of Holt Lock.
British Iron Age
(1500 BC - 40 AD) finds have been scarce, although crop mark
s indicated farming activity and a rectangular enclosure was partly uncovered. A few pottery sherds from that period have been recovered at other times, along with an iron pin also from the area of Holt Lock.
There is some evidence of Roman
occupation in neighbouring Little Witley
, Shrawley
and Grimley
.
charter
s that detail the grants of estates by the church and crown. Wick Episcopi was an area to the north-west of Worcester
, roughly bounded by the rivers Severn and Teme
and a line through Broadwas
, Martley
, Wichenford
, Little Witley
and Shrawley Brook, and thus included present-day Holt. The manors
(later parishes) within Wick Episcopi where defined during that period. Beonot league (Bentley in today's Holt parish) was first recognised at that time. Other locations in Holt named in the Wick Episcopi grant of 775 include Heafuchrycg (Ockeridge), Doferic (Shrawley Brook), Saeferne (the Severn) and Baele Broc (Babbling Brook = Grimley Brook). Hallow
, in 816, was one of the first single manors to be granted to a tenant lord by the Bishopric of Worcester. Prior to that it had been part of a larger estate, Worgorena league (the clearing of the people of Worcester), which also included Holt. The clearing concerned would have been in the southern portion of the still extensive but retreating Wyre Forest
.
One of Alfred the Great
's client kings, Burgred, granted Alhun (or Alhwine), Bishop of Worcester
various favours in return for two gold armlets weighing 45 'mancuses'. The grant, in 855, included exempting three 'manentes' in Beonetlege (Bentley in Holt) from pasturing rights by the king's swine
in an area called Fern Pasture.
In 962, with the consent of the king, Edgar
, Bishop Oswald of Worcester
let two 'mansae' at Beonetlaege (Bentley in Holt) to his thegn and minister Eadmaer. The grant described and defined the boundaries of the manors in terms of natural and man-made landscape features. Bentley's included references to Saeferne (the Severn), Baele (Babbling) Brook today known as Grimley Brook, Heafuc hrycge (Hawks Ridge/Ockeridge) and 'Dic in Doferic' (a boundary dike running to Shrawley Brook). Ball Mill on the Holt-Grimley parish boundary preserves a derivation of the name of Baele.
Bentley manor became known as Holte (Holt) by the time of Domesday, the original name is preserved in the form of Bentley Farm. Holt(e) means a copse in an otherwise cleared area. Possibly when Bentley manor was granted in two parts the eastern portion was separately identified by the name Holte, which later came to represent the whole manor or parish. Eadmaer received a further grant in 969 when he took on an additional four 'mansi', or hides
, at Witleah (Little Witley). The boundaries included all of Witley and the remaining portion of Bentley, probably in the area of Ockeridge Wood. This association of the two manors was repeated on subsequent grants.
In 1017 Archbishop Wulfstan of Worcester granted the six hide Beonetleah (Bentley in Holt) with Witley manor to his brother, Aelfwige.
of 1086 when Urso de Abitot, Sheriff of Worcestershire, held it. His estate consisted of 5 hides (about 600 acres) with two ploughs (probably 8 oxen per team). There were 12 villagers and 24 smallholders with an additional 10 ploughs. A 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) meadow and a woodland half a league square (c. 1440 acres) were also in the parish. A hedged enclosure was noted; this would have been for the capture of game such as deer and wild boar. A fishery (on the Severn presumably) was worth 5 shilling
s and a salt house in Droitwich 13 pence. The total value was £6.
After the Norman Conquest the new manorial lords quickly went about putting their physical mark on the landscape. This generally took the form of rebuilding the parish churches in the Norman architecture
style. In Holt church the earliest architectural feature, an opening in the bell tower wall, was possibly constructed within ten years of the conquest. It bears Saxon
characteristics and probably reflects the use of native stonemasons by the Norman lord. The nave
was constructed about 1100 to 1110, and the chancel
arch
in 1120. The same mason appears to have carved the font
and the arch. The rest of the structure of the building dates from periods in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, as do some of the memorials and leaded windows. In 1113 Holt was still a chapelry of St Helen's in Worcester.
A medieval deer park
that was situated immediately to the south of Holt church may have predated the Norman Conquest.
. Holt was then held by successive Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick
, one of the most powerful earldoms in the country. No doubt using his influence with the King Edward III of England
, Sir John Beauchamp (1319–1388) obtained a grant to hold a fair at 'Le Rode' in Holt. The fair was to be held every 22 July, St. Mary Magdalene's feast day. Sir John was impeached by the 'Merciless Parliament
' on 12 March 1388 and was executed on Tower Hill
, London
, on 12 May the same year.
At the time of his death Sir John Beauchamp of Holt, Lord of Beauchamp, Baron of Kidderminster
, had manors, estates and properties throughout the Midland shires and beyond. Holt was still however his principal manor. It is thought that John Beauchamp built Holt Castle. The only surviving original portion of which is the square tower that dominates the west elevation, with fifteenth and sixteenth century additions behind.
On Sir John's execution parliament expropriated all his lands and possessions, and leased them out to various parties. His distant cousin, Thomas Beauchamp
, Earl of Warwick, obtained Holt manor. In 1398 Parliament
reversed its earlier decision and returned all his father's lands and title to John (1378–1420), son of John (1319–1388). In 1420 Sir John Beauchamp died without male heir. At that time he held the manors of Holt and Hanley, near Tenbury, four more in Warwickshire
, weirs and fisheries in Ombersley
and several properties in the city of Worcester. In the absence of a male heir the barony became extinct. His twenty-year-old daughter, Margaret succeeded him, but Holt Manor was split into three parts, each following a different female line of descent. Margaret married firstly John Pauncefoot and, secondly, John Wyshaw, who in 1428 was holding the manor for her.
The deer park was enclosed following the death of Sir John Beauchamp.
Following the division of the manor of Holt in 1420, over 150 years passed before the manor was recombined following a series of complex transactions between the likes of Sir John Bourne, Anthony Bourne, Thomas Fortescue, John and Martin Crofts, and Sir Thomas Bromley
.
Sir Thomas' eldest son, Sir Henry Bromley was born in Holt Castle. Sir Henry inherited all his father's lands except the family seat at Holt Castle, which was held by his widowed mother for her life.
In February 1601 Sir Henry was implicated for his involvement with the Essex Rebellion, and his lands, including Holt Castle, were forfeited and he was briefly imprisoned. Upon the accession of James I
in 1603 these lands were returned to him, and he proceeded to show King James his full loyalty. Nine years later Sir Henry reunited the final portion of Holt manor. As a magistrate Henry Bromley had rounded up the Jesuit priests Henry Garnet
and Edward Oldcorne
, the last wanted men in the Gunpowder Plot
, at Hindlip on the outskirts of Worcester in 1606. Garnet and Oldcorne were held for a time in Holt Castle.
Sir Henry Bromley married four times, lastly to Anne Beswicke who erected a monument in the chancel of Holt Church to her husband who died 1615. Sir Henry’s descendants sold Holt manor to Thomas Lord Foley
of Witley Court
, Great Witley, in 1750. In 1837 the Foley's sold off the Witley & Holt estates in order to realise capital which was needed to pay off heavy debts incurred by the 2nd. Baron, who was an incurable gambler. The purchasers were the trustees of Lord William Ward who later became the 1st. Earl of Dudley. The estate was finally broken up in 1920 when the 2nd. Lord Dudley moved on after his first wife's death.
Malvern Hills (district)
Malvern Hills is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in the town of Malvern, and its area covers most of the western half of the county that borders Herefordshire. It was originally formed in 1974 and was subject to a significant boundary reform in 1998...
in the county of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The church is dedicated to St. Martin, and dates from about the 12th century. Holt Bridge, over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, was designed by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, and opened in 1830.
Early history
Holt saw archaeological digs during the 1970s, in advance of gravel extraction. The oldest artifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
recovered were late Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
s and pottery, possibly dating to about 2000 BC. Sherd
Sherd
In archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels as well....
s of burial pottery from the Beaker
Beaker culture
The Bell-Beaker culture , ca. 2400 – 1800 BC, is the term for a widely scattered cultural phenomenon of prehistoric western Europe starting in the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic running into the early Bronze Age...
period (c. 2000-1900 BC) were also found.
The bulk of the archaeological evidence related to the early British Bronze Age (c. 1700-1450 BC) in the form of traces of low barrows and enclosures with associated cremations. No dwellings were identified. In 1844 a bronze axe was found during dredging operations in the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
below the site of Holt Lock.
British Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
(1500 BC - 40 AD) finds have been scarce, although crop mark
Crop mark
Crop mark may refer to*in printing, marks placed at the corners of a form to indicate where the page is to be trimmed*Cropmarks, in archaeology: differential growth indicating buried sites*Crop circles...
s indicated farming activity and a rectangular enclosure was partly uncovered. A few pottery sherds from that period have been recovered at other times, along with an iron pin also from the area of Holt Lock.
There is some evidence of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
occupation in neighbouring Little Witley
Little Witley
Little Witley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.-Pre-history:There has been little if any evidence of early human activity in Little Witley, however Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age finds have been made in neighbouring...
, Shrawley
Shrawley
Shrawley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. The structure of the current parish church, St Mary, dates back to around 1100....
and Grimley
Grimley, Worcestershire
Grimley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. .It is known for Grimley Gravel Pits , a gravel quarry and nature reserve.-External links:* pages by the West Midland Bird Club.**...
.
Saxon period
Worcestershire has one of the most complete and ancient collections of Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s that detail the grants of estates by the church and crown. Wick Episcopi was an area to the north-west of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, roughly bounded by the rivers Severn and Teme
River Teme
The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
and a line through Broadwas
Broadwas
Broadwas or Broadwas-on-Teme, is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 307...
, Martley
Martley
Martley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of the English county of Worcestershire. It is approximately nine miles north-west of Worcester. The population of the village is approximately 1200 people...
, Wichenford
Wichenford
Wichenford is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It lies 6 miles to the north-west of the city of Worcester.-Church:...
, Little Witley
Little Witley
Little Witley is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.-Pre-history:There has been little if any evidence of early human activity in Little Witley, however Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age finds have been made in neighbouring...
and Shrawley Brook, and thus included present-day Holt. The manors
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
(later parishes) within Wick Episcopi where defined during that period. Beonot league (Bentley in today's Holt parish) was first recognised at that time. Other locations in Holt named in the Wick Episcopi grant of 775 include Heafuchrycg (Ockeridge), Doferic (Shrawley Brook), Saeferne (the Severn) and Baele Broc (Babbling Brook = Grimley Brook). Hallow
Hallow
To hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". The adjective form hallowed, as used in The Lord's Prayer, means holy, consecrated, sacred, or revered.-Etymology:...
, in 816, was one of the first single manors to be granted to a tenant lord by the Bishopric of Worcester. Prior to that it had been part of a larger estate, Worgorena league (the clearing of the people of Worcester), which also included Holt. The clearing concerned would have been in the southern portion of the still extensive but retreating Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
.
One of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
's client kings, Burgred, granted Alhun (or Alhwine), Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
various favours in return for two gold armlets weighing 45 'mancuses'. The grant, in 855, included exempting three 'manentes' in Beonetlege (Bentley in Holt) from pasturing rights by the king's swine
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
in an area called Fern Pasture.
In 962, with the consent of the king, Edgar
Edgar
Edgar is a common name from Old English words ead + gar . Literally meaning "prosperity-spear" or "prosperous spearman." It may refer to:-Historical:...
, Bishop Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester was Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992. He was of Danish ancestry, but brought up by his uncle, Oda, who sent him to France to the abbey of Fleury to become a monk. After a number of years at Fleury, Oswald returned to England at the request of his uncle, who died...
let two 'mansae' at Beonetlaege (Bentley in Holt) to his thegn and minister Eadmaer. The grant described and defined the boundaries of the manors in terms of natural and man-made landscape features. Bentley's included references to Saeferne (the Severn), Baele (Babbling) Brook today known as Grimley Brook, Heafuc hrycge (Hawks Ridge/Ockeridge) and 'Dic in Doferic' (a boundary dike running to Shrawley Brook). Ball Mill on the Holt-Grimley parish boundary preserves a derivation of the name of Baele.
Bentley manor became known as Holte (Holt) by the time of Domesday, the original name is preserved in the form of Bentley Farm. Holt(e) means a copse in an otherwise cleared area. Possibly when Bentley manor was granted in two parts the eastern portion was separately identified by the name Holte, which later came to represent the whole manor or parish. Eadmaer received a further grant in 969 when he took on an additional four 'mansi', or hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
, at Witleah (Little Witley). The boundaries included all of Witley and the remaining portion of Bentley, probably in the area of Ockeridge Wood. This association of the two manors was repeated on subsequent grants.
In 1017 Archbishop Wulfstan of Worcester granted the six hide Beonetleah (Bentley in Holt) with Witley manor to his brother, Aelfwige.
Norman period
Holt was mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 when Urso de Abitot, Sheriff of Worcestershire, held it. His estate consisted of 5 hides (about 600 acres) with two ploughs (probably 8 oxen per team). There were 12 villagers and 24 smallholders with an additional 10 ploughs. A 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) meadow and a woodland half a league square (c. 1440 acres) were also in the parish. A hedged enclosure was noted; this would have been for the capture of game such as deer and wild boar. A fishery (on the Severn presumably) was worth 5 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s and a salt house in Droitwich 13 pence. The total value was £6.
After the Norman Conquest the new manorial lords quickly went about putting their physical mark on the landscape. This generally took the form of rebuilding the parish churches in the Norman architecture
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style. In Holt church the earliest architectural feature, an opening in the bell tower wall, was possibly constructed within ten years of the conquest. It bears Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
characteristics and probably reflects the use of native stonemasons by the Norman lord. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was constructed about 1100 to 1110, and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
in 1120. The same mason appears to have carved the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
and the arch. The rest of the structure of the building dates from periods in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, as do some of the memorials and leaded windows. In 1113 Holt was still a chapelry of St Helen's in Worcester.
A medieval deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
that was situated immediately to the south of Holt church may have predated the Norman Conquest.
Medieval period
Holt manor passed to the Beauchamp family when Emeline de Abitot, the daughter and heiress of Urso, married Walter de Beauchamp then owner of Elmley CastleElmley Castle
Elmley Castle is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, in England, United Kingdom. It is located on the north side of Bredon Hill 4 kilometres south east of Pershore in the local government district of Wychavon.- Amenities and history :...
. Holt was then held by successive Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
, one of the most powerful earldoms in the country. No doubt using his influence with the King Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, Sir John Beauchamp (1319–1388) obtained a grant to hold a fair at 'Le Rode' in Holt. The fair was to be held every 22 July, St. Mary Magdalene's feast day. Sir John was impeached by the 'Merciless Parliament
Merciless Parliament
The Merciless Parliament, a term coined by Augustinian chronicler Henry Knighton, refers to the English parliamentary session of February through June 1388, at which many members of Richard II's Court were convicted of treason. The session was preceded by a period in which Richard's power was...
' on 12 March 1388 and was executed on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 12 May the same year.
At the time of his death Sir John Beauchamp of Holt, Lord of Beauchamp, Baron of Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, had manors, estates and properties throughout the Midland shires and beyond. Holt was still however his principal manor. It is thought that John Beauchamp built Holt Castle. The only surviving original portion of which is the square tower that dominates the west elevation, with fifteenth and sixteenth century additions behind.
On Sir John's execution parliament expropriated all his lands and possessions, and leased them out to various parties. His distant cousin, Thomas Beauchamp
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick
Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, KG was an English medieval nobleman, and one of the primary opponents of Richard II.- Birth and Marriage:...
, Earl of Warwick, obtained Holt manor. In 1398 Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
reversed its earlier decision and returned all his father's lands and title to John (1378–1420), son of John (1319–1388). In 1420 Sir John Beauchamp died without male heir. At that time he held the manors of Holt and Hanley, near Tenbury, four more in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, weirs and fisheries in Ombersley
Ombersley
The village of Ombersley is in the Wychavon District Council area of Worcestershire.The first known reference to the village was the granting of a Charter to Abbot Egwin, later Saint Egwin, of Evesham Abbey in 706 AD. This was the Charter of King Æthelweard of the Hwicce, which granted twelve...
and several properties in the city of Worcester. In the absence of a male heir the barony became extinct. His twenty-year-old daughter, Margaret succeeded him, but Holt Manor was split into three parts, each following a different female line of descent. Margaret married firstly John Pauncefoot and, secondly, John Wyshaw, who in 1428 was holding the manor for her.
The deer park was enclosed following the death of Sir John Beauchamp.
Following the division of the manor of Holt in 1420, over 150 years passed before the manor was recombined following a series of complex transactions between the likes of Sir John Bourne, Anthony Bourne, Thomas Fortescue, John and Martin Crofts, and Sir Thomas Bromley
Thomas Bromley
Sir Thomas Bromley was an English lord chancellor.-Life:He was born in Staffordshire, was educated at Oxford University and then called to the bar at the Middle Temple...
.
Sir Thomas' eldest son, Sir Henry Bromley was born in Holt Castle. Sir Henry inherited all his father's lands except the family seat at Holt Castle, which was held by his widowed mother for her life.
In February 1601 Sir Henry was implicated for his involvement with the Essex Rebellion, and his lands, including Holt Castle, were forfeited and he was briefly imprisoned. Upon the accession of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1603 these lands were returned to him, and he proceeded to show King James his full loyalty. Nine years later Sir Henry reunited the final portion of Holt manor. As a magistrate Henry Bromley had rounded up the Jesuit priests Henry Garnet
Henry Garnet
Henry Garnet , sometimes Henry Garnett, was a Jesuit priest executed for his complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Born in Derbyshire, he was educated in Nottingham and later at Winchester College, before moving to London in 1571 to work for a publisher...
and Edward Oldcorne
Edward Oldcorne
Blessed Edward Oldcorne or Oldcorn alias Hall was an English Jesuit priest. He was known to people who knew of the Gunpowder Plot to destroy the Parliament of England and kill King James I, and, although his involvement is unclear, he was caught up in the subsequent investigation...
, the last wanted men in the Gunpowder Plot
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
, at Hindlip on the outskirts of Worcester in 1606. Garnet and Oldcorne were held for a time in Holt Castle.
Sir Henry Bromley married four times, lastly to Anne Beswicke who erected a monument in the chancel of Holt Church to her husband who died 1615. Sir Henry’s descendants sold Holt manor to Thomas Lord Foley
Baron Foley
Baron Foley is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain, both times for members of the same family. The first creation came in 1712 in favour of Thomas Foley, who had earlier represented Stafford in the House of Commons. He was the grandson of the prominent ironmaster...
of Witley Court
Witley Court
Witley Court in Worcestershire, England is a Grade 1 listed building and was once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but today it is a spectacular ruin after being devastated by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house near Great Witley...
, Great Witley, in 1750. In 1837 the Foley's sold off the Witley & Holt estates in order to realise capital which was needed to pay off heavy debts incurred by the 2nd. Baron, who was an incurable gambler. The purchasers were the trustees of Lord William Ward who later became the 1st. Earl of Dudley. The estate was finally broken up in 1920 when the 2nd. Lord Dudley moved on after his first wife's death.