Historic Bickham Manor, Southwest of the Village of Timberscombe
Title
Historic Bickham Manor, Southwest of the Village of Timberscombe
Subject
Description
An undated photograph, used as a postcard, of Bickham Manor. The house and outer buildings of the estate are on the lower third of the photograph, just visible through the tree branches. Bickham is located southwest of the village of Timberscombe, just south of Ford Bridge, with a large walled garden on the northeast of the house. Bickham Manor, as seen here, probably dating from the 16th century and remodelled in the 17th, was built on the site of earlier medieval structures (1).
It is believed that before the Norman Conquest, the land where Bickham stands, along with most of that which surrounds it, were held by two early English thanes (2) awarded land by kings or lords for military service. Over the next centuries, actual ownership of the estate was often disputed. At the time of the Domesday survey, William the Conqueror is said to have awarded Bichecome -one of many spellings (3)-- to Roger Arundel (4). At the same time it is recorded in the Domesday Book that Richard of Biccombe--as spelled (5)-- was already said to hold the estate, though after the invasion under the auspices of William de Mohun, another beneficiary of William's gratitude. Regardless, the estate is described in the Domesday Book as having three acres of meadow and forty acres of pasture (6). The future Bickham had nine tenants by 1086 (7).
Confusions arise as there were likely two Bickham estates by the 12th century, one partly owned by the Dunster priory (8). The original Richard of Biccombe's successor was Alfred of Biccombe, who died post 1201, after which many generations of Biccombes continued to claim rights to the estate (9).
In 1286, perhaps a third of the estate was held by Geoffrey le Tort. His heir was Ralph le Tort, who died and his widow married John Durborough around 1330. Their heirs sold Bickham to Roger Helier, who around 1438 or 1439 sold the estate to the Lord John Sydenham, a family with vast landholdings across western Somerset. Lord Sydenham probably complicated ownership questions by leasing the estate to the current Biccombe, also a Richard (10).
Four generations later, Hugh Biccombe, born in 1504 continued claiming the estate (11). The Hill family were the heirs of the Sydenham's and also continued to claim ownership. Hugh Biccombe died in 1568, leaving two daughters, one of which, Maud, sold what she considered to be hers in 1570 to John Worth of Timberscombe--who possibly paid with money provided by Robert Hill of the Hill family. Worth died in 1647, "leaving" the estate to his daughter, Elizabeth. She married Francis Moore, who in 1668 assigned the estate to Richard Elsworth (sometimes recorded as "Elsworthy" or "Ellsworth"). By 1679, the daughters of Elizabeth withdrew any claims, more or less settling the disputes over what was now known as Bickham Manor (12).
Richard Elsworth's heir, also Richard, died at the age of 22 in 1714, but not before reconstructing the tower of St. Petrock's Church and leaving an endowment for a school and a library at Timberscombe. After a multitude of delays, the cornerstone of the school was laid in 1805 (13). The library never happened. Richard Elsworth also left two sisters, Elizabeth and Penelope. Penelope married twice, first the Rev. Charles Snape and then Edward Tushingham. She died childless in 1746, further settling any future claims, by leaving Bickham Manor to her sister's son, George Sydenham Fursdon, who sold it in 1757 to William Withycombe, Esquire (14).
The manor house, after its 17th century alterations creating an L-shaped cross-passage, three-cell house with two storeys and attics, likely incorporated any previous medieval and post-medieval dwellings. This included a former chapel (15) located in the cellar of the western wing (16). It has been referred to as Needham's Chapel, after John Needham, Esquire who became the owner of Bickham Manor when it was bequeathed him by William Withycombe, who died childless in 1796 (17). Unfortunately the western wing, including the chapel, was demolished during the renovations around 1924 (18).
John Needham had died in 1809. His son, also named John, sold the estate, c. 1834, to Peter John Locke King, the second son of Peter King, the 7th Lord King, Baron of Ockham, Surrey. Born in 1811, as a young man, King was purchasing properties in and around Timberscombe, including East Harwood and the Rectorial Glebe lands of St. Petrock's Church. Whatever Mr. King's plans were they may have been curtailed by his marriage in 1836 to Louisa Elizabeth Hoare and serving as the Member of Parliament for East Surrey from 1847 to 1874. He died at Weybridge, Surrey in 1885 (19).
In 1846 Bickham was sold by Peter John Locke King to James Hole, Esquire, becoming part of the Knowle Estate and thus was part of the 1916 auction when the Knowle Estate was broken up (20). In the Sales Particulars prepared for the auction, reference was made to the possibly medieval chapel at Bickham, indicating that is still retained "some nicely panelled oak doors." Sadly, also described were three rooms with grates for heating and separate outside approaches, reached by a "fine OAK JACOBEAN STAIRCASE" (uppercased in the Particulars), also demolished around 1924 (21).
Most of the changes made in the house that are still in place were improvements made by Esquire Withycombe before he died in 1796. William Withycombe was responsible for the northwest wing and most likely a new northern entrance. The dining room was re-panelled with 16th century oak along with a carved frieze. A Chinese Chippendale-styled staircase was installed, with an original dog-gate and a section of balustrade between colonnettes (22).
It is difficult to see on the photograph, but to the left of Bickham Manor, is one of its finest features, a large (originally) fruit and vegetable garden enclosed with post medieval walls, about three metres high, built of red sandstone and rubble (23). Across the farmstead land around the manor are mostly 19th century stables, farm buildings and cottages (24).
Bickham and its garden walls were Grade II listed on the 22nd of May 1969 (25).
The photograph is labeled "Bickham, Timberscombe." This particular version was printed at an unknown date in a small leather booklet containing twelve postcards of Timberscombe and was provided in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable.
It is believed that before the Norman Conquest, the land where Bickham stands, along with most of that which surrounds it, were held by two early English thanes (2) awarded land by kings or lords for military service. Over the next centuries, actual ownership of the estate was often disputed. At the time of the Domesday survey, William the Conqueror is said to have awarded Bichecome -one of many spellings (3)-- to Roger Arundel (4). At the same time it is recorded in the Domesday Book that Richard of Biccombe--as spelled (5)-- was already said to hold the estate, though after the invasion under the auspices of William de Mohun, another beneficiary of William's gratitude. Regardless, the estate is described in the Domesday Book as having three acres of meadow and forty acres of pasture (6). The future Bickham had nine tenants by 1086 (7).
Confusions arise as there were likely two Bickham estates by the 12th century, one partly owned by the Dunster priory (8). The original Richard of Biccombe's successor was Alfred of Biccombe, who died post 1201, after which many generations of Biccombes continued to claim rights to the estate (9).
In 1286, perhaps a third of the estate was held by Geoffrey le Tort. His heir was Ralph le Tort, who died and his widow married John Durborough around 1330. Their heirs sold Bickham to Roger Helier, who around 1438 or 1439 sold the estate to the Lord John Sydenham, a family with vast landholdings across western Somerset. Lord Sydenham probably complicated ownership questions by leasing the estate to the current Biccombe, also a Richard (10).
Four generations later, Hugh Biccombe, born in 1504 continued claiming the estate (11). The Hill family were the heirs of the Sydenham's and also continued to claim ownership. Hugh Biccombe died in 1568, leaving two daughters, one of which, Maud, sold what she considered to be hers in 1570 to John Worth of Timberscombe--who possibly paid with money provided by Robert Hill of the Hill family. Worth died in 1647, "leaving" the estate to his daughter, Elizabeth. She married Francis Moore, who in 1668 assigned the estate to Richard Elsworth (sometimes recorded as "Elsworthy" or "Ellsworth"). By 1679, the daughters of Elizabeth withdrew any claims, more or less settling the disputes over what was now known as Bickham Manor (12).
Richard Elsworth's heir, also Richard, died at the age of 22 in 1714, but not before reconstructing the tower of St. Petrock's Church and leaving an endowment for a school and a library at Timberscombe. After a multitude of delays, the cornerstone of the school was laid in 1805 (13). The library never happened. Richard Elsworth also left two sisters, Elizabeth and Penelope. Penelope married twice, first the Rev. Charles Snape and then Edward Tushingham. She died childless in 1746, further settling any future claims, by leaving Bickham Manor to her sister's son, George Sydenham Fursdon, who sold it in 1757 to William Withycombe, Esquire (14).
The manor house, after its 17th century alterations creating an L-shaped cross-passage, three-cell house with two storeys and attics, likely incorporated any previous medieval and post-medieval dwellings. This included a former chapel (15) located in the cellar of the western wing (16). It has been referred to as Needham's Chapel, after John Needham, Esquire who became the owner of Bickham Manor when it was bequeathed him by William Withycombe, who died childless in 1796 (17). Unfortunately the western wing, including the chapel, was demolished during the renovations around 1924 (18).
John Needham had died in 1809. His son, also named John, sold the estate, c. 1834, to Peter John Locke King, the second son of Peter King, the 7th Lord King, Baron of Ockham, Surrey. Born in 1811, as a young man, King was purchasing properties in and around Timberscombe, including East Harwood and the Rectorial Glebe lands of St. Petrock's Church. Whatever Mr. King's plans were they may have been curtailed by his marriage in 1836 to Louisa Elizabeth Hoare and serving as the Member of Parliament for East Surrey from 1847 to 1874. He died at Weybridge, Surrey in 1885 (19).
In 1846 Bickham was sold by Peter John Locke King to James Hole, Esquire, becoming part of the Knowle Estate and thus was part of the 1916 auction when the Knowle Estate was broken up (20). In the Sales Particulars prepared for the auction, reference was made to the possibly medieval chapel at Bickham, indicating that is still retained "some nicely panelled oak doors." Sadly, also described were three rooms with grates for heating and separate outside approaches, reached by a "fine OAK JACOBEAN STAIRCASE" (uppercased in the Particulars), also demolished around 1924 (21).
Most of the changes made in the house that are still in place were improvements made by Esquire Withycombe before he died in 1796. William Withycombe was responsible for the northwest wing and most likely a new northern entrance. The dining room was re-panelled with 16th century oak along with a carved frieze. A Chinese Chippendale-styled staircase was installed, with an original dog-gate and a section of balustrade between colonnettes (22).
It is difficult to see on the photograph, but to the left of Bickham Manor, is one of its finest features, a large (originally) fruit and vegetable garden enclosed with post medieval walls, about three metres high, built of red sandstone and rubble (23). Across the farmstead land around the manor are mostly 19th century stables, farm buildings and cottages (24).
Bickham and its garden walls were Grade II listed on the 22nd of May 1969 (25).
The photograph is labeled "Bickham, Timberscombe." This particular version was printed at an unknown date in a small leather booklet containing twelve postcards of Timberscombe and was provided in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
undated, likely 1920s
Contributor
Language
English
Type
Identifier
A Distant View of Bickham Manor / Timberscombe / west of the village
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Manor Houses / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
16.5 X 11
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park, MSO8307 (2) "The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset", by the Rev. John Collinson, published by R. Cruttwell, Somerset, 1791, books.google.co.uk (3) "THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER, SOMERSET", Sales Particulars by Messrs. W. R. J. Greenslade & Co, Taunton and Wellington, for the July 20th 1916 Auction of the Knowle Estate, held at the Luttrell Arms Hotel, Dunster (4) " THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND ITS CHURCH", by B.L.K. Henderson and G.O.E. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman and Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (5) Bickham Genealogical Surname Study home.earthlink.net/chalfort/bickham (6) "THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER, SOMERSET" (7) Victoria County History.ac.uk (8) VCH (9) Bickham Genealogical Surname Study (10) VCH (11) Bickham Genealogical Surname Study (12) VCH (13) "St. Petrock's Church. Timberscombe", church pamphlet written by Marion Jeffrey, 2017 and VCH (14) Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1531-1812, UK, Extract Probate Records, 1269-1812 and VCH (15) HER, MSO8307 and historicengland.org.uk (16) "THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER, SOMERSET" (17) England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384 -1858 and VCH (18) VCH (19) Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 1-22, wikitree.com, VCH, UK Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 and TIMBERSCOMBE TITHE MAP 1843, Source: Somerset Record Office, Taunton, researched and drawn by John Burns for Timberscombe School, February 1989 (20) Havers & Dutry Family Tree Search of John Needham of Bickham, Somersetshire, Ancestry.com, UK Poll Book and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893 and VCH (21)"THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER, SOMERSET" (22) historicengland.org.uk and "THE KNOWLE ESTATE, DUNSTER, SOMERSET" (23) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park, MEM22714 (24) Historic Environment Record, Exmoor National Park, MEM22879 (25) historicengland.org.uk
Storage Location
Str. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's Historic Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-128
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “Historic Bickham Manor, Southwest of the Village of Timberscombe,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 6, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3156.
Comments