Hungerford Virtual Museum

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by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Themes] [Inns & Alehouses] [The Swanne]

Summary: The Swanne (formerly "hospice") was on the site of Manor House (now 121 (now 120a) High Street). There is no definite evidence of it being an inn or hostelry apart from the reference to being a "hospice". The first mention is c1470, but previous owner goes back to 1332. It is thought that this was the residence of Sir Walter Hungerford prior to his attainder in 1460. By 1573 it was known as "the Manor House", and the manorial steward's court was held there in 1583

c.1470 (NH) The earliest usage of this name that I have discovered is that in the c.1470 rental of Hungerford (DL 43/1/4) which records that Richard, Duke of Gloucester, holds "parcel divs burg' voc le Swan", late Walter Hungerford's, before that Thomas Coterel's at a quit rent of 5d. "Parcel divs burg" I take to mean "a parcel or a portion of various burgages". In addition, a further entry shows Richard as holding in Sanden Fee "certain lands appertaining to le Swan, late Sir Walter Hungerford's, and before that to William Ferror" at a quit rent of 7s.

- Sir Walter Hungerford had been attainted following the defeat of the Lancastrian cause by Edward IV in 1460 and the lands in question, passing to the Crown, had been granted by Edward to his brother Richard.

- Thomas Coterel is known to have existed in 1332 and 1340.

- William Ferror, son and heir of Walter Ferror (?..? 1366-90), was active in 1405-1426, and was probably dead by 1434/5, since a rental "late William Ferror" is mentioned in the Collector's Account for that year (SC6/749/21). This item, "late William Ferror", is for rent of the 'hospice', along with 70 acres of land, half acre of meadow, and another ¾ acre of meadow. Of these, 8 acres were said to lie in West brooke field. The total holding was demised to William Tyghe for 7 years, commencing 1434/5, and the rent was, for the first three years, 53s 4d, rising to 56s 8d thereafter.

- The reference to the hospice and the description of the land attached make this sound suspiciously like the Swan and its land appertaining later in c.1470. There is a further reference in the same account to a rent of 7s 6d repayable to the Duchy of Lancaster for the land and tenement lately William Ferror's, that is, the quit rent due to the overlord. The sum of 7s 6d corresponds (to 1d) with the total of the two payments given as quit rent in the c.1470 rental. In the same account of 1434/5 is an item of expenditure on a tenanted house, vis. "for divers costs and repairs to the Lord's tenement and hospice in Hungerford". As the amount so charged was £9 2s 1d would seem that the repairs were substantial.

- It is probable that the hospice at this time was not known as the Swan. It is not known at what date it did in fact acquire this title, prior to 1470, but it is likely to have been in the lifetime of Sir Walter Hungerford, who died in 1449. Sir Walter, who was strongly attached to the House of Lancaster, was prominent both in war and peace in the reigns of Henry IV, Henry V and the early part of Henry VI. He served under Henry V at Agincourt and was an executor of Henry's will; when the infant Henry VI came to the throne he was one of the protector's council (D.N.B). This closeness and attachment to the three Lancastian kings, and especially to Henry V, may provide the clue for the use of the name 'le Swan' as applied to Sir Walter's chief house in the town of Hungerford.

- The swan had been the badge of the ancient family of de Bohun. These badges had come into extensive use in the 14th and 15th centuries as devices which a nobleman's followers could use as a sign of their allegiance.

Upon Henry IV's marriage to a de Bohun heiress, the swan became a royal crest and was attributed both to Henry IV and, in particular, to his son Henry V (J.P. Brooke, Boutell's Heraldry Revised, 1978). The de Bohun swan was ducally gorged and chained (as may be seen in the present arms of the county of Buckingham); no doubt, Hungerford's was a plainer version of the bird. [Although the Hungerford family seal was normally based on the crest so described, there is a record of an alternative seal a.d.1418 bearing Hungerford and Heytesbury quarterly, with two swans having their wings addarsed(?) as supporters, and the crest of a talbot's head issuing from a crest coronet (J.G. Nichols in an article in The Herald & Geneologist, vol 5, London 1870, quoting Boutell's "Heraldry, Historical and Popular").]

This account of the possible origin of Hungerford's "le Swan" is, of course, speculative: Hungerford's own family badge was one of three sickles and three sheaves of wheat.

1470 (NH) From 1470 onwards the Swan and its lands are mentioned in a series of town surveys of 1552, 1573, 1591, 1606-09 until the enfeoffment of the town and manor finalised in 1617.

1552 (NH) In 1552 the Swan now held by Robert Throgmorton "in the right of his wife" is not named, but we can recognise it by the order in which the entry appears and by the amount of quit rent paid, 7s 6d, for the tenement and lands.

1573 (NH) In 1573 it is leased as "the manor house of Sir Walter Hungerford called the Swanne", together with a quantity of land, and a quit rent of 7s 6d. The acreage of land is larger than in c.1470 because it now includes land which in the earlier rental were listed appertaining to other Hungerford family tenements. That this is so is made clear by an indenture dated 1561 and quoted in 1583 where "the tenement called The Swanne" is described as having 60 acres of arable lands in the common fields of Hungerford and Sanden Fee (WCRO 442/1).

In addition, the same document ascribes to the Swan another 60 acres of arable land in the common fields; also one close of meadow called Fermans containing 6 acres; ½ acre of Lammas mead in Wood marsh; 1 acre of Lammas mead at Sheepbridge; 1 close of pasture called Cambes(?) containing 1 rod and 1 close of pasture "which hath been a sheeppen, lying at the town's end", containing 3 rods.

1589 (NH - Berks R.O. D/Q1 T21/3) Refers to Hell House (122 HS) demised to Thomas Sarre the elder, Thomas and Richard Sarre 10 October 31 Eliz. (=1589). Rent 20s per annum.

John Isbury almshouse of Lambourne, Martyn Culpeper, warden of College of St. Mary Winton, in Oxon; and Frances Alford of London esq.

On East side of Queen's High Street between house of Sir Walter Hungerford, knight, called The Swan, now in tenure and occupation of Thomas Seymer on south, and another tenement of Sir Walter now in tenure of Philip Seymer on north, and backside and four acres arable, one acre in Westbroke in Honey Furlong and two in Middlefield, for the life of Thomas Sare the elder and Thomas Sare, his son, and Richard Sare, his son. Rent 20s p.a. and repairs and maintenance. Attorney for Lambourne is Edward Brooker, clerk, and Thomas Watkyns, shearman.

1591 (NH) In the 1591 survey the Hungerford Englefield estate is excluded from reference (DL42/117).

1609 (NH) In 1609 "Thomas Holmes holdeth the Manor House of Sir Edward Hungerford called the Swanne", with 60 acres arable, quit rent 7s 6d. In an additional entry under the heading Sanden Fee is added "Thomas Holmes holdeth one tenement, with a backside and orchard thereto adjoining by estimation ½ acre, and he likewise holds from Sir Edward a close of meadow called ?..? by estimation 8 acres, and 8 acres of arable land thereunto belonging, quit rent to the heirs of Sir Edward with the manor house called the Swanne". (BRO H.M8).

It seems clear that the lord's "hospice" of 1434/5 has now become "the manor house" of 1573. Indeed, I have a note (Wilts RO 442/1 f.267) that in 1583 the manorial Steward's court was held there in 1583.