Manors of the London Borough of Lewisham

Lewisham
A royal manor from 918AD when Elfrida [youngest daughter of Alfred and wife of Count Baldwin of Flanders. [Lieuesham, Grenevic, and Uulwich][Lewisham, Greenwich and Woolwich] on the Abbey of St Peter, at Ghent.There are several Jacobean and Caroline surveys and rentals in the P.R.O. There is one curious local connection with the tax.

Bankers
the family of Bonquer or Banquel became in possession of land in Lewisham during the reign of Henry III [1261], by purchase from the Doget family. The manor seems to of originated from a coruption of their name to Bankers or Bankhurst. The manor is completely in Lewisham from Loampit Hill, Stanstead Road follows the parish boundary on the North and West and the river Ravensbourne on the East from Lewisham Bridge to Catford.

Bellingham
Seems to of included the greater part of the land between Catford and Southend. It became part of the Endowment of the Cistercian Abbey of Stratford Langthorne, Essex.

Brockley
Belonging to the
aminot's in the time of Henry II and formed part of the endowment of Begham Abbey. It is doubtful if it was seen as a true manor in the Lewisham area, because it falls within the area of the Manor of Bankers, but some estates in Lewisham paid quit rents to the lord of the Manor of Brockley.

Catford
This included the St Germans Estate in Brownhill and adjoing roads to Stanstead road. it belonged to the Abel family in the time of Edward I and later to the College of St Lawrence Pountney in london.

Lee
in addition to Bankers and Shrafholt manors Banquels became Lords of the Manor of Lee in the reign of Edward III. this not only included the parish of Lee but also part of Lewisham Mount pleasant, Rosenthal, St Swithun's [Hither Green] and the Park Hospital areas.

Shrafholt or Shroffold
From the Castillion family. The manor is partly in lewisham and partly in Bromley, comprising of Southend, Bromley Hill and parts of Plaistow [Bromley].

Sydenham
In medieavial times it was the areasknown today as Lower Sydenham and Perry Hill. It was not a seperate Manor but was mostly owned by Abbot of Ghent.

Hatcham
The Manor of Hatcham is mentioned in the Domesday Book. In the Brixton Hundred the Bishop of Lisieux holds of the Bishop of Baieux Hachesham, which Brixi held of King Edward. This was assessed at 3 hides, as it is now; the arable land amounts to 3 caracutes. There are 9 villanes and 3 bordars, with 3 caracutes; and there are 9 villanes and 3 bordars, with 3 caracutes; and 6 acres of meadow; the wood yelds 3 swine: from the time of King Edward (the Confessor) it has been valued at 40 shillings.

Part of the parish of Deptford (otherwise in Kent), was claimed by both Kent and Surrey. The dispute was unresolved until the 1630s, when Randolph Crew, who leased the manor from the Haberdashers’ Company, was assessed for ship money by the two counties. He complained, and ultimately the King in council decided that Hatcham was in Surrey, as it continued to be until the creation of the County of London. The Haberdashers acquired the manor in 1614.

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