A HISTORY OF SURREY
��Ferdinand, the fifth earl, without issue male it was purchased in 1600 by John Gawber, an agent or trustee for Thomas, created Earl of Dorset in March 1603-4."" Gawber died before the conveyance was completed, but his daughter and heir Margaret, wife of John Harris, conveyed it to Richard Earl of Dorset, grandson of the above Thomas, in l6l3. 108 In 1611 he had already obtained a royal grant of it. 109 A survey of the manor was made for him in 1622. Earl Richard died in March 1623-4," an ^ ' n l( > 2 % his estate in Reigate was sold, probably for the pay- ment of his debts, to Sir John Monson and Robert Goodwyn." 1 They conveyed it in 1646 to William Viscount Monson, 1 " whose wife, as widow of Charles Earl of Nottingham, had held the other moiety until her death in 1639. Visconnt Monson was one of the regicide judges and was accordingly degraded and im- prisoned for life after the Restoration," 3 and his moiety of Reigate was immediately acquired by James Duke of York, who was endowed with the estates of the regicides." 4 He appointed a steward of the manor in March 1661,"* and in 1686, after his accession as James II, acquired the other moiety. 1 "
The whole manor thus united was granted 24 April 1697 by William III to Joseph Jekyll "' (knighted in the same year), possibly in trust for his brother-in-law John Lord Somers, in whose name courts were held." 8 At his death in 1716 it was inherited by his two sisters, Mary wife of Charles Cocks and Elizabeth wife of the above- mentioned Sir Joseph Jekyll, kt. 1 " Courts were held in their names until the death of Mrs. Cocks, 1717, after which Sir Joseph Jekyll, until his death, and subsequently his widow, held courts. She died in 1745," and was succeeded by her nephew James Cocks, 1 " M.P. for Reigate. He died 1750. His son James died unmarried 1758, when Charles, son of John the brother of James above-mentioned, suc- ceeded. He was M.P. for Reigate from 1747 to 1784. He was created a baronet in 1772, and Baron Somers in 1784. His son and successor, John, was created Earl Somers July 1821 and died 1841. The manor descended to his son and grandson ; on the death of Charles, third Earl Somers, in 1883, without male issue, it devolved upon one of his daughters, Lady Henry Somerset, the present owner.
���COCKS. SaUt a the- veron between three pain of karti* harm argent.
��The ' honour ' of Reigate evidently comprised those lands of the honour of Warenne which were directly held of Reigate Manor. These included the manors of Dorking, Fetcham, Cranleigh, Vachery, Bradley in Dorking, Ashtead, and the Priory, Hooley, Redstone, Frenches, and Colley in Reigate." 1
Most of the lands of the PRIORY" in Reigate were probably granted to it by William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and his wife Isabel, at the foundation of the house before 1240."* At the suppression of the Priory in July 1 5 36 it had lands both in the parish and in the borough, and courts were held for the tenants of these. 1 * 4 Lord Edmund Howard was then steward, but a lease of the Priory was made to John Marten in January 1537-8.'" In 1541 it was granted to Lord William Howard, afterwards Lord Howard of Effing- ham, younger son of Thomas second Duke of Norfolk, and his wife Margaret in tail, 126 with lands in Reigate, Dorking, Capel, Betchworth, Horley, Burs- tow, Headley, Nutfield, Mickleham, Ashtead and Letherhead. In the following year he was attainted for complicity with his niece Katherine Howard, 1 " but in 1543 the Priory was regranted to his wife, and in 1544 the original grant to them both was renewed. 1 ' 8 Lady Howard died at Reigate in 1 58 1, 1 ' 9 and their son Charles, first Earl of Nottingham, Lord Admiral, held the Priory at his death in 1624, and habitually resided there, though he died at Haling. It was inherited by his granddaughter Elizabeth, Countess of Peterborough, ' a lady of extraordinary beauty.' IM She tried to cut off the entail on the Priory in favour of her younger son, John Viscount Mordaunt, 1 * 1 a Royalist who made unsuccessful attempts to raise the country on behalf of Charles in 1658 and 1659."' His mother's estates were seized for his recusancy in 1659, but after the Restoration he was granted the remainder of the Priory at her death. 13 * From his trustees it was purchased by Sir John Parsons, Lord Mayor of London in I7O3. 114 It was inherited by his son Sir Humphrey, a brewer of note, who was twice Lord Mayor, and represented Reigate in many Parliaments. 1 ** He died in 1741, having bequeathed the Priory to his wife Sarah, 136 after whose death in 1759 her two daughters, the wives of Sir John Hinde Cotton and James Dunn, inherited it. 137 They are said to have sold in 1 766 to a Mr. Richard Ireland, who bequeathed it to his niece, Mrs. Jonest 138 Her son Arthur con- veyed it in 1 80 1 to Thomas Eden, Francis Webber, and Henry Ley, 13 ' in trust for sale to Mr. Mowbray, from whom it was purchased c. 1808 by Lord Somers, 140 since when it has descended with the manor.
(q.v.)-
��1(1 ' Recov. R. Eait. 42 Elir. m. 94 ; Feet of F. SUIT. Trin. 42 Eliz. 5 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cclxxxix, 79.
108 Feet of F. SUIT. Trin. 1 1 Ja. I. There is no evidence that it was ever held by Robert the second earl, son of Thomas and father of Richard. He was earl lesi than one year, April 1608 to Feb. 1609.
109 Pat. 9 Jas. I, pt, xxxvi, no. 5.
110 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccccv, 153.
111 Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 4 Chas. I.
113 Close, 22 Chas. I, pt. i, no. 2$. 118 G.E.C. Peerage, v, 334.
114 Hist. MSS. Com. Ref. v, App. 205 ; but the estates of Viscount Monson are not specially mentioned in the Act of 1660 vesting certain forfeited estates in the duke, nor in the patent for the same purpose ; Pat. 13 Chas. II, pt. v, no. 15.
��"* Hiit. MSS. Com. Rip. viii, App. i, 280.
115 See above.
u " Pat. 9 WilL III, pt, ii, no. II.
118 Manning and Bray, op. cit. i, 283.
119 G.E.C. Peerage, vii, 167 ; Feet of F. Surr. Mich. 4 Geo. I.
lao Ct, R. The courts were held in the name of a single person, but it does not follow that the estate was not jointly held.
1M Ct. R. ; Recov. R. Trin. 32-3 Gco. II, m. 201 ; Trin. 15 Geo. Ill, m. 160.
lw Cr, R. ; Surv. of 1622.
1 y.C.H. Surr. ii, 105.
1" Mins. Accts. Surr. 28-9 Hen. VIII, bdle. 108, m. 5.
' L. ana P. Hen. Vlll, xiii (i), 588.
186 Ibid, xvi, g. 947 (12).
la ? G.E.C. Peerage, iii, 235 ; cf. L. and P. Hen. nil, xvi, 1444.
236
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��" Ibid. vii,g.443 (J) ; rix (i),g.278
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1M G.E.C. Peerage iii, 235 ; Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cxcvii, 75.
130 Ibid, cccclxii, 69.
181 Cal. S.P. Dam. 1645-7 PP- 57'-* i i66o-i,p. 138; 1663-4, p. 487; 1666-7, p. 422. 1M Diet. Nat. Biog.
188 Cal. S.P. Dom. 1660-1, p. 138.
18< Aubrey, Hist, and Antij. of Surr. iv, 192.
" Diet. Nat. Biog.
186 P.C.C. Wills, 74 Spurway.
W Bill of Sale, 1766.
" Add. MS. 34237 (Hist of Reigate), fol. 5.
188 Feet of F. SUIT. Trin. 41 Geo. III.
o Add. MS. B.M. 34237, fol. 5 ; Com. Pleas D. Enr. East. 51 Geo. Ill, m. 2.
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