In the thirteenth century the family of Esturs, lords of the manors of Gatcombe (Calborne and Whitwell) in the Isle of Wight, also held a small portion of land at Hilsea, in Wymering, and in Portsea, which was known later as the manor of LITTLE GATCOMBE, to distinguish it from the larger manor in the Isle of Wight. The origin of Hilsea manor appears to have been one of the Portchester serjeanties, for under Henry III Fulk 'de Wymeringes' held his land by service there for eight days in time of war. In 1291 Sir William de Esturs died seised [for definition see Wiki Answers] of 20 acres of land in Hilsea, held by the service of suit at the court of Portchester Castle every three weeks, and of providing for eight days in time of war one man armed with a lance, helmet, and shield; he also held 20 acres of land from the lord of Warblington, and 20 acres of land from Richard de Portsea for the rent of a pound of pepper and one rose.
Sir William was succeeded by his brother Geoffrey Lisle, who died two years later, leaving a son and heir Baldwin, then aged twenty-three. Baldwin died in 1307, and was succeeded by his son John, who was only four years old, and a minor in the king's wardship.
John de Lisle of Gatcombe, as he was called, died in 1337 seised of the manor of Hilsea, which was still held from the king in chief by grand serjeanty, for the service of arming a man in time of war for the defence of Portchester Castle. He left a son John, aged thirteen, the custody of whose lands was granted to his mother Joan during his minority. On his death in 1349 he was holding 40 acres of land in Portsea at Hilsea, also a messuage, garden, dove-house, 60 acres of arable land, and 2 acres of Wood in Portsea, held of the manor of Warblington for an annual rent, and for doing service at the court of Warblington. His heir was his son John, aged six, who died in 1369, his land passing to his sister Elizabeth, the wife of John Bramshott, of Bramshott, in Hants.
In 1432 William Bramshott, lord of the manor of Gatcombe, granted his lands in Hilsea and Copnor to his son Baldwin, who before his death in 1468 granted the so-called manor of Little Gatcombe to his brother John, and at his death in 1479 the lands passed to Elizabeth and Margaret, the daughters and co-heirs of John Bramshott, Elizabeth being the wife of Sir John Dudley, and Margaret of Sir John Pakenham.
Sir John Pakenham and his wife Margaret both died in 1485, and they seem to have left two children, Edmund who inherited their estates in Bramshott, and Constance who inherited their lands in the Isle of Wight, and who married Sir Geoffrey Poole of Lordington in Sussex. The manor of Little Gatcombe is not mentioned in any of the inquisitions on Sir John Pakenham or Sir John Dudley, but it seems probable that it was included in the share of Sir John Dudley and his wife Elizabeth Bramshott. Elizabeth died in 1498 and her husband in 1501; they left a son and heir Edmund who was thirty-six at the time of his mother's death, and who married Elizabeth daughter of Edward Viscount Lisle. This Edmund was attainted for high treason and beheaded on Tower Hill in 1510; the attainder was reversed, however, in the following year and his lands restored to his son John; but it seems probable that Little Gatcombe was not restored, but was granted to William Erneley, who died seised of it in 1445, though no record of such a grant can be found.
At his death William Erneley was holding two messuages, 100 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 20 acres of pasture, and 10 acres of wood in Little Gatcombe and Little Bramshott, called the manor of Little Gatcombe, with lands in Bramshott, which he left by will to his eldest son Francis, with reversion to his second son Richard. Francis died a few years later and the lands passed to Richard, who held them until his death in 1607, when they passed to his son Richard, who sold Little Gatcombe and 120 acres of land in Portsea and Wymering to William Marshe in 1613; the latter died seised of the estate in 1622, leaving the manor by will to his eldest daughter Lucy.
In 1691 Little Gatcombe was in the hands of William Chafin and his wife Mary in right of the latter, who was possibly a granddaughter of Lucy Marshe, and was sold by them to Thomas Brounker, who kept it until 1714, and then sold it to Captain Matthew Teate.
Captain Teate apparently had a daughter, who married Matthew Brady, the possessor of Little Gatcombe in 1744. They had two daughters, one of whom, Sarah, married Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, who was obliged to sell his lands to the government, as the estate was required for military purposes. Barracks were commenced in 1780, and in 1794 a camp was formed for several thousand men [See article on Hilsea Barracks].
REFERENCES
From: "A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (1908), pp. 165-170" by William Page.
See the full article on the Parish of Wymering at www.british-history.ac.uk