Anthony Rogers died in 1583,
and his estates passed to his son-in-Iaw, John Hall, but his widow, Anne, was
succeeded in Holt,Manor by Anthony Lisle, who was the son of Thomas Lisle, Anne's
son by her first husband, Lancelot Lisle. Rogers' will mentions no landed property,
and is interesting only as suggest ing the luxury of his house. Two extracts illustrate
this: "to my daughter, Dorothy Hall £100 which John Hall owes me an ale-cup of
silver with a cover double gilt, five gold rings of which one is a seal of arms
and another is set turkis, one fair diaper tablecloth and ten diaper napkins which
came out of the wighte (i.e. from the estate in the Isle of Wight), one pair of
holland sheets, one new pair of sheets of fine Normandy canvas 7 two pairs of
canvas sheets! four borde cloths wherof two are of fine Normandy canvas~ four
towels of fine Normandy canvas, one dozen napkins of fine Normany canvas and one
diaper towel that came out of the wighte. one bason and ewer of pewter, two wine
pots of pewter, four chargers, ten platters, four new porringers, five saucers!
two white candlesticks, four of the best brasen candlest icks, one joined press
standing in the brushing chamber and one furnace .to Sir George Rogers, knight
the cupboard and seelir1ge or wainscotte in my oriel,all the seelinge or wainscotte
in my hall! the portal of wainscotte in the greate chamber, the seeiinge and wainscotte
within my :lying chamber and gallery and all the glass in my house with the dresser
borde and pla.riks , and shelfs in my kitchen and larder house upon the condition
that he will be good to my tenants." (PCC20 Jankyn) . Anthony Lisle1 Rogers' succassor
as lord, died in 1604, having settled Holt on his son William, who married Bridget,
daughter of Sir John Hungerford of Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, William was knighted
in 1606 -probably for a consideration—and was still lord of the manor in 1629.
He had two sons, Sir William who was an ardent loyalist and accompanied the future
Charles II into exile at the time of the Civil Wary and John who was among the
judges who condemned Charles I. John seems at some time to have obtained the manor,
but in 1659 immediately before the Restorationy it was conveyed to Sir William
and John fled to Switzerland. (Cal.Pat R 25(2) 617, 1659, and D.N.B.) The information
that follows about John de Lisle and his wife Alice has been kindly supplied by
Miss Elsie A.Buckland. ft-t the trial of Charles I John de Lisle and William Say,
both of them lawyersj sat one on each side of Bradshawj all arrayed in black barristers'
gownsj to assist him in points of law. After the king had been found guiltyj these
two with five other commissioners formed a committee to formulate the sentence
which was passed next day. (“The Trial of Charles I C.V. Wedgwood)These things
in themselves brought him into prominenceand he was fortunate at the Restoration
to escape to Switzerland. However, some years later he was stabbed and killed
by anIrish Royalist while on his way to church at Lausanne. (“The Trial of Charles
I ~C.V. Wedgwood) After that Lady Alice, his widowj returned to live at Moyle's
Court near Ringwood which she had inherited from her father, Sir White Beckenshaw
and where she had held conventicles in the house. Soon after the battle of Sedgemoor
she was asked in a letter from John Hicks, a Dissenting minister, to give him
and a friend shelter and she agreed. Hardly had they reached Moyie's before an
indiscreet word led to a search party and the arrest of the men and Lady Alice.
All were carried off to salisbury Gaol.. Lady Alice was charged with treason at
Winchester. During the course of the trial she exclaimedy "I hope I shall not
be oondemned without being heard!" "No God forbid, Mrs. Lisle," said Judge Jeffreyss
"That was the sort of practice in your husband's time -.You know very well what
I mean. But God be thanked it is not so now. The King's court never condems without
a hearing." In his summing up Judge Jeffreys reminded the jury that what the prisoner
or her husband had done in respect of Charles I was not now relevant; but she
was found guilty and the Judge is reported to have expressed satisfaction with
the verdict and to have said that, if she had been his own mother, he would have
found her guilty. All the prisoners came up for judgment the following morning,
and upon Lady de Lisle the customary sentence of burning (the penalty for women
convicted of high treason) was duly prorounced. The Judge respited the carrying
out of the sentence for six days for her petition to go to the king, but James
only permitted the alteration of the punishment from burning to be-heading. No
record of her words on the scafford had been preserved; all that is known 'tith
certainty is that she appeared "old and dozy and died without much concern". (Judge
Jeffries) Sir William Lisle died in 1665 and the manor passed to his son Edward,
although in a case of about 1677 Lady Bridget de Lisle, Sir William`s widow, is
named as lady of the manor and as having an estate therein(i.e owning it) for
her life. In 1689 Edward settled the manor upon himself and his wife Mary but
in 1696, as we have mentioned elsewhere, by an indenture between Dame Mary Lisle
widow and Edward Lisle Esq., her son and heir apparent and Mary his wife, a considerable
part of the property was leased to Mary`s father, Sir Ambrose Phillips kt., sergeant-at-law.
This, however, was apparently only for a short period. (C113/209) Edward Lisle
junior inherited in 1722. A deed of about this date is puzzling; by it Edward
sells to Daniel Whittaker of Lyons Inn, Co.Middlesex, the manors of Holt, Bradford
and Pembrie, but this was probably a temporary money-raising agreement. (C113/209)
In 1725 he leased for seven years to Gabriel Chivers, broadweaver, "the messuage
or tenement called Gastons and five closes of meadow or pasture thereto belonging
viz. Great Castons, Little Gastons, Chalcroft Mead, Eastmead and Homecroft… 80
acres." (C113/209) Gabriel Chivers died in 1729 but had a son of the same name
who presumably carried on the tenancy. As we have seen, the father`s will and
inventory give us a little insight into the household. In 1726 ~ marriage agreement
was made between Edward Lisle and Mrs.Sarah Bush. He was to receive £8.000 and
he conveys all his manors and lands to William Avery and John Phillips, probably
family lawyers. The following year. he was made Member of Parliament for Marlborough.
In 1729, 1733 and 1739 there are indentures of mortgages on Gaston Farm between
Lisle~ William Melmoth and others. These appear to be the last Lisle documents
relating to Holt. About 1741 Ed\vard Lisle sold the manor to Dr. Simon Burton,
who died not long afterwards. Although Burton was wealthy, his debts .vere great
and after his death a private Act of parliament was passed dated 1746". .for vesting
the estates late of Doctor Simon Burton, deceased? in the Counties of \iilts and
Southampton? in Trustees? to raise money for the payment of several Debts and
incumbrances". The Act refers to "certain Wells or Springs of Water com;.. monly
called...Holt Waters...and also divers messuages of tenements and Lorlging-houses?
built at or about the said Wells… with the Gardens, Orchards and Lands thereunto
belonging, or therewith usually occupied and enjoyed; all...now are or late were
in the several tenures or occupations of Jeremiah Godwin, John Bailey, Mrs.Paradice,
William Bailey, Henry Hitchcock, John Webb, John Godwyn? John Chapman, Thomas
Sartin, Thomas Melsham, Matthew Hayne,Henry Eyre and Mr.Grump. " These are nearly
all names we meet again and again and in 1740 we find the same properties described
in the Marriage Settlement of Dr. Daniel Jones. Named separately are Deadhouse
Farm? near the present Bradford Hospital? in the occupation of John Smith, and
the farm of Gabriel Chivers~ though its name of Gaston is not given. In spite
of this Act however the manor of-Holt remained , in Burton's family. It passed
in turn to James 3urton, the Revd. J. Burton Watkins, Thomas Watkins Forster,
Lt.Col T.H. Burton Forster and so to the late owner, who assumed the additional
name of Smith-Barry in 1930. His widow succeeded.