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Pusey (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Farringdon, hundred of Ganfield, county of Berks, 4½ miles (E. by N.) from Farringdon…. This parish, which comprises 1028 acres, derives its name from the family of Pusey, to whom the manor was granted by Canute the Great.

13th cent. (late) Family papers indicating homage is given by Jon de la Cumbe to Sir William Mancel for all of Jon de la Cumbe's lands held of the Honour of St. Valery located in the Hundred of Ganfield. Record can be found in the Bouverie-Pusey Papers, Catalogue Ref.D/EBp/F2. Berkshire Record Office.

Note: Homage in this case likely means the oral acknowledgement by Jon de la Cumbe, as tenant, of his loyalty and feudal obligations to Sir William Mancel as his lord. In early feudal times this could constitute a ceremony serving as an opportunity to declare an oath of loyalty and a willingness or commitment to be dutiful in fulfilling the terms of agreement as assigned regarding customs and services in caring for the land.

The Honour of St. Valery is noted in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4 (1924), pp. 471-474, British History On-Line Additional information is available on this topic at this source. The information below, does not make mention of Jon de la Cumbe, but in 1275 Roger le Coumber is mentioned and should be studied further, particularly due to the closeness in time. The entry follows:

“The Domesday holding of Roger de Ivrey was what was afterwards called the manor of MANSELL'S COURT. The barony of Ivrey was granted to Guy de St. Valery by Henry I, and this estate was afterwards held of the honour of St. Valery. (fn. 28) When the honour escheated to the Crown in the reign of Henry III the overlordship of the manor remained with it, passing to Richard Earl of Cornwall by grant of Henry III, (fn. 29) and after him to his son Edmund, and on his death in 1300 to Edward I as his cousin and heir. (fn. 30) A chartulary of Oseney Abbey throws much light upon the early history of the manor. From it it appears that Walkelin Waard or Wadard was the tenant about 1135-40, and his daughter Helewis brought it in marriage to William Avenell. (fn. 31) Their son Walkelin Hareng succeeded to the estate, and sold it, viz., 2 hides of land, manor-house and advowson, to Ralph de Cheney between 1179 and 1182. (fn. 32) Ralph de Cheney before 1193 gave the manor to Oseney Abbey, (fn. 33) which is returned by the Testa de Nevill as holding 3 carucates of land in Pusey. (fn. 34) Between 1205 and 1221, probably nearer the latter date, the abbey granted the manor for 60 marks to Roger de Kingston to hold at a rent of 10s. a year. (fn. 35) Roger de Kingston was dead by 1235, (fn. 36) and his widow Joan de Kingston, Henry Franck of Pusey, and Richard de Kakel were holding between them two-thirds of a fee in Pusey of the honour of St. Valery. (fn. 37) In 1275 Roger le Coumber and John de Limesey held 6 hides belonging to the St. Valery honour in Pusey, (fn. 38) but Nicholas Kingston and Margery his wife were holding the estate in 1297, (fn. 39) and three years later they exchanged it for the manor and advowson of Tortworth (co. Glouc.) with William Mansell and his wife Margaret. (fn. 40) It was from these new owners that the estate acquired the name of Mansell's Court. William Mansell was still holding in 1316. (fn. 41) In 1395 Philip Mansell of Gloucester was seised of Mansell's Place in Pusey. (fn. 42) Thomas Mansell owned property in the neighbourhood in 1467, (fn. 43) but it is uncertain whether it included Mansell's Court. John Fettiplace died seised of the manor of Mansell's Court in Pusey held of Wallingford Honour in 1510, and was succeeded by his son Philip. (fn. 44) Philip died in August 1546, and his son and heir Anthony a month later, so that the estate passed to Anthony's son Edward. (fn. 45) Edward died seised of the manor of Mansells in 1597, and was followed by his son and heir Thomas, (fn. 46) who died in 1612. (fn. 47) Thomas's heir was his sister Margaret, the widow of Christopher Fettiplace of Letcombe Regis, who had died in 1609. (fn. 48) In 1628 Edmund Fettiplace, the son and heir of Margaret and Christopher, (fn. 49) sold the manor to Samuel Dunch, (fn. 50) the third son of Sir Edmund Dunch of Little Wittenham. Samuel Dunch died in 1668, and his estates passed to his son John Dunch, M.P. for the county 1654-9, who married the daughter and co-heir of Richard Major of Hursley (co. Hants). (fn. 51) Their son Major Dunch was a Presbyterian, and obtained licence to hold service in his house at Pusey in 1672. (fn. 52) He was Sheriff of Berkshire in 1677 and died at Pusey in 1679. (fn. 53) His only son Wharton died without issue in 1705, and consequently his only daughter Jane, the wife of Francis Keck of Great Tew (co. Oxon.), became the sole heir of all his vast estates. (fn. 54) Francis Keck by will left his estates to Anthony Keck, probably his son. (fn. 55) From the latter they passed to his grandson and heir Anthony, who in 1749 sold the manors of Mansell's Court and Bishop's Manor to John Allen Pusey, (fn. 56) the owner of the main manor, with which from this time onward they have passed. (fn. 57).”

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