Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham. Walter Showell
44351
| WORCESTERSHIRE. | |||
| Owners of | Numbr. Acres | Extent of lands. | Gross estimated rental. £ |
| Less than 1 acre … . … 160[**] | 8 | 4733 | 444945 |
| 1 acre and under 10 | 2790 | 10136 | 151922 |
| 10 acres " 50 | 1305 | 31391 | 138517 |
| 50 " " 100 | 457 | 32605 | 92257 |
| 100 " " 500 | 589 | 118187 | 258049 |
| 500 " " 1000 | 66 | 46420 | 122817 |
| 1000 " " 2000 | 34 | 46794 | 89267 |
| 2000 " " 5000 | 25 | 78993 | 131886 |
| 5000 " " 10000 | 5 | 33353 | 54611 |
| 10000 " " 20000 | 3 | 38343 | 88703 |
| No areas given | 522 | -- | 112107 |
| Total | 21804 | 441061 | 1685735 |
Duddeston Hall, and the Holte Family.—The first record of this family we have is towards the close of the thirteenth century when we find mention of Sir Henry Holte, whose son, Hugh del Holte, died in 1322. In 1331 Simon del Holte, styled of Birmingham, purchased the manor of Nechells "in consideration of xl li of silver." In 1365 John atte Holte purchased for "forty marks" the manor of Duddeston, and two years later he became possessed by gift of the manor of Aston. For many generations the family residence was at Duddeston, though their burial place was at Aston, in which church are many of their monuments, the oldest being that of Wm. Holte, who died September 28, 1514. That the Holtes, though untitled, were men of mark, may be seen by the brass in the North Aisle of Aston Church to the memory of Thomas Holte, "Justice of North Wales, and Lord of this town of Aston," who died March 23, 1545. His goods and chattels at his death were valued at £270 6s. 2d.—a very large sum in those days, and from the inventory we find that the Hall contained thirteen sleeping apartments, viz., "the chambur over the buttrie, the chappel chambur, the maydes' chambur, the great chambur, the inner chambur, to the great chambur, the yatehouse chambur, the inner chambur to the same, the geston chambur, the crosse chambur, the inner chambur to the same, the clark's chambur the yoemen's chambur, and the hyne's chambur." The other apartments were "the hawle, the plece, the storehouse, the galarye, the butterye, the ketchyn, the larderhowse, the dey-howse, the bakhowse, the bultinge howse, and the yeling howse,"—the "chappell" being also part of the Hall. The principal bedrooms were hung with splendid hangings, those of the great chamber being "of gaye colors, blewe and redde," the other articles in accordance therewith, the contents of this one room being valued at xiij li. xiv. s. iiijd. (£13 14s. 4d.) The household linen comprised "22 damaske and two diapur table clothes" worth 4s.; ten dozen table napkins (40s.); a dozen "fyne towells," 20s.; a dozen "course towells" 6s. 8d.; thirty pair "fyne shetes" £5; twenty-three pair "course shetes" £3; and twenty-six "pillow beres" 20/-. The kitchen contained "potts, chafornes, skymmers, skellets, cressets, gredires, frying pannys, chfying dishes, a brazon morter with a pestell, stone morters, strykinge knives, broches, racks, brandards, cobberds, pot-hangings, hocks, a rack of iron, bowles, and payles." The live stock classed among the "moveable goods, consisted of 19 oxen, 28 kyne, 17 young beste, 24 young calves, 12 gots, 4 geldings, 2 mares, 2 naggs and a colte, 229 shepe, 12 swyne, a crane, a turkey cok, and a henne with 3 chekyns"—the lot being valued at £86 0s. 8d. Sir Thomas's marriage with a daughter of the Winnington's brought much property into the family, including lands, &c., "within the townes, villages, and fields of Aston, next Byrmyngham, and Wytton, Mellton Mowlberye (in Leicestershire), Hanseworthe (which lands did late belonge to the dissolved chambur of Aston), and also the Priory, or Free Chappell of Byrmyngham, with the lands and tenements belonging thereto, within Byrmyngham aforesaid, and the lordship or manor of the same, within the lordship of Dudeston, together with the lands and tenements, within the lordship of Nechells, Salteley, sometime belonging to the late dissolved Guild of Derytenne," as well as lands at "Horborne, Haleshowen, Norfielde and Smithewicke." His son Edward, who died in 1592, was succeeded by Sir Thomas Holte (born in 1571; died December, 1654), and the most prominent member of the family. Being one of the deputation to welcome James I. to England, in 1603, he received the honour of knighthood; in 1612 he purchased an "Ulster baronetcy," at a cost of £1,095 [this brought the "red hand" into his shield]; and in 1599 he purchased the rectory of Aston for nearly £2,000. In April, 1618, he commenced the erection of Aston Hall, taking up his abode there in 1631, though it was not finished till April, 1635. In 1642 he was honoured with the presence of Charles I., who stopped at the Hall Sunday and Monday, October 16 and 17. [At the battle of Edge Hill Edward Holt, the eldest son, was wounded—he died from fever on Aug. 28, 1643, during the siege of Oxford, aged 43] The day after Christmas, 1643, the old squire was besieged by about 1,200 Parliamentarians from Birmingham