Mortlake Palace

Description

The manor of Mortlake was in the hands of the Archbishops of Canterbury before the Conquest, but no record exists of the date at which they first obtained it. At the time of the Domesday Survey it was very extensive, consisting of land for 35 ploughs. It included the manor of Barnes, which was held as 8 hides by the canons of St. Paul's, and seventeen houses in London and four in Southwark were attached to it. It had two mills and took 20s. toll from Putney, probably for a market or ferry there. It also included Wimbledon, which is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and as late as 1291 is described as a grange attached to Mortlake. During the time that Mortlake belonged to the see of Canterbury the archbishops frequently resided there. Anselm celebrated Whitsuntide there in 1099. Archbishop John Peckham dated letters from there in 1281. In 1314 the archbishop complained that his trees had been felled at Mortlake, and in the same year the archbishop (Walter Reynolds) died here. While under sentence of excommunication issued in 1330 Archbishop Mepham resided here, and Archbishop Courtenay in 1385 obtained exemption from the onerous demands of the king's purveyor for himself and his tenants at Mortlake. Archbishop Arundel forfeited all his lands, including Mortlake, in 1397 on account of his share in procuring a council of regency in 1386. He recovered them on the accession of Henry IV. In 1533, while Cranmer was archbishop, it is recorded that certain surplices and other ornaments were stolen from the church of Mortlake. During this period many royal visits were paid to the archbishop's palace at Mortlake. Henry III was often there in the early part of his reign. Edward I was there in 1270 before he was king, and again after his accession, in 1292. Edward II dated letters from Mortlake in 1309 and 1318. Edward III paid frequent visits to Mortlake. Queen Philippa visited Mortlake in 1342. Henry VI was here in 1441, and Edward IV in 1480. Henry VII is said to have hunted here. Cranmer was the last archbishop who held Mortlake. In 1535–6 he exchanged this manor and Wimbledon with the king for other lands. In 1536 Henry VIII granted the manors of Wimbledon and Mortlake to Thomas Cromwell, Secretary of State, who carried on extensive building there. In 1536 he received a letter from Richard Tomyow dated 'Mortlake, where Cromwell's servants are in health and his building ariseth fair.' He stayed frequently at Mortlake until 1539. In 1540 he sold the manor with that of Wimbledon to the king, who attached it to the honour of Hampton Court. In the sale Mortlake is described as a member of Wimbledon, which by this date had become the head manor. Henry appears to have resided at Mortlake, for he pulled down the old church in 1543 and built one on a new site. In February 1543–4 he granted the manors of Wimbledon and Mortlake to his queen-consort Katherine Parr, and preparations were made for her arrival at Mortlake in September of that year. She retained the mansion-house of Mortlake with the manorial rights in her own hands, but leased the demesne lands to Robert Tyrwhitt. Katherine died in 1548. From this date no further mention is made of the manor of Mortlake, which was merged in that of Wimbledon, though separate leases were made of part of the demesne lands. (VCH - abridged and without references)