Monument record 13/1/1 - Little Sutton Manor

<1> Burne, R. V. H., 1962, The Monks of Chester. The History of St Werburgh's Abbey (Book). SCH3213.

A monastic manor or grange of St Werburgh's in Chester. The manor of Little Sutton was recorded in the Domesday Book as a possession of the Saxon monastery and was re-granted to the Norman monastery by Earl Hugh. Between 1254 and 1270 the Abbot of Chester granted leave to construct oratories in his manors in Cheshire, in which he might celebrate for himself and his free household. This included the manor at Sutton. In 1296 the Abbot charged with cutting down oak trees in Saughall Wood (part of the Forest of Wirral), which he took to his manor of Sutton for building. The manor was possibly damaged in a serf uprising in 1381. Fines were extracted from the Abbot at Forest Eyre in 1353 for the illegal ditching and empaling at 'Halle Sutton'. In1399 King Richard gave Abbot Henry de Sutton leave to crenellate his manors of Saighton, Sutton and Ince. Little Sutton manor house has completely disappeared and the site lost.

<2> Mortimer W, 1847, The History of the Hundred of Wirral, p.229 (Book). SCH3160.

The manor of Little Sutton was held by the Secular Monks of Chester from at least the eleventh century and was still in their possession at the time of the Domesday Survey. The foundation charter of Hugh Lupus to the Abbot and Convent of St Werburgh, confirmed ownership of the manor to the new tennants and became one of the four principal manor-houses. After the dissolution it was granted to the Dean and Chapter of St Werburgh, whereon it passed to Sir Richard Cotton. The old hall of Little Sutton was taken down in the mid eighteenth century and there are now no remains of the manor house, but it is presumed to have stood a quarter of a mile from the present hall (see CHER 64).

<3> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Collens, J, 20/01/1997 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

It is believed that the cemetary (see CHER 13/1/2) discovered during the construction of the farm (CHER 5622) may be part of the old hall.

<4> Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, 2007, Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council Local List of Historic Buildings, LL26 (Index). SCH5437.

On the site of an ancient cemetery discovered in 1811 “at an elevated spot where the foundations of a farm house were being dug”, 400 yards south west of the site of the former Hall, which was demolished about 1750. George Ormerod writing in 1825 states “The Hall of Little Sutton was taken down within the memory of aged persons now living”, thus working back from that (say) 75 years gives a date for demolition of about 1750. A flat roofed extension to rear has a stone moulded parapet that may be from former Hall or the Cemetery Chapel.

<5> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.II, p.425 (Book). SCH1389.

The hall of Little Sutton, a very ancient building, was taken down within the memory of aged persons now living (c.1819). It was located west of the turnpike road near the centre of the village. It is probable that the ancient manor house of the abbots occupied an elevated spot about four hundred yards south-west of the site of the hall, where the cemetery was discovered in 1811.