Irene Preston's Historical Writing
LORDS
OF THE MANOR OF STOCKPORT
By 1086 Stockport and the surrounding district was
under the barony of Hamo de Masci of Dunham. The local lord was Waltheof
and his son Robert, known as Robert Fitz-Waltheof, became the lord and
took the name of de Stokeport. There seems to have been several Roberts
until about 1250/55 when Richard de Stokeport was born. He died in 1292
leaving two young children, Joan aged two and Matilda a baby. Matilda
became a ward of Hamo de Masci and later, as a young woman, was abducted
by William de Dutton who was indicted for ravishment in the 35th year of
the reign of Edward I. They were married but she died without issue.
Joan married Nicholas de Eton before 1307 and bore three sons and one
daughter. Nicholas died between 1320/26 and Joan married Sir John
Arderne and bore him a son Peter, who married Cicely de Bredbury. Peter
and Cicely were the ancestors of the local family of Arderne and later
inherited the Arderne estates.
Joan died in 1332 and John Arderne held the manor until his death in
1349 and the manor of Stockport reverted to the heirs of Nicholas. Two
of his sons held the manor for a short duration but by 1369 the manor
went to his grandson, John Warren, son of his daughter Cicely and Sir
Edward de Warren of Poynton.
The Warren family held the manor until 1801 when George Warren died. His
only daughter Elizabeth Harriet had married Thomas James Bulkeley, Baron
of Beaumaris and 7th Viscount of Cashel who took the name of Warren
Bulkeley. He died in 1822 and she died in 1826 without issue.
The estates passed to Lady Warren's niece Frances Maria who had married
George Charles Venables Vernon, 4th Baron Vernon of Sudbury. Thus the
manor of Stockport came into the hands of the Vernon family who
eventually moved to their country seat at Sudbury Hall.
In 1858 the manorial rights were sold to Stockport Borough Council.