Family > Dingley > IoW

This page is work-in-progress. Last changed November 2003.

DINGLEYS on the Isle of Wight

1. Introduction

The earliest references to the Dingley name on the IoW that I have found start in the late 14th century - see below. The most prominent connection was with the manor of Wolverton. (Note that the Dingley name was also associated with the manor of Wolverton in Kingsclere - see Kingsclere Dingleys. In some records it may not be clear whether reference to Wolverton manor in co. Suthampton (i.e. Hampshire) is to the IoW manor or the one on the mainland.)

It seems likely that the IoW Dingleys are related to the Kingsclere Dingleys. Both families owned property in the IoW since the beginning of the 15th century - see below - and possibly have the same Dingley arms [still need to check 'Kingsclere' arms].

The Dingley Pedigree shows John Dingley who married Mabel Weston as the son of Stephen Dingley - see below. I am less sure that this is correct - given the earlier ownership of Wolverton manor on the IoW by Dingleys, and the appearance of the Wolverton arms in the IoW Dingley arms, I suspect an earlier connection, probably via Gilbert DINGLEY. But so far I have not found any conclusive evidence.

2. Earliest References

a. Beatrice Oglander, daughter of Sir Henry Oglander, married John Dingley [Nunwell Symphony]. Oglander was a well established IoW family. I do not have dates for Beatrice but she was presumably born between 1342, when her father married, and 1365, when he died. So probably Beatrice and John married towards the end of the 14th century.

b. According to Oglander, Wolverton Manor came into the possession of the Dingleys in the time of Richard II [1377-1399] from an ancient family in Kent. "The first Dingley matched with the daughter and heir of Ralph (Ralfe) de Wolverton by which it had Wolverton." Although, I have not yet found a specific connection between de Wolverton and Dingley, the Wolverton family arms appear on the Dingley quartered arms - see Coats of Arms - so inheritance of the Manor seems likely.

3. Location of Wolverton

Wolverton crops up in two distinct places in the IoW, viz. on Bembridge Isle (sometimes referred to as near Brading) and near Shorwell. Both locations appear to be associated with the manor of Wolverton.

Bembridge Isle. Ulwartone was listed as a settlement in the Domesday Book. In a 1316 Feudal Aid the Lord of the manor of Wolverton was Robert de Glamorgan. In 1340 the French, supported by the Spanish, attached the IoW and Wolverton was reputedly sacked. The settlement was moved to higher ground to the north east. Leases and maps from the 18th and 19th centuries show that Wolverton was situated very close to the western end of the runway of the present Bembridge airport. It was the construction of the latter that finally wiped Wolverton from the map.
[summarised from www.btinternet.com/~rob.martin1/bem/history.htm]

Near Shorwell. In various Dingley records from the 15th century listed in the IWRI, the manor of Wolverton is shown as at Shorwell. Dingley owners of the manor of Wolverton from this time were buried at Shorwell church. There is still a village of Wolverton near Shorwell and a manor house (dating from ?) there.

4. DE WOLVERTON family

a. "...Juran was the immediate tenant of the manor under William son of Stur in 1086. The family of Woolverton, who took their name from this holding and were perhaps descendants of Juran, held the manor from at least the 13th century. Thus John DE WOOLVERTON was in possession in 1293, and in a survey of about the same date he or another John DE WOOLVERTON was holding an eighth part of a fee of the overlord. Ralph DE WOOLVERTON, Knight of the shire in 1327, was probably his descendant. The manor subsequently descended by marriage to the Dingley family." [VCH Hants.]

b. 1309. Ralph DE WOLVERTON was an attorney for John DE INSULA of the Isle of Wight who was "going beyond seas" for three years. [CPR]

c. 15 Mar 1346. Admission of Robert DE WOLVERTON', acolyte, to the chapel of Limerstone in the IoW, vacant by the resignation of the last chaplain, M. Nicholas Haghman, and at the presentation of Roger DE TICHEBORNE, patron and guardian of the chapel. The rector of Brighstone has received written notice for his induction. London. [Reg. Bish. Edington]

d. A later Ralph DE WOLFURTON was commissioner at an array in 1371, 1378 and 1380 "on information of an intended invasion by France and Spain". [CPR]

e. 1383. Ralph DE WOLVERTON's wife was Nicholaa sister of William RYNGEBOURNE. [CCR]

f. In 1387 there was a dispute over the wardship and marriage of the heir of Gatcombe manor (Thomas DE LISLE) which had been demised to Ralph DE WOLVERTON by Ingelram DE COUCY who had married Isabel, countess of Bedford, the king's aunt. [CCR]

g. In 1387 Ralph DE WOLVERTON was a collector of taxes in the Isle of Wight and in 1388 an "arrayer of men at arms" [CCR]

h. In 1390 Ralph DE WOLVERTON makes a charter to William RYNGEBOURNE, Thomas BYFLETE the younger, Richard ESTENE, Walter BURTON and Richard BURTON, their heirs, executors and assigns "of all his estates in all his manors, lands, rents, services etc. in the Isle of Wight and elsewhere in the county of Suthampton". This was on condition that "they shall be bound to deal with the same as by letters under seal of the grantor or his heirs". [CCR] This looks to me like Ralph did not at that time have a son or son-in-law to look after his estates.

i. In 1391, Ralph WOLVERTON was part of a commission "to enquire touching the witholding and concealment in the Isle of Wight of customs and subsidies from the King, by whom, at what times and their amount, also touching the export of wools therefrom by denizens contrary to statute, and by aliens without custom paid". [CPR]

j. Which DINGLEY married the daughter of Ralph DE WOLVERTON? From what I have found so far there only appears to be one candidate - Gilbert DYNGLEY, see below, but I have not found any direct evidence.

5. Dingley references on the IoW in 14th to early 16th century

Descent. Superficially the above table looks like a relatively ordered line of descent from Gilbert, through Ralph, two or three Lewis's to John DINGLEY of Shorwell.

Gilbert looks like the only candidate to have married the daughter of Ralph DE WOLVERTON family and thereby obtaining the manor. If he did, he must somehow be reflected in the Dingley family tree. Gilbert was probably a brother, or possibly cousin, of Robert DINGLEY of Kingsclere - Robert refers to Gilbert DYNELEY in 1394 concerning the manor of Fittleton.

However, the involvement of William and Ann DYNLEY in 1473 needs investigating. If they held Wolverton (in the IoW) at that time, maybe they obtained it through some kind of reversion? William's descent is well documented as the son of Robert - see (4). But if this was some kind of reversion, how do the WOLVERTON arms come to appear in the Dingley Coat of Arms? - see below. It looks difficult to ignore the earlier Dingley ownership of Wolverton in the family tree.

If the 1395 record (1) really does refer to Wolverton manor in the IoW, how did it come about?

Property holdings. The above table does not give a full picture of property holdings which get quite complicated and I do not fully understand them. For example, in 1431 John HAKET and John ROUCLE were seised of a third part in Wolveton [FA], so it should not necessarily be assumed that Ralph DYNELAY owned the whole manor of Wolverton in 1431.

Notes:
(1) 11 Jul 1395. James and Richard DYNELAY and others are pardoned for acquiring from Robert and Margaret DYNELAY "the manor of Wolforton co. Southampton, both held in chief, and in entering thereon without licence" as well as the manor of Fitelton in Wiltshire [CPR]. Robert DYNELAY had died in the previous year - see Kingsclere Dingleys for further information on these people. This reference is puzzling in a couple of respects:

• The index to CPR states that this Wolverton manor was at Brading in the IoW. However, various other records around this time which refer to Wolverton in co. Southampton, mean Wolverton in Kingsclere. Need to check the original Roll to be sure.
• Both Fitelton manor and Wolverton manor in Kingsclere were still in the possession of Margaret and her son Robert much later. They sold Fitelton manor in 1429 [VCH Hants] and Wolverton manor, Kingsclere was inherited by Robert's descendants.

(2) These are introduced under Kingsclere Dingleys (although Richard & James are not of Kingsclere). Robert was sometime Sheriff of Hampshire.

(3) This is almost certainly Robert DINGLEY (1377-1455) of Kingsclere who married Joan BROCAS. The mention of "Alice his wife" in the 1424 entry is interesting and may point to either a second wife or a mistake.

(4) This looks like William DINGLEY (-1487) and his second wife Ann MOMPESSON. William was the son of Robert DINGLEY (1377-1455) of Kingsclere.

6. Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms of Sir John DINGLEY (1589-1670) is shown in the Hampshire and IoW heralds' visitations [Hants. Visitation]. They are quartered as

These Dingley arms (no. 1) are the same as those of the Hampshire and Worcestershire Dyneleys.

7. The father of Mark DINGLEY (-1537)

The descendants of Mark DINGLEY are shown in Descendants of John DINGLEY & Mabel WESTON

The Dingley Pedigree shows Mark DINGLEY (-1557) as the son of John DINGLEY who married Mabel WESTON. I have not yet found direct evidence for this, but there is a pointer in Mark DINGLEY's Will which refers to "my silver cupp with the cover whiche I had of the gift of Sr Richard Weston" - Sir Richard would have been his uncle.

The marriage of John DINGLEY to Mabel WESTON is shown on the Weston pedigree - see ...

The Dingley pedigree shows John's father as Stephen. This is probably derived from Hasted who says "... Stephen ancestor of the DINGLEYs, of Wolverton and Swaston, in the Isle of Wight" [History of Kent]. However, in 1517 Elizabeth DINGLEY wife of George BARET is shown as the heir of Stephen DINGLEY [L&P].

I think it more likely that John DINGLEY who married Mabel WESTON was the John of Shorwell, who was the son and heir of Lewis DINGLEY [L&P, 1509].

8. John DINGLEY (-1538) of Swainston

There was a John DINGLEY of Swainston (near Calbourne, IoW) whose Will was written in 1537 and proved in 1538. In this Will he refers to his wife Anne, his daughter Elizabeth GYLLE, and two sets of further children all of whom appear to be under the age of 18:
 - four children: John (joint executor, presumably the eldest), Markes, Mary, Frances
 - three children: Jane, Ellenor and Anne

Presumably the two sets of children either come from separate marriages, or one set are his step-children.

It does not appear possible that John DINGLEY of Swainston was the father of Mark DINGLEY who died in 1557 and whose children largely appear to be of full age when he died (e.g. Mark's daughter Mabel married Sir William MORE c.1545).

He refers to his "cozen Markes Dyngeley [with others] to have the rule and gydinge of my forsayde vii chyldren" and this may well be Mark who died in 1557.

Apart from his farm at Swainston, in his Will John refers to "my stocke Indenture and yeres of my ffarme of kinges clare" and elsewhere "landes and tenementes in the parrysshe of locksford in the countye of Sowth". Kingsclere in Hampshire was the seat of the Kingsclere Dingleys, although by this time it had passed to the Barrett family. It is quite conceivable that John was a descendant of a younger brother from the Hampshire Dingleys but retaining a lease at Kingsclere.