PRESTON VAVASCOUR alias TROUBLEFIELD

There are seventeen deeds in this section and another three in Section B, which relate specifically to the Vavascour estate at Troublefield and elsewhere in the Isle of Wight. All three parts of Troublefield and Preston Farm came eventually to Sir John Simeon, who sold a part of Preston Farm to Sir Henry Oglander in 1867 (OG/D/18).

The remaining nine relate to a small estate at Sutton in the parish of Brighston which Richard Keene had inherited from his mother and which he agreed to convey to John Trenchard on 21 November 1486. (OG/D/12).

The manor of Preston which lies in the north west corner of the parish of St. Helens, and is only divided from Ryde by the Smallbrooke stream, was at an early period divided into Preston (now Preston Farm) and Preston Vavascour, alias Preston Turberville, alias Troublefield, now represented by St. John's House. In Section C we have seen how the Wyvill family from a very early date bought up various smallholdings in Preston Farm and added them to their estate of Smallbrooke, across the Smallbrooke stream and in the parish of Newchurch. When the Oglanders purchased Smallbrooke in 1590 these smallholdings in Preston also passed into their hands and remained part of the Oglander estate until very recent times.

The Oglanders interest in Preston Vavascour or Troublefield only lasted from 1556 when George Oglander purchased one third part of the Vavascour estate, until 1582 when his son, William Oglander sold it to John Elcock. The following deeds are not therefore strictly speaking Oglander documents, though they have been with the collection for over 400 years.

The manor of Preston Vavascour was held in the reign of Henry II by one Thomas Vavascour and remained in this family until about 1360, when another Thomas Vavascour died, leaving three daughters and co-heiresses, who held their father's considerable estate in the Island in coparceny (as joint owners). Thomas Vavascour had also acquired the adjoining estates of Westbrooke and Westhay (now Westridge), both in St. Helens parish and also probably by marriage with the heiress of Hugh Fleming property at Rookley and Horringford in Arreton parish, at Blackpan in Brading parish and at Sutton in the parish of Brighston.

Although the deeds relate to the third part which descended in the families of Mohun and Trenchard until sold to George Oglander in 1556, they do throw light on the other owners of the thirds.