Somerton, Oxfordshire
| Somerton | |
|---|---|
 St James the Apostle parish church |
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 Somerton
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| Somerton shown within Oxfordshire | |
| Area | 8.00 km2 (3.09 sq mi) |
| Population | 305 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 38/km2 (98/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SP4928 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bicester |
| Postcode district | OX25 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Somerton |
Somerton is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, in the Cherwell valley about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Bicester. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 305.
14 Saxon or early medieval graves have been discovered at Somerton's former Free School.
The Domesday Book of 1086 records that William the Conqueror's step-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, held most of the manor of Somerton.
In 1230 the manor of Somerton was divided between two heiresses. In 1245 Walter de Grey, Archbishop of York, granted one of the halves to his nephew, also called Walter de Grey. The de Grey manor house seems to have been on low-lying land near the Cherwell. By 1295 it had a court, dovecote and fishponds. By 1300 Somerton had a watermill. Remains of the fishponds survive today.
The manor was passed down through the de Grey family, and then to their descendants the Deincourts and then the Lovells of Minster Lovell. In 1485 Francis Lovell was created 1st Viscount Lovell. Francis is believed to have been killed in 1487 in the Battle of Stoke Field at the end of the Wars of the Roses. Thereafter the Crown held the manor for the next 25 years.
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Wikipedia