"the manor of Paddington is put wholly into the hands of the Almoner ... and whatsoever shall be the final overplus shall be expended charitably in distribution to the poor. On the day of celebration the Almoner is to find for the Convent fine manchets, cakes, crumpets, cracknells, and wafers, and a gallon of wine for each friar, with three good pittances, or doles, with good ale in abundance at every table, and in the presence of the whole brotherhood: in the same manner upon other occasions the cellarer is bound to find beer at the usual feasts or anniversaries on the great tankard of twenty-five quarts.
"He shall also provide most honourably and in all abundance for the guests that dine in the refectory, bread, wine, beer, and two dishes out of the kitchen besides the usual allowance. And for the guests of higher rank who sit at the upper table under the bell, with the president, ample provision shall be made as well as for the Convent: and cheese shall be served on that day to both.
"Agreement shall likewise be made with the cook for vessels, utensils, and other necessaries, and not less than two shillings shall be given over above for his own gratification and indulgence. The Almoner is likewise to find for all comers in general, from the hour when the memorial of the anniversary is read to the end of the following day, meat, drink, hay and provender of all sorts in abundance: and no one either on foot or horseback during that time shall be denied admittance at the gate."
There are further provisions for allowances to the nuns at "Kilborne," and 300 poor who were to have a "loaf of mixed corn" and a "pottle of ale." The above is taken from Dr. Vincent's translation of the MS. He was Dean of Westminster in 1804. Mr. Loftie says: "Westbourne was probably at a very early period separated from the original manor of the Church of St. Peter.... Of Paddington we only know that it was separated from the manor of Westminster at some time between Domesday Survey and the middle of the twelfth century. It was restored to its original owners ... by the above mentioned agreement between Abbot Walter and the brothers Padinton."
Mr. Loftie says also that Westbourne and Paddington are named together in 1222 among the possessions of St. Margaret's. He is unable to ascertain how the manor of Westbourne came to belong to the Abbot of Westminster. In the reign of the second Edward several inquisitions of land were made which are quoted by Robins in his "Paddington, Past and Present." In one we find mentioned "that Walter de Wenlock recover and hold the aforesaid messuages and land to them and their successors for ever."
But the Abbot had to pay the King a small yearly sum, and cause certain services of reaping and ploughing to be performed for him, which showed that he held the land in some sense subject to the Crown. In Henry VII.'s reign his mother, the Countess of Richmond, bought certain lands in Kensington, Willesden, Paddington, and Westbourne. She left the greater part of her possessions to Westminster, so that the Abbey lands in this vicinity must have been increased. The manor acquired by the Countess seems to have consisted chiefly of two farms—Notting Barns in Kensington, and "Westborne" in Paddington; the former is fully dealt with in the section devoted to Kensington. Besides the lands left to the Abbey, she bequeathed part of her possessions to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
In the account of the Church property which fell into Henry VIII.'s hands at the dissolution of the monasteries we find mentioned "Westborne."
King Henry also held other lands here, which he had obtained by exchange or purchase. He made Paddington a part of the endowment of the new See of Westminster. After the abolition of that See Edward VI. gave "the mannor and rectory of Paddington" to Dr. Nicholas Ridley, then Bishop of London, "and his successors for ever" (Newcourt).
Westbourne remained in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster; thus the two manors parted company. Paddington was confiscated during the Commonwealth, but was claimed by Bishop Sheldon at the Restoration. It was restored to him, and he let it to his nephew, Sir Joseph Sheldon, knight, and Daniel Sheldon. It was held by the Sheldon family until 1740, when it was let by Gibson, the Bishop of London, to Sir John Frederick, in whose family it remained for many generations.