r, and formed a detached piece or island
lying within it.

The second Aubrey de Vere was made Great Chamberlain of England by King
Henry I. This office was made hereditary. The third Aubrey was created
Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda, a purely honorary title, as he held no
possessions in Oxfordshire. The third Earl, Robert, was one of the
guardians of the Magna Charta. The fifth of the same name granted lands,
in 1284, to one Simon Downham, chaplain, and his heirs, at a rent of one
penny. This formed another manor in Kensington. This Robert and the
three succeeding Earls held high commands. The ninth Earl was one of the
favourites of Richard II., under whom he held many offices. He was made
Knight of the Garter, Marquis of Dublin (the first Marquis created in
England), and later on Duke of Ireland. His honours were forfeited at
Richard's fall. However, as he died without issue, this can have been no
great punishment. Eventually his uncle Aubrey was restored by Act of
Parliament to the earldom, and became the tenth Earl. Kensington had,
however, been settled on the widowed Duchess of Ireland, and at her
death in 1411 it went to the King. By a special gift in 1420 it was
restored to the twelfth Earl. In 1462 he was beheaded by King Edward
IV., and his eldest son with him. The thirteenth Earl was restored to
the family honours and estates under King Henry VII., but he was forced
to part with "Knotting Barnes or Knotting barnes, sometimes written
Notting or Nutting barns." This is said to have been more valuable than
the original manor itself. It formed the third subordinate manor in
Kensington. The thirteenth Earl was succeeded by his nephew, who died
young. The titles went to a collateral branch, and the Manor of
Kensington was settled on the two widowed Countesses, and later upon
three sisters, co-heiresses of the fourteenth Earl.

We have now to trace the histories of the secondary manors after their
severance from the main estate. The Abbot's manor still survives in the
name of St. Mary Abbots Church. About 1260 it was discovered that Aubrey
de Vere had not obtained the consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury or
the Bishop of London before granting the manor to the Abbot. Thereupon a
great dispute arose as to the Abbot's rights over the land in question,
and it was finally decided that the Abbot was to retain half the great
tithes, but that the vicarage was to be in the gift of the Bishop of
London. The Abbot's manor