King, Edward IV, granted the lordships and manors of ‘Chellesfelde, Esthall, Faukehan, Ayssh and Wylmyngton’ to his uncle, William Neville, Earl of Kent and his heirs male, but he did not live long to enjoy them nor leave any male heir. Afterwards, Fawkham was hived off to the family of Poynings and Chelsfield, Easthall and Ash were given to Henry, Earl of Essex, and his wife Isabel, who was Edward IV’s aunt. The Countess, who survived her husband, died possessed of the Ash manor during the brief reign of Richard III.²²
   After King Richard fell on Bosworth field, the ownership was much in doubt. For long enough, the old aristocracy had been preoccupied with destroying itself and, with one King’s traitor becoming another King’ s martyr, there could be much confusion in the succession to great estates. The establishment of the strong Tudor monarchy provided a background against which such 

problems could be resolved.
   In the case of Ash and very much else, the question resolved itself into an argument as to who was now heir to the estates of Sir Guy de Bryan, who had died nearly a hundred years before. Four formidable survivors from the Wars of the Roses staked their claims; they were Harry, Earl of Northumberland, Thomas, Earl of Ormond, Sir Thomas Seymour and Sir Edward Poynings. Lawyers examined the titles, many meetings were held and in 1488, after a battle of words that had lasted two years, a compromise was reached. Harry of Northumberland was recognised as Sir Guy’s heir, for which acceptance each other claimant received his quid pro quo. In the ensuing partition, the manors of Chelsfield, Easthall, (Old) Fawkham and Ash went to Sir Edward Poynings.²³