Painswick was one of the first settlements taken from the forest that covered most of England. The Celts cleared a hill now known as Painswick Beacon and built a rampart around the summit to keep out the dreaded wolf packs and wild animals. It also protected them from hostile neighbors. With no central government, each settlement had to defend itself.

The Celts raised flocks and cattle, which they herded outside the rampart during the day and drove them back to the shelter at night. They grew wheat, which had to be guarded from the wild boar and deer herds. They kept honey bees and learned to brew mead, a strong drink made from fermented wheat and honey. At night they gathered around the fires and related stories of their gods, Thor and Woton. They believed in witches, enchantments and fairies. They would sing and drink until their brains became too befuddled to do anything but sleep it off.

In 42 A.D., four Roman legions under Emperor Claudius crossed the channel and brought England under the Roman Empire. They built a villa at Painswick with central heating and hot and cold baths. For 350 years the Romans ruled England, but when the Barbarians marched towards Rome, the Roman troops were recalled from England to defend their sacred city.

The Celts, left unprotected and without arms, were no match for the Saxon Pirates who poured across the channel looting and burning and killing all who resisted. However they did not conquer all of England and the villa at Painswick was left silent and deserted. Some of the Saxons brought their wives and children. They cleared the area around where the Painswick church now stands and built a small village called a wyke.

Later, William the Conqueror came from Normandy. Walter de Lacy fought for William in the battle of Hastings and as a reward was given 116 Manors. Among the manors was Wyke with over 20,000 acre—14,000 acres of it in forest. The Manor remained in the De Lacy family until 1130 when it was given to Pain Fitsjohn, who had married into the De Lacy family. The village became known as Pain’s Wyke, which later became Painswick. Sheepscombe was still a primeval forest.

The Manor passed through many families of related lines, but finally returned to the Crown, who awarded it to Arthur Plantagenet, Vicount Lisle, the natural son of Edward IV through the descent of his wife Elizabeth. They became hopelessly in debt and had to sell 400 of the trees in the Sheepscombe forest, which was protested, as it was the favorite hunting place of Henry VIII and Ann. A second sale of the trees was made and then the Manor was sold to the Cromwell family. Upon his death it returned to the Crown.

By intrigue and because he was a favorite of King Henry VIII, the Manor was sold to the Kingston family. King Henry VIII hunted often in the forest. Sir Anthony Kingston became the owner at the death of his father. He constructed a gallows at Sheepscombe and allowed two Motley brothers, John and William (apparently our ancestors), the use of a house and fields to keep the gallows in repair and be the executioners. However, there is no record of the gallows ever being used. The gallows is said to have been on the grass plot below the church.

Painswick was one of the Manors whose Lord had the right to try and hang felons. It also had the right of "tumbrel and pillory.” Tumbrel consisted of punishing women (usually scolds and prostitutes) by causing them to be ducked in water in a chair or on a stool constructed for that purpose. The pillory was a wooden frame supported by an upright post having holes through which the head and hands of offenders (male or female) were secured and the offender held in public disgrace.

There are pages of owners of the Manor and several Manor Houses. Pain Fitsjohn’s Manor House was Castlellum in the 15th century. Castle Hale became the Manor House in the 16th century, but later was purchased by the gentry. The third building believed to be the Manor House was known as the Lodge Farm, which had a large deer park. It was finally divided and sold to a Mr. Brown who leased it and the land to farmers. The house was too large for a farmer and too expensive to keep up, so one of its wings was pulled down.