Compton Verney of Meulan and later inherited by the Earls of Warwick. At some time before 1150 the manor was granted to Robert Murdac when it became known as "Compton Murdak", and was inherited by his descenants and thence to the heirs of the Murdak family. In 1370, after two hundred years of ownership by his family, Sir Thomas Murdak surrendered the estate to Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward III. In 1435 it was acquired by Richard Verney (1435–1490) with the assistance of his younger brother John Verney, Dean of Lichfield, and Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. The Verney family had
Alice Perrers had no children. Though Perrers was given many gifts and land grants from Edward, her financial success was largely earned. Some contemporaries claimed that she had seduced a senile king to gain property and goods, but most of her acquisitions were owed to her intelligence, business acumen, and use of contacts, and she became a wealthy landowner. So successful was she that at the height of her power she controlled 56 manors, castles and town houses stretching over 25 counties of England from the north to the home counties. Only 15 of these were gifts from Edward. Among other properties,