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
Mistress (lover) pregnancy. It is noteworthy that the ballad-maker assigned this role to the knight's mistress ("leman" was the term common at the time) rather than to his wife. In the courts of Europe, particularly Versailles and Whitehall in the 17th and 18th centuries, a mistress often wielded great power and influence. A king might have numerous mistresses, but have a single "favourite mistress" or "official mistress" (in French, "maîtresse en titre"), as with Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. The mistresses of both Louis XV (especially Madame de Pompadour) and Charles II were often considered to exert great influence over their