Since 1349, four families have resided at Bisterne, and all four are in fact closely related. They are: Betteshorne (1349-1400), Berkeley (1400-1522), Compton (1522-1792) and Mills (1792 to present). The immediate past owners, by date of occupancy, were Sir John Mills (1908-1954), and his son Major John Mills OBE (1954-2003), who died in 2012 and left the estate to his nephew, Hallam Mills, DL. The estate is now run by Hallam Mills, and his son Leo.
Bisterne Manor, the family home (above), originally appeared in the 1086 Domesday Book as “Betestre”, occupied by the “sons of Godfric Malf” who has owned it in 1066, on the invasion of William The Conqueror.