Unpublished IPMs: Gilbert Talbot, Gloucestershire, 1419

Posted by: mholford 10 years, 5 months ago

This IPM into the Gloucestershire lands of Gilbert Talbot has been calendared as CIPM xxi.322, but only five brief disconnected phrases from its text appear there, followed by the statement ‘remainder mostly illegible'.  Both the Chancery and Exchequer texts do indeed present challenges, but in fact between them the entire text can be read, with some effort and the use of an ultra-violet lamp.  It appears below.

The subject of the inquisition, though described in it only as Gilbert Talbot, knight, was in fact a peer, summoned to Parliament as lord Talbot of Blakemere and Goodrich castle.  The elder brother of the better-known John, earl of Shrewsbury, Gilbert was also a commander of English armies, active in the suppression of Owen Glendower's revolt and the conquest of Normandy.  He was present at the siege of Caen in 1417, was joint commander of a force which took Domfront in the summer of 1418, and re-joined the royal army for the siege of Rouen that autumn, where he died in October 1418.

This IPM records how in July 1417 at Southampton, just two weeks before embarking for France, he had prudently granted several of his Gloucestershire manors to feoffees, leaving instructions that if he died overseas then his debts should be repaid and his last will performed from their profits, after which the manors would revert to his heirs, but that if he returned safely then they should be returned to him.

The charter also granted two lordships in Herefordshire on the same terms, so it was mentioned in Talbot's Herefordshire IPM as well.[1.  CIPM xxi.320, where the charter is mistakenly dated 14 July.  Because the charter and its provisions are described in detail in that entry of the calendar the same information would not normally be repeated in extenso in the entry for this IPM, but they are set out in full here to avoid the need for cross-reference to the print volume.] That inquisition helpfully pointed out that the king's licence had not been obtained for the alienation, for which breach the feoffees had subsequently to pay the Exchequer £30, plus another £40 for an earlier unlicensed alienation of the Gloucestershire manor of Painswick, also recorded in this IPM (though without mention of the lack of licence).[2.  CPR 1416-22, 219.  In connection with the 1417 alienation the Patent Roll entry refers only to the Herefordshire IPM and manors, without mentioning the Gloucestershire IPM and manors (though the latter IPM is referred to in connection with the Painswick alienation), but the size of the fine seems to reflect the Gloucestershire properties, which were worth £30 yearly, compared to £5 for the Herefordshire ones.] One wonders whether the feoffees tried to protest that the licence could not be obtained because the alienation had been made hurriedly during the confusion of the army's departure for France, or to suggest that Talbot's subsequent death in the king's service might be grounds for leniency. If they did, it was to little avail, as the £40 fine for Painswick (for which the excuse of an urgent departure on military service was not available) was exactly equal to that manor's yearly value, but the £30 fine for the 1417 alienation was only a little less than the yearly value of those properties, £35.

These grants are described in the IPM as indented charters, but two others made by Talbot and mentioned in the IPM are referred to as ‘his letters patent', a reminder that these instruments were not solely used for royal grants.  The two patents both granted relatively insignificant lifetime interests only, presumably to retainers as rewards for service.  One made only a few weeks before Talbot's departure for Normandy, to his well-beloved valletus Richard Clerk, may have been to a man retained for military service.[2.  In this period valettus might describe a military retainer, either a man-at-arms or a yeoman archer, but could also mean a senior domestic servant.]

 

GILBERT TALBOT, KNIGHT

Writ. 1 November 1418.  [Wymbyssh].
GLOUCESTER AND THE ADJACENT MARCH OF WALES. Inquisition. Gloucester. 11 January 1419. [Grevell].

Jurors:  John Joce; John Solers; Walter Toky; Robert Codryngton; Henry Crooke; Richard Panter; Phillip Longe; John Lymeryk; Nicholas Bayly of Oldland; Robert Monemouthe; Richard Mild; and John Russell of Withington.

He was seised in his demesne as of fee of the manors of Painswick, Moreton Valence and Whaddon and long before his death by his indented charter under his seal of arms and dated at Painswick on 1 June 1414, by the name of Gilbert, lord Talbot, knight, he granted them to Richard Talbot, clerk, his brother, William Stanley senior, knight, John Hanmere, James Holte and Walter Wodeburn, their heirs and assigns and appointed Robert Gyffard and Thomas Moigne, esquires, his attorneys to deliver seisin to them, by which they were seised of the manors in their demesne as of fee for all of Gilbert's life and continue so.
The manor of Painswick is held of the king in chief by knight service, annual value £40.
The manors of Moreton Valence and Whaddon are held of the king as earl of Hereford as of his manor of Haresfield by knight service, annual value £46.

He was seised in his demesne as of fee of ½ the manor of Badgworth and 2/3 of the manor of Lea and the manors of Huntley, Lydney and Longhope and 40s. yearly rent issuing from lands and pastures in the lordship of Westbury which John Hycokes late held of him for a term of years.  Long before his death by his indented charter, under his seal of arms and dated at Southampton on 15 July 1417, shown to the jurors, by the name of Gilbert, lord Talbot, knight, he granted them to Richard Talbot, clerk, his brother, William Beauchamp of Powick, knight, Thomas Mulle, Robert Whytyngton, John Walsshe of Chester and Walter Wodburne [later: Wodeborn], esquires, their heirs and assigns, on condition that if he should die beyond the seas in the king's army or going there or returning then his feoffees should apply the issues and profits in payment of his debts and performance of his last will contained in a document sealed with his seal, and that done should enfeoff his right heirs, but if he should return then he should have liberty to re-enter the manors and recover them in their former state, the charter notwithstanding, by virtue of which charter his feoffees were seised in their demesne as of fee for all of his life and continue so.
The ½ manor of Badgworth is held of the earl of Stafford by service of one knight's fee, annual value nil.
The 2/3 manor of Lea is held of the abbot of St Peter's, Gloucester, service unknown, annual value £6 1d.
The manor of Huntley is held of the king as duke of Lancaster as of his honour of Monmouth by service of ½ knight's fee, annual value £6 4s.
The manor of Lydney is held of the earl of Warwick in socage, paying £4 yearly at Easter and Michaelmas in equal portions, annual value nil beyond a yearly payment of £8 from the issues of the manor which long before his death he granted by his letters patent to Henry ?Samond for his life.
The manor of Longhope is held of the king as duke of Lancaster as of his honour of Monmouth by service of ½ knight's fee, annual value £18.

He was seised in his demesne as of fee of the following:
- ½ knight's fee in Edgeworth which Thomas Ralegh late held.
- ½ knight's fee in Daglingworth which John Biseley senior and Katherine his wife hold in right of Katherine.
- 1/8 knight's fee in Woolstrop which Giles Walsshe holds.

He was seised of a toft and 2 carucates of land in Damsells Land near Painswick of the king in chief, service unknown, annual value 40s.

He was seised of a messuage, a watermill and a carucate of land in his manor of Painswick in his demesne as of fee, service unknown, annual value 20s.  Long before his death by his letters patent dated at London on 31 May 1417, shown to the inquest, by the name of Gilbert lord Talbot, lord of Archenfield and Blakemere, he granted the messuage, tenement and mill within his lordship of Painswick which Thomas Sudgrove had held of him on the day of Thomas' death to his well-beloved valet Richard Clerk of ‘Botelston' for his life, the reversion after Richard's death to him and his heirs, by virtue of which grant he was seised of the land, tenement and mill as of free tenement.

He died overseas at Rouen in Normandy in the king's army and service on 19 October last.  Anchoret Talbot is his daughter and next heir and aged 2¾ years and more.

C 138/41/68 mm. 23-24
E 149/112/1, m. 2