Unpublished IPMs: Proof of Age for Eleanor, daughter and heir of Robert Roos, of Gedney, knight, 1449

Posted by: mholford 10 years, 10 months ago

This proof of the age of Eleanor Roos, daughter of Sir Robert Roos of Gedney in Lincolnshire, taken in 1449, is fairly typical of such documents, both in its contents and the circumstances in which it was taken. What is unusual, however, is that fifty years later a second proof was taken, which reported a different place and date of birth. This strange, possibly unique, turn of events will be discussed in a separate post, to be made shortly.

ELEANOR, DAUGHTER AND HEIR OF ROBERT ROOS, OF GEDNEY, KNIGHT

Writ de etate probanda.‡ 16 November 1448. [Fryston].
Because Eleanor, one of the daughters and heirs of Robert Roos, late of Gedney, knight, deceased, who held from us in chief on the day he died, says that she is of full age and claims from us the lands and tenements which are of her inheritance and in the keeping of John Taylboys the elder, esquire, by our grant [CFR 1437-45, p. 198; CPR 1441-6, p. 51], we wish that the same Eleanor, who was born in London and baptised in the church of St Christopher in Broad Street, London, as she says, should prove her age before you.
John Taylboys to be warned.
[Dorse:] He was warned by John Blome and Henry Officer.

LONDON. Proof of Age. Guildhall. 14 February 1449. [Broun]
The jurors say that she was born in the parish of St Christopher in Broad Street ward on 23 June 1432 and baptised in the church there and was aged 16 years on 23 June last, and they remember for the following reasons:
John Spenser, age 50 years and more, says he was enfeoffed of a messuage in the said parish on the day she was baptised.
Thomas Lawrence, age 48 years and more, says he lost the use of his right eye on that day.
Thomas Freer, age 36 years and more, says his first son John was buried in the graveyard of the same church on that day.
Thomas Merssh, age 60 years and more, says he fell from a chamber and broke his right leg on that day.
Richard Drope, age 40 years and more, says he married his wife Joan in the same church on that day.
John Shedburgh, age 50 years and more, says his daughter Katherine was confirmed by the bishop of London in the same church on that day.
Lawrence Pygot, age 60 years and more, says his son Peter was baptised in the same church on that day.
Thomas Johnson, age 40 years and more, says Marion his wife broke her left arm as she fell in the street in the said parish on that day.
Adam Derby, age 30 years and more, says Peter Lee started on the way to Canterbury for the soul of his deceased father on that day.
Robert Leg, age 50 years and more, says he received the freedom of the city of London on that day.
Henry Lok, age 40 years and more, says Alice his daughter gave birth to a son called Alexander on that day.
Richard Kenworth, age 30 years and more, says William Forster enfeoffed him in a two shops in the same parish on that day.
[Head:] Delivered to court on 8 March.
C 139/136/50 mm. 1–2

CCR 1448-1449, p. 86: ‘To the escheator in Yorkshire. Order to take the fealty of Humphrey Duddeley, and to give him and Eleanor his wife seisin of her purparty of the third part hereinafter mentioned; as upon the finding of an inquisition, taken before the late escheator, that at his death Robert Roos knight held a third part of the manor and lordship of Hunmanby in chief by the service of the eighth part of one knight's fee, and that Margery wife of John Wittilbury esquire, then of full age, and Eleanor her sister, then within age, were his daughters and next heirs, the king ordered that escheator to take the fealty of John Wittilbury, to take of him and the said Margery security for payment of their relief, in presence of the next friends of the said Eleanor or of their attorneys to make a partition thereof into two equal parts, and to give the said John and Margery seisin of her purparty, keeping in his hand the purparty of the said Eleanor until further order; and the said Eleanor, whom Humphrey Duddeley has taken to wife, has proved her age before Stephen Broun mayor of the city of London and escheator therein.'