549
Writ. ‡
18 June 1430. [Wymbyssh].G
DEVON.
Inquisition [indented].
Exeter
12 October 1430. [
Wyse].
Jurors:
John
Bolter
;
Nicholas
Coterell
;
John
Jacob
;
Thomas
Hill
;
William
Boter
;
William
Bysshop
;
Henry
Boutour
;
John
Heynstecote
;
Ralph
Crwys
;
William
Ryder
;
William
Norton
; and
Robert
Wode
.
Hugh
Courtenay, late earl of Devon and lord of Okehampton, was seised of the manor of Columbjohn in demesne as of fee and, thus seised, married Anne daughter of Richard, Lord Talbot. He afterwards granted the manor to
John
Fortescu
and
John
Selman
and to their heirs and assigns in perpetuity, to hold of the chief lords of that fee by due rent and service, under condition that they grant the manor to the late earl for life, without impeachment of waste, with remainder to
Richard
Bamfeld
, described as
Richard
Bamfeld, esquire
of the late earl, and to the heirs male of his body in perpetuity. Failing such issue, the manor should remain to the late earl and his heirs in perpetuity. The earl’s grant was made by charter, sealed with his arms and dated Columbjohn 20 June 1421. It was shown to the jurors.
John
Fortescu
and
John
Selman
were thus seised of the manor in demesne as of fee and, thus seised, they granted the manor to
Hugh
Courtenay
for life, with remainder to
Richard
Bamfeld
and the heirs male of his body in perpetuity. Failing such issue, the manor should remain to the right heirs of the late earl in perpetuity. The grant was made by indented charter, sealed with their seals and dated Columbjohn 21 June 1421. It was shown to the jurors.
The late earl and John and John, as recited in the latters’ charter, also granted that, when his remainder falls, Richard should render 5 marks yearly at the four principal terms by equal parts to
John
Ralegh, servant
of the late earl, until the earl makes other provision for him. If the rent should fall into arrears, in part or in total at any term, then it is lawful, until the late earl has otherwise provided for him, for John Ralegh to make distraint until satisfaction is made.
The late earl was thus seised of the manor in demesne as of free tenement, and was so seised for life. Richard entered the manor after the death of the earl and, from it, assigned reasonable dower to Anne, countess of Devon.
Assigned were buildings called‘Knyghtynchamber’ with cellars, adjacent to two other chambers with two cellars; a third of the hall, chapel, cook-house, bakehouse, grange, and byre, and 11s. 8d. rent from the tenement that
Thomas
Roke
holds; 1/3 profits of the mill; 1/3 ‘la milpark’, as bounded; all of ‘la Northfeld’ beneath ‘Sherpham’ way; 3 closes called ‘heleham’, ‘Barepark’, and ‘Beremede’; a close called ‘Gibbepark’; closes called ‘bollokkenmerssh’ and ‘Bremelhylle’; and 1/3 profits from all services of manorial tenants holding by knight service in the form of 2s. 2½d. and a third of ½d. rent as 1/3 of 6s. 8d. rent from a tenement held in fee and by knight service of Richard, lord of the manor, by
John
Clayhanger
and Isote his wife, in right of Isote, and Joan, sister of Isote and lately wife of
John
Pomeray
. The assignment of dower was made by an indenture between the countess and Richard, dated Tiverton 20 June 1422. It was shown to the jurors. The countess is still so seised.
After the late earl’s death, John Ralegh, still living, peacefully took the rent of 5 marks during Richard’s lifetime. The late earl made no other arrangements for him.
Columbjohn. The rest of the manor, not assigned to the countess in dower and of which Richard was seised, is comprised of 2 parts of the hall, chapel, cook-house, bakehouse, grange, and byre; 2 parts of ‘la milpark’, namely, 2 a. arable; 50 a. arable and 6 a. wood in ‘le Northfeld’ on the south side of ‘Sherpham’ way; 18 a. arable in a close called ‘Cobulanster’; 15 a. arable at ‘Colmdowne’; 3 a. arable on the south side of the manorial site; 27 a. arable of ‘Mersshlond’ in two closes, namely, 16 a. in ‘Cowemerssh’, and 11 a. in ‘Okebeare’; 2 a. arable in a close by ‘Dollebyrymede’; 11 a. meadow, of which 3½ a. lies in ‘Dollebyrymede’ and 7½ a. lies in ‘le Newemede’; 24 a. arable and 1½ a. meadow held by tenants-at-will; 2 gardens near the manorial site; and 4s. 5d. and two parts of ½d. rent service, as two parts of the 6s. 8d. rent.
The 2 parts of the buildings with 2 gardens are worth nothing yearly; each acre of arable is worth 4d. yearly above the rent of 5 marks; each acre of meadow is worth 16d. yearly above the rent; each acre of the wood is worth 1d. yearly; and 2 parts of the profits of the mill are worth 4s. yearly. The manor is held of the king as of his duchy of Lancaster by knight service.
The 2 parts of the manor with reversion of the third pertain to the right heir of the late earl, and to his heirs in perpetuity. The right heir is
Thomas
Courtenay, knight
, son of Hugh and a minor in the wardship of the king.
Richard held a tenement with adjacent garden in Okehampton in demesne as of fee of the king in chief by grant of the late earl. It descended to the late earl by hereditary right upon the death of
Edward
Courtenay
, his brother, and he was thus seised in demesne as of fee after his marriage to Anne. He made the grant to Richard by charter dated 1 August 1420. It was shown to the jurors.
Richard died on 15 March last without heir male of his body. John Bamfeld, his brother and next heir, is aged 40 and more.
C 139/51/49 mm.1–2
E 149/146/4 m.1