Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume 25, 1437-42

REYNOLD PYMPE SON OF JOHN PYMPE, ESQUIRE

99 Writ devenerunt. ‡ 20 October 1437. [Wymbyssh]. Inquire after those lands and tenements that came to the hand of ‪ Henry V and are yet in the king’s hand owing to the death of John and the minority of Reynold.

KENT. Inquisition. Maidstone. 23 November 1437. [ Selby ].

Jurors: John atte Berne ; William Covper of Yalding; John Powcy ; Nicholas Danne ; Henry Stotteswold ; William Covper of East Peckham or West Peckham (Pekham); John Martyn ; John Kynge ; William Broke ; William Herbelott ; Walter atte Hoke ; and William atte Nasshe .

Stephen Betenham , John Beaufitz , Peter Colpepir , William Sybthorp, clerk , Henry Borne, clerk , William Cheyne , and Thomas Horden were formerly seised of the following in demesne as of fee. West Barming, the manor with advowson of the church there, annual value £4, held of the king in chief as three parts of a knight’s fee. The church is currently filled by John Botley, clerk . East Barming, the manor, annual value 40s., held of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester , as of his manor of Milton as 1/2 knight’s fee. Otham, the manor with advowson of the church, annual value 69s. 4d., held of the count of Aumale as 1/2 knight’s fee. The church is currently filled by John Knollys, clerk . Read, the manor, annual value £6, held of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester , as of his manor of Milton, and of the prior of Christchurch , Canterbury, as of his church, service unknown. Loose, the manor in the parish of East Farleigh, annual value £10, held of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester , as of his manor of Milton, and of the prior of Christchurch , Canterbury, as of his church, service unknown. Thus seised, they granted the manors and advowsons to John Pympe, esquire , and the heirs male of his body, with remainder to Roger Isle and the heirs male of his body. The grant was made by licence of ‪ Henry IV , by letters patent dated at Westminster on 20 October 1411 [CPR 1408–13, p. 324], shown to the jurors. John Pympe was thus seised, and died seised of this estate. The manors and advowsons descended to Reynold his son and heir, and Reynold died while still a minor in the wardship of the king. ‪ Henry V, by letters patent dated at Westminster on 16 December 1421 [CFR 1413–22, p. 413], shown to the jurors, by mainprise of William Cheyne, esquire , and Alexander Cheyne, esquire , both of Kent, committed custody of all the lands and tenements, and manors that were of John Pympe , who held of ‪ Henry V in chief by knight service, and that came to the hand of ‪ Henry V owing to the death of John Pympe and the minority of Reynold, and are still in the king’s hand, to John Wylcotes, esquire , and Isabel, who was wife of John Pympe , to have from John Pympe ’s death until the majority of the heir, as more fully contained in the letters patent. Reynold also died seised of the following in demesne as of fee and by hereditary right after the death of his father. Nettlestead, the manor with advowson of the church. There is 22s. assize rent and 6 hens, price 18d., from various tenants, payable at two terms of the year, viz., Easter and Michaelmas equally; a dovecot, worth 3s. 4d. yearly; 386 a. arable, each acre worth 4d. yearly; 22 a. wood, of which one acre can be cut annually, the acre then worth 6s. 8d. yearly when cut; 31 a. meadow, each acre worth 16d. yearly; 10 a. pasture in the parish of East Peckham or West Peckham (Pekham) in a place called ‘Stotbury’, parcel of the manor, each acre worth 4d. yearly; a park, worth nothing yearly because overburdened with beasts and rabbits; and a fishery called ‘Weer’ in the same park, worth 10s. yearly. The church is currently filled by John Hervy, clerk . Pimp, the manor. There are 60 a. arable, each acre worth 4d. yearly; 12 a. meadow, each acre worth 16d. yearly; a house in Yalding, exceedingly ruinous and run-down, worth nothing yearly; 2 stalls there for selling meat and fish, worth 20d. yearly; a parcel of land in West Malling, 6 feet long and 6 feet wide, parcel of the manor, worth nothing yearly above rent owed to the abbess of West Malling ; and an acre of arable in East Malling, parcel of the manor, worth 6d. yearly. This acre is held of the abbess of West Malling , service unknown. The manors of Nettlestead and Pimp lie together and are enclosed in one area (sub uno presinctu). There is the site, worth nothing yearly because so many repairs are needed; 2 courts baron held every three weeks, worth nothing yearly above the steward’s costs. The two manors are held of Humphrey, earl of Stafford , as of his lowy (ut de leucatu) of Tonbridge as 1/2 knight’s fee. Brenchley,1/2 messuage called ‘le Moote’ in the parish of Brenchley. The messuage is held as a whole of the prior of Combwell in gavelkind by rendering 10s. 2d. yearly for all services. There is the site, worth nothing yearly because ruinous and tumble-down; 25 a. arable, a moiety of 50 a., each acre worth 3d. yearly; 26 a. wood, a moiety of 52 a., one acre of which can be cut yearly, the acre then worth 6s. 8d. yearly; and 6s. 7 1/4d. assize rent, a moiety of 13s. 2 1/2d., from various tenants of the said messuage, payable at two terms of the year. Brenchley, Horsmonden, and Lamberhurst, certain lands called ‘le Case’, viz., 51 1/2 a. arable, a moiety of 103 a., each acre worth 4d. yearly; and 10 a. wood, a moiety of 20 a., that can only be cut once in 20 years, each acre then worth 6s. 8d. yearly. The lands and wood are held of the earl of Stafford as of his castle of Tonbridge, and of Richard, earl of Warwick , as of his manor of Lamberhurst, in gavelkind, service unknown. Yalding, 54 1/2 a. pasture, a moiety of 109 a., each acre worth 4d. yearly. The 109 a. pasture are held in gavelkind of Humphrey, earl of Stafford , as of his manor of Yalding, by rendering 9s. 5d. and a hen, price 3d., to the earl for all other service. Brenchley, 6 a. arable, a moiety of 12 a., each acre worth 4d. yearly. The 12 a. land are held in gavelkind of Thomas Keriell, knight , as of his manor of Brenchley, by rendering 2s. yearly to the same for all other service.

He died on 18 September 1436. John Pympe is his brother and next heir, and was aged 19 years and more on the day of Reynold’s death. John and Reynold were co- heirs of John Pympe , father, regarding all the lands and tenements held in gavelkind and, according to custom, from time immemorial, all such lands and tenements were, and are still, divisible between the heirs male.

C 139/88/51 mm. 1–2

The writ melius inquirendo of 389 recites the inquisition of 99 to here.