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

WILLIAM LEGH, KNIGHT

249 Writ. ‡ 22 August 1439. [Louthe].

NORFOLK. Inquisition. Kirby Bedon in the hundred of Henstead. 29 October 1439. [Chappe]. [Inquisition: ms largely torn away and missing.]

Jurors: Andrew Syre ; Geoffrey Man ; John Philip ; Thomas Parys ; William Sendell ; John Shirreve ; Andrew Cole ; Robert Cory ; William Bygard ; William Goldsmyth ; Thomas Cutwode ; Geoffrey Reket ; Andrew Halle ; and Bartholomew Hulwer .

He held the following in demesne as of fee tail to him and the heirs of his body. Surlingham, the manor. There is the site with various ruinous houses, worth 12d. yearly; a dovecot, worth 6s. 8d. yearly; 41s. 11 1/2d. assize rent from the various free tenants that hold the knights’ fees and other manorial tenants, payable at Easter and Michaelmas; £8 18s. 1/2d. rent from various customary tenants, payable at the same feasts; 20 messuages or cottages demised to various tenants-at-will, each worth 12d. yearly; 200 a. arable demesne, each acre worth 8d. yearly; 16 a. meadow that is frequently flooded by the great river running from Norwich to the sea, each acre worth 18d. yearly; 5 a. marsh, each acre worth 12d. yearly; 200 a. pasture, worth 30s. yearly and no more because all the manorial tenants and residents have common pasture; a wood, containing 32 a., that was totally felled and sold last year by William Legh , worth nothing above enclosure and maintenance of the same to save its brushwood (virgulti); warren in all demesne lands, worth 13s. 4d. yearly; various harvest- and winter-works according to manorial custom, worth 40s. yearly; view of frankpledge for 3 days a days year, viz., held according to manorial custom at Surlingham at Michaelmas, at Rockland St Mary on the morrow, and at Kirby Bedon on the second day following, worth 6s. 8d. yearly above the 20s. payable yearly to the king; and a court held every three weeks, worth 6s. 8d. above the steward’s fee. Cringleford, Keswick, Kirby Bedon, and Rockland St Mary, 4 1/2 knights’ fees belonging to the manor. The abbot of Langley and William Cole each hold 1/2 knight’s fee in Rockland St Mary; Robert Clere holds a knight’s fee in Keswick; the master of the hospital of St Giles in Norwich and Thomas Wetherby each hold a knight’s fee in Cringleford; and John Warde holds 1/2 knight’s fee in Kirby Bedon. Bramerton, advowson of the church. They are held of Thomas Dacre, Lord Dacre, knight , in socage by service of rendering an unmewed sparrow-hawk yearly for all services. He held them by grant of Henry Preston and William Sandes to his father, William Legh, chevalier , and Agnes his wife, and to the heirs of the body of William, father. The grant was made by a fine levied at Westminster on the quindene of Hilary 1417 [CP 25/1/169/185, no. 28], before Richard Norton and his associates, then king’s justices, between Henry Preston and William Sandes, querents , and William Legh and Agnes, deforciants . The manor, knights’ fees etc. were described as the manor of Surlingham and advowson of the church of Bramerton.

He died on 14 August [last]. William Legh is his son and next heir, and was aged 15 years on 3 May last. [Head:] Delivered to the king’s Chancery on 13 November.

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250 Writ. ‡ 22 August 1439. [Louthe]. Addressed to the escheator in Cumberland and Westmorland.

CUMBERLAND. Inquisition. Keswick. 14 September 1439. [Strykland].

Jurors: Nicholas Raddeclyf, chevalier ; John Skelton ; Thomas Curwen ; Hugh Louther ; William Louther ; Thomas Osmoderlawe ; Robert Louther ; Thomas Alanby ; William Coldale ; Thomas Stanlawe ; Robert Byrtby ; and William Raubank .

He died seised of the following in demesne as of fee. Great Orton, 1/3 manor, held as a whole of Richard Kyrkbryde , service unknown. There is a capital messuage, worth nothing yearly above maintenance; an adjacent garden, worth 2s. yearly; 2 carucates of demesne land, each worth 13s. 4d. yearly; 20 a. meadow, each acre worth 12d. yearly; 20 messuages held by various tenants at terms of years, each demised for 12d. yearly; 8 cottages held by various tenants at terms of years, each demised for 8d. yearly; 8 carucates of land, held at terms of years by the tenants of the messuages and cottages, each demised for 13s. 4d. yearly; a vachery called ‘le Bowgh’, worth 26s. 8d. yearly; 400 a. moor, worth nothing yearly as common pasture for the tenants of the vill of Great Orton; 200 a. wood, worth nothing yearly above the fee of the keeper because there is no cuttable wood, the herbage is worth nothing yearly, and it cannot be demised to anyone; and perquisites of a court, worth nothing yearly above the fee of the steward and clerk. The manor is burdened with £8 rent, payable to Ralph Blanerhayset , still living, at Pentecost and Martinmas equally, which £8 is deducted from the total sum. Great Orton, 1/3 advowson of the church. The next presentation belongs to the heirs of William Legh, knight . The current chaplain is William Shortered . Wiggonby, 1/3 manor, held as a whole of Thomas, Lord Dacre , service unknown. There is a capital messuage with various ruinous houses, worth nothing yearly above maintenance; an adjacent garden, worth 2s. yearly; 2 carucates of arable demesne, each worth 10s. yearly; 6 a. demesne meadow, each acre worth 8d. yearly; 8 messuages, held by various tenants at terms of years, each demised for 12d. yearly; 2 cottages, each demised for 8d. yearly; 4 carucates of land, held by various tenants at terms of years, each demised for 10s. yearly; 200 a. moor, worth nothing yearly because it is common pasture; and perquisites of court, worth nothing yearly above the fee of the steward and clerk. Carlisle, 1/3 messuage in the city, held as a whole of the king in free burgage, as all the city is held, worth 6s. 8d., and rendering 2d. house-gavel yearly to the king on the feast of St Peter in Chains. Stainton within the barony of Greystoke, a third of the following: 10 messuages, each demised for 12d. yearly; 3 carucates of land, held by various tenants at terms of years, each demised for 13s. 4d. yearly; 20 a. meadow, held by various tenants at terms of years, each acre demised for 12d. yearly; and 12 a. wood, worth nothing yearly but its herbage worth 3s. 4d. yearly, held of the king in chief as 1/28 knight’s fee and rendering 3s. 6d. cornage to the king’s exchequer at Carlisle. There is common pasture for all his animals and 1/3 common pasture for the animals of men of Stainton, worth 6s. 8d. yearly. Margin: ‘of the king’. [1]+He held the whole of the manors, advowson, messuages, land, meadow, wood, and pasture in common with John Midelton, chevalier , and Joan his wife, both still living, and John Belasseys and Alice his wife, also both still living: William held his third from his own inheritance, and John Midelton and Joan, and John Belasseys and Alice held the other two parts, in respective right of Joan and Alice.+[1] He held the following in common as above with John Midelton and Joan his wife, and John Belasseys and Alice his wife, in demesne as of fee. Waverton, one messuage, 3 a. land, and one acre of meadow, worth 2s. yearly. Of whom they are held and by what service, unknown. He held the following jointly with Isabel his wife, still living, to them and the heirs of their bodies, by grant of William Legh, knight , to William, named in the writ, and Isabel. The grant was made by indented charter, dated at Carlisle on 5 February 1424 and shown to the jurors. William and Isabel were described as William Legh, knight , son of William Legh, knight , and Isabel his wife, daughter of Robert Louther, knight . The lands were described as all his lands and tenements held severally in Blindcrake by William Scott , John Taillour , William Parott , Robert Stell , William Shepherd , John Wylson Shepherd, William Raper , Thomas Husthwayt , William Benson , John Raper , William Northend , John Marshall , John Shepherd , John Northend , John Wylson Bernard , William Robynson , William Redemane [ms faded], Nicholas Thomson , Thomas Shepherd , Agnes Patonwys , Joan daughter of Thomas Robynson , William Vllayk , and Edward Plumland ; all his lands and tenements lately held severally of him by Patrick Story , William Shepherd , and John Thomson ; certain wastes called ‘Blencrakemore’; and reasonable estovers, viz., ‘husbute’ and ‘haybute’, in his park of Isel by view of the keeper of the same. Margin: ‘jointly’. Blindcrake, 20 messuages, each worth 12d. yearly; 4 cottages, each worth 8d. yearly; 300 a. land, each acre worth 3d. yearly; 20 a. meadow, each acre worth 12d. yearly; and 600 a. moor, worth nothing yearly as common pasture. The estovers are worth 2s. yearly. The messuages etc. are parcel of the manor of Isel and, with the manor, are held of Thomas, Lord Dacre , by homage and service of rendering 33s. 4d. at Michaelmas to Thomas and his heirs. Blindcrake, 4 marks rent taken from the mill, called ‘Isalemylne’, payable at Pentecost and Martinmas equally. The mill is parcel of the manor of Isel and worth 13s. 4d. yearly above the rent. He held the following in demesne as of fee. Isel, the manor, with members and appurtenances extending to Blindcrake, Isel, Sunderland, Redmain, Ward Hall , Plumbland, and Bassenthwaite. With the messuages, cottages, land, meadow, and moor in Blindcrake [above], it is held of Thomas, Lord Dacre , by homage and service of rendering 33s. 4d. yearly at Michaelmas to Thomas and his heirs. There is the manorial site with a tower and other houses, worth nothing yearly above maintenance; 2 carucates of demesne land, each worth 20s. yearly; 40 a. demesne meadow, each acre worth 4d. yearly; a park called ‘le Newpark’, its herbage worth 6s. 8d. yearly and no more above the parker’s fee and maintaining the beasts; and a park called ‘le Aldepark’ in which there are 15 dwellings, each with a small close, each dwelling and close worth 6s. 8d. yearly. There are 100 a. wood outside the parks, worth nothing yearly above the keeper’s fee because there is no cuttable wood; 28s. 8 1/2d. taken yearly from the following free tenants who held of William and his heirs by homage, fealty, cornage and suit of court, viz., from Richard Redemane and his heirs for a tenement in Redmain, 4s. 4d. yearly; from William Dykys and his heirs for a tenement in Ward Hall , 13s. yearly; from James Kelom and Katherine his wife, and Eleanor, daughter of Robert Roos, knight , for a tenement in Plumbland, 6s. 8d. yearly; from Robert Warcop for a tenement in Blindcrake, 5d. yearly; from William Wynder for a tenement in Blindcrake, 9 1/2d. yearly; and from Thomas Sandes for a tenement in Blindcrake, 3s. 6d. yearly. There is also a court held every 3 weeks, worth 6s. 8d. yearly above the fees of the steward and clerk; and a moiety of a weir and two free and several fisheries, worth 4s. 4d. yearly, viz., the moiety of the weir is worth 3s. 4d. yearly, and each of the fisheries is worth 6d. yearly. They are described below. There is the abovesaid mill of Blindcrake called ‘Isalemylne’, worth 13s. 4d. yearly above the rent of 4 marks; and, in Sunderland, there are 12 messuages, each worth 12d. yearly; 4 cottages, each worth 8d. yearly; 60 a. land, each acre worth 3d. yearly; and 12 a. meadow, each acre worth 6d. yearly. William and his ancestors, lords of the manor of Isel, and all others whose estate William and his ancestors had, were successively seised in sole and free tenement of a moiety of a weir called ‘Vsegarth’ in Bassenthwaite Lake from time immemorial by reason of their lordship in Blindcrake, Isel, and Redmain. The moiety was held by William at the time of his death. It extended from the northern side of Bassenthwaite Lake to the middle of the river and from there to the issue and descent to Derwent Water. The other half of the weir was held, by reason of his honour and lordship, in sole and free tenement by Henry, earl of Northumberland , lord of the honour and lordship of Cockermouth, on the southern side of Bassenthwaite Lake to the middle of the river and from there to the descent to Derwent Water. William and his ancestors, lords and holders of the manor of Isel and the lordship of Blencrake, Isale, and Redmain, were similarly seised from time immemorial, by reason of the manor and lordship, of a free and several fishery in the moiety of Bassenthwaite Lake on the northern side, extending to the middle of the river from the higher end of the weir to the descent and, from there, to the middle of Derwent Water on the northern side, to the middle of the river and, from there, to the boundaries between the lordship of Blindcrake, Isel, and Redmain, and the lordship of Bridekirk. They freely and peacefully took and had, and so should they, as parcel of the manor of Isel and the lordship of Blindcrake, Isel, and Redmain, a moiety of whatever fish were taken in whatever way at the weir, at the descent to Derwent Water, and at the lower side of the weir, and also salmon and eels, and all manner of fish in the moiety of Derwent Water on the northern side, within the said limits and bounds, just as the earl and his ancestors, lords of the honour and lordship of Cockermouth, took and had the other moiety of fish caught at the sluice, at the descent, and at the lower side of the weir, and also all manner of fish caught in the southern part of Derwent Water, and so should they by reason of the honour and lordship of Cockermouth. Long before his death, he granted by charter £20 rent from the manors of Isel, Great Orton, and Wiggonby, the tenements in Stainton, and from the manor of Surlingham in Norfolk, to William his son, and Isabel his wife, daughter of John Boulde, knight , still living, for their lives, the rent to be taken yearly at the feasts of Pentecost and Martinmas equally, with a clause of distraint if it is not paid in part, or in total, within 40 days after any term of payment. William, son, and Isabel were thus seised and possessed of the rent in demesne as of free tenement long before the death of William, father, and at the time of his death.

Date of death and heir as 249 William, son, was married to Isabel, daughter of John Boulde, knight , on the day of his father’s death. [Head:] This inquisition was delivered to the king’s Chancery on 6 October 1439.

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251 [Writ: see 250.]

WESTMORLAND. Inquisition. Brough. 19 September 1439. [Strikland].

Jurors: Henry Wherton ; Hugh Louther ; William Blenkansopp ; Robert Warcopp ; Hugh Salkeld, junior ; Geoffrey Louther ; William Helton ; John Wherton ; Thomas Hilton ; Thomas Warcopp of Lammerside; John Manchell ; Thomas Whitlawe ; and John Helton of Winton. C 139: Wynton; E 149: Wytton

He died seised of the following in demesne as of fee. Dufton, a third of 40s. rent from the manor, taken yearly at Pentecost and Martinmas equally. He held the whole rent of 40s. as 250+[1] in common with John Midelton and Joan his wife, and John Belasseys and Alice his wife.

Date of death and heir as 249 [Head:] This inquisition was delivered to the king’s Chancery on 6 October 1439.

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252 Writ. 23 August 1439. By bill [CFR 1437–45, pp. 100–101]. By mainprise of Robert Louther of Cumberland and John Damet of Lincolnshire, the king committed to James Kelom and Hugh Louther, esquire , custody of all the manors, lands and tenements in Cumberland, Westmorland, and Norfolk, that were of William Legh, knight , deceased, who held of the king in chief and that after his death and by reason of the minority of William his son and heir, came to the king’s hand, and are still there, to have from the time of the death of William Legh until the majority of the heir, rendering yearly to the king, as much as may be agreed upon between the treasurer of England and the said James and Hugh by Candlemas next, and to maintain houses, closes, and buildings and to support all other burdens to the same manor, lands and tenements in any way incumbent, as long as they have the above custody.

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253 Writ. 5 December 1439. Regarding letters patent dated on 25 November 1439 [CFR 1437–45, pp. 113–14] whereby the king, by mainprise, committed to Thomas, Lord Dacre, knight , custody of 2 parts of all manors, lands, tenements, rents, and services in Cumberland, Westmorland, and Norfolk, that were of William Legh, knight , who held of the king in chief – regarding which certain lands and tenements, inquisitions were taken by the escheators of 17 ‪ Henry VI [1 Sept. 1438 to 31 Aug. 1439] and returned, and that by the death of William Legh and by reason of the minority of William his son and heir, came to the king’s hand and are still there – to have from the time of William’s death, during the minority of William, son, rendering £13 10s. 71/2d. yearly to the king, just as the 2 parts are extended yearly, and an increment of 50 marks at Michaelmas and Easter equally, and to maintain the houses, closes and buildings, and also support etc. [in ms], providing always that if any others give more etc. [in ms], as more fully contained in the same letters patent. Thomas, Lord Dacre , surrendered the above letters to Chancery, to be cancelled, and now, by mainprise of Thomas Warcop of Sandford in Westmorland, esquire, and of William Thrilkeld of Melmerby in Cumberland, esquire, found in the Exchequer, the king orders Thomas to have custody of the above 2 parts from the time of the death of William Legh until the majority of the heir, rendering £26 17s. 3 1/2d. yearly to the king, and also the increment of 50 marks at Michaelmas and Easter equally, and to maintain the houses etc., provided as above [CFR 1437–45, pp. 115–16]. E 149 records this as ‘25 November’, but CFR and C 60/247 record it as ‘24 November’.

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