‹ E-CIPM 18-978: THOMAS EARL OF KENT ›

Holdings

He held the castle and vill of Castle Donington to himself and his heirs by the grant of Edward III to Edmund earl of Kent , his ancestor [ CChR IV, pp.2–5], he being the son of Thomas, son of Joan princess of Wales , sister of John, brother of Edmund, son of Edmund.

There are the site of the castle, annual value nil; a watermill, £3; a park, nil beyond the cost of the enclosure and the fee of the parker; a fishery in the Trent, 13s.4d.; 3 carucates, 40s.; 40 a. meadow at 12d.; rent of free tenants, 40s. payable by equal parts at Michaelmas and Lady Day; rent of burgesses, customary tenants and cottars, £36 10s.4d. payable similarly; and perquisites of court with 2 views of frankpledge, 40s. They are held of Henry prince of Wales of his county of Chester, service unknown.

Holdings

By the grant of Edward III to Edmund earl of Kent , his ancestor [as above, no. 974] he held to himself and his heirs:

Ollerton, the manor, annual value in lands, meadows, pastures, demesnes, rents, services, farms, perquisites of courts, woods, mill and all other profits and liberties 50s. Immediately after his death it was taken into the king’s hands owing to his forfeiture, and from that time Thomas Basse occupied it to the king’s use of the duchy of Lancaster until 1 July 1403 . Then the king by letters patent [ CPR 1401–5 , p.260] granted to Edmund de Holand , now earl of Kent , brother and heir of the late earl, livery of all his inheritance in the county, except for the wapentake of Ollerton. Of whom it is held is unknown.

Ollerton, the wapentake, annual value in rents, services and all other appurtenances £4, but of whom it is held and by what service is unknown. Thomas Basse held it until 30 Sept. 1404 , and William de Lake since that date, both to the king’s use.

Plumtree, the wapentake, annual value £4, but of whom and by what service is unknown. It was held like the manor of Ollerton by Thomas Basse until 1 July 1403 , and since then by Edmund earl of Kent .

Holdings

By the grant of Edward III to Edmund earl of Kent , his ancestor [as above, no. 974] he held to himself and the heirs of his body:

Risley, the wapentake, of whom and by what service is unknown, annual value 30s. Owing to his forfeiture it was taken into the king’s hands. Thomas Basse until 30 Sept. 1403 and since then William de Leeke have occupied it to the king’s use of the duchy of Lancaster, and taken the profits.

Ashford, the manor, extending in Ashford, Longstone, Sheldon, Wardlow and Holme, of whom and by what service is unknown, annual value £60. It was taken into the king’s hands, and Thomas Beaufort held it by the king’s grant until 1 July 1403 , when by letters patent [as in no. 975] the king granted all his inheritance in this county, except the wapentake of Risley, to Edmund now earl of Kent .

Ticknall, certain lands, of whom held and by what service is unknown, annual value 40s. Thomas Basse occupied them until 30 Sept. 1403 , and since then Richard, the bailiff of Castle Donington castle , both to the king’s use of the duchy of Lancaster.

He held the manor of Chesterfield jointly with Joan his wife of the king in chief by knight service, by the grant of Thomas earl of Kent and Alice his wife by a fine [CP 25(1) 289/56, no. 243] to them and their heirs. Joan has held it since his death, annual value £60.

Holdings

By the grant of Edward III to Edmund earl of Kent , his ancestor [as above, no. 974] he held to himself and his heirs, of the king in chief by knight service:

Greetham, the manor and the lordship called the honour of Greetham, extending in Greetham, Minting, Gautby, Thurlby, Langton, Stenwith and many other places; annual value in rents, farms, perquisites of court, woods and other profits £40. They were taken into the king’s hands on his death, and William de Wyllughby, lord of Eresby , has taken the issues and profits by the king’s grant [ CFR XII, p.43], for how long is unknown.

Hay, the fee, with the ward of Lincoln castle, and rents, farms, foreign services, courts and views of frankpledge in Billingborough and Bitchfield, with fees, advowsons and 2 shops with solars in the bailiwick of Lincoln belonging to the fee, annual value 106s.8d. They were taken into the king’s hands on his death and have since been held by the escheators.

Caistor, Beesby and Market Deeping, the manors, annual values £52, £32, and £202, with the advowson of the church of St. Nicholas, South Kelsey.

Also by the grant of Edward III he held, but of whom and by what services is unknown:

Keelby and Brattleby, the manors, annual values £14 and £13 6s.8d., and the free court called rere-county held at Lincoln every six weeks, annual value 20s.

The manors of Caistor, Beesby, Market Deeping, Keelby and Brattleby, the advowson and the free court came into the possession of Edmund de Holand , now earl of Kent , in virtue of the entails by his predecessors and the letters patent of 1 July 1403 [ CPR 1401–5 , p.260] shown to the jurors, granting him all his lands in Lincolnshire except the manor and honour of Greetham, the fee of Hay, lands in Stenwith, the manors of Horbling, Sedgebrook and Thurlby, and the free court of Hay; and he has taken the profits of the manors of Caistor etc. since then.

Francis de Courte, knight, had the issues of the manors of Caistor, Beesby and Keelby by the king’s grant from the death of the earl until 1 July 1403 . Thomas Rempston held the manor of Market Deeping for one year after the earl’s death to the king’s use, and then the king granted it to Joan, the earl’s widow, who held it until 1 July 1403 . Henry now bishop of Lincoln took the issues and profits of the manor of Brattleby until the same 1 July, and the escheators held and took the issues of the rere-county to the king’s use.

He also held of the king in chief by knight service jointly with Joan his wife the castle and manor of Bourne with its members, and £30 rent from the manor of Skellingthorpe, to them and the heirs of their bodies by the grant of Thomas Holand, late earl of Kent , and Alice his wife by a fine [CP 25(1) 289/56, no. 243]. Edward I granted Bourne to John de Wake, knight , and Joan his wife, [ CPR 1292–1301 , p.303] and Thomas was his lineal descendant, being the son of Thomas, son of Joan princess of Wales , daughter of Margaret, sister of Thomas, son of John and Joan de Wake. The annual value of the castle and manor is £70. Joan his widow has held them since the death of Thomas by virtue of the fine.

Holdings

He held in his demesne as of fee of the king in chief 2 messuages, 1 hide and 1 ‘bordel’ of half a hide, and half a virgate in the parish of Stepney at Mile End, and common pasture for 60 swine in the forest of Havering by the service of finding a leash each year for the king’s greyhounds when the king hunts in person in the forest between 15 Aug. and 8 Sept. After his death John Cassey entered without licence and enfeoffed John Potter and George Benet , citizens and cordwainers of London, and they have held them without licence until the present; annual value 60s.

[ Cf. CPR 1405–8 , p.20].