Holdings
John
de
Willie, late parson of the church of Walton-on-Thames
, was lately seised of the
in his demesne as of fee, held of
Edward III
in chief by service of
1/12 knight’s fee. By licence of
Edward III
he granted this to
Edward
de
Kendale
and
Elizabeth his wife and the heirs of their bodies, remainder to the right heirs of Edward.
Edward and Elizabeth were seised in their demesne as of fee tail in this form and held the manor of
Edward III
by the same service. They had issue Edward, Thomas and Beatrice and died seised. The manor then descended successively to Edward as their son and heir, who died seised without heir of his body, Thomas his brother and heir, who died seised without heir of his body, and to Beatrice his sister and heir, then wife of
Robert
Turk
.
By a fine levied afterwards at
Westminster, octav. St John the Baptist 1376, without royal licence, between
Robert and
Beatrice quer. and
William
Croiser, knight
,
William
Bokkebrigge, clerk
,
John
Malyns
,
John
Josep, chaplain
, and
John
Hynewyke, chaplain
, deforc., the deforc. granted
the manor
to the quer. and the heirs of Beatrice’s body, to hold of the deforc. and the heirs of
William
Croiser
, reversion to the deforc. and heirs of
William
Croiser
, as is apparent more fully in the fine shown to the jurors. Robert and Beatrice were seised in this form, had issue a daughter named Joan and died.
The manor then descended to Joan, then wife of
John
Waleys
, as their daughter and heir.
By a fine levied on octav. Mich. 1414 [CP 25/1/288/50 no. 790], between
Reginald
Cokayn
and Beatrice his wife, described as
Reginald son of
John
Cokayn
of Cockayne Hatley and
Beatrice daughter of John and Joan [Waleys], his wife, quer., and the same
John
Waleys
and Joan his wife, deforc., the quer. recognized the manor
to be the right of Joan for Beatrice, then under the age of 17 years. The deforc. granted
the manor,
together with the homage and all services of
Thomas
Spetille
and of all the manorial tenants, to the quer. and the heirs of their bodies, remainder to the right heirs of
Beatrice as daughter of John and Joan, to hold of
Henry V and his heirs by the services thence owed and by right accustomed.
Henry V’s licence was first obtained, as is contained more fully in the fine shown to the jurors [
CPR 1413–16, p.204, 28 June 1414]. The king was not informed of the estate, right and title of Joan to and in the manor, and in recognition of
the king’s deception the same
John
Cokayn
, then Justice of
the king,... [
uncertain] a writ
dedimus potestatem from
Henry V directed to him.
Thomas
Spetille
, who held, at the time of the fine, lands and tenements of the manor as part of it – namely a messuage lying next to the messuage formerly
William atte Speitlle’s in the vill of
Luton, to himself and his heirs in fee by fealty and 7s. rent at two annual terms, Lady Day and Michaelmas – never attorned to Reginald or Beatrice.
John
Waleys
died, and
Joan his wife died on 16 November 1420. She held the manor of
Henry V, and the day she died was tenant of the manor to
Henry V by virtue of the gift, by service of
1/12 knight’s fee.
Beatrice wife of Reginald, Joan wife of
Robert
Leuenthorp
,
Agnes
Waleys
and
Joan
Waleys
are her daughters and next heirs, aged respectively 26 years and more, 21 years and more, 14 years and more and 10 years and more. The 7s. rent of
Thomas
Spetille
descended after her death according to the gift to
John then her son and heir. He was seised at will of the rent until he died a minor on 28 June 1422. After his death the rent descended similarly to his four sisters and heirs, who were and are still seised at will.
Thomas
Spetille
held the lands and tenements from which the rent issued of John son of Joan by the same services, and John held as mesne tenant between
the king and Thomas of
Henry V by service of 1/100 knight’s fee.
Joan wife of
John
Waleys
held in her demesne as of fee a croft of land lying below the garden of Brache in
Luton together with an adjacent meadow there, of
Henry V in chief by service of 1/90 knight’s fee. She held other lands and tenements called ‘la Brache’ of
David
Assheby
, ‘Brambleangre’ [now Bramingham], ‘Lalleford’, and 1/2 tenement called ‘Pepishule’ in
Luton and
Caddington, of persons other than
the king,
service unknown.
John her son held the manor and all lands and tenements and was tenant to
the king in the above form and manner at his death. If the fine between Reginald and Beatrice his wife and
John
Waleys
and Joan his wife is not a breach of succession of the gift in tail of
John
de
Willie
, then Joan wife of Robert,
Agnes
Waleys
and
Joan
Waleys
together with Beatrice wife of Reginald are seised at will of the manor.
Annual value of the manor above the 7s. rent, £13 6s. 8d. The rent from
Thomas
Spetille
should be taken annually there at the above feasts. The croft and meadow are worth 3s. 4d. yearly; all the other lands and tenements and the 1/2 tenement are worth £24.
