‹ E-CIPM 22-814: ISABEL ›

manors of Bacons in Dengie

Alfriston in Great Dunmow, with the

advowson of the chapel or prebend in Dengie church,

In the manor of Bacons there are derelict houses, worth nothing yearly; 300 a. arable, each acre worth 2d. yearly; 200 a. barren pasture, each acre worth 4d. yearly; 20 a. meadow, each acre worth 12d. yearly; 66s. 8d. assize rents at Christmas and Midsummer in equal portions; and perquisites of a court, worth 18d. yearly after the steward’s expenses and costs. The manor is held of the prior of Takeley by fealty and service of 10 marks yearly.

In the manor of Alfriston there are derelict houses, worth nothing yearly; 400 a. arable, each acre worth 2d. yearly; 30 a. barren pasture, each acre worth 4d. yearly; 14 a. meadow, each acre worth 14d. yearly; 160 substantial timber, worth nothing yearly above enclosure because there is no underwood in the wood; 60s. assize rents at Easter and Michaelmas in equal portions; and perquisites of a court, worth 20d. after the steward’s expenses. The manor is held of the king in chief by service of a knight’s fee.

She held the manor of Stanway with the advowson of its church for life by demise and confirmation of Thomas Erpyngham, chevalier , Simon Filbrugge, chevalier , William Coggeshale, chevalier , Richard Baynard , Robert Rykedon , Ralph Chamberleyn , William Ayllemere , John Berkamstede, clerk , John Grene and Richard Fitznichole , reversion to Thomas Erpyngham and the others above-named, their heirs and assigns, as is clear more fully in their charter to her dated at Stanway, 24 March 1421 and shown to the jurors. In the manor there are derelict hoses, worth nothing yearly; 500 a. arable, each acre worth 1d. yearly; 40 a. pasture, each acre worth 2d. yearly; 16 a. meadow, each acre worth 12d. yearly; 200 a. wood, of which 20 a. may be felled each year and then each acre worth 2s. yearly; £4 assize rents at Christmas and Midsummer in equal portions; and perquisites of a court, worth 20d. yearly after the steward’s expenses. The manor is held of John Howard, chevalier , and others of their manor of Lexden by fealty and service of paying a pair of gilt spurs at Christmas.

She formerly held the manor or priory of West Mersea for life, with lands, tenements, rents, services, wood, meadows, pastures, wardship, marriage, relief, escheat, suit of court, franchises, liberties, ?honours (decis), and privileges and all other rights and appurtenances belonging to the manor or priory. She held by grant and demise of Guy abbot of the monastery of St Ouen, Rouen , of the French parts of Normandy and the convent there, to Isabel and John Doreward and Henry, then bishop of Annaghdown in Ireland, now deceased, for their lives, ‪Henry IV’s licence obtained [CPR 1399–1401, pp.284–5]. By his letters patent, on 2 May 1422 [CPR 1416–22, p.441], ‪Henry V‬ granted the manor or priory – described as the alien priory of West Mersea in Essex, otherwise called the manor or priory of West Mersea in Essex, otherwise called the alien manor of West Mersea in Essex – to Henry archbishop of Canterbury , primate of all England and papal legate, and William Chichele, lately archdeacon of Canterbury , now deceased, and the archbishop’s heirs. ‪Henry V‬ wished and granted for himself and his heirs that the priory, which Isabel lately held for life by grant of the abbot and convent of the monastery with remainder to ‪Henry V‬ and his heirs, by virtue of the statute and agreement or ordinance in his parliament at Leicester held in his second year, which declared that such alien priories in England should remain to himself and his heirs, should now remain or belong immediately after her death to the archbishop and archdeacon and the archbishop’s heirs, with all churches, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, fisheries, rents, services, privileges, customs, liberties, franchises, reversions, knights’ fees, advowsons of churches, vicarages and other benefices and ecclesiastical offices, and with all pensions, portions of divided benefices, annuities, ?honours, oblations, obventions, alms and other benefits, profits, things, rights and possessions whether spiritual or temporal belonging to the priory, to hold of ‪Henry V‬ and his heirs by fealty only, without profit or any other service, charge, exaction or demand performed, born, rendered or paid by the priory or any parcel thereof to ‪Henry V‬ or his heirs. Further, ‪Henry V‬ granted and gave licence from himself and his heirs to Isabel to grant or surrender her estate and possession in the priory to the archbishop and archdeacon and the heirs of the archbishop; similarly, special licence to the archbishop and archdeacon that they and any one of the heirs of the archbishop, by this grant or surrender made by Isabel to them or one of them, or if Isabel should cease to have sufficient estate in the priory, could make free entry without any prosecution as regards ‪Henry V or his heirs, and retain and have this priory to themselves and the heirs of the archbishop. Further, ‪Henry V‬ granted that they, in full and peaceable possession and seisin of the priory, could give, grant or assign the priory to the Master and college at Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire, when founded by the archbishop, to have and hold to the Master and College and their successors of the archbishop and archdeacon and the archbishop’s heirs in free, pure and perpetual alms, for the maintenance of the indigent parsons in the college and certain paupers there, without any profit, service, charge, exaction or demand to ‪Henry V‬ or his heirs; the master and college and their successors to hold of the archbishop and archdeacon and heirs of the archbishop in free, pure and perpetual alms as above without any profit, charge, exaction or demand as above from the priory. Afterwards Isabel, on 5 April 1423, granted the manor or priory with the lands, tenements, etc., described in full as above, to the archbishop and archdeacon and the heirs of the archbishop. They were seised of this estate. The archbishop founded, established and ordained the college, to the glory and honour of God, and appointed the lord John Smale, chaplain , as master. On 4 August 1426, the archbishop in peaceable possession of the manor or priory, granted and confirmed it by his letters patent to the master and college and their successors in aid of the maintenance of the parsons and paupers as above, to hold of the archbishop and his heirs in free, pure and perpetual alms as is contained more fully in the foundation and letters patent shown to the jurors. The master and college were peaceably seised from the 4 August and remain so. The manor or priory is held of the archbishop in pure and perpetual alms, annual value of the manor £60.