‹ E-CIPM 25-441: MARGARET, LATE DUCHESS OF CLARENCE ›

Holdings

She held no lands or tenements of the king, or any other.

Holdings

She held no lands or tenements of the king in chief, or any other, in demesne as of fee. She did, however, hold the following fee farm in demesne as of fee tail, to her and the heirs of her body. It was granted by ‪ Edward II , among other manors, lands, tenements, rents, and services, to Edmund de Wodestok , his most beloved brother, and the heirs of his body, by letters patent dated at York on 6 November 1319 [CChR 1300–1326, p. 416] and shown to the jurors. Edmund was thus seised in demesne as of fee tail and died so seised. The fee farm descended to Edmund, his son and heir, who died so seised without heir of his body, and the fee farm thus descended to John, late earl of Kent , brother and heir of Edmund son of Edmund. John also died seised of the fee farm without heir of his body and, after his death, it was assigned in the Chancery of ‪ Henry IV in dower, among other things, to Elizabeth, lately wife of John, by endowment of John, with reversion to Joan, late princess of Wales , sister and heir of John, late earl. After the death of Joan, the reversion descended to Thomas, late earl of Kent , as her son and heir, and, after his death, it descended to Thomas, late earl of Kent , son and heir of Thomas son of Joan.ⁿ³⁵⁴ After the death of Thomas son of Thomas, the reversion descended to Edmund as his brother and heir and, after Edmund’s death, it descended to Edmund son of Eleanor, late countess of March , 1st sister and heir of Edmund brother of Thomas, to Joan, late duchess of York , 2nd sister, to Margaret, late duchess , 3rd sister, to Eleanor, wife of Thomas, late earl of Salisbury , 4th sister, and to Elizabeth, lately wife of John Neuyll, chevalier, 5th sister. They are all heirs of Edmund, and kin and heirs of John, late earl of Kent. Elizabeth, lately wife of John, late earl of Kent, afterwards died seised of her estate and the fee farm was then assigned in Chancery to Margaret, late duchess, to have in her purparty from all the manors, lands, tenements, farms, rents, and services that Elizabeth held in dower and for life. Margaret, late duchess, afterwards died so seised, and the fee farm descended to John, present earl of Somerset, as her son and heir.

Holdings

[1]+By letters patent dated on 12 November 1404 [CPR 1401–1405, p. 477], shown to the jurors, from his special grace and with the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and the community of the realm in parliament at Coventry, ‪ Henry IV granted £1000 to John, late earl of Somerset , and the heirs male of his body, taken at Easter and Michaelmas equally from the king’s Exchequer, to be taken from Michaelmas then last, to maintain his estate as earl until the king or his heirs provide the earl or his heirs male with lands and tenements that are not parcel of the crown, to the value of £1000 yearly, as more fully contained in the same letters. The late earl was thus seised until the same king, by letters patent dated on 25 October 1406 [recte 1409], from his special grace granted £500 yearly to the late earl, described as his most beloved brother, John, earl of Somerset , to hold to him and his heirs male from Michaelmas then last from the petty customs in the city of London, by the hand of the collectors of farms or occupiers of the same, at Easter and Michaelmas equally in part satisfaction of the £1000, notwithstanding any ordinances, grants or assignments made or to be made to the contrary from the petty customs. If the earl or his heirs male are, for any reason, not paid the £500, or any parcel of the same, then payment should be made at the king’s Exchequer, as more fully contained in the letters patent [CPR 1408–13, p. 142].+[1] The late earl was thus seised in demesne as of fee tail, viz., to him and the heirs male of his body, of £500, to be taken yearly from the petty customs in the port at Easter and Michaelmas, according to the force and effect of the later grant [of the two described here] made by the late king. The earl had issue: Henry Beaufort, late earl of Somerset , and John, present earl of Somerset , and he died seised of his estate. After his death,

a third of the £500, were assigned in dower to Margaret, late duchess of Clarence , lately wife of John, late earl. Henry Beaufort died without heir of his body, with the duchess still living. She then died seised of her estate, and reversion of the 250 marks belongs to John, present earl, as son and heir of John, late earl. She held the following in demesne as of fee and, after her death, it descended to John, present earl of Somerset, as her son and heir.

Holdings

Begins as 440+[1]. The letters patent of 25 October 1409 were shown to the jurors.ⁿ³⁵⁵ The late earl was thus seised in demesne as of fee tail, to him and the heirs male of his body, of £500 – from the original £1000 – to be taken yearly at the Exchequer, according to the force and effect of the first grant [of the two described here] made to him by the king. The earl had issue: Henry Beaufort, late earl of Somerset , and John, present earl of Somerset , and he died seised of his estate of the £500 from the Exchequer. After his death, a third of the £500, were assigned in dower to Margaret, late duchess of Clarence, lately wife of John, late earl. Henry Beaufort died without heir of his body, with the duchess still living. She then died seised of her estate, with reversion of the third belonging to John, present earl, as son and heir of John, late earl.

Holdings

She held the following in demesne as of fee. They are held of the king in chief. Annual value £18.

Holdings

She died seised of the following to her and the heirs of her body. The rents are held of the king in chief, service unknown. By letters patent dated at York on 6 November 1319 [CChR 1300–1326, p. 416], shown to the jurors, ‪ Edward II had granted, among other manors, lands, tenements, fee farms, rents, and services, the rents of £50 and £11 12d. to Edmund de Wodestok , his most beloved brother, and to the heirs of his body. Edmund was thus seised in demesne as of fee tail, and he died seised of this estate. After his death, the rents descended to Edmund, his son and heir, who died without heir of his body and they descended to John, late earl of Kent , brother and heir of Edmund son of Edmund. John died seised of the rents without heir of his body and they descended to Joan, late princess of Wales , sister and heir of the late earl. After Joan’s death, they descended to Thomas, her son and heir, and, after his death, they descended to Thomas, late earl of Kent , son and heir of Thomas son of the princess. After the death of Thomas son of Thomas, they descended to Edmund, brother and heir of Thomas son of Thomas, and, after his death, they descended to Edmund son of Eleanor, countess of March , 1st sister and heir of Edmund brother of Thomas, to Joan, late duchess of York , 2nd sister, to Margaret, late duchess , 3rd sister, to Eleanor, wife of Thomas, late earl of Salisbury , 4th sister, and to Elizabeth, lately wife of John Neuyll, chevalier , 5th sister. They are all heirs of Edmund. After the death of Edmund, late earl, brother of Thomas, the rents were assigned to Margaret, late duchess, to have in her purparty from all the manors, lands, tenements, rents, fee farms, and services that Edmund, brother of Thomas, held on the day of his death. She died seised of the following to her and the heirs of her body. The manors are not held of the king, but of others, service unknown.

Holdings

Henry, bishop of Winchester , Edmund, late bishop of Exeter , Henry, late archbishop of York , Thomas Langley, late bishop of Durham , and Henry Merston, clerk , were lately seised in demesne as of fee and by right of the following manors, lands, tenements, and 1/2 hundred that were formerly of William Asthorp, chevalier . Thus seised, they granted them to Margaret and John, late earl of Somerset , lately her husband, for their lives, with successive remainders to John, present earl of Somerset , their son, and the heirs of his body; to Thomas, brother of the present earl, and the heirs of his body; to Edmund, brother of Thomas, and the heirs of his body; and to the late earl of Somerset and his heirs and assigns, as more fully apparent in the deed by which the grant was made. Royal licence was obtained [CPR 1405–1408, p. 342], and the licence and deed were shown to the jurors. The late earl and Margaret were thus seised in demesne as of free tenement. The earl afterwards died, and Margaret survived him. She continued in her estate for life by virtue of the grant, and died so seised. ⁿ³⁵⁷ The manors, lands, and tenements, annual value £40, are held of the king in chief by knight service.

Holdings

She held the following in dower from the inheritance of John, present earl of Somerset, by endowment of John, earl of Somerset, her late husband, with reversion to John, present earl of Somerset, as son and heir of the late earl. The above thirds of 2 parts of the manors, hundreds, and boroughs, with the rest of the manors, hundreds, and boroughs, are held of the king in chief by knight service. She held the following in demesne as of fee tail, viz., to her and the heirs of her body. The manors and hundred are held of the king in chief by knight service. The fee farms are held of the king, service unknown.