‹ E-CIPM 26-320: JOHN SPEKE, ESQUIRE ›

Holdings

He held no lands or tenements of the king in chief in demesne or in fee or in service. He held the following in demesne as of fee. Wembworthy, 2/3 manor, with the advowson of the church. The manor is held of Thomas Courtenay, earl of Devon [service not specified], except as noted below. The following knights’ fees are parcel of the manor: a fee in Honeychurch; a fee in Brixton; and a fee in Higher or Lower Gorhuish. The following knight’s fees are parcel of the manor, but are held of John, duke of Exeter , service unknown: a fee in Sourton; and a fee in Thrushelton, Milford, Kimworthy, Newlands, and Thorn. In the 2/3 of the manor there is a capital messuage – except a house called ‘longehous’ – worth nothing yearly; 2 customary tenures, each worth 2s. yearly; 5 cottages, each worth 12d. yearly; 140 a. land, each acre worth 3d. yearly; 20 a. meadow, each acre worth 8d. yearly; 40 a. wood, worth nothing yearly except the crop; 48 a. heath and gorse, each acre worth ½d. yearly; 4s. assize rent, payable at Michaelmas; and 2/3 of the above fees, worth 5 marks yearly when they fall.

He was seised in fee and right of the reversion of the third part of all the above, which Joan, wife of Hugh Chambernon , holds in dower from his inheritance. He was seised of the following in demesne. He was seised of the following in demesne as of fee. ⁿ¹⁶⁰ Robert Wonard and John Courtenay, clerk , were seised of the following in demesne as of fee. By indented charter dated at Brampford Speke, 21 October 1416, they granted a moiety of the manor to John Speke , now deceased – father of John, named in the writ – and his then wife, the above Joan – now wife of Hugh Chambernon – and the heirs of the body of John by Joan. In the charter, shown to the jurors, the moiety was described as a moiety of all their messuages, lands, tenements, rents, services, and reversions in Brampford Speke. John was seised in demesne as of fee tail and Joan in demesne as of free tenement. John, named in the writ, is the son of John by the body of Joan; she survives. John ⁿ¹⁶¹ Courtenay died; afterwards Robert Wonard granted the other moiety of the manor to John Speke , the father, and his heirs, so that he was seised in demesne as of fee. John the father died, and after his death John named in the writ entered this moiety. He died seised in demesne as of fee of the moiety, and of the reversion of the other moiety in fee and entailed right (iure talliato).