Walter
Dauntsey: a very medieval birth
Niall
C.E.J. O’Brien
Walter Dauntsey was
born on the Vigil of St. Nicholas in 1340.[1] Walter
Dauntsey was the third son of Richard Dauntsey and his wife Joan. For some
weeks before Walter Dauntsey was born his mother Joan was confined to her
chamber. In the chamber she was assisted by the female members of the Dauntsey
household, and possibly, by female neighbours of the family.
Joan Dauntsey was
married to Richard Dauntsey of Dilton, Wiltshire, sometime before 1321. She had
a number of children before the birth of Walter Dauntsey. Her eldest living son
was born in 1326 but there may have been previous children who did not survive
to adulthood. Childbirth was one of the most dangerous times in the life of a
child and the mother in medieval times but there were plenty of other reasons
for a child to die before adulthood. It would seem that Walter’s next older
brother, William Dauntsey died before adulthood even though he got as far as
sixteen years old.[2]
While the women
gathered round the expectant mother the men folk departed on their work and
play. Even for royal births, where male physicians were usually available
outside the door of the bedchamber, the world inside the bedchamber was the
exclusive reserve of the women folk. At the birth of Walter Dauntsey, his
father, Richard Dauntsey, went fox hunting at a place called La Holte. With Richard
Dauntsey were John Everard, John James, Thomas Reynold and Richard de Pound.
These men were beaters for the fox hunt. Such was the fun had by Richard
Dauntsey and his friends that not only did they miss the birth of Richard’s
third son but they also missed the baptism.[3]
This was because on the
same day that Walter Dauntsey was born he was baptised in the chapel of St.
Nicholas at Dilton. After 1380 a new church, dedicated to St. Mary, was built
across the road and the old chapel of St. Nicholas was left fall into ruins.[4] Walter
de Park acted as godfather while Walter Shereueton laid his hands on Walter at
the baptism. Also there to hear the mass were John Brok, William Athelim and
William Bailiff.[5]
The actual birth of
Walter Dauntsey happened late at evening time or very early in the morning.[6] A
person called Richard atte Grove was in the Dauntsey house, on what business we
are not told, at that early hour. While there Margaret Dauntsey, a daughter of
Richard Dauntsey, came out of her chamber to joyfully tell Richard atte Grove
that “she had a brother then born, for which God be thanked”.[7]
The birth may not have
been so joyful for Joan Dauntsey. She did not attend the baptism of Walter and
the fact that the baptism took place the same day of the birth would suggest
that the family had a fear that Walter Dauntsey could die before his baptism
and if he did the path to heaven would be much harder.
By late evening William
Workman had gone from Dilton to find Richard Dauntsey to tell the good news.
When he found the fox hunters William decided for fun to extend the tension and
drama. He asked Richard Dauntsey “Sir, do you want to hear the news?” to which
Richard replied “Friend, what is the news?” And then William Workman told all
the company that Walter Dauntsey was born the previous evening and was baptised
that day. Richard Dauntsey was happy at such news and gave William Workman 40
pence for his news.[8]
St. Mary church at Old Dilton
The
ancestors of Walter Dauntsey
The districts of Dilton
and Bratton form part of the parish and hundred of Westbury. In 1066 Queen
Editha, wife of King Edward the Confessor held all of Westbury. After the
Conquest, Queen Editha was allowed to keep all her lands until her death in
1075, when they reverted to the crown. Thus in the Domesday Book of 1086 King
William held Westbury.[9] The
family of Dauntsey possibly take their name from Dauntsey in the hundred of
Malmesbury.[10]
In December 1221
Richard of Dauntsey, son and heir of William of Dauntsey, made a fine with King
Henry of 100 shillings to have his father’s 4½ hides of land in Dilton and
Bratton.[11] Sometime around 1238
the wife of Richard Dauntsey gave birth to a son who was baptised as Richard
Dauntsey. This wife of Richard Dauntsey was Mabel, daughter of Elias Giffard of
Brimmesfield in Gloucestershire by his first wife, Isabel Musard.[12]
Elias Giffard was a son of another Elias Giffard of Brimmesfield.[13]
Before April 1250
Richard Dauntsey senior died. At his inquisition post mortem he held Dilton and
Bratton from the king by the service of serjeanty of being in the army for 40
days at his own cost. Richard Dauntsey also held of Avicia de Columbar for 7
marks of rent. These lands were surveyed at 4 carucates and were valued at £32
6 shillings 10½ pence which included the rent charge. Richard Dauntsey senior was
succeeded by his twelve year old son, Richard Dauntsey junior.[14]
It seems that Richard
Dauntsey senior had a brother called Thomas Dauntsey. This Thomas Dauntsey held
one virgate of land at Dilton from Richard Dauntsey junior and one virgate of
land from the Prior of Stinentun. Thomas Dauntsey died before January 1265 when
he was succeeded by his fifteenth year old son, Bartholomew Dauntsey.[15]
The land of Dilton and
Bratton were taken into the king’s hand during the minority of Richard
Dauntsey. In about 1261 Richard Dauntsey came of age and recovered his father’s
lands. But Richard Dauntsey was unable to manage the estate properly and became
a pauper. Sometime after 1261 Richard Dauntsey changed the crown service rent
in the hope of helping his financial troubles. The previous crown rent was to
keep the king’s larder. Richard Dauntsey changed this without warrant from the
king to the service of finding one servant on horseback to serve in the army
for 40 days.[16]
But such was Richard’s poverty that he was unable to pay the crown rent. Before
1276 the sheriff of Wiltshire was ordered to collect the rent from the tenants
of Richard Dauntsey. One of these tenants was Philip Marmion who held one
virgate of land which contained 20 acres and was valued at 6 pence per acre.[17]
Richard Dauntsey junior
had a son born in 1287 and was named Richard Dauntsey.[18]
Richard Dauntsey junior died before June 1315 when his son and heir was
twenty-eight years old. The crown service in 1315 was for half a knight’s fee
and to pay 10 marks per year to the castle of Sarum. The manor of Dilton was
valued at £12.[19]
This was a big fall in value since 1250 when Dilton and Bratton were worth £32.
It would seem that Richard Dauntsey junior struggled to manage his estate. The
land at Bratton was held by Ralph de Maundeville in chief from the king in 1280
and inherited by his son, Thomas de Maundeville.[20]
As said, Richard
Dauntsey was twenty-eight years old in 1315 when he became the next lord of
Dilton. By 1321 Richard Dauntsey had married a woman called Joan.[21] In
1326 Richard and Joan Dauntsey had their first known child, a son called John
Dauntsey.[22]
In 1327 Richard Dauntsey became one of the heirs of his cousin, John Giffard of
Brimmesfield.[23]
Walter
Dauntsey in life
When Walter Dauntsey
was so joyfully born in 1340 he had two elder brothers and at least two elder
sisters. His eldest sister, Joan Dauntsey married a man called St. Manyfuy and
had a son born in 1357 called John St. Manyfuy. His second sister, Margaret,
who thanked God for Walter’s birth, married Ralph de Norton, chevalier.[24]
Walter’s two elder
brothers were John Dauntsey and William Dauntsey.[25] Walter’s
father, Richard Dauntsey died in January 1348 and was succeeded by his eldest
son, John Dauntsey.[26] John Dauntsey died on 18th
September 1355 and was succeeded by his brother William Dauntsey. On the day he
died John Dauntsey held Dilton manor and a carucate of land at Bratton. He also
held land at Turnston and Cheyneston in Herefordshire from Thomas de Chaundos
along with more land at Cheneston from John Ragon. The inquisition post mortem
for John Dauntsey tells us that William Dauntsey was born in 1339.[27]
As William Dauntsey was
only sixteen years old when his elder brother died, the family lands came into
the king’s hand. It would seem that William Dauntsey was deceased by December
1362 when the proof of age for Walter Dauntsey was made and for some time
before that.[28]
When the writ to take the proof of age was issued on 26th October
1361 the lands of Walter’s inheritance were in the custody of William, Bishop
of Winchester by the king’s gift.[29]
This would suggest that William Dauntsey never attained his majority before his
death otherwise an inquisition post mortem would have been produced for William
Dauntsey.
The lying-in chamber at childbirth
Life
after Walter Dauntsey
As previously noted
Walter Dauntsey was proved as twenty-two years and more in December 1362 and
thus entered into full possession of the ancient family estates. Yet Walter
Dauntsey had only a few years to enjoy his inheritance. Walter Dauntsey died on
12th October 1369 leaving the manor of Dilton, worth 10 marks, to
his heirs. These heirs were Margaret Dauntsey, his sister (wife of Ralph de
Norton) and his nephew, John St Manyfuy.[30]
The happiness of
Margaret’s joy in 1340 at the birth of a younger brother was now turned to
sadness at the loss of all her brothers. Margaret Norton died childless in 1388
and Dilton passed by grant to the rector and Bonhommes of Edington and was so
held until the Dissolution.[31]
In all that time life at Dilton continued on. The very medieval birth of Walter
Dauntsey progressed onwards with thankfully better modern conditions and better
help for mother and baby alike. Even the men folk are involved and the foxes
all over are happy with that.
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End of post
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[1]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III (British
Record Society, 1914), p. 311
[2]
C.B. Dawes & others (eds.), Calendar
of inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. XI,
Edward III (Stationery Office, London, 1935), no. 385
[3]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III, p. 312.
These fox beaters often appear in jury lists of other inquisitions in the
1360s.
[5]
C.B. Dawes & others (eds.), Calendar
of inquisitions post mortem, Vol. XI, Edward III, no. 385
[6]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III, pp. 311, 312
[7]
C.B. Dawes & others (eds.), Calendar
of inquisitions post mortem, Vol. XI, Edward III, p. 299. Richard atte
Grove often appears in various inquisitions in central Wiltshire in the 1360s.
[8]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III, p. 312
[9]
William Henry Jones (ed.), Domesday for
Wiltshire (R.E. Peach, Bath, 1865), pp. 13, 14, 239
[10]
William Henry Jones (ed.), Domesday for
Wiltshire, p. 211
[11]
Paul Dryburgh & Beth Hartland (eds.), Calendar
of the Fine Rolls of the reign of Henry III (Boydell Press & National
Archives, 2007), Vol. 1 (1216-1224), no. 6/42
[12]
J.E.E.S. Sharp (ed.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. VI, Edward
I (Kraus reprint, 1973), no. 78
[13]
Edward A. Fry (ed.), Abstracts of
Inquisitions Post Mortem for Gloucestershire, part V, 1302-1358 (British
Record Society, 1910), p. 214
[14]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II (British Record Society, vol.
37, 1908), pp. 11, 30. Avicia de Columbar died in 1259 and was succeeded by
Matthew de Columbar.
[15]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 42
[16]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 103
[17]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 100
[18]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 395
[19]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 395
[20]
Edward Fry (ed.), Abstracts of Wiltshire
Inquisitions Post Mortem Henry III-Edward II, p. 129
[21]
R.B. Pugh (ed.), Abstracts of feet of
fines relating to Wiltshire for the reigns of Edward 1 and Edward II
(Wiltshire Record Society, vol. 1, 1939), p. 108
[22]
E.G. Atkinson (ed.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. IX, Edward
III (Kraus reprint, 1973), no. 22
[23]
J.E.E.S. Sharp (ed.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. VI, Edward
I (Kraus reprint, 1973), no. 78
[24]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III (British
Record Society, 1914), p. 352
[25] C.B.
Dawes & others (eds.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem, Vol. XI, Edward III, no. 385
[26]
E.G. Atkinson (ed.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. IX, Edward
III (Kraus reprint, 1973), no. 22
[27]
E.G. Atkinson (ed.), Calendar of
inquisitions post mortem preserved in the Public Record Office, Vol. X, Edward III
(Kraus reprint, 1973), no. 230
[28]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III, p. 311
[29]
C.B. Dawes & others (eds.), Calendar
of inquisitions post mortem, Vol. XI, Edward III, no. 385
[30]
Ethel Stokes (ed.), Abstracts of
Wiltshire inquisitions post mortem in the reign of Edward III (British
Record Society, 1914), p. 352
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