Siston
manor in Gloucestershire 1200 to c.1450
Niall
C.E.J. O’Brien
Siston is a small village and parish at the southern end of the County of Gloucestershire which contains 1,827 acres. The village lies at the confluence of the two sources of the Siston Brook, a tributary of the River Avon. The village consists of a number of cottages and farms centred on St Anne's Church, and the grand Tudor manor house of Siston Court. Previous articles on Siston can be found at
http://celtic2realms-medievalnews.blogspot.ie/2014/10/siston-gloucestershire-c1086-to-c1220.html
and
http://celtic2realms-medievalnews.blogspot.ie/2014/12/siston-manor-gloucestershire-in-1273.html
This article explores the people and places of Siston from about 1200 to about 1450.
Siston Church
On 8th March 1305 the king presented Philip Cok, chaplain, to the church of Siston in the diocese of Worcester.[1] In July 1339 Thomas de Hazelhawe, parson of Pokelchurch and others challenged the right of Peter Corbet to the advowson of Siston. The king ordered the sheriff of Gloucester to arrest the mainprisers of Thomas de Hazelhawe and the others if they lose the court case or fail to prosecute. But by October 1339 Thomas de Hazelhawe and others had successful brought an action in the county court against the king’s writ to the sheriff because of a legal technicality. Therefore Thomas and the others were allowed to name new mainprisers and proceed with the case without fear of imprisonment by the king’s officials.[2]
In May 1388 Geoffrey
Chauncerell, parson of Siston exchanged the benefice with John Averey of the
parish of Bromle in the diocese of Winchester.[3]
In November 1498 Roger
Church visited the deanery of Hawkesbury on behalf of John Morton, Archbishop
of Canterbury because there was no bishop of Worcester at that time. In the
church of Great Sodbury he saw the parish clergy of the deanery which included
Siston. The parish rector was Edward Geynard while Matthew Syllys was the
chaplain. Richard and John Clerk were the churchwardens.[4]
People
of thirteenth century Siston
On 27th
February 1263 Adam de Greynvill was appointed to enquire by jurors of the county
of Gloucester whether John le Cuhurde of Siston, deceased, died by his own hand
or was killed by another.[5]
The inquisition post
mortem into the lands of Robert Waleraund in 1273 was held at Siston. The jury
assembled before Sir Robert de Kingeston, sub-escheator of the county, were
possibly local people from in and around Siston. They included Adam Malet.
Nicholas Joy, Roger de Hildesle, Hugh de Leytrinton, Richard Poyntel, John
Woodcock, Reginald de la Leygrave, Geoffrey de Fraxino, Thomas de Doynton,
William de Stone, Walter le Hope and John de Werneleye.[6]
On 25th
January 1292 Richard de Siston was given licence to alienate in mortmain to the
priory and convent of St. Oswald’s at Gloucester, a messuage in the town of
Gloucester. Numerous other people were given licence to alienate to St.
Oswald’s at the same time.[7]
From
Berkeley to Waleraund to the Bishop of Bath & Wells
By 1273 Robert
Waleraund held the manor of Siston from Henry de Berkeley, Lord of Dursley by
the service of one knight’s fee.[8] Yet
previously in 1218 Siston was given by Glastonbury to the Bishop of Bath and
Wells who held claim until the dissolution. On 11th April 1268 the
dean and chapter of Wells granted a wood in Pucklechurch, beside the park, to
Robert Waleraund to be added to the park. This wood was formerly held by Robert
de Siston from Bishop Walter of Wells.[9] An
inquisition post mortem taken at Pucklechurch on 5th March 1362
found that Sir Peter Corbet of Siston held the manor of Siston from the Bishop
of Bath and Wells.[10]
Siston parish church of St. Anne
Corbet
of Siston
The first mention of
the Corbet family of Siston comes from the affairs of their cousins. On 18th
November 1341 a licence was granted for Walter, son of Walter de Gloucester to
enfeoff John de Ingelby, chaplain, and Robert de Brugsreford of two parts of
the manors of Alveston and Erdcote, with the hundred of Langele (Langtree) and
view of frankpledge of Langele, and the reversion of a third part of the manors
expectant on the demise of Eleanor, late the wife of Fulk le Fitz Waryn, tenant
in dower, and for them to re-grant the same, all held in chief as is said, to
him (Walter) and Petronilla his wife in tail, with remainder to Peter Corbet of
Siston in fee.[11]
Alveston manor was
located two miles south of Thornbury Station. The place means Aelfweald’s stone
where a wolf-pit was located in about 955-9.[12] The
manor of Alveston was held by Roger de Iveri in the Domesday Book of 1086.[13] The
meaning but not the location of Erdcote was given by W. St. Clair Baddeley.[14]
On 10th July
1360 Walter, son of Walter de Gloucester, knight, died and was succeeded by his
son John de Gloucester who was aged eleven years. An inquisition post mortem was
held at Alveston on 12th October 1360. It found that the manors of
Alveston and Erdcote along with the hundred of Langtree and the view of
frankpledge were held jointly by Walter and his widow, Petronilla from the king
in chief by knight’s service. This was the only property Walter had in
Gloucestershire.
The third part of the
property was formerly held by Eleanor, wife of the late Fulk Fitz Waryn but on
her death this reverted to Walter and Petronilla. Walter de Gloucester had then
granted the full property to John de Ingelby, chaplain, and Robert de
Briggeford who re-granted to Walter and Petronilla and their heirs. If Walter
and Petronilla had no heirs then the property would pass to Peter Corbet of
Siston and his heirs.[15]
As Walter de Gloucester
had a son by Petronilla there was no reversion to Peter Corbet. On Tuesday
after All Saints 1361 Sir Peter Corbet of Siston died. An inquisition post
mortem taken at Pucklechurch on 5th March 1362 found that Sir Peter
only held the manor of Siston and no other property in Gloucestershire. The
manor was held from the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Sir Peter’s son William
Corbet was dead and thus Sir Peter was succeeded by his grandson, John Corbet
who was ten years old.[16]
Because the heir was a
minor, the escheator of Gloucester, Philip de Luttel, thought he had a right to
seize the manor of Siston for the crown. But on 10th March 1362
Philip de Luttel was told to give up the manor and the income gathered as the
manor was not held directly of the king but by others, namely the Bishop of
Bath and Wells.[17]
On 24th
September 1368 Peter son and heir of Walter de Gloucester, knight, died. A
inquisition post mortem taken at Bristol on 14th January 1369 found
that Peter de Gloucester held the manors of Alveston and Erdcote with the
hundred of Langtree and the view of Frankpledge. The jury found that
Peter de Gloucester left no heirs of his body and that there were no direct
heirs of Walter and Petronilla de Gloucester. The property by reversion should
go to John Corbet son of William Corbet and grandson of Sir Peter Corbet.[18]
On 14th
February 1370 an exemplification was granted, at the request of John Corbet, kinsman
and heir of Peter Corbet of Siston, of the letters patent, dated 18 November in
the king's fifteenth year, in favour of the said Peter.[19]
On 12 September 1371
John son of William Corbet died. He was succeeded by his brother who was
variously names as William and Peter and who was eighteen years old. Two sets of
inquisitions post mortem were held into the property of John Corbet. The later
one, held at Caus in Shropshire on 16th October, found that John had
the hamlet of Hope in the lordship of Caus from Ralph, Earl of Stafford, by
knight’s service. But the ground was hilly land within the Forest of Caus where
deer had destroyed what was left untilled.[20]
The earlier inquisition
was taken at Alveston in Gloucestershire on 23rd September. It found
that John Corbet held two-thirds of the manors of Alveston and Erdcote from the
king in chief by knight’s service. John Corbet also had two-thirds of the
hundred of Langtree by the same terms.
At Siston, John Corbet
held the manor from the Bishop of Bath and Wells by knight’s service. In August
1370 John gave Siston to Rev. Roger de Dene, chaplain, Ralph Waleys and William
Hobekyn in fee. The conditions attached to the grant were that they could take
o profit for their own use or retain it for themselves and their heirs.
Instead, John’s bailiffs, who were there before the feoffment, should take the
profits to their use as they did before. The feoffees should re-enfeoff John
Corbet and his heirs on demand because the feoffment was made as security for
£11 due to Roger de Dene.[21]
John Corbet had only
given the manor in simple seisin and kept the living for his own use. John
Corbet also gave the young pigeons from the dovecote and the fruits of the
garden to the wife of William de Chiltenham. At the time of John’s death that
feoffees still held the manor.[22]
Other
people of fourteenth century Siston
On 17th
February 1375 John Milner of Siston was pardoned for the death of Adam Milner
of Belton. Roger de Kirketon and Henry Asty, justices appointed to deliver the
goal of Lincoln castle advised that he killed him in self-defence.[23]
On 1st
December 1378 Thomas de Berkeley, Roger de Kirketon, Robert Tresilyan, David
Hannemere and John Sergeaunt were made special assignees for the tenements of
Alveston and Siston. The names of the parties involved in the dispute are not
named.[24]
Siston
in the fifteenth century
By the early years of
the fifteenth century Siston manor had passed from the Corbet family to the
Dennis family. Sir Peter Corbet of 1362 left a daughter, Margaret who would
eventually become his co-heiress. She married Sir Gilbert Dennis.[25]
About 29th
September 1408 Sir Gilbert Dennis celebrated the birth of a son. A short time
after the boy was baptised as Maurice Dennis in the church of St. Ann at
Siston. A number of locals and visitors were involved at the baptism. Richard
Williams, butler to Sir Gilbert, carried a silver pot of wine to the church
while John Thornton carried a torch and John Field carried a basin from Siston
manor to the church. In Siston church, by the finely carved Norman font, John
Blount, John Grevell and Elizabeth Reome acted as godparents to the young
Maurice Dennis.[26]
On 5th March
1428 Sir John de Berkeley died. He held a great many properties in various
counties across the west of England. At Chipping Sodbury on 24th
April 1428 an inquiry was held into the Gloucestershire property of John de
Berkeley. Among other places it found that de Berkeley held a toft (worth
nothing) and 10 acres of arable land at Alveston, worth 8 pence per acre per
annum from Gilbert Dennis by service unknown.[27]
After the death of Sir
Gilbert Dennis two thirds of his property and lands of Siston, Alveston and
Erdcote with the hundred of Langtree were given in custody to Edward Stradlyng
by King Henry V.[28]
On 16th July
1431 a writ of etate probanda was
issue to establish if Maurice Dennis was of age to inherit his father’s
Gloucestershire property. At Tetbury on 22nd September 1431 the
proof of age inquiry of Maurice Dennis was held in the presence of Edward
Stradlyng, chevalier. The inquiry found that Maurice was twenty-two years old
on the previous 29th September.
On 25th
February 1450 a commission was given to James de Berkley, knight, William de Berkley,
Westminster, knight, James de Berkley, esquire, Roger Kemys, Arthur de Clopton,
esquire, Thomas Fitz Herry and John Kemys of Siston, esquire, appointing them
to make inquisition in the county of Gloucestershire and the adjacent march of
Wales touching the lands which have come into the king's hands by the death of
Henry, duke of Warwick, tenant in chief, and by reason of the minority of Anne,
his daughter and heir.[29]
After 1450 Siston
experience the Wars of the Roses and the revolution of the Tudor monarchs but
these stories are for another day.
=============
End of post
==============
[1] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I,
1301-1307, p. 316
[2] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III,
1339-1341, p. 234
[3] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard II,
1385-1389, p. 441
[4]
Christopher Harper Hill (ed.), The
Register of John Morton Archbishop of Canterbury 1486-1500, volume II
(Canterbury & York Society, 1991), no. 483
[5] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry III, 1258-1266,
p. 285
[6]
Sidney J. Madge (ed.), Abstracts of
inquisitions post mortem for Gloucestershire, part IV, 1236-1300 (British
Record Society, 1903), p. 59
[7] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, 1281-1292,
p. 471
[8]
Sidney J. Madge (ed.), Abstracts of
inquisitions post mortem for Gloucestershire, part IV, 1236-1300 (British
Record Society, 1903), pp. 28, 59; Charles S. Taylor, An analysis of the Domesday Survey of Gloucestershire, p. 269; C.R.
Elrington (ed.), Abstracts of feet of
fines relating to Gloucestershire 1199-1299, nos. 99, 115, 768. An
associated manor of Cobberley was mentioned in the inquisition post mortem of
Robert Waleraund. In 1086 Cobberley in Rapsgate hundred was held by Roger I de
Berkeley. In 1221 Cobberley was held by Henry de Berkeley and later that year
by Robert de Berkeley. In 1270 Giles de Berkeley held Cobberley. Giles de
Berkeley was a brother of Nicholas de Berkeley who died about 1263. Giles de
Berkeley was born about 1241. In 1273 Giles de Berkeley held Cobberley by one
knight’s fee.
[9]
J.A. Bennett (ed.), Report on the
Manuscripts of Wells Cathedral (Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1885),
p. 52
[10] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XI, Edward III (Stationery Office, London, 1935), no. 307
[11] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III, 1340-1343,
p. 356
[12]
W. St. Clair Baddeley, Place-names of
Gloucestershire (Gloucester, 1913), p. 6
[13]
Charles S. Taylor, An analysis of the
Domesday Survey of Gloucestershire, p. 276
[14]
W. St. Clair Baddeley, Place-names of
Gloucestershire (Gloucester, 1913), p. 61
[15] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
X, Edward III (Kraus reprint, 1973),
no. 597
[16] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XI, Edward III (Stationery Office, London, 1935), no. 307
[17] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III,
1360-1364, p. 320
[18] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XII, Edward III (Kraus reprint, 1973),
no. 356
[19] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III,
1367-1370, p. 377
[20] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XIII, Edward III (Kraus reprint, 1986),
no. 20
[21] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XIII, Edward III (Kraus reprint, 1986),
no. 20
[22] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XIII, Edward III (Kraus reprint, 1986),
no. 20
[23] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III, 1374-1377,
p. 79
[24] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Richard II, supplement
volume, p. 48
[25]
W.J. Robinson, West Country Churches
(Bristol, 1915), Vol. III, p. 154
[26] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XXIII, 6-10 Henry VI, 1427-1432 (Boydell Press & National Archives,
2004), no. 721
[27] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XXIII, 6-10 Henry VI, 1427-1432 (Boydell Press & National Archives,
2004), no. 109
[28] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume
XXIII, 6-10 Henry VI, 1427-1432 (Boydell Press & National Archives,
2004), no. 721
[29] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry VI, 1446-1452,
p. 377
