140 History and Antiquities of Leicestershire
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140 HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF LEICESTERSHIRE. William, the second and only surviving son, on the Tower of London and town of Calais, for twelve death of his father, succeeded him as heir to the dig- years; next, of the stewardship of the honour of nities of viscount and baron Beaumont; and had also Leicester ; as also of the manor and castle of Doning- the barony of Bardelpb, with a large inheritance, in ton, co. Leicester; of the manors of Higham Fer- right of Elizabeth his mother; making proof of his rers and Daventre, co. Northampton; and of all age in 14.59, as cousin and heir to John lord Bardolf, other manors, within the counties of Warwick, Lei- son and heir of Elizabeth daughter of the said John '; cester, Nottingham, Northampton, and Huntingdon, • and thereupon had livery of his lands \ Being a strict parcel of the dutchy of Lancaster; likewise of the adherent to the houie of Lancaster, he was taken constablefhip cf the castles at Leicester, Higham Fer- prisoner at the battle of Towton field, on Palm- rers, and Donington ; and of the chief rangership of Sunday, March 29, 1461 ; and was afterwards at- Leicester forest, with the parks called Leicester Frith, tainted 3 in parliament on the 4th of November in Barrow Park, Tooley Park, and those adjoining, for that year, and sentenced to forfeit ail his titles and life9. Farthermore, being then made lord cham- dignity, with all such castles, manors, lands, &c. as berlain of the houshold to that king, as also chamber- he possessed on the 4th of March preceding + ; at lain of North Wales I0, in consideration of his signal which time he was seised of the manors of Lough- adventures in divers battles against king Henry VI. borough, Hallaton, Shepeshed, Ashby de la Zouch, and his party ; as also against Jasper earl of Pembroke, Whitwick, Donington, Markfield, Ratby, Beaumanor, James earl of Wiltshire, and others, who had been &c. 5 And, Feb. 18, 1461-2, king Edward IV. stout asserters of the Lancastrian interest v he was the granted the reversion of the manor and demesnes of fame year advanced to the degree and dignity of a Beaumanor, Whitwick, Bochaston, Newton, Mark- baron of this realm ; and obtained a grant of the fieid, and Arnfby (which Catharine dutchess of Nor- castle and lordship of Folkingham, co. Lincoln ; like- folk6 held for term of her life, with remainder, to wise of the manors of Lavyngton, Sapirton, Awe- William lord viscount Beaumont) to sir William Hastings,thorp, Aflakby, Birhorp, Repinghale ; the moiety of knt. and his heirs7. the manor of Bykere, and manor of Welboume, in By an inquisition taken in 1463, it was found the fame county; of the manors of Loughborough - that the manor of Bottesford, with its appurtenances, and Shepeshed, co. Leicester; of the forestersbip of and a rent charge of 2>s. from the manor of Berkeley, Rutland, and manor of Leyfeld in that county ; of had been forfeited to the king by the attainder of the house called Beaumond's Inn, situate in the pa- Thomas lord Ros ; and that William viscount Beaumont, rish of St. Benedict, in the ward of Baynard's Castle, who had lately been attainted in parliament, was seised within the city of London, late part of the possessions of the following lands, tenements, &c.; the manor of of sir William Beaumont, knight, viscount Beaumont, Loughborough, with its appurtenances; the advow- as also of all that purparty late belonging to the fame fons of Loughborough, Walton super le Wold, and William viscount Beaumont; of the honour called Coffirtgton; the manor of Shepeshed, with its appur- Winchester fee, with the appurtenances, in the said tenances; a moiety of Winchester fee, and of the ma- county of Leicester ; and of all the lands and lord- nor of Whittington. He held also, for himself and ships which were the said viscount William Beau- his heirs, the manor of Astiby de la Zouch; 200 mont's in Folkingham, and elsewhere, in the county acres of pasture in Woodcote ; one messuage, two of Lincoln, and in Edmonton, co. Middlesex, which, cottages, 52 acres of arable land, and 24 of meadow, by his attainder, in the parliament held at Westmin- at Quorndon ; and 24 acres and a roods of meadow ster, Nov. 4, 1426, had come to the Crown. At the in Barrow. Alio the manor of Whitwick, with its fame time he obtained a grant of the manor and de- appurtenances; the manors of Bochaston and New- meines of Astiby de la Zouch, with its appurtenances, town, with their appurtenances; the manors of Huck- lately belonging to James earl of Wiltshire, then also lescote and Donington, with their appurtenances; attainted; as also of the manors and lordships of Beau- Markfield ; and the manor of Ratby, with its appur- manor, Whitwick, Bochaston, Newton, Hucklescote, tenances. It appeared also that Catharine duchess of Donington, Markfield, and Ernesby, with their ap- Nor/elk was possessed in dower for her life of Beau- purtenances ; and the manor of Hekynton, co. Lin- manor with its appurtenances 8. coln; which Catharine dutchess of Norfolk held for Sir William Hastings at that.period flood so high in term of her life, with remainder to the said William the esteem of the Nobility, that they seemed emulous viscount Beaumont. Farthermore, in regard of the who should bestow the greatest favours on him. A- near alliance in blood ps Catharine his wife, daughter mongst others, John Mowbray duke of Norfolk gave him to Richard Ne-vill late earl of Salisbury (widow of the stewardship of his manors of Melton Mowbray, William lord Bonvile), he obtained a farther grant, to Segrave, &c. with the fee of /"10. per annum during himself and her, of the manor of Bolton-Perci, co. his life ; Anne dutchess of Buckingham, the steward- York ; as also of the manors and lordships of Plomp* ship of the manor of Qkeham, co. Rutland, and con- ton, Bercombe, and Birlyng, co. Sussex, part of the stablewick of the castle there, for life; John lord possessions of the fame William viscount Beaumont ; Love/, the stewardship of the manors of Bagworth likewise of the houour, castle, and lordship of Bel- and Thornton, with the yearly fee of £10. f°r life ; voir, with the park, and all its members, viz. Wolles- fir Henry Stafford, knight, son and heir to Humphrey thorpe, co. Lincoln, Barkeston, Plungarthe, Redmyld, duke cf Buckingham, an annuity of £10. out of his and Hardeby, co. Leicester, with the advowson of the manor of Billing, in Northamptonshire, for life; priory of Belvoir ; and advowfons of the churches of Richard Widvile earl Rivers, and Jaquet of Luxemburgh Hardeby, Wollesthorpe, and Redmyld; and of the dutchess of Bedford, an annuity of 26/. 135. 4c/. to rent called Castle-guard, wheresoever throughout be paid out of the issues and customs due to the said England appertaining to that castle ; also of the lady Jaquet out of the dutchy of Cornwall; to con- manor of Bottesford, with the hamlets of Normanton tinue so long as this William should be receiver of the and Easthorpe, and advowson of the church of Bottes- revenues of that dutchy for the king. And, of the ford ; and of the manor of Stoke Daubeney, with the king's peculiar munificence, the fame year, he had hamlets of Wilvaston, Sutton, and Afheley, co. Nor- first a grant of the office of master of his mint, in the thampton ; all which were part of the possessions of 1 Esch. 3S Hen. VI. a Pat. 39 Hen. VI. m. 18. 3 " Attainted, not for disloyalty, but that he fought to maintain the crown on the head of Henry VI; who had enjoyed the fame near 40 years, and so had both his father and grandfather, without any interruption or impeachment. And this attainder ought not to have been left indefinite, because it is, without expression of the cause, to be taken for disloyalty : none of which lineage were ever stained or tainted therewith ; and it is a foul fault in the Author to impose such a stain or blemish on him." Peter 1 e Neve.—In lord Beaumont's petition for the reversal (Rot. Parl. vol. VI. p. 280.) he states that he had been attainted " for the true and faithful allegiance and service which he owed unto the most blessed and Christian Prince King Henrie the VI, the uncle of king Hen:y VII."—An account of him, and of some of the early branches of this family, has been already given under Stoughtcn (vol. II. p. 857: where, in 1. 35, for " H'3," r. " 1370.''); and the history of the later branches will be given under Cole Orton and G.acedieu. 4 Rot. Pad. vol. V. p. 477. 5 Esch. 3 Edw. IV. n. 30. Leic. 6 The court-roiis of Catharine dutchess of Norfolk, held in [462, 2 Edw. IV, are still preserved at Beaumanor. 7 Pat. 1 Edw. IV. pars 4 m. 25. 8 Esch. 3 Edw. IV. NG 30. Leic. * Dugdale, Bar. Angl. I. 581 ; ex autographis penes Theophilum comiiem de Huntingdon. I3 Pat. 1 Edw. IV. p. 2 m.2. Thomas.