William Latimer 1st Baron Latimer of Corby ^{1 2 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

THE Original and History of the Ancient Lords of the Name of Latimer, having been the concern of a great Author, who has transfer'd to Posterity the Memo|rials of the Baronage of England, I shall undertake to write nothing, but what may immediately appertain to those Latimers that were Lords of Duntish in the County of Dorset; and in whose Lands and Blood, by an Hereditary Descent, the House of Mordaunt has had so near an Interest.

For an Introduction hereunto, I must (notwithstanding) relate, how in the Reign of King Edward the First, there flourished in this Realm a famous Baron called William Latimer, who had divers great Possessions devolv'd unto him by right of his Ancestors, and sundry others by the Acquisition of his own Valour and Virtue. He had been bred a Companion in Arms to that Prince, from the time he was first made Knight, and served with him in his Fathers Defence, during all the Civil Wars of that Kings Reign. He assum'd in his Company the Sacred Cross, and became Partaker of his Journey to the Holy Land: and after King Henry's Death he continued with his Famous Master under the greatest Esteem for Valour and all Military Virtue of any Knight in his time. This William Latimer was one of the Kings Chief Captains in those Wars, which produc'd the final Subduction of Wales, and particularly in that occasion where the Isle of Anglice was won, in the eleventh year of his Reign; and when his Affairs in Gascony began so to sink, as it seemed necessary for their Support, to employ the Experience and Vigour of a great Commander, the Lord William Latimer was Chosen by the King, in the twenty second year of his Reign, to be joined to the Youth and Heat of his Nephew the Lord John of Brittain, in the Government of that Country, and the Forces to be sent into it; he being upon this occasion termed in the History of Henry Knighton, Canon of Leicester, de Eventibus Angliae, Miles ille strenuissimus Willielmus le Latimer. The year following he attended thither again the King himself, in his great Expedition, as he did in most of his Wars against the Scots, particularly at Faukerk, where he was Victorious. After which, he was appointed Commissioner to fortify the Castles of that Realm. And as he was Eminent in all the happy Actions of War, atchieved in that Age, we find him so, no less, in every great Affair of State. It appearing he signed (amongst the great Barons of the Kingdom) several publick Instruments, (as particu|larly that Letter written to Pope Boniface the Eighth, about the Kings Right to be Superi|our Lord of the Kingdom of Scotland.) He Married Alicia de Ledet, one of the Heirs of Walter de Ledet, a great Baron of that time, and that was Lord of Braybrooke in the County of Northampton; who brought into his Family her part of a large and rich In|heritance.

Their Issue.
William Lord Latimer Baron of Corby.
Sir John Latimer Lord of Duntish, Estpullham, and other Lands and Lordships.
Thomas Latimer that died without Issue.
Nicholas Latimer to whom his Mother after the Death of her Husband, gave all the Lands of her Inheritance in the Counties of Leicester and Northampton. ¹

  Events

• Manorial Estate: Smeeton Manor, Smeeton Westerby, Kibworth, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE8, GB. ⁵ The land in the township held by de Grentemesnil in 1086 had by 1130 been acquired by Robert, Earl of Leicester, from whom it was then being held by Richard Basset. (fn. 428) No doubt the earl's father, Robert, Count of Meulan, had obtained them from Ivo de Grentemesnil, Hugh's son, early in Henry I's reign, at the same time as he obtained much other Grentemesnil property, (fn. 429) while Richard Basset had acquired much other land once held by de Buci. (fn. 430) The overlordship of this holding remained with the earls of Leicester until the death of Simon de Montfort in 1265, after which it passed to the earls, and later the dukes, of Lancaster. (fn. 431) Subsequently the Duchy of Lancaster seems to have retained some land at Smeeton in demesne, (fn. 432) while the rest was subinfeudated. The position of the under-tenants of this holding, which was generally known as the manor of SMEETON, is at first not clear. The holding was acquired, apparently in the mid-12th century, by Ivo of Neufmarché, (fn. 433) but it is not known when the Bassets relinquished the ownership. Ivo's heirs were his two daughters Emma, wife of Hugh de Senlis, and Aubrey, wife of a certain Ingebald. (fn. 434) Emma's rights passed to her son Henry de Senlis, and Aubrey's to her son Robert de Braybrook. Henry and Robert agreed to divide the lands that had once been Ivo's between them, and Robert's share included Smeeton Westerby. (fn. 435) Robert was bringing an action about land at Smeeton Westerby in 1203, (fn. 436) and his agreement with Henry may well have been made about that time. In 1208 King John confirmed Robert de Braybrook in the possession of land at Smeeton Westerby which had been handed over to him by Ralph de Turville. (fn. 437) There can be little doubt that this was the same land which had been held by Richard Basset from the Earl of Leicester in 1130, for in 1086, and again in 1130, the property is described as 4 carucates and 7 bovates, and in 1208 it is described as 19½ virgates, that is, 4 carucates and 7 bovates again. (fn. 438) How Turville obtained an interest in Smeeton Westerby is not clear, but from what is known of the descent of the manor at a later date there can be little doubt that it was held by Turville from the earls of Leicester, and was held by Braybrook from Turville. From an action brought in 1254 it seems that the manor was then held by Walter Ledet, Robert de Braybrook's descendant, from Ralph de Turville, and from Ledet by Walter de Langton. (fn. 439) In 1279 the manor was held from Edmund, Earl of Lancaster and Leicester, by the heirs of Nicholas de Turville, and from the heirs by William Latimer. (fn. 440) Latimer had married Alice, Walter Ledet's elder daughter and co-heir, and his younger brother John Latimer married Christine, Ledet's younger daughter. (fn. 441) No doubt William Latimer owed his possession of the manor to his wife. In 1282 John Latimer died possessed of 6¾ virgates at Smeeton, held in right of his wife Christine, from Ralph de Turville of Normanton. (fn. 442) William Latimer, at his death in 1304 or 1305, was holding 9 virgates and some other property at Smeeton in right of his wife Alice, from Turville. (fn. 443) Evidently the lands at Smeeton Westerby which Alice and Christine had inherited from their father had been divided between them.

The land held by the elder brother William Latimer descended to Nicholas Latimer, who may have been one of William's younger sons. (fn. 444) Nicholas died seised of property at Smeeton in 1325, (fn. 445) and was succeeded by his son John. When John, still possessed of the holding, died in 1343, his heir was said to be his son Nicholas, then a minor. (fn. 446) The descent of this holding cannot be traced further.

Footnotes:
428. Slade, Leics. Survey, 23.
429. E.H.R. liv. 386.
430. Slade, Leics. Survey, 12-13.
431. E.H.R. liv. 396-7, 400; Cal. Inq. p.m. iii, p. 319; Feud. Aids, vi. 558; R. Somerville, Hist. Duchy of Lanc. 339, 340; Bodl. MS. Rawl. B. 350, m. 21.
432. See p. 185.
433. B.M. Cott. MS. Caligula A. XII, ff. 91b, 92a.
434. Ibid. ff. 83a, 84b, 92a.
435. Ibid. ff. 91b, 92a.
436. Cur. Reg. R. iii. 44, 60, 63.
437. Rot. Chart. (Rec. Com.), i. 181.
438. V.C.H. Leics. i. 316; Slade, Leics. Survey, 23; Rot. Chart. (Rec. Com.), i. 181.
439. Assoc. Archit. Soc. Rep. & Papers, xxxv. 155.
440. Bodl. MS. Rawl. B. 350, m. 21.
441. W. Farrer, Honors and Knights' Fees, ii. 383 sqq.; Cal. Inq. p.m. ii, p. 284; Cal. Close, 1279-88, 325; Cal. Pat. 1266-72, 374; Abbrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 187, 262; Complete Peerage, vii. 464.
442. Cal. Inq. p.m. ii, p. 284.
443. Ibid. xiii, p. 278.

• Manorial Estate, 1271, Potton Manor, Sutton, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19, GB. ⁸ The overlordship of POTTON MANOR, also called POTTON REGIS, the principal manor, passed to Isabel the second sister, wife of Robert Bruce. Their son, Robert Bruce the elder, was exercising the overlordship in 1284, (fn. 9) but with the forfeiture of Robert Bruce the younger, the overlordship passed into the king's hands. (fn. 10)

The earliest mention of sub-tenants of this manor has been found in 1214, where Wischard Ledet and Margery, his wife, were holding twelve virgates of land in Sutton, by the service of one-fourth of a knight's fee. (fn. 11) Christina, their daughter and heir, brought the manor as dower to her husband, Henry de Braybrook, who was holding it in 1227. (fn. 12)

In 1271 this manor became the property of her granddaughter, Alice, wife of William le Latimer, (fn. 13) and followed the same descent as Sutton manor (q.v.), until its lapse into the duchy of Lancaster, (fn. 14) and...

Footnotes:
9. Chan. Inq. p.m. 55 Hen. III, No. 59; Feud. Aids, i, 3.
10. Feud. Aids, i, 23; Chan. Inq. p.m. to Edw. III, No. 48.
11. Feet. of F. Beds. East. 15 John.
12. Rot. Lit. Claus. (Rec. Com.), 178; Cal. of Chart. R. i, 22.
13. Chan. Inq. p.m. 55 Hen. III, No. 59.
14. Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), 3; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 2, 77; Chan. Inq. p.m. 10 Edw. II, No. 48; 4 Ric. II, No. 35; 12 Ric. II, No. 40; 9 Hen. VI, No. 24; Feud. Aids, i, 3, 23; Cal. of Pat. 1313-17, p. 222; Duchy of Lanc. Misc. Bks. 21, fol. 173d.

• Inquisition: Writ of plenius certiorari [complaint], 7 Oct 1280. ⁹ 374. Christiana de Fornivall alias de Furnivall.

Writ of plenius certiorari to Richard de Holebrock, the king's steward, on the complaint of the men of William de Eylesford of Burton that they were being distrained by the constable of the king's castle of Rockingham, to pay 75s. yearly for the guard of the said castle, 7 Oct. 8 Edw. I.

[Northampton.] Inq. Monday before St. Luke, 8 Edw. I.

The said Christiana lately held the barony of Wardon, with 15 knights' fees pertaining thereto, for which she was accustomed to render 75s. for the guard of the castle of Rokingham, and when she had collected the money from the said fees she sent it to her own manor of Burthone, of another tenure, as her nearest manor to the castle, to be paid to the constable. After her death the said barony with other her lands &c. descended to Christiana and Agnes wives of Sir William and Sir John le Latimer, as her heirs; and the said William and John his brother for seven years have not sent the 75s. to the reeve of Burthon, so that the said men have been distrained by the constable, wherefore they have prayed the said William and John to levy the money from the said fees and acquit them, but they have done nothing. The said men have enquired who held the said fees, and have sought and received the following, viz.-

Cukenho and Harewedone. 5s. from Nicholas de Cukenho.

Isham. 5s. from Henry de Isham.

Suleby. 5s. from the abbot of Suleby.

Sydeston. 13s. 4d. from Robert de Waufre and his parceners.

Audewyncle. 2s. 6d. from Henry de Audewyncle.

Which sums this year they refuse to pay, and for seven years the men of Burthon have unjustly paid 44s. 2d. for the said William and John. Who hold the remaining fees, and whether the said William and John have collected the money, is unknown to the jury, but the said William and John have paid nothing to the men of Burthon, nor anything of the said 75s. of the guard of the castle.

Endorsed:- Let the men have peace and let it be enquired who hold these fees.

Writ to Richard de Holebrok, to enquire who hold the abovesaid fees, and who ought to pay the money, 10 Nov. 8 Edw. I.

[Northampton.] Inq. Wednesday, 3 March, 11 Edw. I.

Lady Christiana de Furnivall having been many times distrained at Wardon by the bailiffs of the said castle for the said guard, caused the said 75s. to be levied yearly from the said 15 fees, and transmitted to Burton to satisfy for the guard of the said castle by the hands of her bailiff there. After her death the bailiffs of the castle caused the same to be levied for eight years from the men of the manor of Burton who formerly were of the said Christiana and afterwards of William de Eylisford, until by the king's writ they obtained peace from that exaction, and for three years that annual guard has remained unpaid. The manor of Burton is not of the barony of Wardone, nor bound to contribute anything for that guard; the heirs of the said Christiana ought to levy the said annual guard from the said fees and pay it to the keeper of the castle, and if that guard should be in arrear, the king's bailiffs there ought and were accustomed to distrain in the manor of West Wardone, which is the chief manor of the barony. William and John le Latymer have yearly collected the said guard and detained it, excepting what the men of Burton received (as abovesaid).

The following hold the said fees:-

Lincoln; Oxford.

Sythestan, Wyleby and Ouneby, co. Lincoln, and Wroxstan, co. Oxford. 4 fees held by Sir Robert de Waufre, the prior of Wroxston, Roger de Neuvile and John Spigot, who ought to render 20s. yearly for the said guard.

Northampton.

Harewedon and Cugeho. 1 fee held by William son of Nicholas de Cugeho, who ought to render 5s. yearly.

Hysham. 1 fee held by Henry son of Henry de Hisham, who ought to render 5s. yearly.

Soleby. 1 fee held by the abbot of Soleby, who ought to render 5s. yearly.

Audewincle. ½ fee held by Henry de Audewyncle, who ought to render 2s. 6d. yearly.

Soleby. 2¼ fees of almoin ought to be acquitted by the heirs of West Wardon, who ought to render 11s. 3d. yearly.

(Unspecified.) ¼ fee held by Alexander de Someresham, who ought to render 15d. yearly.

Berton, held by the prior of Bernewell.

Cambridge.

Everisdon, held for 3 fees by Robert del Ho and Beatrice his wife, who ought to render 15s. yearly.

Meldeburn. 1 fee held by Reginald de Argentein, who ought to render 5s. yearly.

Long Staunton. ½ fee held by Henry son of Sir William de Cheny, who ought to render 2s. 6d. yearly.

Wynepol and Wastlingworthe. ½ fee held by Richard Fraunceys, who ought to render 2s. 6d. yearly.

C. Edw. I. File 25. (19.)

• Inquisition: Post mortem, Bef 17 Nov 1305. ⁷ 320. WILLIAM DE LATIMER.

No writ (cf. Calendar of Fine Rolls, Vol. I, p. 505).

LEICESTER. Inq. taken at Kyrk Langeton ...... 33 Edward I.

Est Langeton. 11 virgates of land, held, of the inheritance of Alice his wife, of Nicholas de Asteleye by knight's service. One of these virgates is held by two free tenants rendering 2s. 6d. yearly, and the other 10, each containing 15a., are held in villeinage. There are also in the town 3 cottars (coterelli) who render 3s. a year, and a windmill which renders 13s. 4d.

Kirke Langeton. 2s. 6d. rent from two free tenants holding half a virgate, held, of the inheritance of the same Alice, of the same Nicholas by knight's service.

West Langeton. 2s. rent from two free tenants for two cottages, held, of the inheritance of the same Alice, of the same Nicholas by the aforesaid service.

Thorp by Langeton. 10s. 6d. rent from 5 free tenants holding 2 virgates, held of the same Nicholas by the same service.

[......]. 2s. rent from 2 free tenants holding half a virgate, held of Sir Ralph de Sancto Laudo by knight's service of the inheritance of the aforesaid Alice. And ........ in the same town holds half a virgate of land and pays 1/2 lb. pepper yearly; ........ cottage and renders 2 capons at Christmas; and there are 8 bondmen holding ........, each virgate containing 15a.

Gutmundeleye. 19s. rent from 3 cottars, held of Ralph de Sancto Laudo by knight's service, of the inheritance of the same Alice.

Smetheton. 3s. 3d. rent from 2 cottagers, held of Ralph Turvile by knight's service, of the inheritance of the same Alice. There are there 9 bondmen holding 9 virgates of land, each containing 15a.

William le Latimer, his son, aged 30 years and more, is his heir.

See Vol. IV, No. 330. C. Edw. I. File 115. (15.)

William married Alice Ledet, daughter of Walter Ledet and Ermentrude.^{1 2 3 4 5 6} (Alice Ledet was born about 1255 ¹⁰ and died before 8 Mar 1317 ¹¹.)