Sir Simon de Drayton

  Events

• Manorial Estate: Molesworth Manor, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28, GB. ³ The subtenancy in 1086 was held of the Countess Judith by Eustace the Sheriff. From him it seems to have passed early in the 12th century to Walter L'Engleis, and by the marriage of his sister with Walter (?) de Lindsey (Lindesei) it descended in that family.

Walter apparently had a son Walter de Lindsey of Earlstown in Lauderdale, who granted the church of Earlstown to the Abbey of Kelso for the soul of Walter, his uncle, about 1159. His brother William, son of Walter de Lindsey I, between 1156 and 1166 bestowed on Chicksand Priory (Beds), for the health of his father and for the souls of his mother and of Walter L'Engleis, 160 acres in Molesworth and common of pasture for twenty score sheep and 24 beasts. The grant was attested by the donor's father, Walter, and this and other grants in Molesworth made by William de Lindsey and Walter, his brother, were confirmed to Chicksand by Henry II between 1163 and 1166. Walter appears to have succeeded his brother William about 1165, when he paid £20 for the right of his lands in Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

Richard de Lindsey, said by Dr. Farrer to be Walter's successor, may have been his son, who was succeeded by a brother Walter, as in 1201 Walter warranted the charter which Richard had made to Crowland Abbey. Walter attested an agreement in 1213, but in 1216 the lands late of Walter de Lindsey in Molesworth were committed to Roger de Millers, presumably during the minority of the heir.

Sir Walter de Lindsey, knt., probably, from the dates, son and heir of the last named Walter, presented to the church of Molesworth in 1220, when he would have reached his majority. He seems to have died before 1230, before which year William de Lindsey, who, again it would appear from the dates, was a brother of Sir Walter, married Alice, sister and later co-heir of William de Lancaster, Baron of Kendal.

In 1232 William de Lindsey brought an action against William, son of Hamel, as to half a hide, less 5 acres, of land in Molesworth and in 1235 presented to the church. He was holding half a fee in Molesworth in 1242-3 of Isabella de Brus of the honour of Huntingdon. William died before 1250, when the lands of his son and heir, Walter, were taken into the king's hands.

Walter, while still a minor aged 16, was returned as co-heir of his uncle William de Lancaster, Baron of Kendal, in 1246. He was heavily burdened with the debts of his uncle, William de Lancaster, and died in 1271, leaving William, his son and heir, aged 21 years, and a widow Christiana, who held dower in 1282.

William married in 1266 Ada, daughter of John de Balliol, and died in 1282, leaving a daughter, Christiana, wife of Ingram de Gynes.

William seems to have settled Molesworth on his brother, Gilbert de Lindsey, who in 1279 is said to have held the manor of William de Lindsey for the rent of a pair of gilt spurs or 6d., and he of William de Brus by foreign service, and he of Robert de Brus. In 1286, however, Ada, widow of William de Lindsey, claimed dower. In the same year Gilbert de Lindsey failed to justify a claim to view of frankpledge and other liberties in the manor, which was thereupon taken into the king's hands, but replevied in 1289.

In 1319 complaint was made by Gilbert de Lindsey, presumably son of the former Gilbert, as to an assault upon him and his men by a multitude of persons at Molesworth. Probably the younger Gilbert settled the manor on his sister Margaret, the wife of Simon de Drayton, for life. Simon de Drayton and John his son, with others, were accused of killing John de Overton Longueville at Holborn (Midd.), and were pardoned in 1339. Apparently the matter was raised again in 1342, when the king confirmed the pardon. Simon de Drayton died in 1357, when the manor was said to be held of Christiana de Lindsey by the rent of one gilt spur. Margaret died in the following year, when the manor was returned as held of William de Lindsey. Both these returns as to the superior lord are clearly out of date. On the death of Margaret the manor reverted to the daughters and heirs of Gilbert de Lindsey, or their representatives, namely his daughter, Christiana, who had married her first cousin, John de Drayton, son of Simon de Drayton and Margaret, and Thomas Dacre, son of his other daughter, Isabel.

Christiana sold her moiety of the manor and advowson in 1360 to Simon Simeon of Gosberkirk (Lincs), who with his wife Elizabeth (daughter of Sir Gilbert de Neville) settled the manor in 1377 and in 1386, and died without issue in 1387. His widow Elizabeth married in the following year John, Lord la Warre, when the manor was settled on them. Elizabeth died in 1393 and Lord la Warre in 1398, seised of half the manor, leaving his brother Thomas, a priest, his heir. Thomas, Lord la Warre, died in 1427, when Reginald West, nephew of the half blood, was his next heir and John Griffin, Lord Latimer, was his heir general. The half manor of Molesworth, however, was subject to numerous settlements, the effect of which is not clear, and its descent after the death of John, Lord la Warre, is obscure. In 1428 the whole manor was held by Roger Hunt, who then had the half fee which Robert de Brus formerly held.

• Inquisition: Post mortem, 28 Jan 1292. ¹ 17. JOHN DE DRAYTON.

Writ, 28 Jan. 20 Edw. I.

HUNTINGDON; HUNDRED OF NORMANCROS. Inq. Tuesday after the octave of the Purification, 20 Edw. I.

Botilbrigge. He held nothing of the king in chief, except by the mesne of Robert Gymis, who held of the king in chief, and the said John paid him a sore sparrowhawk or 2s. yearly.

Overton and Botilbrigge. 105s. rent of assize, 80a. arable, 16a. meadow, and pasture; and he had a capital messuage and garden.

He also held the manor of Drayton, co. Northampton of the king in chief.

Simon his son, aged 10, is his next heir.

NORTHAMPTON. Inq. Monday after St. Valentine, 20 Edw. I.

Drayton. The manor (extent given), including a fishpond and dovecot held of the king in chief by service of 1/2 knight's fee and rendering to the king yearly 13s. 4d. in the manor of Geytinton, and doing suit of court there.

Heir as above, aged 9 and more from the feast of SS. Peter and Paul (last).

C. Edw. I. File 61. (17.)

• Inquisition: Post mortem, 18 Jun 1357. ² 369. SIMON DE DRAYTON, knight.

Writ, 18 June, 31 Edward III. HUNTINGDON. Inq. taken at Overton Longevyll, Tuesday after SS. Peter and Paul, 31 Edward III.

Botilbrigg. The manor, with its appurtenances in Overton Longevyll, held for his life jointly with Margaret his wife, who survives, of Robert Gymyles of Stachesden by service of a sore sparrowhawk or 2s. yearly, with successive remainders, after the said Margaret's death, to Baldwin, son of John de Drayton, and Alice his wife and the heirs of their bodies, Gilbert, brother of Baldwin, and the heirs of his body, and the right heirs of Simon.

Mellesworth. The manor held for his life jointly as above, of Christiana de Lyndeseye by service of a pair of gilt spurs yearly, with remainder after the said Margaret's death to the right heirs of Gilbert de Lyndeseye.

He held no other lands &c. in the county.

He died on 31 May last. John de Drayton his son, aged 40 years and more, is his heir.

Writ, 18 June, 31 Edward III. NORTHAMPTON. Inq. taken at Drayton, Thursday after the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr, 31 Edward III.

Drayton. The manor (extent given) held jointly with the abovesaid Margaret, by fine levied at York in the octave of Trinity, 15 Edward II, between the said Simon de Drayton and Margaret his wife, complainants, and Robert le Peyntour, chaplain, deforciant, whereby the said Simon acknowledged the said manor to be the right of the said Robert, and the latter granted it to the said Simon and Margaret to hold of the king for their lives.

Brixstok and Lufwyk. Sixteen messuages, a mill, seven tofts, 493a. land, 8a. meadow, 50a. wood, 4l. 4s. rent and a rent of 16 capons held jointly with the said Margaret, by fine levied at Westminster on the quinzaine of St. Michael, 29 Edward III, between William, parson of the church of Conyngton, John de Sulgrave, parson of the church of Langeport, and John de Ryngestede, parson of the church of Horpol, complainants, and the said Simon and Margaret, deforciants, whereby the said Simon acknowledged 313a. land and 50a. wood of the aforesaid tenements to be the right of the said William, John and John, and 180a. land, the meadow and rent to be the right of the said William; and the said William, John and John granted to the said Simon and Margaret all the aforesaid tenements for their lives.

The manor of Drayton is held of the king in chief by knight's service; the aforesaid 313a. land and 50a. wood of the king in chief … by service that every acre thereof shall render yearly 4d.; and the residue of the aforesaid tenements are held in chief of the abbot of Peter[borough] and the earl of Gloucester by service of fealty and suit of court at the leet of each of them twice a year.

Date of death and heir as above.

C. Edw. III. File 136. (27.)

Simon married Margaret de Lindsay, daughter of Gilbert de Lindsay and Unknown. (Margaret de Lindsay died on 24 Sep 1358 ⁴.)