Sewallis [II] de Shirley ²

  General Notes:

Sewallis de Shirley (3rd son), of Shirley, Derbys; married 1st Alice (dsp); married 2nd Matilda Ridel and by her had [Henry and Hugh who was Chaplain at Longford c1200], with 4 sons (dsp).

[Burke's Peerage]

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From Sewallis, called also Sewallis de Scyrle or Shirley, is sprung that more loyal race who from this time were known by the latter name when resident in Derbyshire, but who also were called after the manor of Eatington in Warwickshire, when they lived at that more ancient inheritance. The first deed, illustrating the third descent of the Shirley family, is then the agreement between the brothers Henry and Sewallis; it is without date, but was made in the time of William, Earl of Derby, who lived in the reign of Henry II. This deed is confirmed by another made in the year 1192 (3 and 4 Ric. I.) between the same Sewallis and Fulcher, son and heir of Henry, who was then dead. (App. xiii.) This is followed by a licence from Sewallis to William son of Serlo de Grendon (the collateral ancestor of the house of Chetwynd, who had married his sister), for making a "hay," or inclosed paddock for the purpose of entrapping deer, in Bradley Wood (App. XIV.), with another separate deed granting to him the villages of Bradley and Sturston, both in Derbyshire. (App. XV.) Next is a grant from the same Sewall to Hugh, son of Philip, of a certain piece of ground called " Wodehouse Flat," in length from " Standende Water, to the mill bed." (App. XVI.) The confirmation of the church of Eatendon to Kenilworth Priory granted by Sewallis, the son of Fulcher, contains some further concessions to that house, particularly mentioning a composition for the tithe of hay, and substituting a meadow, which is exactly described, and called to this day " Tithe meadow." (App. XVII.) By another deed he granted to the church of Eatendon a certain piece of land called " Oddecrofth," containing 18 acres, and another of 10 acres lying in Over Eatendon, as also three acres of land adjoining to the said Oddecrofth. (App. XVIII.) To the monks of Tutbury he gave also an ozier bed which had belonged to Henry, son of Sewallis, his uncle, and all the land which belonged to him between the boundary of the ozier bed of the monks and the road which descended from the gate of the castle (of Tutbury), as far as the gate of the mill. (App. XIX.) This grant is confirmed by Henry the elder brother. (App. XX.) To them also he gave two parts of Hoga (now called Hown), and in this grant (App. XXI.) it may be remarked that Sewallis is called after his manor of Scyrle or Shirley, the first instance, I believe, of bearing what afterwards became the family name. This deed is confirmed by Robert (junior) Earl Ferrers. (App. XXII.) There are still some other religious grants of these brothers preserved, viz. certain lands called Aldewerch to the canons of Darley in Derbyshire, by Sewallis. (App. XXIII.) To the church of St. Mary of Bildewas, in Shropshire, the land of Ivenbroc, by Henry. (App. XXIV.) An agreement of Sewallis with the monks of Rufford in Nottinghamshire (App. XXV.), and a grant of the church of Edneshoure to Roucetter Abbey in the county of Stafford, by Fulcher their younger brother. (App. XXVI.)

In the twelfth year of Henry II. according to the Red Book in the Exchequer (App. XXVII.), no less than nine knight's fees were held by Sewaldus or Sewallis (for the name is both ways written), whereof four had belonged to Fulcher his father, and five to Henry his uncle. One other grant to the church remains to be recorded of " Sewallis the son of Fulcher," erroneously styled by Dugdale a knight. I allude to his gift of lands at Eatendon to the Prior and Knights Hospitallers of Jerusalem, and which they afterwards regranted for 12d. per annum rent to Hugh de Welles, Vicar of Eatendon. This land was doubtless what was afterwards and is still called " Prior's Close." (App. XXVIII.) From a drawing of a seal given by the family antiquary, Sir Thomas Shirley, with the legend, " Sig: Sewalli Fil: Fulcheri," it appears that the very ancient coat of Paly of six was born by this remote ancestor of the house of Shirley; who, having been twice married, first to " Matilda Ridell," and secondly to " Alicia," had issue five sons, Henry, Fulcher, Hugh the chaplain, Ralph, and Richard. ³

  Events

• Manorial Estate, 1129, Lower Ettington Manor, Ettington, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV35, GB. ⁴ The overlordship of the manor of LOWER ETTINGTON was held in 1086 by Henry de Ferrers. This manor was rated at 17 hides, its annual value being £20. The former owner is not recorded in Domesday Book. The Earls of Derby, descendants of Henry de Ferrers, subsequently held the overlordship, until that earldom was absorbed in the earldom of Lancaster, Ettington constituting 2/3 of a knight's fee in 1235 and a whole fee in 1242. In 1279 it is said to be held of Edmund of Langley, Earl of Lancaster, in 1403, 1466, and 1520 of the Duchy of Lancaster.

At the time of the Domesday Survey 'Saswalo' held the manor of Henry de Ferrers. He died about the time of the Survey, and was succeeded by his only son Fulcher, who died c. 1105. Fulcher's second son, another Sewallis, succeeded to the manor of Ettington; he later moved to Shirley, Derbyshire, whence he assumed the surname of Shirley. He died c. 1129, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry, who died c. 1165, when his son, a third Sewallis, inherited the manor. In 1242 this third Sewallis held one knight's fee here of Lord Ferrers. In 1247 he settled the manor of Shirley on his son James, on his marriage with Agnes de Wauton, and undertook not to sell any part of that of Ettington. James had a grant of free warren in his demesnes here in 1255. He seems to have got into financial difficulties in 1276, and made over this manor to his son Ralph, who, instead of regranting it to him for life, as he had arranged, kept it and sold the stock and movables found there. Sir James probably died in 1278, as in 1279 Ralph de Shirley was lord of Ettington, which he held of Edmund of Langley as 2 knight's fees, having there 2 ploughlands in demesne and 12 serfs. In 1316 the manor was settled on Ralph for life with remainder to Ralph son of James de Shirley and Margaret daughter of Walter Waldeshef and their issue. Two years later lands in Oxhill, Fullready, and Tysoe were settled on Ralph and Isabel de Etindon, with similar remainder. It seems probable that Isabel was Ralph's intended second wife and that the second Ralph was his grandson, son of an otherwise unrecorded James who had most likely died before attaining his majority. The elder Sir Ralph died in 1326 and the younger in 1342, when he was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas, who died in 1362. His son Hugh was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. Hugh's son Ralph, then aged 12, married Joan Basset and had a son Ralph, who held the manor until his death on 26 December 1466. His son John succeeded at the age of 40, and died on 18 May 1485.

Sewallis married Alice.¹

Sewallis next married Matilda Ridel.^{1 2}