Richard Peshale

To judge from the court records below, Richard, like his direct male ancestors, had a penchant for violence unusual even for that violent era.

Events

Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.

Date of Death: unknown.

Place of Death: unknown.

Relationships

Father: Sir Thomas Peshale.

Richard son of Thomas Peshall is mentioned in an entail of 1438-9 (Bridgeman, p. 74). His father is also given in court records cited below.

Mother: Philippa Bennet.

This name is given as the wife of Sir Thomas in a deed cited by Pearsall (p. 727). The 1614 Visitation of Staffordshire (p. 240) gives Philippa, as Thomas’s first wife, and Richard’s mother.

Spouse: Margaret Malpas.

This relationship is given in the 1614 Visitation of Staffordshire (p. 240). The source seems a little late to trust, but the arms support a connection. This relationship is also given by Williamson (Ormerod 3:514), and records of the patrons of the church of Wistaston (Ormerod 3:334-5) provide some corroboration.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Joyce Peshale married Richard Pigott.

Isabel Peshale married Thomas Grosvenor.

Evidence

from “Extracts from the Plea Rolls”

(p. 31-2)

3 H. V.

Salop. It had been presented before the King at Salop, at Trinity term, 2 II. V, by divers Hundreds of the county, that Richard Peshale, armiger, of co. Salop, on the Monday before the Purification, 12 H. IV, had feloniously violated Alice, the wife of John Wallesley, at Wemme, in the presence of her husband ; and that Nicholas Peshale, the brother of Richard ; John Bocard, of Salop, yoman, and many others, were present aiding and abetting the felony.

It had also been presented, at the same date, that Richard Peshale, of co. Salop, gentilman, and others, on the Friday the 28th August, II H. IV, had assembled armed in the manner of war and had pulled down the house of John Wydeford, which had been newly built, and had robbed him of goods and chattels to the value of £20.

It had also been presented, that Richard Peshale, son of Thomas Peshale, knight, of co. Salop, squyer, on the Thursday after the Feast of St. Luke, 12 H. IV, had taken and thrown down Margaret Smyth, widow, in her house at Chesewardyn, and had wounded her in the belly with a dagger, and had violated her so that she had afterwards died.

It had also been presented, that the said Richard and others, on the Monday after the Feast of Easter, 12 H. IV, had feloniously kil'ed an unknown man in the fields at Longeford.

It had also been presented, that Richard Persale, of Chetewynd, in co. Salop, gentilman, on the Monday before the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary, 1 H. V, had arrested without authority one John Bokard, at Drayton, and had threatened him with the loss of life or mutilation of his limbs until one Giles de Sheynton, in order to save his life, had become surety that he would not leave the county until he had made a concord with the said Richard ; and afterwards, when the friends of John had taken him into Staffordshire for fear the said Richard should kill him, he had so threatened the said Giles that for fear of his life he had been afraid to leave his house for two weeks, and the said Richard had afterwards extorted from him 5 marks, and that the said Richard was a common extortioner and oppressor of the people.

It had also been presented, that Richard Peshale, of Chetwynd, armiger, on the Tuesday before the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, 1 H. V, had come to Tunstall, in co. Salop, and had expelled "William Thikeness, clerk, vi et armis, from a messuage and 60 acres of land and 6 acres of meadow, and had feloniously robbed him of goods and chattels to the value of £10 ; and afterwards, on the Monday after the Feast of St. Michael, in the same year, had driven him by force out of the county, so that by cause of the treatment he received the said William had afterwards died at Chekley, in co. Statford, on the Friday before the Feast of the Annunciation.

It had also been presented, that the said Richard had feloniously robbed Roger Callerhall, of Tunstall, of 13s. 4d. at Drayton, in 2 H. V, and that he had feloniously robbed Roger Knyghton, at Knyghton, of 13s. 4d.., in 10 H. IV.

It had also been presented, that the said Richard Pesale, at Christmas time, 10 H. IV, had given liveries of cloth to John Jurdan, frankelyn, and five others, at Drayton, and in 1 H. V had given liveries of cloth to Humfrey de Titteley, of Bloure, co. Statford, and seven others, at Drayton.

It had also been presented, that Richard de Peshale, son of Thomas Peshale, of Chetewynd, squyer, had collected 400 Welshmen and others, arrayed in manner of war, on the Tuesday after the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, 12 H. IV, in the fields of Wenlok, and had announced to the prior of Wenlok that they intended to enter the vill of Wenlok by force and destroy the said prior and all his tenants, and the prior had been forced to send messengers to Edward Sprenchose, the Sheriff, who had raised the posse of the county in order to relieve him, and at this term the said Richard appeared after he had been put in exigend, and was committed to the custody of the Marshal.

And being afterwards brought before the Court and questioned, he produced Letters Patent of the King, dated 8th February, 2 II. V, pardoning him for all felonies, etc., perpetrated before the preceding 8th December. He was therefore allowed to depart in peace, m. 26, Rex.

from the History of Standon:

(p. 87)

14th Year of Henry VI., A.D. 1435-1436.

...Richard Peshale, of Chetwynd, 2d.; ...owe[s] suit of court and came not, therefore [he is] in mercy.

from the National Archives catalogue:

E 199/38/41

15-26 Hen. VI [1437-1448]

Shropshire and Staffordshire: Particulars and accounts for lands in Presthope and Bradley, held by John Esthope: for breach of the peace, and mancupator of Richard Peshale of Chetwynd, Esq.

References

Bridgeman, G.T.O. “The History of the Parish of Church Eaton and its members, Wood Eaton, Onslow, High Onn, Little Onn, Shushions, and Marston” in Collections for a History of Staffordshire (William Salt Archaeological Society,Volume IV, Part II (1883).

“Extracts from the Plea Rolls” in Collections for a History of Staffordshire (William Salt Archaeological Society, Volume XVII (1896).

Ormerod, George; Peter Leycester; William Smith; William Webb; and Thomas Helsby. The history of the county palatine and city of Chester: compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county, incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities. (London: G. Routledge, 1882).

Parshall, Horace Field. The Parshall Family, A.D. 870-1913: a collection of historical records and notes to accompany the Parshall pedigree. (London, 1915).

Pearsall, Clarence E., Pearsall, Hettie May, and Harry L. Neall. History and Genealogy of the Pearsall Family in England and America (two volumes; 1928).

Salt, Edward. The History of Standon: parish, manour, and church, with two hundred years of registers. (1888).

The Visitations of Staffordshire in 1614 and 1663-4 in Collections for a History of Staffordshire (William Salt Archaeological Society, Volume V part 2 (1884).