Sir Roger Corbet of Caus
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: by 1368.
Place of Death: unknown.
Sir Roger’s son Roger did homage for his lands in 1368.
Relationships
Father: Thomas Corbet.
Mother: unknown.
See the Commentary section below.
Spouse: Amice de Camville.
Nichols (4:2:953) makes this identifcation. It is supported by fines cited below.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Amice Corbet married John Odingsels before 1335.
Sir Roger Corbet (died 2 March 1381) married Beatrice.
Peter Corbet
Thomas Corbet
Joan Corbet
Cecilia Corbet
Maud Corbet
Commentary
On Sir Roger’s parents:
Augusta Corbet argued that Sir Roger’s parents were the Sir Roger Corbet who died in 1289 at La Berton and a wife Nesta, who remarried Thomas de Roshall, but gave no clear evidence for this.
In fact, a number of pieces of evidence (see the Evidence section below for more details) point in other directions.
1. There is a 1318 fine, noted by neither A.E. Corbet or Eyton, which records Roger’s purchase of the manor of Leigh and gives his name as “Roger, son of Thomas Corbet of Caus”.
2. Blakeway, in his Sheriffs of Shropshire (cited by Eyton, v. 7, p. 41) relates that “Peter Corbet (II.) granted to his beloved nephew, Roger Corbet, all the chief custody of the bailiwick of all his Forest; and this Forestership descended to the Corbets of Lee: hence it is certain that they descended from this Roger, who, it is probable, was the son of John.”
Eyton notes that it is chronological impossible for Roger to be the son of John. He suggests that the word in the orginal document was probably nepos, which could have a wider range of meaning than “nephew” in English. However, Peter (II) of Caus had an elder brother Thomas who died without issue in Peter’s lifetime. I wonder if Roger could have been an illegitimate son of Thomas. But Nichols (v. 4, pt. 2, p. 953, sub Sibbesdon), notes that 1301, the manor of Sibbesdon was already “in the hands of Roger Corbett, of Caus, co. Salop, and Amice his wife, the daughter of Thomas de Camvile.” If this is correct, then Eyton is perhaps correct in surmising that the relationship to the main Caus line goes back to an earlier generation.
Relationship to the Corbets of Moreton:
There is also evidence which points to some kind of connection to the Corbets of Moreton:
3. The 1310 inquisition post mortem of Thomas Corbet of Moreton lists among his property “Hemme and Hynyton within the manor of Ideshale. The hamlets, held of Sir John de la Mare, lord of the manor of Ideshale, by service of 1/2 knight’s fee.” His heir was his son Robert, aged
4. The 1328 IPM of Bartholomew de Badlesmere contains this description, under Salop: “Hemme and Hinynton. The hamlets held by Roger Corbet of Cauus and Amice his wife, of the dower of the said Amice, of the inheritance of Robert Corbet of Morton, of Bartholomew de Badlesmere and Margaret his wife, by service of half a knight’s fee.” A moiety of the hamlet of Hemme is listed in the 1396 IPM of Sir Roger’s son Sir Roger.
5. In a 1330 fine concerning the manor Leigh, the manor was granted to Sir Roger for life, then to “Amice, who was the wife of Thomas Corbet of Morton’”, then to Sir Roger’s children and heirs.
6. In a 1330 fine made the same day concerning the manor of Braundeston in Leicestershire, a gift to Amice from her brother William son of Thomas de Camville, Amice gives it back to William and his wife Joan and their heirs for a rose. Then it was to go first to “Thomas son of Robert Corbet of Moreton and his heirs”, then to the children of Roger and Amice, with the reversion to Roger and Amice and the heirs of Amice.
Evidence
A 1305 fine (abstracted on Some Notes on Medieval Genealogy):
County: Shropshire
Place: Westminster.
Date: Two weeks from Easter, 33 Edward I [2 May 1305].
Parties: Roger de la Lee, clerk, querent, and John, son of John, son of Philip de Bubyngton', and Sarah, his wife, deforciants.
Property: A moiety of the manor of Quatte.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: John has acknowledged the moiety to be the right of Roger.
Warranty: Roger has granted to John and Sarah the moiety and has rendered it to them in the court, to hold to John and Sarah, of the lord king and his heirs for the lives of John and Sarah. And after the decease of John and Sarah the moiety shall remain to Joan, daughter of John de Wauton', and her heirs, to hold of the lord king and his heirs for ever.
For this: Roger has given him 20 pounds sterling.
Note: This agreement was made by the command of the lord king.
Note: [Endorsed: And Roger, son of Thomas Corbet, puts in his claim etc.]
from the Calendar of the Close Rolls:
1316
Feb. 6. Lincoln.
To the same.[Justices of the Bench] Order not to put Walter, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, in default for his failure to appear before them in a suit between him and Roger Corbet and Thomas Wychard, executors of the will of Thomas Corbet, that the bishop should render them 200 marks, as he was engaged in the king’s service on Tuesday the quinzaine of St. Hilary, so that he could not appear. By K.
A 1318 fine (abstracted on Some Notes on Medieval Genealogy):
County: Shropshire
Place: Westminster.
Date: One week from Holy Trinity, 11 Edward II [25 June 1318].
Parties: Roger, son of Thomas Corbet of Caus, querent, and Thomas Hager, impedient.
Property: The manor of Leghe by Worthyn.
Action: Plea of warranty of charter.
Agreement: Thomas has acknowledged the manor to be the right of Roger, as that which Roger has of his gift, to hold to Roger and his heirs, of the chief lords for ever.
Warranty: Warranty by Thomas for himself and his heirs.
For this: Roger has given him 20 pounds sterling.
Eyton (7:41-2) gives these notices:
In 1318, Roger Corbet of Caus was a Knight of the Shire, returned for Salop to the Parliament which met at York in October of that year.
Roger Corbet of Caus was similarly returned to the Parliament which assembled at Westminster on Feb. 23, 1324. He attended and obtained, on March 18, his Writ de expensis for so attending.
Pursuant to a Writ of May 9, 1324, Roger Corbet of Leigh juxta Caus, Knight, was returned by the Sheriff of Shropshire as summoned to attend the great Council of Westminster, on May 30.
On August 27, 1325, Roger Corbet of Leghe was put in commission as a Conservator of the peace in the County of Salop.
Again, as Roger Corbet of Caus, he was returned as a Knight of the Shire to the Parliament which met at Westminster on Nov. 18, 1325.
Eyton adds: “In all these entries one person is described as of Leigh or of Caus, to distinguish him from his two contemporaries, Roger Corbet of Morton, and Roger Corbet of Hadley or Tasley.
Corbet (p. 174) cites a
From Nichols (4:953):
In 1301, this manor was in the hands of Roger Corbett, of Caus, co. Salop, and Amice his wife, the daughter of Thomas de Camvile; who in 1328, by the following fine, settled the manor of Sibbesdon, and divers messuages and lands in that town, and in Snareston, &c. in Leicestershire, and Arlegh in Warwickshire, on themselves for life; with remainder to William, son of Thomas de Camvile, in tail; remainder to Roger son of Roger Corbet of Caus, Peter son of Roger, Joan, Cecil, Maud, sisters of Peter, all in tail; remainder to Robert son of Roger Lestrange, &c.
"Hec est finalis concordia facta in curia domini regis, apud Westmona'sterium, 2 Edw. III. coram Willielmo de Herne, Henrico le Scrope, Johanne de Mitford, Johanne de Stonore, &c. inter Ricardum de Wellsburne querentem, et Rogerum Corbettum et Amiciam uxorem ejus deforcientes, de manerio de Sibbesdon, cum pertinentiis, et de 2 carucatis et 4 virgatis terre et 12s. redditus in Snarkeston, Shenton, Radeclive, et Witherdebery, com' Leic', &c. unde placitum conventionis summonitum suit inter eos, &c. scilicet quod idem Ricardus concessit Rogero et Amicie terram predictam pro termino vitarum ipsarum, et post decessum Wilhelmo filio Thome Camvile, et heredibus de corporibus legitime procreatis; et pro defectu, rem' Rogero filio Rogeri Corbett de Caus, &c. rem' Petro fratri Rogeri filii Rogeri, rem' Johanne sorori Petri, rem' Cecilie sorori, rem’ Matilde sorori, rem' Roberto filio Rogeri le Strange, rem' rectis heredibus Amicie."
In 1346, Roger Corbett (on the aid then granted for knighting Edward of Woodstock, the king's eldest son) was assessed 20s. for half a knight's fee in Sibbesdon, parcel of the Honour of Winton.
from the Leicestershire Lay Subsidy Roll, 1327
Sibbesdon
Rob’to Corbet …iiijs.
Bundeston’ [Braunston. A chapelry of Glenfield]
Rog’o Corbet…ijs. vjd.
The 1328 fine (abstracted on Some Notes on Medieval Genealogy):
County: Leicestershire, Warwickshire.
Place: York.
Date: One week from St Martin, [2?] Edward III [18 November 1328?].
Parties: Richard [de Welesb...r..?, querent, and] Roger Corbet and Amice, his wife, deforciants.
Property: The manor of Sibbesdon' and 2 carucates and 4 bovates of land and 12 shillings [of rent in Suth'? Kes...?, ...]e, Sheinton' and Wytherdelegh' in the county of Leicester and 1 messuage, 1 carucate and 3 bovates of land and 40 shillings of rent in Arlegh' in the county of Warwick.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: Roger and Amice have acknowledged the manor and tenements to be the right of Richard, as those which he has of their gift.
For this: [Richard] has granted to Roger and Amice the manor and tenements and has rendered them to them in the court, to hold to Roger and Amice, of the chief lords for the lives of Roger and Amice. And after the decease of Roger and Amice the manor and tenements shall remain to William, son of Thomas de Caunuill', and the heirs of his body, to hold of the chief lords for ever. In default of such heirs, successive remainders (1) to Roger, son of Roger Corbet of Caus, and the heirs of his body, (2) to Peter, brother of the same Roger, son of Roger, and the heirs of his body, (3) [to Joan], sister of the same Peter, and the heirs of her body, (4) to Cecily, sister of the same Joan, and the heirs of her body, (5) to Maud, sister of the same Cecily, and the heirs of her body, (6) to Robert, son of Roger Lestraunge, and the heirs of his body and (7) to the right heirs of the aforesaid [...]
A 1330 fine (abstracted on Some Notes on Medieval Genealogy):
County: Shropshire
Place: Westminster.
Date: The day after St Martin, 4 Edward III [12 November 1330].
Parties: Edmund de Longedon', querent, and Roger Corbet of Cawes, deforciant.
Property: 1 messuage, 2 carucates of land and 40 shillings of rent in Legh' by Worthyn.
Action: Plea of warranty of charter.
Agreement: Edmund has granted to Roger the tenements and has rendered them to him in the court, to hold to Roger, of the chief lords for the life of Roger. And after the decease of Roger the tenements shall remain to Amice, who was the wife of Thomas Corbet of Morton', to hold of the chief lords for the life of Amice. And after the decease of Amice the tenements shall remain to Peter, son of the aforesaid Roger, and the heirs of his body, to hold of the chief lords for ever. In default of such heirs, successive remainders (1) to Roger, brother of the same Peter, and the heirs of his body, (2) to Thomas, brother of the same Roger, and the heirs of his body, (3) to Joan, sister of the same Thomas, and the heirs of her body and (4) to the right heirs of the aforesaid Roger Corbet.
A 1330 fine from the same day (abstracted on Some Notes on Medieval Genealogy):
County: Leicestershire.
Place: Westminster.
Date: The day after St Martin, 4 Edward III [12 November 1330].
Parties: William, son of Thomas de Caunuill', and Joan, his wife, querents, and Roger Corbet of Caus, knight, and Amice, his wife, deforciants.
Property: The manor of Braundeston' by Leycestr'.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: William has acknowledged the manor to be the right of Amice, as that which Roger and Amice have of his gift.
For this: Roger and Amice have granted to William and Joan the manor and have rendered it to them in the court, to hold to William and Joan and the heirs of their bodies, of Roger and Amice and the heirs of Amice for ever, rendering yearly 1 rose at the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, and doing to the chief lords all other services. In default of such heirs, successive remainders (1) to Thomas, son of Robert Corbet of Morton', and the heirs of his body, (2) to Roger, son of the aforesaid Roger, and the heirs of his body, (3) to Joan, sister of the same Roger, son of Roger, and the heirs of her body, (4) to Cecily, sister of the same Joan, and the heirs of her body and (5) to Maud, sister of the same Cecily, and the heirs of her body. In default of such heirs, the manor shall revert to Roger Corbet and Amice and the heirs of Amice, quit of the other heirs of William and Joan, Thomas, Roger, son of Roger, Joan, Cecily and Maud, to hold of the chief lords for ever.
Note: [Endorsed: William de Herle puts in his claim.]
References
Corbet, Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale. The Family of Corbet: Its Life and Times v. 2 (1915).
Eyton, Robert William. Antiquities of Shropshire v. 7 (1858).
A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11. (Victoria County History, 1985).
A History of the County of Warwickshire: Volume 6. (Victoria County History, 1951).
Nichols, John. The History and Antiquities of the Count of Leicester v.4 pt. 2 (1811).
Reports and Papers read at The Meetings of the Architectural Societies of the Counties of Lincoln and Nottingham, County of York, Archdeaconries of Northampton and Oakham, County of Bedford, Diocese of Worcester, and County of Leicester (1887).
The Visitation of Shropshire, 1623. Paul Grazebrook and John Paul Rylands, eds. (London, 1889)