Sir William of Membury

William Pomeroy of Membury

In 1421 Sir William Pomeroy presented letters patent, dated 1416, to Queen Joan of Navarre; who granted him, as her esquire, 20 marks annually for life, from yearly fees gathered at a gate of Oxford .
He was recorded as dead by 1441

MEMBURY is 4089 acres of land, 4 miles north west of Axminster on the border with Dorset. It lies within the Blackdown Hills an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; just to the north east is Beckford Bridge, which crossies the Yarty riverlet , the oldest packhorse bridge in East Devon

Queen Joan of Navarre

AT DOMESDAY at least part of Membury was held by William Chievre /William the goat, who was Ralphs de Pomerey's older half brother.

Membury had a recorded population of 7 households in 1086, making it one of the smallest 40% of settlements recorded in Domesday.
Households: 4 villagers. 2 smallholders. 1 slave. There were 3 ploughlands. 1 lord's plough team . 1 men's plough teams with half the land held by the Lord of the Manor; tenants held 6 acres of meadow; 7 acres of pasture; 6 acres of woodland. There were 6 cattle. 5 pigs. 14 sheep. 14 goats .It was worth 10 shillings a year when acquired by the 1086 owner Tenant-in-chief in 1086: William the goat.

William Pomeroy was brother & companion of Thomas Pomeroy Esq' knighted in 1400 and who, with his twice widowed wife, Joanna Chudlegh , held the Pomeroy barony from 1416-to 1426. They were of a cadet line in East Devon the sons of Robert Pomeroy of Bokerell, Upottery & Smallbridge. They descended in the reign of Henry III (1216- 1272) from Geoffrey Pomeroy, the 2nd son of 3rd successive Henry Pomeroy & his wife Alice de Vere;
Geoffrey's 1st wife was .Joan Allalegh , his 2nd wife was Matilda Ralegh.

In 1405 Thomas & William Pomeroy and the chaplain of Membery the Manor house having a chapel by that time, surrendered the Manor to the prior of Goldclyve in Newport in Monmouthshire ( Patent Rolls 1405 & Close Rolls )

William was a Knight Banneret, a military rank given to knights leading a small unit of knights on the battle field.
Thomas was given a Knight Bachelor , a lifetime award that is not inherited

Sir William Pomeroy was a Queen's Esquire 1417 to Queen Joan of Navarre, widow of John IV, Duke of Brittany & 2nd wife of Henry IV of England (1399-1413 ); Joan and Henry had no children . Her stepson who became Henry V. (1413-1422) seemed to have a good relationship with her, but in an attempt to seize her lands and income accused her of witchcraft, however she outlived him by 15 years.

Warrior knights
The National Archives TNA   New year was March 25th making March the 1st month / April 2nd month / May 3rd month & so on Jan was the 11th month

William de la Pomeray, in France 1369 /Aug 14 Letters of Protection

William de la Pomeray, in France 1369/ Aug 15 Letters of Attorney

20 years later
William Pomeray, Esq Man-at-Arms ; on Naval Service (expedition) under Courtenay, Edward `the blind earl` of Devon & Richrd FitzAlan earl of Arundel Muster Roll 1388 July

William Pomeray of Devon Esq Man-at-Arms at the Garrison of Brest, (Brittany) under Hugh Despenser & John Holland, duke of Exeter, earl of Huntingdon ; Muster Roll 1389/ 25 August

30 years on

William Pomeray, Esq Man-at-Arm; on Naval Service under William Lord Botreaux with Lieutenants `William Pomeray & Thomas Treverok, under Hugh Courtenay, earl of Devon 1418 July - Muster Roll

William Pomeray, in France under Henry V King of England 1422 May 3 Letters of Protection

William Pomeray,in France no captain given 1422 June 26 Letters of Attorney

Thomas Pomeroy Esq., was a son of the cadet Pomeroy line at Bokerell, Upottery & Smallbridge. In 1388 Thomas made a hurried and illegal marriage without bans or a licence in the aisle of Berry Pomeroy church. His wife, the co- heir to the Pomeroy barony, was the well dowered and wealthy , Johanna, daughter of James Chudlegh by his wife Joanna Pomeroy. Johanna was widow of Sir John St Aubyn & Sir Phillip de Bryan and co-heir with her sister Margaret, wife of Adam Cole whose son was John Cole.
In 1416 Thomas persuaded King Henry V to set aside the designated heir Edward the nominated heir Baron Sir John Pomeroy who had no male heir. Edward was the grandson of Sir Thomas Pomeroy, Knight of the Shire & the 5th son of Baron Sir Henry Pomeroy by his wife Joanna Moels and rightful male heir.

Sir Thomas Pomeroy waged quite a campaign against the nominated male heir to the barony Sir Edward Pomeroy & his wife Margaret Beville, Thomas and his cousin, John Cole, are said to have thrown the heir, Edward out of a window of his castle at Tregony & locked up his wife Lady Margaret for three days with out food or water

Thomas Pomeroy Esq., despite his 'offence', was knighted in 1400. He died childless in 1426 with his quest to found a new baronial bloodline thwarted.
The rightful male heir, Edward Pomeroy, Sheriff of Devon came into his inheritance in 1426. & died in 1446. He was survived by at least 2 sons.
Henry the heir, married to Alice Ralegh & John of Tregony, & possibly with more children who are unrecorded

1423: Dec. 4. At Westminster. ( A few days prior to the 8th Dec 1423 death of Joanna Chudleigh 1st wife of Sir Thomas Pomeroy )

Her 11th dec Inquisition Post Mortem is here

To the treasurer and the barons of the exchequer. Order not to trouble John Cole esquire for his homage; as upon the finding of an inquisition, taken before William Cheyne and John Martyn by virtue of a commission of the late king to them and to William Pawlet and John Sparowe addressed, that John Pomeray knight at his death held the manor of Stockleigh Pomeray and moieties of the manors of Haberton and Brixham in Devon in chief by knight service, and that Joan (Chudlegh) wife of Thomas Pomeray knight, & daughter of Joan one of his sisters, and John Cole esquire son of Margaret his other sister ) are his cousins and next heirs and of full age, for a fine paid in the hanaper the late king respited the homage and fealty of John Cole until a day now past, on 1 May 5 Henry V commanded livery to be given him of his purparty; ( That part of an estate, which having been held in common by parceners, is by partition allotted to any of them...)..... and upon the finding of another inquisition, taken before the late king's escheator, that John Pomeray was seised of the manor of Byry Pomeray, holding the same of King Richard II in chief by knight service, and by name of John de la Pomeray son and heir of Henry de la Pomeray gave the same to William de Horbury parson of Ipplepen, Richard Holrygge vicar of Brixham, John Papylwyke parson of Lookessore, Reynold vicar of Biry Pomeray, John Hille, John Wadham, Thomas de la Pomeray, William Caunton and Richard Aysshe and to their heirs, that those feoffees were thereof seised, that William Caunton after died, that the survivors with licence of the king gave the said manor to the said John Pomeray and Joan(de Merton) then his wife and to the heirs of their bodies, with remainder to the right heirs of John Pomeray, that John Pomeray and Joan were thereof seised by the form of that gift, and continued their estate all the life of John Pomeray, that he died seised jointly with her without issue by her, that she overlived him, and continued her estate until Ascension day 8 Henry V, on which date without licence of the king she made a surrender of the said manor, and grant of her estate therein, to Thomas de la Pomeray, Joan his wife and John Cole, being the right heirs of John Pomeray (as aforesaid), and to their heirs, and that by virtue of her surrender they were thereof seised; and for a fine paid in the hanaper on 20 November 8 Henry V the late king pardoned the trespasses herein committed, and on 20 July following for a fine therein paid respited the homage of John Cole until a day now past, and commanded livery to be given him of the said manor; and the king has taken his homage. By p.s. [986.]

Memorandum of acknowledgment, 26 January.1423

Joan Bithewater to Thomas Bithewater chaplain, Master John Stokes clerk of the chancery, William Norton esquire and Robert Forster 'gentilman,' both of Westminster (London). Middlesex, their heirs and assigns.

Gift during her life of a yearly rent of 10l. 13s. 4d., reciting a writing, dated Meynbury (Membury) 20 March 9 Henry VI, ( 1431) whereby Lawrence late prior of Goldeclyve and the convent gave to her and William Pomerey now deceased the manor of Meynbury otherwise Membury in Devon for their lives and the life of the longest liver, a writing indented, dated Meynbury 24 March 9 Henry VI, whereby the said Joan and William made a grant of their whole estate in the said manor to the prior and convent and to their successors, subject to a yearly rent of £10. 13s. 4d. payable to them for their lives and the life of the longest liver, the death of the said William, and that she is sole surviving.

Witnesses: Richard Walsshe 'gentilman,' John Savage, Simon Croulonde, Robert Hough, John Faw . . . Dated Monday after Midsummer 18 Henry VI.

Aldermen of the City of London, 1422 circa Oct was John atte Water (Bithewater), Goldsmith – in Farringdon Within ward - 1422-8. Sheriff 1424-5.)

With two others, Pomeray stood as mainpernor for freeing a certain John James, held of the sheriffs of London in 1406,

In 1422 was mainpernors for Geoffrey Mugge in commitmet to him of Milton Demarel.

The limited concern of Pomeray with Membury manor and the prior of Goldcliff (to 1406) was covered by Powley v. pp 65 and 83).

In 1408 he gave the “mainprise” church of Docking, Norfolk to John Braham, knight, and T. Audermer, chaplain.

I think Joan Blithewater may have been the wife of Robert Pomeroy & William inherited Membury

Hanaper was the office of a civil servant within the Chancery

Mainprise was rather like standing surety .It was an undertaking given to a magistrate or court that even without having an accused in custody one will be liable for the appearance of the accused on a fixed day to defend any and all charges to be brought against him

A2A Devon Record Office 3799M-0/ET/13/1 1377 Contents: Power of attorney

1. John of la Pomeray knt. 2. William Bythewatere To give seison to:

3. William la Pomeray, Nicholas la Pomeroy, (brothers & 2nd & 3rd sons of the 4th Henry Pomeroy by his 1st wife Johanna Moels) James of Chuddelegh, Nicholas of Kyrkham, Adam Cole, (later bro’in law’) John Blake of Loddeforde, Richard Foldhey and Hugh Harewill

Premises: all those manors, advowsons, churches, land and tenements in Hywysh (Huish), Stouford, [ ]bury, Bourlonde, Croude (Crowdy, in Harberton), Wayshborne (Washbourne) and Alhalghenelegh (Allaleigh ( Hawley) in Cornworthy) which John Pomeroy had by gift and feoffment of William Hywysch

Date: Monday after the Nativity of St John the Baptist, 1 Richard II

NOTES - 1427 John Bithewater goldsmith. MPs Tavistock 1390 (Jan.) WALTER MILEMEAD & JOHN BITHEWATER

The manor belonged to the Courtenays, passed to the Drakes, and now belongs to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Yarty, now a farmhouse, was the seat of the Yarty family; Waterhouse, anciently called Waters, was the seat of the De la Water family. Membury Castle is a well-preserved ancient British camp of about 2 acres on a hill

A tax survey of Membury in 1324 noted a manor court house and two mills, and payment to a ‘clerik’. The Manor reverted to the Crown in 1414 when the alien priories were suppressed, and subsequently it was granted to the Duke of Warwick who annexed it to the Abbey of Tewkesbury.

Membury is three miles north west of Axminster in East Devon and Goldcliff owned lands at Membury and most of the surrounding area.

The Manor of Membury appears in the Doomsday Book, 1086, valued at 10 shillings ( C21st = 50P).

Lord of the manor in 1086 was Tenant-in-chief: William the goat ( Cheivre ) half brother of Ralph de Pomeray who also had Smallridge which is close by as Lord of the manor & tenant in chief .

In the middle ages the parish began to be settled sheep farming country and by 1635 was “Famous for it’s cheese”. A document of 1550 records Membury Court as the Manor House.

It is interesting to note that the History of Parliament site tell us.. by February 1400, Sir Thomas Pomeroy had become a farmer of Oakford, Devon, by Exchequer lease, and four years later he was granted a share in the custody of lands at Membury, which, however, he surrendered in 1406.

His annuity was to be confirmed by Henry V and by Henry VI’s council. Such liberality depended upon loyal service, and his standing may also be gauged by the willingness of the Lancastrian kings to exonerate him from the debts he owed as sheriff of Devon.

OAKFORD, or Okeford, a village 3 miles W. by S. of Bampton & 8 miles N.N.W. of Tiverton.There are 5251 acres of land, rising in hills on the north and west
The manor was anciently held by the Montacutes, & afterwards by the Pollards.
The Church of St. Pete, rebuilt about C19th has a tower and eight bells.

The fact that William Pomeroy, his companion & friend, later had income from Membury suggested that these two could have been closely related i.e brothers .

MEMBURY HILL COMMON 5/386 Cleave Hill , formerly known as Pomeroy's Hill & probably associated with robert de pomeray, who is documented in 1330 Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One (Monograph). SDV1312.

Of Membury Historic England tells us

Membury Manor near Stockland in East Devon reverted to the Crown in 1414 when the alien priories were suppressed, and subsequently it was granted to the Duke of Warwick who annexed it to the Abbey of Tewkesbury.

Membury Court is a late C16 or early C17 manor house with a medieval hall house core and later adaptations. A medieval hall house partly rebuilt in the late C16 or early C17, is listed at Grade II*
Architectural interest: this C16/C17 house is an assured architectural statement befitting its status as an historic manor house with quality craftsmanship and design.
It includes a substantial medieval hall which has surviving fabric that illustrates some of the construction methods of its day. Later historic adaptation has also been of good quality;

* Historic interest: as the early medieval Manor House site at Membury, associated with Goldcliff Priory, and later the Duke of Warwick, Abbey of Tewkesbury and Dean and Chapter of Windsor, Membury Court has a long and rich history with significant associations of historic note.

Historic England

The below ground remains of the former medieval chapel at Membury Court, Membury, Devon, is included on the Schedule for the following principal reasons: * Period/ Representativity: this is a representative example of a medieval manorial chapel with reasonable survival for its type and locality; * Rarity: early-medieval chapel sites are relatively uncommon; * Survival/ Condition: archaeological evaluation has demonstrated that part of the footings survives reasonably well; * Potential: the site has potential for adding to our understanding of medieval construction techniques and the evolution of early medieval manorial sites.

History

There is evidence of Romano-British occupation in the vicinity of Membury Court, and a Roman villa site was excavated in the field to the north of the former medieval chapel in 2014. At Domesday (1086), Membury Court was the manor house of the Manor of Membury, and was given to Goldcliff Priory in Monmouthshire by owner Robert de Chandos in 1113. Under the priory it was farmed by various individuals, possibly including Benedictines. A tax survey of Membury in 1324 noted a manor court house and two mills, and payment to a ‘clerik’. Although there was no mention of a chapel it is thought to have been constructed in the late C13/ early C14. The Manor reverted to the Crown in 1414 when the alien priories were suppressed, and subsequently it was granted to the Duke of Warwick who annexed it to the Abbey of Tewkesbury. The Manor of Membury was presented by the Crown to the Dean and Chapter of Windsor in 1474, and continued in their possession until it was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1867. The earliest surviving fabric within the house at Membury Court, in the medieval hall house roof, probably dates to the late C14 or early C15. The chapel was altered in the C15, with the insertion of a first floor, possibly when the adjacent hall house was extended to the east.

The first reference to a chapel on the site is in a 1560 survey when Membury Court was under the ownership of the Chace or Chase family, which states “cum capella adiacent” (“with adjacent chapel”).

Goldcliff Priory is intriguing - seen here from the air with its ancient field patterns still visible

Its on the Severn Estuary not far from Newport in Wales

Goldcliff Priory - The Abbey of Bec the mother house, located in Le Bec Hellouin, in Normandy, France

& was formerly the most influential abbey of the Anglo-Norman kingdom. Bec Abbey owned lands &
was managed St Neots Priory in Cambridgeshire & other English foundations.
Tooting Bec, in London was so named because the abbey owned that land.

The Prior at Goldcliff, from 1418–1441. was Lawrence de Bonneville,

The mother house of the Abbey of Bec is a coastal location, like Goldcliff, and these monks also have had special skills in sea defences and fishing. Which is maybe why Robert de Chandos offered it to Bec. Wool was an important commodity as were fruit farms and arable land.

In 1442, with the full approval of Pope Eugene IV, the Goldcliff priory was made a cell of Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire.

The revenues of the monastery did not then exceed 2,000 marks, and the priory was worth £200 a year. The abbot and convent were bound to maintain a prior and two monks in priests' orders.
In 1445 the three monks of Tewkesbury were expelled from Goldcliff by the Welsh, although in 1447 they again took possession but in 1450 the priory was granted by Henry VI to Eton College who together with the valuable salmon fishing rights, passed to Eton College.
The Provost and Fellows of Eton were still the lords of the manor and the largest landowners in 1901.... interesting to note that Goldcliff's 'Mother House' in Normandy

Goldcliff A shipwreck, assessed as worth 2 shillings per annum to the priory in 1291, caused a long running dispute with Robert Gyene of Bristol, a ‘king’s merchant’ who had chartered the ship at Bordeaux to carry wines and other goods to Bristol.

Stormy weather drove the ship ashore at Goldcliff and a number of men carried the cargo of wine ashore. The looters included Prior Gopylers of Goldcliff and Thomas de Bec, one of his monks. The case was stopped because of an irregularity but another merchant took up the case, William de Upton, a taverner from Shrewsbury who presumably had a shipment of wine on board. A further plea later in the year the named Geoffrey , Abbot of Bec ( in Normandy ) as one of culprits, although this was might have been legal cover-up.

2024 Goldcliff website here

Image -Goldcliff Priory on the Bristol Channel at Newport in Wales. Taken by researchers from Cambridge University this aerial shot shows very clearly the field patterns of the lands cultivated by the monks.It was dissolved as an alien priory in 1467 -

more here

Appointed by the Abbey of Bec in 1439, Laurence de Bonville- was a Controversial Prior . As the legal prior he successfully appealed for the restoration, to the monastery, of its Devon Manor of Membury. Shortly afterwards he was summoned by Abbey of Bec on a charge of embezzling money from the priory’s revenues. Lawrence refused to go and was excommunicated by the abbot, who complained to the commissioners for the alien priories.

Bonneville mentioned the annexation of the Priory by Tewkesbury Abbey. It was not a peaceful thing. The eight monks of Bec still living in the Priory were ‘violently expelled’ by Sit Thomas Herbert and a crowd of men-at-arms and ‘thereby caused to wander about England’.

The Pope (1445) thereafter ordered the archbishops of Canterbury , Worcester and Hereford to restore Lawrence to the Priory, to test his allegiance and if found to be true, to excommunicate Sir Thomas Herbert and the other offenders. How effective the papal ruling was cannot be known. What is known is that the monks of Tewkesbury were expelled from Goldcliff by the Welsh uprisings of Glyndwr in 1445, although they returned in 1447.

MONASTIC WALES

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