Wellesburne-Mountfort.
OF this place I make no question but that Thurstane de Mountfort (of whom and his family I shall discourse in Beldesert) was enfeoft by the same Henry Earl of Warwick, or his son Roger, in H. 1. time, as part of those x Knights fees and a fourth part, which he then had given b to him by one of those Earls. To whom succeeded Rob. de Montfort his son and heir, by whose for∣feiture it eschaeted c to the Crown about the 22. of K. H. 2. reign: for at that time did the Shiriff account d x li. for the half years Rent thereof: as also, according to the same rate in e 23.24.25. and 30 H. 2. And in f 31. H. 2. Mich. Belet (the then Shiriff) reckoned C s. layd out for CC. sheep towards the storing this Lordship forthe K's. use; vi s. for 5 Sows and a Boar; and xxxvi s. for 8 Cows and a Bull: In g 33 H. 3. xxiii l. for the ferm thereof that year: And in h 1 R. 1. xxiii l. xv s. was accounted for the same. But, the next year following, did Henry de Montfort (Brother and heir to Robert before specified) give i a Fine to the K. of C l. for which he obtained it again; and soon after enfeoft Will. de Bissopesdune and his heirs in C s. of land here, with Iulian his Daughter in marriage; viz. six yard land held in Villenage, with the villeins residing thereon, and all the service of Robert the son of Clerenbald, and one yard land, which a Herdsman held, with the said Herdsman: as also the fourth part of all his Lordship here in Wellesburne, with Housbote, and Heybote in Wellesburne-grove for repair of his buildings and hedges, by appointment of his For∣rester; And a fourth part of his wood at Badsley.
And in 34 H. 3. Peter de Montfort (Grand∣child to the said Henry) obtained a Charter l of Freewarren to himself and his heirs in all his demesn lands here; as also in divers other places: but being slain in the Battail of Evesham 49 H. 3. there was a totall seizure of his estate; at which time 'twas certified that he had two Carucates of land here, and x l. yearly Rent. To whom suc∣ceeded his son Peter; who in 4 E. 1. had m a Gallows here; as also Assize of Bread and Beer, with weifs: and in 7 E. 1. held n it of the Earl of Warwick by the service of one Kts. fee; at which time he had xx Tenants here holding xix yard land a half, and fourth part, paying sundry Rents and performing divers services, as plowing, mowing, making and carrying Hay, raking Corn, and the like; unto whom he was to allow, at mowing time, a vessell of Beer containing 52 Gallons, and a Mutton or xii d. This Peter had then also five Freeholders, who held severall parcells of land under certain Rents and suit of Court: All which together with the Customary Tenants, before spoke of, had Common in Kingswood, with pau∣nage for their Hogs, and certain proportions of wood for fuell. It was then likewise certified that he had Freewarren and a Court Leet here, by the grant of K. H. 3. Besides these Customary Te∣nants and Freeholders, it was then also found, that Will. the son of Thomas de Bishopsdon held half an acre of land here in demesn, and had 4 Tenants holding the vi yard land and 3 quarters, before specified, by sundry servile imployments; all which used to appear at the Court Leet held by the said Iohn. Severall Cottiers had the same Peter also here, who performed the like services as the other Tenants did. All which priviledges of Court Leet, Freewarren, &c. were pleaded in 13 E. 1. and allowed.
From this Peter descended Guy, as the Pedegree in Beldesert will shew; who taking to wife o Mar∣garet one ••f the Daughters to Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick in 22 E. 3. entailed p it, with other lands, upon the issue of his body to be be∣gotten on the said Margaret; and for default thereof upon the same Earl and Katherine his wife, and the heirs of him the said Earl: But this entail took not effect; for Guy dying q without ••ssue, Sir Baldwin Frevill and Sir Thomas Boteler Kts. by a Writ r of Formedone recovered this and the other Lordships so entailed, as Cosins and heirs to P. de Montfort above mentioned; where∣upon, by partition s made betwixt them in 9 R. 2. it was allotted to the said Sir Thomas: But the is∣sue male of this Sir Thomas extinguishing t in Sir Raph Boteler Kt. his son and heir (Lord Treasu∣rer of England in H. 6. time) Sir Iohn Norbury Kt. and Will. Belknap Esq. being the descendants u of Eliz. and Ioan his Daughters (as the Pedgree in Griff sheweth) became heirs w to this inheri∣tance. Which Sir Iohn Norbury, with Edw. Bel∣knap, Cosin and heir of the said VVilliam Belknap, divided z Botelers lands betwixt them in 13. H. 7. whereupon this Mannour fell to the said Sir Iohn; and from him•• by Anne y his Daughter and heir (wife to Ric. Hallywell) to z Iane his Cosin and heir, wedded to Sir Edm. Bray Kt. which Iane dyed a seized thereof 24 Oct. 5. & 6. Ph. & M. leaving Sir Will. Cobham Kt. Lord Cobham,