24. WAKE

Sampson  Tree

 JOHN WAKE and JOAN (24)

 

JOHN WAKE was the son and heir of Ralph de Wake, lord of several manors in Somerset, Dorset and elsewhere, and his wife Alice. He was born in the late 13^th century, when the country was reaching a climax of prosperity under Edward I.

The family lived at Wake Court in Dowlish Wake, a mid-Somerset village two miles SE of Ilminster.

 

 At the beginning of the 14^th century John lost both his parents in shocking circumstances. In 1303-4 his mother was burned at the stake for contriving the murder of his father.[1]

He was granted her manor of Compton Martin by seizin (lawful possession).[2] Among the demesnes he inherited from his father were Candel Wake and Stoke Wake in Dorset, East and West Dowlish in Somerset, and Ebbesbourne Wake in Wiltshire.[3] There was also the little manor of Tangley in Hampshire, near the Wiltshire border. [4]

There are a number of deeds from Somerset and Dorset which bear the name of Sir John Wake, John Wake, knight, or John Wake, as witness, dating from 1311 to 1333.

 

JOAN. We have a single reference to John’s wife.

Transcript of a fine, made at York on the quinzaine of Easter, 11 Edward III, and afterwards granted and recorded on the octave of St. John the Baptist in the same year, between John Wake, knight, and Joan his wife, plaintiffs, and Bartholomew Tirel and Robert his brother, John Wisman, chaplain, and Walter de Surreye, deforciants, touching the manors of Gorewelle and Badecombe and the advowson of the church of Badecombe.

 The year was 1337-8.

 

They had three daughters, Isabel, Margery and Elizabeth, but apparently no sons, or none that survived their father. Isabel was born in 1318-19 and Elizabeth in 1322-3.

Their daughter Isabel married John Keynes, lord of the manor of Winkleigh Keynes. Margery married Hugh Tyrell and after John’s death, Elizabeth married Richard Michel.

 

John and Joan lived through troubled times. In 1321 there was war between the barons and the unpopular King Edward II. In 1326 his queen Isabella returned from France with her lover Roger Mortimer at the head of an army. The king was imprisoned, and later murdered. The infant Edward III was proclaimed king, though Mortimer and the Queen ruled the country until Mortimer was hanged for treason.

The once prosperous country fell into economic decline.

 

John died in 1348-1350. This was the time of the Black Death. John may have been a victim.

Fifteen days before his death he feoffed Isabel, the wife of John de Keynes, Margery Tyrel, and Elizabeth Wake, his daughters, in the manors of East and West Dowlish.[5]

After his death, his manors were divided between Isabel, 10-year-old John Tyrel, who was Margery’s son, and Elizabeth. [6]

Inquisitions Post Mortem were held in several counties. These reveal the extent of John’s holdings.

 

JOHN WAKE.[7]
			Writ, 6 March, 22 Edward III.
SOUTHAMPTON.			Inq. taken at Andevere, Saturday after St. Dunstan, 22 Edward III.
			Tangelygh. Thirteen free tenants (named), who render yearly 57s. 2d., held in chief of Oliver Punchardoun, lord of Faccoumbe, by service of a third part of a knight’s fee. He died on Saturday before Ash Wednesday last. His daughters, Isabel Caynes, Margery Tyrel and John her son, and Elizabeth, are his heirs; the daughters are all of full age and John 8 years old.
			Writ, 6 March, 22 Edward III.
DORSET.			Inq. taken at Shaftesbury, Thursday after the Annunciation, 22 Edward III.
			Shaftesbury. 8s. yearly rent and the assize of bread and ale of his tenants, brewers and bakers, held of the king in chief by knight’s service. He died on Saturday after St. Matthias, last. Heir not known.
SOMERSET.			Inq. taken at Welles, Wednesday after the Annunciation, 22 Edward III.
			Compton Martyn. He occupied by disseisin the manor with the advowson of the church, because Alice his mother, late the wife of Ralph Wake, who held the same of William Martyn by knight’s service, forfeited the said manor and advowson by feloniously plotting the death of the said Ralph, for which she was burned, whereby the said William Martyn, as chief lord of the said manor and advowson, seized them into his hand and entered as into his escheat and continued his seisin thereof for seven years and more, until the said John Wake ejected him, but by what title the jurors know not. Estdeuelissh and Westdeuelissh. The manors held of the earl of Gloucester by knight’s service; but fifteen days before his death he enfeoffed thereof Isabel, late the wife of John de Keynes. Date of death as last above. Isabel and Elizabeth, his daughters, of full age, and John son of Margery his daughter, aged 10 years, are his heirs in blood.
DORSET.			Inq. taken at Shireburne, Friday the feast of St. Benedict the abbot, 22 Edward III.
			Stoke Wake. The manor (extent given), including a pasture called ‘le Frith’ and a pasture on ‘la Doune,’ held for his life of the abbess and convent of Shaftesbury by service of being domestic (intrinsecus) steward of the house of Shaftesbury, to marshal (ad arraiandum) the same on the day of the installation of every abbess, by the grant of Bartholomew Tirel, Robert his brother, John Wisman, chaplain, and Walter Surreie, by fine levied in the king’s court; which manor ought by the said fine to remain to John, son and heir of Hugh Tirel and of Margery his wife. Hulle. 40a. meadow and 80a. several pasture held for his life by the fine aforesaid, of the lord of Mapoudre, by service of 4d. yearly, with the same remainder; they are charged with rendering at Randolveston 80 geese and 3s. 9d. rent yearly to William Brun, lord of Randolveston. Caundel. A messuage &c., 80a. arable, 10a. meadow, 6a. pasture, 3a. wood and 39s. 10d. yearly rent held for his life by the fine aforesaid of the abbot of Cirencester (Cistr’) by service of rendering to him 1d. yearly, with the same remainder. Badecoumbe. Two parts of the manor (extent given), including a pasture called ‘le Doune’ containing 40a., with the advowson of the church, held for his life, by another fine levied in the king’s court, of William de Melebiri as of his manor of Melburibobbe by service of rendering to him 6d. yearly, of the grant of Bartholomew Tirel, Robert his brother, John Wisman, chaplain, and Walter de Surreie, with the same remainder. Gorewelle. The manor (extent given), including 60a. of pasture upon ‘la Doune,’ held for his life by the same fine of the lady of Lutton, by knight’s service and by service of holding her court at her manor of Lutton twice a year at her charges, with the same remainder. He had no other lands &c. in the county on the day he died, so far as the jury can ascertain; for he lately held a messuage with a garden, 60a. land, 4a. meadow, 20a. pasture, 4a. wood in Leye, of the abbot of Shirebourne in fee simple, but he enfeoffed thereof five days before his death Adam de Wotton, Thomas de Boneville and Walter de Godmanston and their heirs, and so they entered thereupon. He died on Saturday after St. Matthias last. His daughters, Isabel aged 30 years, and Elizabeth aged 26 years, and John son of Margery his daughter late the wife of Hugh Tirel, aged 10 years, are his heirs. John is in the king’s wardship.
			Writ of plenius certiorari, because the king now understands that the feoffment of the abovesaid messuage, lands &c. in Leye was done in fraud to take away from him the custody of the said lands &c., which ought to pertain to the king by reason of the minority of John, son of Hugh Tirel, kinsman and one of the heirs of the said John Wake, a minor in the king’s wardship; also that the said Adam, Thomas and Walter, without seisin delivered to them by the said John Wake at the time of his death, entered upon the said lands &c. by their own authority and still hold them, receiving the profits thereof and disposing of them at will to the manifest prejudice of the king and danger of disherison of the said heir, 12 May, 22 Edward III.
DORSET.			Inq. taken at Newetoncastel, Saturday the eve of Whitsunday, 22 Edward III.
			Leye. The said feoffment was made in fraud of the king as the writ supposes, for the deceased died on Saturday, 1 March last, on which day the feoffment was made, and on the Monday following the said Adam, Thomas and Walter entered upon the said lands &c. without seisin delivered to them by the said John Wake, whilst he lived, but they have received no profits therefrom. Richard Michel has received them from the death of the said deceased until now to his own use and still retains them, and entered upon the said tenements; but how much of the issues the said Richard has received is unknown to the jury. The said tenements are held of the abbot of Shyrbourne as of his temporalities of Shyrbourne by service of 2s. yearly.

 

The transfer of John Wake’s lands in Compton Martin and Hulle did not take place peacefully. The estates were wrongfully seized, and the king, who held the wardship of young John Tyrel, had to send an armed force to repossess them. Even then, jurors were afraid to testify against the men who seized these lands.

 

	Transcript of mandate of the king to Nicholas de Poyntz, Andrew de Turbervill, John de Smedemor and Ralph de Baggeley, because the king is given to understand that certain persons have lately entered upon the manor of Compton Martyn, co. Somerset, and upon certain lands &c. in Hulle, co. Dorset, late of John Wake, knight, deceased, who held of the king in chief, which by reason of his death and the minority of John, son and heir of Hugh Tyrel, deceased, kinsman and one of the heirs of the said John Wake, a minor in the king’s wardship, were taken by the escheator into the king’s hand, and that they now occupy with armed force the [said] manor, lands &c. levying and receiving to their own use the profits issuing therefrom and committing waste and destruction in the parks, woods and gardens pertaining thereto, to the grave injury and dishonour of the king and manifest disherison of the said heir, the king has assigned them to resume into his hand the said manor, lands &c. and the issues received therefrom from the death of the said John Wake, and to cause the same to be delivered to John de Grey of Rutthyn, to whom the king has committed the custody thereof until the lawful age of the said heir, and to take and arrest all those whom they shall find so occupying the said manor, lands &c. with armed force, and to guard them safely until further order; and also to inquire into the destruction committed and the issues received &c. and to certify in the chancery the names of those arrested; 22 May, 22 Edward III.
	By virtue whereof the commissioners ordered the sheriff to have 24 jurors of the neighbourhood of Hulle before them at Neuton Castell on Saturday before St. Barnabas, 22 Edward III; on which day an inquisition was taken there. The jurors say that William le Brun, knight, William Rabon, William Pillyng and Richard Dethz, with others unknown, with armed force on Saturday before St. Dunstan in the year aforesaid entered upon the king’s seisin in certain lands &c. in Hulle, co. Dorset, late of the said John Wake, and took 19 beasts (averia) there, to the value of 20l., and drove them as far as Randalfston, co. Dorset, against the king’s peace and there William le Brun, knight, sold a certain tenement that was in the king’s hand to William Rabon, to the prejudice of the king and disherison of the abovesaid John son of Hugh Tyrel, and for entry upon the said tenement the said William took from William Rabon 13s. 4d. The commissioners also went to the manor of Compton Martyn, co. Somerset, and caused it to be resumed into the king’s hands. Upon the king’s seisin there the servants of Sir James Daudeley viz. Thomas Panes and others have entered with force and arms, and they levy the profits thereof to their own use, and they broke the locks of certain houses there and took and carried away the goods and chattels found therein, to the value of 30l., and committed waste and destruction in the parks, woods and gardens, to the value of 40l. The commissioners ordered the sheriff to have 24 jurors of the neighbourhood of Compton Martyn before them at Welles on Monday the feast of St. Thomas the Martyr, 22 Edward III, on which day the jurors altogether refuse[d] to tell the truth concerning those who had trespassed and as to the issues &c.; wherefore a day was given to the said jury to be before the commissioners at Creukerne on Thursday the eve of St. James next following, to render their verdict and the sheriff was ordered to have 24 freemen o”f Estperet and as many of Westperet before them; on which day none of them came, ……… and they also certify that no one has dared in the parts of Somerset [to testify] touching the said business of the king through fear of [danger to] life and limb from Sir James de Audeleye and his servants.
DORSET.	Inq. before the aforesaid commissioners at Nyweton Castel, Saturday before St. Barnabas, 22 Edward III.
	Hulle. The jurors say that on Saturday before St. Dunstan, 22 Edward III, William le Brun, knight, William Rabon, William Pyllyng and Richard Dyth with others unknown, entered with armed force upon the king’s seisin in certain lands &c. in Hulle, co. Dorset, late of the said John Wake, and took there 19 beasts, to the value of 20l., and drove them to Randalfstone, and the said William le Brun sold to William Rabon a certain tenement there that was in the king’s hand and took from him for entry thereon one mark. Who made waste or took any profit there is not known to the jury.
	Writ of plenius certiorari, because the king understands that the 40a. meadow and 80a. pasture in Hulle, co. Dorset, mentioned in a previous inquisition are held of him in chief and not of the lord of Mapoudre. 10 December, 23 Edward III.
DORSET.	Inq. taken at ….. 3 May, 24 Edward III.
	Hulle. The said meadow and pasture are held of William le Brun, knight, by service of an eighth part of a knight’s fee and by rendering to him yearly at his manor of Randolfestone 5s. 10d. and 140 geese. Transcript of a fine, made at York on the quinzaine of Easter, 11 Edward III, and afterwards granted and recorded on the octave of St. John the Baptist in the same year, between John Wake, knight, and Joan his wife, plaintiffs, and Bartholomew Tirel and Robert his brother, John Wisman, chaplain, and Walter de Surreye, deforciants, touching the manors of Gorewelle and Badecombe and the advowson of the church of Badecombe. Transcript of a fine, made and recorded as above, between the said John Wake, plaintiff, and the aforesaid deforciants, touching a third part of the manor of Compton Martyn and the advowson of the church. Transcript of a fine, made and recorded as above, between the said John Wake, plaintiff, and the abovesaid deforciants, touching the manors of Caundel, Hulle and Stoke Wake; whereby the remainder of the manor of Caundel is to the right heirs of the said John Wake, and that of the manors of Hulle and Stoke Wake is to John Wake, son of Anastasia de Pourton, and the heirs of his body and to the right heirs of the said John Wake, knight.
	C. Edw. III. File 90. (11.)

 

We do not know when Joan died. There is no mention of her in John’s IPMs, so she may have died before him. All we can say is that she was alive in 1337-8.

 

[1] http://www.1066.co.nz/library/battle_abbey_roll2/subchap114.htm
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton_Martin
[3] http://www.1066.co.nz/library/battle_abbey_roll2/subchap114.htm
[4] http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=56821
[5] Hutchins’ Dorset. http://www.1066.co.nz/library/battle_abbey_roll2/subchap114.htm
[6] Inq. p.m. 34 Edw. III, no. 69.  ‘Parishes: Tangley’, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 326-328. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=56821.
[7] British History Online. Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward III, File 90. 117 John Wake.