24. WAUMFORD

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Fay Sampson’s Family History

This site is a work-in-progress. There is a massive amount to cover. I have included both male and female lines, and some go back 30 generations. Keep coming back for more.
I have numbered the generations working backwards from my own as (1)

RICHARD DE WAUMFORD and LUCY (24)

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RICHARD DE WAUMFORD is the fourth and last Richard in this pedigree, which alternates: Richard, Epsus, Richard, Thomas, Richard, Thomas, Richard, Thomas, Nicholas, Joan. He is the only known son of Thomas de Waumford (Wampford). When his father died in or shortly before 1307, he left as his heir his son Richard “aged 30 or more”. This puts Richard’s birth around 1275, near the beginning of Edward I’s reign.

We do not learn his mother’s name.

 

LUCY. Very few women in the family are named. Lucy is the first wife whose name we learn, and even then it is not until Richard’s Inquisition Post Mortem, taken after his death. We are told that the manor of Efford in Cornwall is “held jointly by the said Richard and Lucy his wife”.

We still do not know her surname, or where she came from.

The only child we know for this couple is their son and heir Thomas. When Richard’s IPM was held in Nov 1312, Thomas was 17. This puts his birth in 1295, or shortly before, while Edward I was still on the throne.

Richard’s father died in, or shortly before, 1307, at the end of Edward I’s reign. Richard was then “aged 30 or more”.

He inherited lordship of the hundred of Black Torrington, on the River Torridge in North Devon, and a messuage (dwelling house with land), plus 16 acres of arable land and 10 acres of pasture at “Wyteleghe”. This was Higher Whiteleigh in the parish of Black Torrington.

Richard held both of these under his overlord Emery la Zouche, the first by knight’s service, rendering 13s 4d (1 mark) per year, and Whiteleigh for 10s annual rent.

He also held a furlong of land in “Radeuerne” in Devon, for 1/21 of a knight’s fee. His overlord here was Robert de Bonvile. We know from other inquisitions that this is Radefernlond, in the parish of Halwill, immediately south of Black Torrington parish.

There was also the manor of Efford in Cornwall. This is in the parish of Stratton in West Cornwall. Efford Down is across the estuary of the River Neet from present-day Bude.

 

The current seaside town of Bude did not exist in medieval times. Efford Manor was the only house of any substance there.

We are told that Richard and Lucy his wife were granted the manor of Efford by Mauger le Graunt, which they held for half a knight’s fee and the duty to clear ground in front of Launceston Castle in time of war, to the extent of half a battlement. He also had to find a “bedel”, an officer who would collect money owing to the king and to Peter de Gaveston, earl of Cornwall. His father had held Efford on the same terms

Piers Gaveston was the highly unpopular favourite of Edward II, the king who came to the throne about the time that Richard’s father died.

The writ for Richard’s IPM was issued on 15 July 1312, so he must have died shortly before then. We do not know how he died. Since his eldest son was only 17, Richard must have been no more than middle-aged.

 

382. RICHARD DE WAUMFORD alias DE WAMFORDE.
Writ [15 July, 6 Edw. II.] (missing).
CORNWALL. Inq. 30 Nov. 6 Edw. II. 1312
Efford. The manor (extent given), held jointly by the said Richard and Lucy his wife, of the gift of Mauger le Graunt by a fine levied in the king’s court, of Peter de Gavaston, late earl of Cornwall, for 1/2 knight’s fee of Mortain, as of the honour of Launseton, by service of preparing half a battlement (curnell’) in time of war, worth 1d., and by service of finding a bedel in the hundred of Stratton to serve the king and the said earl.
Thomas his son, aged 17, is his next heir.
DEVON. Inq. 27 Nov. 6 Edw. II.
Whiteleye. The manor (extent given), held of Emery de la S[ouch] in socage, by service of 10s. yearly rent.
Blaketor. The hundred, held of the said Emery la Souch by knight’s service, rendering 13s. 4d. yearly.
Radeuerne. 1 ferling of land held of Robert de Bonevile by service of 1/21 knight’s fee.
Heir as above.
C. Edw. II. File 28. (23.)

 

Evidently, there was some dispute over Richard’s tenure of lands in Black Torrington. An investigation was started, but then called off. [1]

“1312 Dec 6. Writ to Roger de Wellesworth, escheator this side Trent. Order not to intermeddle further for the present with the manor of Whitteleye together with the hundred of Blaketor, taken into the king’s hands by reason of the death of Richard de Wauneford as it appears by inquisition that the said Richard had the premises of Emericus de la Zusche by knight’s service and he held no lands in chief.”

A footnote to an article on Devon Feet of Fines tells us that “Richard de Waumford and Lucia his wife were seized of Whiteleye the entire manor, and of Blaketoriton hundred”.[2] Lucy’s joint tenure is not apparent from Richard’s IPM.

This concerns a dispute of 1219 over what may be part of Whiteleigh Meadow in Black Torrington, or adjacent land in North Lew, and the possibility of an ancient chapel there. Interestingly, the plaintiff was Jordan de Wanford.

We have confirmation that Richard and Lucy had held Efford jointly. After Richard’s death, it was necessary for Lucy’s sole tenure to be confirmed.

“1313 Nov 2. Westminster. To John Abel, escheator this side Trent, Order to deliver to Lucy, late the wife of Richard de Waunford, the manor of Esford and the issues of the same, as it appears by inquisition taken by Roger de Wellesworth, late escheator this side Trent, that she and her husband jointly acquired the manor from Margery le Graunt by fine levied in the king’s court, which manor is held in chief as of the earldom of Cornwall by the service of one knight’s fee, and there she continued her joint seisin thereof until her husband’s death, the king having taken her fealty.”[3]

“Taken her fealty” means that Lucy had sworn to be the king’s loyal tenant.

Richard’s heir Thomas had not yet reached the age of majority. His guardian for the next four years was his overlord Emery la Zouche.[4]

“Dominus Emericus la Zouche held Black Torrington ‘ratione minoris etatis Thome filii et heredis Radulfi de Wanford in 1316.”

We do not know whether Lucy remarried, or when she died.

 

 [1] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward II: Volume 1, 1307-1313. Dec 12.
[2] Rev Oswald Reichel, Devon Feet of Fines, Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 2014. https://archive.org/stream/publications61devo/publications61devo_djvu.txt
[3] Calendar of the Close Rolls. Edw II, 1313-1318. H.M. Stationery Office. 1893.
[4] Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. English Lords. https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3T-Z.htm

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