Referring to the Parish of Swaffham Prior
Return to Swaffham Prior Genealogy
Introduction
An inquisition post mortem was an inquest that was carried out shortly after the death of one of the king or queen’s tenants-in-chief. As the tenant-in-chief held the land they owned from the monarch of the day, the inquest’s purpose was to establish what they held and what should happen to their land after their death. There was a particular interest in establishing the extent of the land owned, who the sub-tenants were and what their duties were to the tenant-in-chief, and the names of the tenant-in-chief’s heirs and their relationship.
All the above was established by the setting up of inquiries in the counties where the tenant-in-chief held lands. Each inquiry would be held under the supervision of an escheator and a jury of people local to the tenant-in-chief’s lands.
The published records stretch from the reign of Henry III to Henry V (20 volumes); the reign of Henry VII (3 volumes) and seven volumes of miscellaneous records (Edward I to Edward III). Note that there is a gap between the reigns of Henry V and Henry VII.
The information contained within these volumes is only a summary of the documents concerned and regrettably does not contain the names of the jurors for each inquiry or the extend of the manors/lands concerned.
All volumes are indexed. The extracts below were found by searching for references to Swaffham, Swaffham Prior, Reach, Reche and the names of other known manors within the parish. I have selectively extracted information relevant to Swaffham Prior.
paulmchambers@paulmchambers.co.uk
Key
to Text:
Names/landowning institutions are underlined
Place names in italics
[My own comments in brackets]
Extracts of references to Swaffham Prior from Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem and other analogous documents preserved in the Public Record Office. (20 vols; London); plus 3 additional volumes covering Henry VII; plus 7 additional volumes covering miscellaneous records.
All held on open access in the British Library, St Pancras.
pg. 159
Extent of Knights’ Fees late of Earl of Hereford, late of Richard de Clere
Many place names including Swaffham, Cambridgeshire.
pg.35. Alan Le Ostrizer alias Le Ostricer, Ostriciarius, Tues before Ash Wednesday, 2 Edward I [1273]
Botekesham [Bottisham] and Swaffham – 10s. rent held of the free marriage of Clarice [Le Ostricer], his mother.
Swaffham – A messuage and 20 acres land, held by many lords in socage, by free service of 10s 5½d yearly.
pg. 219, Edward I, 6 No. 381 CHECK Peter de Sabaudia (deceased)
Swafham Bolebec [Swaffham Bulbeck] - ½ Fee held by John de Burton
Swafham Prior [Swaffham Prior] - ½ Fee held by Roger de Leycestre, ¼ Fee held by Reginald de Aylesham; and 24 acres granted in alms to the Fee of John de Burton held by the Prioress de Swaffham.
pg.133,
William de Bardeleye, 29 April, 22 Edward I [1293]
Swaffham and Wykes – Common of Marsh and a fishery. All held of Humphrey de Bassingburn and Mary his wife by service of 18d yearly.
Reche [Reach] – A plot worth noting, held of Robert de Typetot.
pg.236,
Gilbert de Clere, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford, 14 December, 24 Edward
I [1295]
Swaffham Bolebek [Bulbeck], Swaffham Priour [Prior] – 32s 6d assised rent of free tenants, aquired by him, tenure and service unknown.
pg.315,
Roger le Bygod, Earl of Norfolk, Saturday Feast of St Botulph [6 Dec], 35
Edward I [1306]
Swaffham – 39s 6d. rent of free tenants
pg.
229, John de Frivill, 6 October, 6 Edward II [1312]
Karletone [Carlton] and Suafham [Swaffham] – 1½ Knights’ fee held by the heir of William de Krikketot, who is in the king’s wardship.
pg.
412, John de Dovere [= de Veer], 10 April, 8 Edward III [1334]
Burgh and Swaffham – The manors (extent given), including a park containing 40 acres of wood and heath in the burgh, held in the honour of Richmond, now in King’s hand by the death of John de Britannia, late Earl of the said honour, by service of 2 knights’ fees together with his partners and by service rendering 20s yearly, for the ward of the Castle of Richmond.
pg.
168, John de Pulteneye, Knight, 10 June, 23 Edward III [1349]
Swaffham Prior – The manor held at farm for a term of years of Humphrey de Bohoun, Earl of Hereford and Essex, rendering yearly to the said Earl for that manor and other manors in divers counties 80l and the said Earl has the said manor for life in the grant of the said John de Pulteneye, with reversion to the said John and his heirs above.
pg.
520, John de Veer, Earl of Oxford, 28 ?, 34 Edward III [1360]
Swaffham Prior – ½ knights’ fee held by John de Landewath
Swaffham – Manor held of Lady Clere in socage by service of 1d yearly.
Swaffham – 1 Fee held by John de Brigham
Swaffham – ½ fee which Earl of Hereford holds of the Earl of Gloucester.
Swaffham – One knights’ fee held by Richard de Acton.
pg.8,
Robert de Corby, 22 August, 39 Edward III [1365]
Swaffham Prior – The manor. Late of John de Bregham, and held by the deceased, by the king’s grant to him and Joan [de Bregham], his wife, and his heirs, of the king and chief lords of the fee. Robert [de Bregham], his son, inherits.
pg.100,
Thomas de Veer, Earl of Oxford, 20 September, 45 Edward III [1371]
Swaffham Prior – 1 kinghts’ fee held by Joan [Corby] late the wife of Robert Corby.
Swaffham Prior – ½ fee held by Thomas Messager
Burwell – 1 knights’ fee held by Philip Chamberleyn
pg.154,
John Frevill, knight, 10 October, 46 Edward III [1372]
The land of John Pekebrig in Swaffham Prior.
Carleton [Carlton] and Swaffham Prior – 1½ knights’ fee held by William Criketot.
pg. 217, Edmund de Mortuo Mari [=Mortimer?], Earl of March and Ulster. 10 Jan, 5 Richard II [1381]
Bodeksham [Bottisham], Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck and Hornyngey, 14l 3s 9d.
Volume
18, Henry IV
pg.57,
Aubrey de Veer, Earl of Oxford, 26 April 1400.
Swaffham Prior – 1 fee held by John Shadworth.
pg.
171, Philip Seyntclere [=Saint Clere, Saintclere], knight, 17 May 1408
Writ Swaffham Prior, 7 February 1409
He held the manor of Swaffham Prior in his demesne by the grant of Walter Hook and Thomas Joop by a fine [CP 25(1)/290/59, No.20] to him, Margaret [Seyntclere], his late wife, and their males heir. It is held by the Prior of Ely, the Earl of Oxford, William atte Lee, John Shadworth and John Totehull [=Tothill, Totehill] separately, services unknown, annual value £10.
He died 14 May last. John [Seyntclere] son of Margaret [Seyntclere] is next heir aged 11 + more years. Thomas Remys has held the manor and taken profits since death.
pg.206,
Richard de Veer, Earl of Oxford,12 April 1417.
He once held the manor of Swaffham in his demesne as of fee, and on 11 June 1412 granted it by charter without conditions to John Hende and others, as above [Thomas Rolfe, Walter Bodulgate and William Bukeworth] to hold to them and their heirs. All the tenants attorned to them. It is held by the Earl of March, service unknown, annual value £20.
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pg.507,
#1155, Richard Chamberleyn Esq.
Writ, 7 Sep, Inq. 4 March, 12 Henry VII
Finding as in #1147 touching the manor of Denford.
Cambs. Manor of Swaffham Pryour, worth 10l., held of the Prior of Ely, John [de Veer], Earl of Oxford, and the College of Queen’s Hall, Cambridge, as of the manor of Shadeworth and of the honour of Clare, service unknown.
C. Series II, Voll 11(13).
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pg.112,
#330
Writ to the Sheriff of Cambridge, St Edmunds, 8 February 51 Henry III [1267]
Inq. – The lands and tenements in Treversham late of Hugh de Fuelham, William Prat, and Warin le Petit, the king’s enemies, who are now holding out against the king in the Isle of Ely, are the king’s escheat.
Hugh le Fuelham holds… in Swafham Prior 3 acres of Peter, son of Randolph, worth 2s., and a messuage worth 2s., which are the inheritance of the said Hugh’s wife… The whole premises are now in the king’s hand.
C. Inq Misc. File 14(8)
pg.34,
#142
[Describes William Fyz ‘and other former villains of Costesye Manor’ having distributed themselves about the country including to ‘Suafham by Cambridge’]
C. Inq. Misc. 73(3)
pg.539,
#1996
Writ to the treasurer and barons of the exchequer. Westminster. 7 November 33 Edward I [1305] by petition of the council.
Inq. – Monday after the Annunciation [34 Edward I, 1306].
The ancestors of Hugh de Veer, late Earl of Oxford, and the said Hugh, used to hold a leet in their manor of Swaffham, Co. Camb., and to receive the issues thereof. [cf. Close Roll Calendar, p.482]
C. Inq. Misc. File 65(22)
pg.
? #293
Writ to William de Otteford, escheator in Co. Cambridge. Westminster. 8 July 32 Edward III [1358]
Return stating that the manors of West Wratting and Swaffham Prior’s, which belonged to John de Bregham, were taken into the king’s hand because it was found by inquiry that they were held by the king-in-chief and that Thomas de Isle, Bishop of Ely, appropriated them without licence, and afterwards the master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, acquired them from him without licence about All Saints, 27 Edward III… The manor of Swaffham Priors is extended at 9l 20d and the chattels thereon are appraised at 29l 14s 2d. (details given).
Inq. – Swaffham Prior, Feast of St Lawrence.
The manor of Swaffham Prior is extended at 8l 18s 7d and the chattels thereon are appraised at 26l 11s 9d (details given). The escheator removed a horse worth a mark and 8 quarters of malt worth 48s. [cf. Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1358-61, p.109]
C. Inq. Misc. File 176(26)
pg.175,
#466
Writ to William de Otteford, escheator in Counties Huntingford and Cambridge to inquire as to lands, advowsons and chattels of Thomas [de Isle], late Bishop of Ely, which the king had commanded to be taken into his hand on account of certain contempts. Westminster. 25 October 35 Edward III [1361]
Inq. Bodekesham [Bottisham], Wednesday after All Saints
The said Bishop had… land at Swafham Pryour to the yearly value of 9l with goods to the value of 30l. All these were seized into the king’s hand immediately after the time contained in the writ and afterwards occupied by master John Goderich and Richard de Acton, who still hold them by the king’s gift.
C. Inq. Misc. File 184(10)
Edited by
Charles Roberts
Longmans, Green and Co., 1865, 2 vols. [Compiled from the Inquisition Post Mortem rolls]
pg.727
(2nd Vol.), 34 Edward I [1360]
Robertus de Veer, Comes Oxon’ (Nepos et haeres Hugonis de Veer, Quondum Comitis Oxon’). De leta in maneris de Swaffham.