de Brus Questions

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John Watson

de Brus Questions

Legg inn av John Watson » 23 apr 2006 04:02:51

When searching for something else entirely on Google Books, I came
across this deed, undated, in a volume of the Yorkshire Archeological
Journal:

Skelton-in-Cleveland:
Quitclaim by Alice and Helena, Agnes and Hauisia sisters, to Peter de
Bruis the third, of all their land of Scelton late belonging to Richard
the reeve (prepositi) their uncle, viz., a toft and croft at the
entrance of the town of Scelton towards the east late held by Walter
Blevent ; 1 acre in Scelton fields lying between the tilled land of Sir
Peter de Bruis called Roskeldesik and the half ploughland belonging to
the Mills ; an assart late of Wm. Winde, lying between Langhacres and
the vale of meadows of Scelton ; 1 acre given by Wm. Cusin to Ralf son
of Wine, lying between Roskeldesic and the half ploughland belonging to
the lord's mills ; and 2 1/2 acres in the territory of Scelton on
Lairlandes ; for the rents of 1d. to them and their heirs, heirs of Wm.
Cusin for the acre between Roskeldsic and the half ploughland, 2d. to
the same for the 2 1/2 acres on Lairlandes, 1d. to the heirs of Rolf
son of Wine for the acre given to Ralf by Wm. Cusin, and 1d. to Richard
Briton for the assart. Witnesses :- Sir Adam de Hilton, Sir Simon de
Bruis, Sir Stephen de Rosel, Sir Berard de Fontibus, John de Tocotes,
John de Nutel, Wm. Pitwaltel, Robt de Tormodeby, Geoffrey the Cook
(Coco) Hugh Hauberger, Matthew the Clerk (clerico). [B. 32.]
[Yorkshire Archeological Journal, Vol XIII, London, 1895, p 52]
"Yorkshire Deeds, Part 4, by A.S. Ellis."

This raises a couple of questions:

1. Who were Alice, Helena and Hauisia? Agnes became the wife of Walter
Fauconberg, but what about these other three sisters. Canon Atkinson in
his notes to the Coucher Book of Furness Abbey states: "Strange to say
this son, [Peter III de Brus] the last male heir to the Barony, was one
of a very large family. There was a brother John who pre-deceased him,
and besides there were nine sisters, four of whom were the co-heiresses
named above [Agnes, Lucia, Margaret and Laderina], two were nuns at
Watton, and the others died unmarried or without offspring." [The
Coucher Book of Furness Abbey, Part I, Ed. J.C. Atkinson, Cheetham
Society, 1886, p 4 note] Are these three sisters those that "died
unmarried or without offspring"?

2. Who was Richard the reeve? If he was their uncle he must have been
either Richard de Brus, of whom I can find no record, or the brother of
their mother? (whoever she was).

Anyone have any ideas.

Regards,
John
in Kuala lumpur

Alex Maxwell Findlater

Re: de Brus Questions

Legg inn av Alex Maxwell Findlater » 23 apr 2006 07:34:20

The daughters whom I have noted are Agnes, m Walter de Fauconberg,
Lucy, m Marmaduke Tweng, Margaret m Robert de Ros and Laderina m John
de .Bellew. I'm pretty certain that these four are somewhere noted
in CP as the heirs of Peter de Brus; the source must be the IPM. Their
mother was Helewise sister and coheiress of William de Lancaster. The
Richard uncle to the girls seems more likely to be a Brus uncle, given
that he had land in Skelton.

Matt Tompkins

Re: de Brus Questions

Legg inn av Matt Tompkins » 26 apr 2006 13:28:30

John Watson wrote:
<snip>
1. Who were Alice, Helena and Hauisia? Agnes became the wife of Walter
Fauconberg, but what about these other three sisters. <snip

2. Who was Richard the reeve? If he was their uncle he must have been
either Richard de Brus, of whom I can find no record, or the brother of
their mother? (whoever she was).


Hello John,

is it certain that the four sisters and their uncle Richard the reeve
were related to Peter de Brus? I see you say Agnes married Walter
Fauconberg, but is there anything to link that Walter Fauconberg's wife
Agnes with this deed's Agnes, niece of Richard the reeve?

I ask because in the absence of a link this deed could well be just a
purchase of a small peasant freeholding from its peasant owners. Two
things point that way; the very small size of the holding (unlikely to
be more than 5 acres), and the fact that the uncle is surnamed 'the
reeve' - most reeves were the reeve of a manor, who in this period was
usually one of the manor's tenants taking his turn to perform an
onerous duty. Admittedly there were other types of reeves of higher
status (and 'prepositus' could mean other local offices, such a
borough's provost) - but it would be odd to see a brother or
brother-in-law of someone of Peter de Brus' status taking his surname
from such an office.

One pointer the other away is the fact that the first four witnesses
are knights, which seems a bit grand for a purchase from some peasant
freeholders, but on the other hand the last three look rather more
humble ('Geoffrey the Cook, Hugh Hauberger, Matthew the Clerk'). The
witnesses may just be those neighbours and household staff of Peter de
Brus who happened to be present when the transaction was concluded.

Also the phrase 'for the rents of 1d. to them and their heirs, heirs of
Wm. Cusin' seems to suggest that the four sisters are the heirs not
just of their uncle the reeve but also of William Cusin, who seems to
have been an earlier tenant of at least three acres of the holding.

Regards,

Matt Tompkins

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