Dear Timothy,
Thank you so much for your post. I'm quite astounded at the detail you have
found, the lines of Shelly comes to mind "Look on my works, ye mighty, and
despair!", well I guess I will plod on.
best regards,
Adrian
In a message dated 24/08/2007 02:12:28 GMT Standard Time,
inver1000@yahoo.ca writes:
Dear Adrian,
I believe, Margaret, Elena and Elizabeth would have been granddaughters of
Sir Robert le Brun, Knt. (d: bef 1342). The final co-heiress of the le Brun
estate lands were the three sisters of the last surviving Robert Brun. John
Denton stated that these co-heiress were the daughters and heirs of Richard
Brun. (Source: Thomas Denton: A Perambulation of Cumberland in 1687-1688,
published by The Surtees Society, 2003, pg. 212.)
The three co-heiress Margaret, Elena and Elizabeth were probably the
daughters of the following Richard Brun.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Richard Brun (d: bef. 1354)
father: Sir Robert Brun, Knt. (d: bef 1342)
Richard is mentioned as the lord of Drumburgh in 1342, in which he presented
William de Kirkbythore as the new parson to the church of Bowness, replacing
the previous late parson that had been presented by his father Robert Brun;
was a commissioner in Carlisle in 1345 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, pg. 584). (Source:
Transactions, CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1928, pgs. 175,176.)
Next Bruns in succession,
i). Robert Brun (d: 1369)
father: Richard Brun (as per John Denton)
Is mentioned as lord of Drumburgh; presented a new parson to the church of
Bowness in 1354; made a will at Bothel, which was proved in 1369, requested
burial at Bowness. (Test. Karl. edit Ferguson, pg. 98.) (Source: Transactions,
CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1928, pgs. 175,176.)
John le Brun (d: aft. 1381, bef. 1394?)
father: unknown
Seems to have succeeded Robert Brun who d: 1369; was the sheriff and keeper
of Carlisle Castle in 1376 (Cal. Fine Rolls, pg. 369.); John was a patron of
Bowness church in 1381. (Source: Transactions, CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1928,
pgs. 175,176.)(don't know the relationship of this John; perhaps Robert's
will would shed light on who this John was.) John le Brun must have held only a
life interest in Bowness, as in the end, the three co-heiress were considered
the heiress of their brother Robert le Brun.
ii). Margaret le Brun (d: aft. 1369, bef. 1394?)
father: Richard Brun
Married: Sir William le Engleys, Knt. (d: 1369) of Highhead Castle in
Cumberland. (Source: CWAAS, 'Cumberland Families and Heraldry,' published 1978,
pgs. 44, 204.)
Children: Isabel, who was recorded as being 24 years old in 1369; married Sir
Nicholas de Harington, Knt. (d: 1403) of Farleton in Lancashire. (Source:
L' Engleys family, CWAAS, 'Cumberland Families and Heraldry,' published 1978,
pg. 204.)
iii). Elena le Brun (d: c.1395)
father: Richard Brun
Married 1stly, Sir Thomas Whitrigg (of Branthwaite & Little Bampton in
Cumberland); married 2ndly, Sir William Culwen [Curwen], Knt. of Workington in
Cumberland. (Source: le Brun family, CWAAS, 'Cumberland Families and Heraldry,'
published 1978, pg. 44.)
Children: Sir Christopher Curwen of Workington (d: 1453)
John Curwen of Porchester Castle (d: 1441)
iv). Elizabeth le Brun
father: Richard Brun
Married: Thomas Bowet of Warcop & Soulby. (Source: CWAAS, 'Cumberland
Families and Heraldry,' published 1978, pgs. 34, 44,.)
Children: Thomas Bowet
Richard Bowet
Published support information:
"In 1394, William Culwen and Elena his wife claimed against Nicholas de
Haverington two portions of one-third of the manor of Beamond [Beaumont in
Cumberland]. The grounds for possession made by Nicholas were that Robert Bruyne
(Brun or le Brun), brother of Elena and uncle of another claimant of part of
the manor, Richard Bowet, was possessed of these two portions and of other land
in fee: that he enfeoffed three interim feoffees and died; that William de
Culwen, Elena and Richard Bowet supposing that Robert Brun had leased the
lands for his life only, entered into possession; that the three feoffees
re-entered as they had a right to do, and, of course, ejected William and Elena and
Richard, and now he, Nicholas, holds these. He does not say how the interm
feoffes made them over to him*. William and Elena, and Richard Bowet said that
they did not recognize all this. They stated that there had been an interview
at Drumbough [Drumburgh] between Robert Bruyn and the three
feofees in which the arrangement was made that if Robert should die leaving
no heir of his body; and the aforesaid Elena, and Elizabeth and Margaret,
formerly wife of William Inglys, Knt., the sisters and heirs of Robert, or their
heirs paid within a year and a day next after his death, in the Cathedral of
St. Mary of Carlisle, to the three feoffees, or to any one of them 400
marks, they could then enter into possesion of his lands and they and their heirs
hold then for all time. After Robert Bruyne's death William Ingleys and
Margaret then his wife, Thomas Quyterig and Elena then his wife, and Thomas Bowet
and Elizabeth then his wife, frequentlly and oft offered the 400 marks within
the prescribed time to the three feoffees; and William Culwen and Elena now
his wife and Richard Bowet were always ready to pay their portion but the
three feoffees refused and continued to refuse to take the money. Nicholas
declined to recognize the arrangement, and persisted in repeating his
former statement." Assize of Thursday after the Assumption of St. Mary,
1394. (Source: Transactions, CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1914, article 'de Culwen',
by Rev. Frederick W. Ragg, pgs. 375, 376.)
The aforementioned claim went to jury, and Elena must have succeeded in her
case, as in August 1395, William Culwen her husband, is found granting to
interim feoffees all his lands, which included the properties that Elena had
inherited from her brother Robert le Brun, specifically, Bothel,
Bowness-on-Solway, and "Bronsthath" [Brunscaythe].(Source: ibid. Ragg, pg. 376, & A History
of the Ancient House of Curwen, by JF Curwen, published 1928, pg. 67.)
In 1398, Maud de Lucy, baroness of Copeland & Allerdale died, then wife of
Henry Percy, 1st earl of Northumberland. By inquest post mortem it was found
that within her barony lands, the manor of Bothel and 1/8 part of Torpenhow
were then held by Nicholas Harington, William Culwen and Thomas Bowet. (Cal.
Inq. p. mortem, vol. iii, pg. 244, 22 Richard II, n. 38.) (Source: A History of
the Ancient House of Curwen, published 1928, pg. 68.)
*In Ian Grimble's book 'The Harington Family', it reads that Sir Nicholas
Harington early on, became a powerful man in Lancaster affairs through a
combination of personal ambition, the holden of various positions of trust and
authority, and as a loyal supporter of John de Guant, Duke of Lancaster. The
status and power of Sir Nicholas was clearly demonstrated at age 27 yrs., when he
had complicity "in an incident which occured one year after he first entered
Parliament (as Knight of the Shire of Lancaster) wherein on 1 March 1373 a
Dacre laid complaint that Sir Nicholas had come to Beaumond in Cumberland with
three hundred armed men, and destroyed houses, assaulted servants and
tenants, driven away horses, cattle and sheep worth 50 pounds. Whatever the cause
of this turbulence may have been, it is not without significance that a Dacre
complained in vain." (Source: The Harington Family, by Ian Grimble, pgs.
26-29.)
In my mind, this incident may have been in response to an interest in the le
Brun estate, wherein Sir Nicholas was asserting to claim certain rights
(mother-in-law or wife's inheritance?) to the manor of Beaumont in Cumberland?
Finally, I don't have anything regarding a connection between this le Brun
family of Cumberland, and the Brun family you speak of in the south of England.
Hope this is of some help.
Regards,
Timothy J. Cartmell