1402 Hugh Shirley was appointed in three counties, Warwick, Leicester, and Derby, to commissions to arrest all persons impugning the king concerning the promises he made to keep the laws and customs of the realm. "May 11. Commission to … (as some of the king's subjects intending to subvert the laws and customs and good government of the realm, some of whom are at present captured and detained in prison in the Tower of London, tell many lies in divers parts of the realm in taverns and other congregations of the people, preaching among other things that the king has not kept the promises he made at his advent into the realm and at his coronation and in Parliaments and councils that the laws and laudable customs of the realm should be conserved), to bring to the notice of all the king's lieges of the said county that it always has been and will be the king's intention that the common wealth and laws and customs of the realm shall be observed and kept and that the impugners of the same and the preachers of these lies and their maintainers shall be punished, to enquire about the names of all such, to assemble the king's lieges of the county to resist them and to arrest and imprison all persons preaching such lies, and to certify thereon to the king and council from time to time. [Fadera.] By K. and C. The like to the following, with the sheriffs and escheators, in the counties named:—R. bishop of Worcester, William Beauchamp, Hugh Burnell, 'chivaler,' Thomas Rempston, 'chivaler,' William de Asteley, 'chivaler,' Hugh de Shirley, 'chivaler,' Adam Peshale, 'chivaler,' Richard Gascoigue, Thomas Purfray and Thomas Seyvill, in the county of Warwick. Henry, bishop of Lincoln, William Ferrers of Groby, Richard Grey of Codenore, Thomas Rempston, 'chivaler,' Hugh Shirley, 'chivaler,' John Eynesford, ' chivaler,' Henry Neville, 'chivaler,' John Wolf, Edmund Bugge and Thomas Maundeville, in the county of Leicester. … J. bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, Richard de Grey of Codenore, John Tuchet, 'chivaler,' Thomas Rempston, 'chivaler,' Hugh Shirley, 'chivaler,' Nicholas Mountgomery, 'chivaler,' Thomas Wedneslee, 'chivaler,' John Cokeyn, 'chivaler,' John Cursoun and Roger Leche, in the county of Derby." [1]
1403 "June 8. Westminster. Commission to Hugh de Shirley, Thomas Frisby, John Curson, Peter de la Pole and the escheator in the county of Nottingham to enquire what lands Hugh de Annesley, knight, deceased, held in the county, what they are worth, on what day he died and who is his heir. [2]
1403 Hugh Shirley was slain in combat during the Battle of Shrewsbury on July 21.
1403 Following the death Hugh Shirley at the battle of Shrewsbury, his widow Beatrice was granted custody of his lands and heir, their son Ralph. "Sept. 10. Worcester. Grant, with the assent of the council, to Beatrice late the wife of Hugh de Shirley, 'chivaler,' tenant in chief, of the custody of all his lands, worth 44l. 10s. yearly, during the minority of Ralph his son and heir, so that she answer for any surplus at the Exchequer and provided that she find a competent sustenance for the heir, maintain the houses, woods, enclosures and gardens without waste and support all other charges." [3]
1403/04 "March 4. Westminster. Whereas by an inquisition taken before the escheator in the county of Nottingham ex officio it was found that Hugh Shirley, 'chivaler,' deceased, held of the king in chief as of the crown a rent of 18s. 4d. in Boney, but that rent is a rent charged which by law is not held of anyone and cannot give title to anyone, as is declared in Chancery, and by pretext of the inquisition all lands of the said Hugh were taken into the king's hands and granted by letters patent under the great seal to Beatrice late the wife of the said Hugh with the custody of Ralph his son and heir for the acquittance of his debts and in aid of the maintenance of his five unmarried daughters; the king, at the supplication of the said Beatrice suggesting that these letters are to the derogation and prejudice of the duchy of Lancaster and cannot be valid for her because the lands are held of the king in chief as of the duchy and by virture of these letters she is charged to the king and precluded from letters under the seal of the duchy, discharges her of the said letters patent under the great seal. By p.s." [4]
1440 Beatrice Shirley died on April 20. "Beatrice who was the wife of Hugh Shirley, Knight. 431. Writ. 30 April 1440. [Bate]. Leicestershire. Inquisiton. 23 June 1440. [Palmere]. Jurors: John Chaumberleyn of Hathern; Henry atte Halle of Ouerton; John Nauntell of Hathern; Robert Bernevile of Thurcaston; John kendale of Twycross; John Herdewyn of Newebold; William Smyth of Barrow upon Soar; William Somervyle of Cossington; John SOuche of Belton;, William Bygge and Thomas Bygge, of Rothley; John Draper of Thurmaston; and Thomas Irelond, of Cotes. She held no lands or tenements in demesne as of fee or service of the king, or any other. A certain Ralph Basset of Drayton Basset of Drayton Basset, knight, was, however, seised in his desmesne as of fee of the manors of Ragdale Willowes, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, and Barrow upon Soar, among other things, and, be charter shown to the jurors, he granted them, described as all his manors, lands, tenements, rents, services, advowsons of churches, and reversion that he had in fee simple in Leicestershire and in outher counties in England, to the lord Walter Skyrlowe, bishop of Durham, the lord Richard Scroop, bishop of Chester, Richard, Lord Scrope, Thomas Aston, knights, John de Leyre, John Brom, and John Outhorp, clerks, and their heirs and assigns. After the grant the free tenants of the manors attorned to the donees during the life of Ralph Basset. The bishops of Walter and Richard, and Richard Scroop, knight, afterwards died. Thomas, John, John, and John survived them and held the manors by right of survivorship. By charter shown to the jurors, Thomas, John, John, and John, then granted the manors, among other things, to Beatrice to hold to her with advowsons of churches, liberties, franchises, warrens, pastures (pascuis) and all other things, from Easter 1406 for 8 years, rendering £20 yearly at Easter and Michaelmas, equally, to Thomas, John, John, and John, and their heirs and assigns. Remainder belonged to Ralph Shirley, knight, and heirs male of his body. Beatrice was thus possessed of the manors, and after 8 years, Ralph entered them in his remainder. He is yet seised in peaceful possession. Barrow upon Soar, the manor. Ratcliff on the Wreake, the manor. Ragdale Willowes, the manor. None of the manors is held of the king, but of whom they are held is unknown. She died on 20 April 1440. Ralph is her kin and next heir,and aged 40 and more. C 139/101/65 mm. 1-2." [5]
Research Notes:
Hugh Shirley was a member of Parliament for Leicestershire in 1393. [6] Hugh's mother, Isabel, was a half-sister (uterine) of Ralph, 3rd Lord Basset of Drayton.
[1] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry IV, Vol. 2, 1401-1405 (London: HMSO, 1905), 127 and 129, [InternetArchive], [HathiTrust].
[2] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry IV, Vol. 2, 1401-1405 (London: HMSO, 1905), 278, [InternetArchive], [HathiTrust].
[3] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry IV, Vol. 2, 1401-1405 (London: HMSO, 1905), 263, [InternetArchive], [HathiTrust].
[4] Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry IV, Vol. 2, 1401-1405 (London: HMSO, 1905), 373, [InternetArchive], [HathiTrust].
[5] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 25, 16-20 Henry VI, 1437-1442 (London: HMSO, 2009), 363-364.
[6] J.S. Roskell, Linda Clark, and Carole Rawcliffe, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1386-1421, 4 vols. (Stroud: Alan Sutton for the History of Parliament Trust, 1992), [History of Parliament Online].