1474 Richard Lane, Joyce's son by Ralph Lane was baptized on 24 June 1474 according to the jurors who testified at Richard's proof of age inquisition. "1234. Richard Lane, son and heir of Ralph Lane. Writ de Aetate probanda 7 Feb., probatio aetatis Monday after the feast of St. Ambrose the Doctor, 12 Hen. VII. A jury panel, and a writ from the Escheator to the Sheriff of Staffordshire, dated 26 Feb., 12 Hen. VII, requiring him to have the said jurors present at Brewode on the Saturday after St. Bede the Bishop [25 May 1497] then next, are appended to the King's writ. Staff. He was 21 years old and more on the feast of the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr last [29 December 1496], as the jurors well know; thus Thomas Peyto, gent. (aged 50 and more), recollects that he was present in the church of the parish of Brewod on the morrow or the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 14 Edw. IV [24 June 1474], and saw when Robert Gifford, esq., and Christine Cresset baptized the said Richard Lane; William Walhouse says that he was sent by the said Ralph Lane, on the said morrow of St. John, for Elizabeth, Prioress of the black nuns of Brewod, to be godmother to the said Richard; William Siche (aged 60 and more) well remembers that the said Richard is of the full age of 21 and more, because a certain field called 'Prestruddynge,' lying in the fee of Brewod, late part of the lands of the said Ralph Lane, was sown with Lenten grain the said day and year when the said Ralph Lane father of the said Richard died, &c. It is stated in the writ that the said Richard alleged himself to have been born at Bruwod, co. Staff., and to have been baptized in the church there; and that his lands of inheritance were in the custody of Edward Burton, by grant from King Edward IV. C. Series II. Vol. 11. (98.) [1]
1477 Joyce's husband Ralph Lane died on March 27. "Commission dated 1 September, 17 Edward IV. [1477], to Sir John Ferrers, knight, and others to enquire what lands and tenements Ralph Lane held of the King in chief and of others on the day that he died. Inquisition taken at Walshale, co. Stafford, on Thursday next before the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, 17 Edward IV. [25 September, 1477] by virtue of letters patent of the Lord the King. The jurors say that Ralph Lone died on Thursday next before Palm Sunday last past [27 March, 1477], and was seised in his demesne as of fee on the day that he died of the manor of Bentley with its appurtenances in the county aforesaid together with the bailiwick of keeping the Hay of Bentley aforesaid, with its appurtenances, and that manor with the bailiwick he held of the Lord the King in chief by the tenth part of one knight's fee. In which said manor are one messuage and one watermill worth 6s. Srf. by the year beyond reprises, 240 acres of land and pasture, each acre of which is worth 2d. by the year, 20 acres of meadow, each acre of which is worth 6d. by the year, 20 acres of wood which are worth nothing by the year, because the wood and underwood were lately cut, and 6 acres of moor, each acre of which is worth id. by the year. And further the jurors say that the said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 3 messuages and 3 virgates of land in Stretton, in the county aforesaid, and in the said messuages and virgates of land there are 100 acres of land and meadow worth 40.9. in all by the year, and they are held of Richard Congreve, esquire. Also the said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 10 messuages, 10 virgates of land, and 40 acres of meadow in Hatton, in the county aforesaid, and in the said messuages and virgates of land there are 260 acres of land, which were formerly given and granted to the ancestors of the said Ralph by the predecessors of the Bishop of Chester; which messuages, land, and meadow are worth in all by the year 13s. 4d. beyond reprises, and they are held of John, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Also the said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 5 messuages, 5 virgates of land, and 30 acres of meadow in Hatton aforesaid, and in the said messuages and virgates of land there are 130 acres, which were purchased by Richard Lone, ancestor of the said Ralph. Which messuages, land and meadow are worth in all 30s. by the year beyond reprises, and are held of John, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Also the said Ralph was seised of two messuages in Brewood, worth los. by the year beyond reprises, and they are held of the said bishop. The jurors say that the said Ralph was seised of 170 acres of land and 100 acres of meadow in Wednesfield, each acre of which is worth 3d. by the year, and they are held of the Dean of the College of Hampton. The said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of three messuages in Hampton, worth 30s. by the year beyond eprises, and they are held of the Lord of Lovell. The said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 64 acres of land in Hampton, and each acre thereof is worth id. by the year beyond reprises, and they are held of the said Lord of Lovell. Also the jurors say that the said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 10 messuages, 300 acres of land, 60 acres of meadow, and 4 acres of wood in Coven, Gunston, Codsale, Bromehale, Billebroke, Somerford and Hossebroke, which are held of the said bishop. And so being thereof seised he thereof enfeoffed William Robenet, vicar of Brewood, and William Ferrour, vicar of Bushebury, to have to them and to their heirs for ever. The said William and William by their writing gave and granted those lands and tenements to the said Ralph and Joyce, his wife, yet living, and to their issue, in default to remain to the right heirs of the said Ralph. The said Ralph and Joyce had issue, Richard Lone. And further, the jurors say that the said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 20 acres of land in Hide and Gunston, and those he held of Robert Gifford, each acre worth 3d. by the year. The said Ralph was also seised in his demesne as of fee of I messuage and I mill in Hide aforesaid, called "le maner" of Hide, with 8 gardens and 4 orchards to the said messuage adjacent, which are worth 6s. 8d. by the year beyond reprises, and are held of the said Bishop of Chester. The said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 262 acres of land in Hyde aforesaid, and each acre is worth 3d. by the year, and they are held of the said bishop. The said Ralph was seised in his demesne as of fee of 20 acres of meadow in Hyde aforesaid, each acre worth 6d. by the year, and they are held of the said bishop. The said Ralph was seised of 60 acres of land in Hampton aforesaid, and each acre is worth 2d. by the year, and they are held of the Dean of the College of Hampton. And likewise the jurors say that the said Richard, aged four years and more,is his son and next heir." [2]
1487 December 3 "To the escheator in Stafford. Order to assign dower to Joyce wife of Edward Burton, yeoman of the Crown and gentleman of Hyde co. Stafford, out of the lands etc. of Ralph Lane her late husband; since the king has pardoned her breach of the peace in marrying without his consent and all trespasses committed before 7 November, 1 Henry VII." [3]
1492 February 3 "No. 2. On the Morrow of the Purification. 7 Hen. VII. Between Edward Burton, complainant, and John Harwell, and Matilda his wife, deforciants of three messuages, 130 acres of land, seventy acres of pasture, and thirty acres of meadow in Okyn, Byldesbroke, and Tottenhale. John and Matilda remit all right to Edward and his heirs, for which Edward gave them £40 sterling." [4]
[1] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry VII, Vol. 1 (London: HMSO, 1898), 550, item 1234, [GoogleBooks].
[2] The William Salt Archaeological Society, ed., Collections for a History of Staffordshire (London: Harrison and Sons, 1910), 157, of 157-8, citing Chancery Inquisition, p.m., Edward IV., File 63, No. 52, [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks].
[3] K. H. Ledward, ed., Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VII: volume 1: 1485-1500 (1955), 81-98, [URL].
[4] Major-General Hon. G. Wrottesley & Rev. F. Parker, eds., 'Staffordshire Fines: Henry VII', Staffordshire Historical Collections, vol. 11 (1890), 252-256, [URL].