Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for Thomas Morieux --- Go to Genealogy Page for Blanche

Notes for Thomas Morieux and Blanche

Research Notes:

1346 "Suffolk Hundred de Cosford. Thomas de Moryeux tenet manerium de Thorp per j. f. m. de comite Lancastrie quod Hugo de Moryeux quondam tenuit in eadem villa de eodem comite ... [Hundredum de] Thetwardestre. Thomas Morieux tenet in Falsham di. f. m. de abbate Sancti Edmundi quod Hugo de Morieux quondam tenuit in eadem villa de eodem abbate." [1]

Nicolas states, [2] [3]

Sir Thomas Morieux. This distinguished individual was the son of Sir Thomas Morieux of Thorp Morieux in Suffolk, the descendant of an ancient family in that county.[Footnote: The following information relative to the family of Morieux has been obligingly communicated by John Gage, Esq. F.R.S. Direct. S.A. In the 15th Edw. I. (Plac. Coronse 15 Edw. I. rot. 40) Hugh de Murés, or Morieus, whose ancestor Roger (Le Neve's MS.) held a knight's fee in Thorp, in the hundred of Cosford in Suffolk, had free warren granted to him in his lands in Thorp, called for distinction "Thorp Morieux." In the 7th Edw. II. a fine was levied between Hugh de Murieus and John his son, and Edmund Peche and Margaret his wife, of the manor and advowson of Felsham in Suffolk, to enure after the death of Edmund and Margaret to Hugh and John, and the heirs of John. In the 6th Edw. III. Sir Thomas, son of Hugh de Morieux, was owner of the manor of Felsham, and presented to the church of Felsham in the 9th of the same reign (Fin. 6 Edw. III.— Lib. Instit. 2, f.74); and according to Martin, the arms of Morieux, Gules, a bend Argent billetted Sable, were in Felsham Church. This Thomas Morieux, who must have been younger brother and heir of John, confirmed in the 9th Edw. III. (Vincent's MS. no 88, f. 133,) to Ralph Sampson of Bretenham certain lands in Hecham. He was probably the father of Sir Thomas Morieux the deponent.] He succeeded under a settlement made by his father to the manors of Thorp Morieux, Gorges, and Brokehalle, [Footnote: Esch. 7 Edw. IV. n° 34] and was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1367 and 1368. [Footnote: Rot. Claus.] On the 28th June in that year he witnessed the grant of the manor of Kentwell by Thomas Syward and Joan his wife, the daughter and coheiress of Sir Robert Gower, to her relative John Gower the Poet, [Footnote: Ancient Charters in the British Museum, 56 G 42. See Retrospective Review, New Series, vol. ii. p. 108. The deed is dated at Melford.] a circumstance which renders it probable that Morieux was personally known to that celebrated person. In the Parliament which met at Westminster in April 1376 he was one of the mainpernors for the appearance of Lord Latimer, who was accused of various offences by the Commons.[Footnote: Rot. Parl. 50 Edw. III. vol. ii. p. 327.] In the same month he was a Commissioner to preserve the truce with France,[Footnote: Carte's Gascon Rolls, ii. 118. 'Calend. Rot, Patent, p. 205-6.] and in 1381 was made Constable of the Tower of London for life.[In July 1382 Sir Thomas de Gyssyng, Knight, bequeathed to Sir Thomas Morieux a hauberk of steel, and appointed him one of his executors. Harleian MS. 10. f.24] Sir Thomas Morieux must have been a veteran soldier; for in his deposition he said he had served in divers battles, journeys, and expeditions in France, Gascony, Brittany, Spain, and Scotland, including the King's last invasion of Scotland in 1385; but his military reputation is proved by his being Marshal of the army with which John of Gant went to Spain in August in the following year, [Froissart par Buchon, x. 124.] in consequence of which he obtained letters of protection, dated 6th March 1386, wherein he is thus described: — 'Thomas Murreux Chivaler alias dictus Thomas Morrous, vel Morrieux, Chivaler.'Footnote: [Foedera, iii. pt iii. p. 195.] Froissart frequently mentions him as having eminently distinguished himself in Spain, [Footnote: Par Buchon, tome x. pages 142,143. 146. 149. 180. 191. 335, 336.] ... According to Froissart, Morieux married a natural daughter of the Duke of Lancaster. His words are, speaking of the Duke's departure for Spain with the Duchess his consort, 'Et avoit la Duchesse sa fille qui s'appeloit Katherine, et de son premier mariage deux autres filles Ysabel et Philippe, laquelle Philippe "etoit a marier. Mais Ysabel etoit mariee a Messire Jean de Hollande, qui etoit la connetable de tout l'ost, et marechal Messire Thomas Moriaux, lequel avoit aussi par mariage une de ses filles a femme; mais elle etoit batarde, et fut mere a la dame Morielle, damoiselle Marie de Saint Hilaire de Hainault.'[Footnote: Froissart par Buchon, x. 124. Among the new year's gifts presented by John of Gant in 1381, was one to Mary St. Hiliar. 'Registrum Johannis Ducis Lancastrian'] The part of this statement which relates to Morieux is corroborated by the following facts. In the Duke of Lancaster's accounts of the 6th March 4 Ric. II. 1381, it is stated that he presented Dame Blanch Morieux on her wedding day with twelve silver spoons, twelve silver saucers, two basons with ewers, a basket with a silver top, and other articles; and on the 1st of June following, 100/. a year were settled on Sir Thomas Morieux and Blanch his wife for their lives, out of the issues of the manors of Snetesham and Fakenham in Norfolk. ... He died without issue in 1392 and left his sister, Mary, the wife of Sir Richard Walkefare, his heir, whose descendant and representative in 1467 was Henry Strange, [Footnote: Esch. 7 Edw. IV. n° 34. "Johannes Strange armiger 4to die Maii.—Juratores dicunt quod quidam Thomas Morieux miles fuit seisitus de manerio de Thorp Morieux, &c. et dedit Thome Morieux militi filio suo et heredibus, et pro defectu exitus remanere inde Marie filie ipsius Thome Morieux patris, adtunc uxori Ricardi Walkefare militis, et heredibus imperpetuum: virtute cujus doni idem Thomas Morieux Alius fuit seisitus, et sic inde obiit seisitus sine herede; post cujus mortem predicta Maria ac predictus Ricardus Walkefare in omnibus predictis intraverunt, et habuerunt exitum Alianoram et obierunt; post quorum mortem omnia predicta discenderunt prefate Aliauore, et cepit in virum Johannem Straunge, et habuerunt exitum Johannem et obierunt; post quorum mortem predicta discendebant prefato Johanni Straunge filio, et habuit exitum Rogerum, et obiit inde seisitus [Vide Esch. 15 Hen. VI. n" 52]; post cujus mortem omnia predicta descendebant prefato Rogero, et habuit exitum Johannem Straunge in predicto brevi nominatum, ac Henricum Straunge, et obiit inde seisitus; post cujus mortem omnia predicta discendebant prefato Johanni, et sic inde obiit seisitus sine herede; post cujus mortem omnia predicta discendebant prefato Henrico Straunge, et fuit inde seisitus. Et dicunt quod Johannes Straunge obiit ultimo die Aprilis ultimo preterite [The Inquisition was taken 23rd Oct. 7 Edw. IV. 1467.] Et quod dictus Henricus Straunge est frater et ejus heres propinquior et etatis xxx annorum et amplius." Thomas Lucas, Solicitor General to King Henry VII. quartered the arms of Morieux with his own, as appears from his cenotaph in Little Saxham Church, in Suffolk; his great-grandfather, Edmund, according to some pedigrees of the Lucas family, having married another sister of Sir Thomas Morieux, the Constable of the Tower: in proof of which alliance, Chitting, Chester Herald, refers to a document with the seal of the Bishop of Norwich.] ancestor of the Baronets of that name, of Hunstanton in Norfolk.[Footnote: See "The English Baronetage," ed. 1741, vol. ii. p. 145, and a pedigree of Le Strange in Blomefield's " History of Norfolk," whence it appears that Airmine, one of the sisters and coheirs of Sir Henry Le Strange the last Baronet (who died in 1760), married Nicholas Styleman of Snettisham in Norfolk, Esq. by whom she left issue; and that Lucy, the other sister and coheir of Sir Henry, was the wife of Sir Jacob Astley of Melton Constable, Bart., great-grandfather of the present Sir Jacob Astley, who is consequently one of the representatives of Sir Thomas Morieux, the Deponent.] Sir Thomas Morieux deposed that he had seen Sir Richard Scrope and others of his lineage armed in those arms, in coat armours, banners, and pennons, in divers expeditions, battles, and journeys in France, Gascony, Brittany, Spain, and Scotland, and never in all his life had any knowledge to the contrary, and had very often heard from old lords, knights, and esquires, that the arms belonged to Scrope from time beyond the memory of man. He had never heard of the said Sir Robert Grosvenor or of his ancestry, whence he was, or whence he came, until the last expedition in Scotland with our Lord the King. Sir Thomas Morieux's arms were, Gules, a bend Argent bilitee Sable.[Footnote: Roll of Arms 'in the possession of the Rev. John Newling, and other authorities. A Roll of Arms temp. Edw. II. assigns to "Sir Huge de Morieus" of Suffolk, " Azure, a iij foiles de moures de Or." 8vo. 1828.]


Footnotes:

[1] H. C. Maxwell Lyte, ed., Feudal Aids A.D. 1284-1431, Vol. V, Stafford-Worcester (London: HMSO, 1908), 71, 74, [GoogleBooks].

[2] Nicholas Harris Nicolas, ed., De Controversia in Curia Militari Inter Ricardum Le Scrope Et Robertum Grosvenor Milites, Vol. 2 (London: Samuel Bentley, 1832), 183-187, [HathiTrust].

[3] Sydney Armitage-Smith, John of Gaunt (Westminster: Archibald, Constable & Co., 1904), 460-462, discusses Thomas Morieux's marriage, citing the above account of Thomas Morrieux in Nicholas Harris Nicolas account of the Scrope case, [GoogleBooks].