1231 Fine Roll of Henry III, membrane 4, 209, 1 July. Reading. For Robert of Cockfield. The king has pardoned to Robert of Cockfield the £150 which are exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer for the profit of the county of Yorkshire from the time when he was sheriff of Yorkshire. The king has also granted to the same Robert that, of all other debts that are exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer for Robert le Vavasur, whose heir is in his custody, and of all other of his own debts that he owes the king, he may render £20 per annum, namely £10 at the Exchequer of Michaelmas and £10 at the Exchequer of Easter, until he is quit of the aforesaid debts. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause Robert to be quit of the aforesaid £150 and to cause it to be done and enrolled concerning the other debts, as aforesaid. [1]
1231 Fine Roll of Henry III, membrane 3, 271, between 21 August-5 September. For Robert of Cockfield. The king has granted to Robert of Cockfield that, of all of the debts which are exacted from him for Robert le Vavasur, whose heir is in his custody, and of other debts that the same Robert owes the king, concerning which the king had granted him that he was to render £20 per annum at the Exchequer until he was quit of the aforesaid debts, he may render £10 every year, namely 100s. at the Exchequer of Michaelmas and 100s. at the Exchequer of Easter until the king will have been fully satisfied for the aforesaid debts. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause this to be done and enrolled thus. [2]
1233 On July 4, "Robert (de Kokef'), guardian of the land and heir of Robert le Vavasour made a presentation to two-thirds of the church of Thurnscoe." [3]
Wallingf', 4 non. Julii xviii.—Institution of Thos., son of Mauger, clerk, [ftn] to two parts of the church of Thirnesco, at the presentation of Robert de Kokef, guardian of the land and heir of Robert le Vavasor.
[ftn] This person was, probably, a Vavasour.[4]
Research Notes:
James Raine states, [5]
Robert de Cockfield appears often on the Pipe Rolls of the time. He was owner of Cockfield, in the county of Durham, which came into the possession of the Vavasours by a marriage between John Vavasour of Haslewood and Alice his daughter. In 27-28 Hen. III. John le Vavasour married the daughter and heir of Robert de Kokefeld (MS. Dodsworth, xxix).
Robert de Cockfield was a benefactor to the little nunnery of Sinningthwaite, near York; and by deed, dated at Bilton, 16 kal. May 1295, Alicia de Vavasour confirmed to the house of Sinningthwaite all the lands and tenements which Robert de Cockfield, her father, had in Tockwith, which they have by the gift of her ancestors (MS. Dodsworth, at Oxford, viii. 57A, and 07).
There is an account of the Robert de Cockfield mentioned in this document in Foss, ii. 302-8. He was a justice itinerant, and was sheriff of Yorkshire, 10-13 Henry III.
A contemporary Robert of Cockfield had land in Quarley and three daughters, Pillippa, Joan, and Alda:
1236/7 Fine roll Henry III, membrane 9, 56, 10 Feb. Kempton. The king has taken the fealty of Roger de Beaucoudray and Geoffrey Martin for two thirds of a knight's fee with appurtenances formerly of Robert of Cockfield in Quarley, which fall by inheritance to Phillippa and Joan, daughters of the same Robert, wives of the aforesaid R. and G., and which they ought to hold of Walter, son and heir of Robert fitz Walter, who is in the king's custody . Order to Adam son of William that, having accepted security from them for rendering as much relief to the king as pertains to the aforesaid two thirds, namely 100s. for the two thirds, he is to cause them to have full seisin of the aforesaid two thirds. [6]
1236/7 Fine roll Henry III, membrane 9, 63, 28 Feb. Canterbury. Essex. Escheators. Order to the sheriff of Essex to cause all land formerly of Robert of Cockfield in Quarley to be partitioned by the view and testimony of trustworthy and law-worthy men of the neighbourhood of Quarley, to cause Roger de Beaucoudray and Phillippa, his wife, and Joan, Phillippa's sister, two of the heirs of the aforesaid Robert, to be assigned as much as pertains to them from the aforesaid land, to retain the remaining third part in the king's hand to the use of Alda, sister of the aforesaid Phillippa and Joan, and to keep it safely. [7]
John Watson states, [8]
He [Robert de Cockfield] was of Cockfield, Durham, but rather than being named after the place, the place, was rather unusually, named after him. The original name of Cockfield, Durham was probably Stathlegh, and there was a church there in a place called Beaurepair (or something similar). Robert was granted these lands between 1220 and 1226, by Richard Poore, bishop of Durham:
1220-1226, Grant [by bishop Richard Poore] to Robert de Cockfield of a moiety of 'Statheleg' and certain land of the bishop's waste, with reasonable estovers in the bishop's forest for repair of houses and hedges and fuel by view of the foresters, and common of pasture with the neighbourng knights and freeholders.
M. G. Snape, ed., English Episcopal Acta 25: Durham, 1196-1237, Bitish Academy (2002), 244, No. 256.3 January 1228, Grant to Robert de Cockefeld of gifts and grants made to him by Richard late bishop of Durham; viz. of half of Statheleg with certain waste lands, and reasonable estover in the forest for repairing houses and hedges, and fuel by the view of the foresters, and common of pasture in the same with the neighbouring knights and freeholders.
Calendar of Charter Rolls, vol. 1, Henry III: 1226-1257 (1903), 66.1228, Consent by R[alph Kerneth] prior and the convent of Durham of gifts by R[ichard Poore] bishop of Durham to Dom Robert of Cockfield of lands and the advowson of a church founded by him in a place called Beaurepayr.
Durham Cathedral Muniments: Miscellaneous Charters, Misc.Ch. 206.Robert de Cockfield married Nichola, one of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Jordan de St. Mary and his wife Alice Haget. Robert de Cockfield was appointed as sheriff of Yorkshire in May 1226, and in 1227 was granted the custody of John, son and heir of Robert le Vavasour, a minor in the king's wardship. In the usual medieval fashion he married John le Vavasour to his only daughter and heiress, Alice.
John Watson states, [9]
I believe that Robert [de Cockfield of Cockfield, Durham, father of Alice de Cockfield, wife of John le Vavasour of Hazlewood] originally came from Suffolk, and I recently came across a record which tends to confirm this.
In 1268-9, John le Vavasour and his wife Alice de Cockfield are mentioned in a fine concerning properties in Suffolk, apparently near Bury St. Edmunds, together with several members of the Cockfield family:1268-69, John de Cokefeld, Richard de Cokefeld, Robert de Cokefeld, Alexander de Cokefeld and Peter de Cokefeld, John le Vaversur and Alice his wife, Thomas de Cokefeld and Richard de Cokefeld parson of Bradefeld Church v. Henry de Cokefeld in Wattefeld Hadlegh, Nauelton Semere, Hocketon Bradefeld and Stowene Bradefeld
Walter Rye, ed., A Calendar of the Feet of Fines for Suffolk (1900), 67.An image of the fine can be seen here: http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT7/CP25%281%29/CP25_1_214/CP25no1no214no28/IMG_0220.htm
Although the original text does not add very much to the abstract, since the relationships between the various Cockfield family members are not stated.On a more interesting note, I have recently discovered that Robert de Cockfield had a brother named Simon. In 1227-8, during the time when Robert de Cockfield was sheriff of Yorkshire, he witnessed a quitclaim by Robert fitz Meldred, together with his brother Simon "Hiis testibus Roberto de Kokefeld tunc uicecomiti Eboracensi, Simone fratre eius."
William Farrer, Early Yorkshire Charters, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1915), 122.In searching for information concerning Simon de Cockfield, and hoping it would give me a clue to the Suffolk connection (which I still haven't found), I made a discovery concerning Simon's wife Isabel. I don't know her family name, but Simon de Cockfield was apparently her third husband.
Although I can't find any direct evidence for her first two husbands, and am basing my assumptions on the dower lands that she was holding, she apparently married firstly, Ralph de Neville of Scotton, Lincolnshire and Filey, Yorkshire who died after 1224, and was succeeded by his nephew, another Ralph de Neville.
In 1231, Gilbert de Gant was unsuccessful in a plea against Ralph de Nevill, Simon de Cockesfeud and Isabella his wife, wherein he complained that they held a market in Filey to the injury of his market in Hunmanby.
William Farrer, ed., Early Yorkshire Charters, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1916), 464n.Isabel then apparently married John de Birkin, of Birkin, Yorkshire, as his third wife. John de Birkin, had by his second wife, Joan Lenviese, a son Thomas and his eventual heiress, Isabel, who married Robert de Everingham. John de Birkin died before October 1227.
Isabel was married to Simon de Cockfield before January 1231, when they involved in a legal dispute with Robert de Everingham about property in Birkin:
30 January 1231, Gilebertus de Aton, Henricus de Silton, Willelmus de Barton et Henricus Walensis constituti sunt justiciarii ad assisam nove dissaisine capiendam apud Eboracum a die Pasche in xv dies, quam Simon de Cockefeld et Isabella uxor ejus aramiaverunt versus Robertum de Everingeham et Everardum, servientem ejus, de tenemento in Birkin; salvis etc. Teste rege, apud Waltham, xxx die Januarii.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III, vol. 2: 1225-1232 (1903), 510.In 1235-6, the wife of Simon de Cokefued' owed 63s. for an aid in Lincolnshire for the fee of Birkin (Byrckin). [Possibly the manor of Westborough?]
Liber Feodorum, The Book of Fees commonly called Testa de Nevill, Part 1: 1198-1242 (1920), 550.Robert de Everingham died in June 1246 and was succeeded by his son Adam. His widow, Isabel de Birkin gave her lands in Birkin and Riskington, Lincolnshire to her second son, John de Everingham. In 1249, Isabel de Cockfield, widow of Simon de Cockfield was holding Birkin lands in dower which explains the following fine:
2 May, 1249, At Launceueton; from Easter in one month, 33 Henry III. Between John de Everingham, querent, and Isabel de Everingham, impedient, by John son of Thomas put in her place, of the moiety of the manor of Riskinton, and of the advowson of the mediety of the church of the same manor, co. Lincoln, and of the manor of Berking and the advowson of the church of the same manor, co. York. Plea of warranty of charter. Isabel has acknowledged the tenements and the advowson of the church of Berking and the advowson of the mediety of the church of Riskinton with the appurtenances, as in demesnes, homages, rents, reliefs, villeinages, services of free men, villeins with their sequels, woods, plains (planis), meadows, pastures, roads, paths, waters, ponds, vivaries (vivariis) and mills, to be the right of John, as those which he has of her gift. And, moreover, Isabel has granted for herself and her heirs that all the lands and tenements which Isabel who was the wife of Simon de Cokefeld held in dower in Berking of the inheritance of Isabel de Everingham on the day on which this concord was made, and which, after the death of Isabel de Cokefeld, ought to revert to Isabel de Everingham, shall then remain to John and his heirs, without any retainment, for ever: to hold to him and his heirs of Isabel de Everingham and her heirs for ever; rendering therefor yearly for the manor of Berking one pair of white gloves or 1d. for all service; and doing therefor for the moiety of the manor of Riskinton the service of one knight's fee as in scutages only for all service. [Warranty.] And John has given Isabel one sore falcon.-- Lincoln, York.
Final Concords of the County of Lincoln: 1244-1272 (1920), 281.After the death of Simon de Cockfield, Isabel apparently reverted to the name of her first husband, which explains this entry in the Selby Coucher, which has puzzled me for years:
12 June 1255, Sir John de Everingham, lord of Birkin, quitclaimed to Selby Abbey, all the waste next to the town by Northboys, between Birkin and Hillam, with all right of him the said Sir John, and the Lady Isabel de Nevil, or her ancestors. Witnesses: Adam de Everingham, etc.
J. T. Fowler, ed., The Coucher Book of Selby, vol. 1, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series, 10 (1891), 288.
[1] Henry III Fine Rolls Project, Fine Rolls of Henry III, Fine Roll C 60/30, 15 Henry III (28 October 1230-27 October 1231), [Fine_Rolls_Project].
[2] Henry III Fine Rolls Project, Fine Rolls of Henry III, Fine Roll C 60/30, 15 Henry III (28 October 1230-27 October 1231), [Fine_Rolls_Project].
[3] Charles Travis Clay, William Farrer, eds., Early Yorkshire charters, Vol. 7, The Honour of Skipton (1947), 170, citing Reg. Gray, pp. 61-62, [GoogleBooks].
[4] James Raine, ed., The Register, or Rolls, of Walter Gray: lord archbishop of York, Publications of the Surtees Society, Vol. 56 (London: Surtees Society, 1872), 61-62, [GoogleBooks].
[5] James Raine, ed., The Register, or Rolls, of Walter Gray: lord archbishop of York, Publications of the Surtees Society, Vol. 56 (London: Surtees Society, 1872), 61-62, [GoogleBooks].
[6] Henry III Fine Rolls Project, Fine Rolls of Henry III, Fine Roll E 371/4, 21 Henry III (28 October 1236-27 October 1237), [Fine_Rolls_Project].
[7] Henry III Fine Rolls Project, Fine Rolls of Henry III, Fine Roll E 371/4, 21 Henry III (28 October 1236-27 October 1237), [Fine_Rolls_Project].
[8] Newsgroup Post, soc.genealogy.medieval, John Watson, 19 December 2015, [GoogleGroups_SGM].
[9] Newsgroup Post, soc.genealogy.medieval, John Watson, "Robert de Cockfield, Sheriff of York and His Brother Simon," 9 January 2016, [GoogleGroups_SGM].