1491 Richard Knightley and his wife Joan granted property on July 1 to Thomas Murden and his wife Emma. [1]
Northamptonshire. One week from St John the Baptist, 6 Henry VII . Thomas Murden' and Emma, his wife, querents, and Richard Knyghtley, esquire, and Joan, his wife, deforciants. 2 messuages, 40 acres of land, 38 acres of pasture and 6 acres of meadow in Braunston' and Braunston' Burye. Action: Plea of covenant. Agreement: Richard and Joan have acknowledged the tenements to be the right of Thomas, as those which Thomas and Emma have of their gift, and have remised and quitclaimed them from themselves and the heirs of Joan to Thomas and Emma and the heirs of Thomas for ever. Warranty. For this Thomas and Emma have given them 50 pounds sterling. (Standardised forms of names. Persons: Thomas Murden, Emma Murden, Richard Knightley, Joan Knightley. Places: Braunston.) [2]
1507 Richard Knightley, knight, and Richard Knightley, gentleman, participated in an agreement. [3]
866. Oct. 28.
Indenture between Thomas son of Roger Wake of Blysworth, esquire, and Edmund Haselwode gentleman: whereas by indenture dated 12 July, 22 Henry VII, Thomas sold to Elizabeth widow of Roger the manors of Middeltone by Colentre and Colentre co. Northampton with a proviso that an annual rent of 5l. therefrom should be granted to him and his heirs, and by indenture dated 16 July, 22 Henry VII, she sold the reversion of the premises after her death to Edmund on condition that he and John Muscote and John Roberdis clerk being seised thereof by recovery should make a grant of the rent, to be levied after her death, to Thomas or his assigns; Thomas hereby names Sir Richard Knyghtley knight and Richard Knyghtley gentleman and their heirs as the persons to whom it shall be paid. Sealed 11 Nov., 23 Henry VII. English.
1507 John Clerke and his wife Alice granted property on November 12 to Richard Knightley (with his three older sons as co-feoffees). [4]
Northamptonshire. The day after St Martin, 23 Henry VII. Parties: Richard Knyghtley, knight, Richard Knyghtley the younger, Thomas Knyghtley, Edmund Knyghtley and Reynold Pegge, querents, and John Clerke and Alice, his wife, deforciants. 6 messuages, 80 acres of land, 40 acres of meadow, 40 acres of pasture and 5 acres of wood in Magna Euerdon', P[ar]ua Euerdon' and Farthyngston'. Plea of covenant. John and Alice have acknowledged the tenements to be the right of Richard Knyghtley, knight, and have remised and quitclaimed them from themselves and the heirs of Alice to Richard, Richard, Thomas, Edmund and Reynold and the heirs of Richard Knyghtley, knight, for ever. Warranty. For this: Richard, Richard, Thomas, Edmund and Reynold have given them 40 pounds sterling. (Standardised forms of names. Persons: Richard Knightley, Thomas Knightley, Edmund Knightley, Reynold Pegg, John Clarke, Alice Clarke. Places: Everdon, Little Everdon (in Everdon), Farthingstone.) [5]
1527/8 Richard Knightley wrote his will on January 27. [6]
1534 Richard Knightley died on December 8 and was buried in the church of St Mary, Fawsley. Bridges provides a transciption the inscription "on a white marble tomb" in the church: [7]
Orate pro animabus Ricardi Knyghtley & Johanne uxoris ejus, qui quidem Ricardus obiit viii. die mensis Decembris anno Dni. MCCCCXXXJJJJ.—et quae quidem Johanna obiit . . . die mensis . . . anno Dni. MCCCCC.
In her article about aristocratic women and the care of the dead, 1450-1550, Harris provides a translation (corrected below) of the transcription by Bridges, [8]
Pray for the souls of Richard Knightley and Joan his wife which Richard died the 8th day of the month of December in the year of our lord 1534 and which Joan died the . . . day of the month of . . . in the year of our lord 15__.
Bidges states, "On the south side of this tomb are the portraitures of eight children, with their names under them:[9]
Richard—Thomas—Edmund—John—John— . . . . —Valentine—Nicholas.
Briges then transcribes an inscription "In the high window:" [10]
Orate pro bono statu Ricardi Knyghtley militis & Johanne uxoris ejus filie & heredis Henrici Skenerdon & Margerie uxoris ejus, que quidem Margeria fuit soror & heres Thome Harwedon Armigeri, qui quidam Thomas fuit frater & heres Ricardi Harwedon Armigeri, qui quidem Ricardus fuit filius & heres Willielmi Harwedon Armigeri, qui istas fenestras una cum tecto istius ecclesie fecerunt anno Dni. M.CCCCXVJJJ.
Harris states, "But the expansive dedication of the high window elaborates considerably" and provides a partial translation of the transcription in Bridges (completed and corrected below), [11]
Pray for the good state of Richard Knightley knight and Joan his wife, daughter and heir of Henry Skenerdon and Margery his wife, which Margery was sister and heir of Thomas Harwedon, esquire, which Thomas was brother and heir of Richard Harwedon, esquire, which Richard was son and heir of William Harwedon, esquire, who (plural) made these windows together with the roof of this church in the year of our lord 1518.
1534 Richard Knightley's son Edmund wrote to Cromwell soon after Richard's death. [12]
16 Dec. Edmund Knyghtley, Sergeant-at-Law, to Cromwell.
It has pleased God to take my father.1 His burial and the comforting of his lady my mother, who is an old woman, have prevented my attending you and inquiring your pleasure touching the lands lately enclosed in the King's park of Grafton, Hertwell and Pury. I intend to wait on you before next term. The sheriff of Northamptonshire has sent for me to be at Northampton at the next session, Tuesday after Twelfth Day. I am one of the commissioners for gaol delivery. Let me know your pleasure in this matter. Fallesle, 16 Dec. Signed.
1. Sir Ric. Knightley, who died 8 Dec. 1534. See Inq. p. m. 27 Hen.VIII. No. 2.
1535 Lady Jane Knyghtley wrote to Thomas Cromwell on September 26. [13]
26 Sept. R. O.
447. Dame Jane Knyghtley, Widow, to Cromwell.
I have received your favorable letters touching my suit for the liberties of my park, at the instigation of my lord Leonard Grey. Before the receipt of your letters I sent lord Leonard a bill, to be "assigned" by the King. I should have been glad to have sent my servant to you, now being at Winchester with the King, but that he is employed by the King's commission on the subsidy. He shall wait upon you when the King comes to Notley. I send you the grant of the mastership of the game of my park, with such a fee as I hope will content you. Falwesley, 26 Sept.
Hol., p. 1. Add.: Secretary. Endd.: My lady Knyghtley.
1536 Lady Jane Knyghtley wrote to Thomas Cromwell on April 1. [14]
1 April. R. O.
606. Dame Jane Knyghtley to Cromwell.
I was lately informed that you would have been in our parts, and should have been very glad to have seen you in my poor house. My lord Leonard and Fitzjerard were with me last night as they came towards the King. I complained to him that I could not keep my deer for unkind neighbours, who assert that I have not the King's confirmation, according to the old customs. They destroy my deer nightly, so that if the King or his Council repaired hither I should be "dishonested" for lack of game. My son Edmund shall declare to you that your pains shall be partly deserved; and I have sent to you by my lord Leonard a gelding which I thought to have given you when you repaired to these parts. Fallesley, Saturday after Lady Day.
Hol., p. 1. Add.: Secretary. Endd.
1538 Jane Knightley was living on August 22 when Henry VIII granted land to Edmund Knyghtley and confirmed the contingent heirs of Fawsley. [15]
Edm. Knyghtley, serjeant-at-law. ... Also grant, at the said Edmund's request, to Ursula Knyghtley, his wife, of an annual rent of 15l. fee-farm of the manor of Fallesley, Northt., which Joan Knyghtley, widow of Sir Ric Knyghtley, dec. holds, for life, with remainder in tail male to the said Edm. with contingent remainder in tail male to Valentine Knyghtley, with contingent remainder to the right heirs of said Sir Richard. To hold, with similar remainders in tail, to the said Edmond and then to Valentine, and afterwards to the right heirs of said Edm. Also confirmation to the said Joan, Edm., and Valentine, and to Joan Knottisfurde, Susan Knyghtley, Anne Knyghtley, Mary Knyghtley, and Francis Knyghtley, daughters and heirs of Ric Knyghtley, dec, s. and h. of the said Sir Ric, in whom the said reversion now rests; of their estate and title in the said manor of Fallesley. To hold by the annual rent of 2d. Del. Westm., 22 Aug. 30 Hen. VIII. —S.B. Pat. p. 1, m. 24.
1542 Jane Knightley died before April 25 when she is mentioned as deceased in a grant of land to her son Edmund Knightley and his wife Ursula. [16]
Sir Edm. Knyghtley and Lady Ursula his wife. Grant (in exchange for the manors of Blysworth, Tyghfeld, Stokebruer, Roode, Myddelton Cheyney and Olde, Ntht., and lands in cos. Ntht. and Bucks, and for 98l. 15s. 10d.) of the manors of (1) Badby and (2) Newneham, Ntht., and (3) Wolbarowe alias Wolbarough, Worc., which belonged to the late monastery of Evesham, Worc,; (4) Hardwyke and (5) Marston alias Merston, Warw., which belonged to the late priory of Coventry; (6) the capital messuage of Offchurche, Warw., with its garden, stone dovecot and several water flowing from "le vycars takkyng" beside "le Conyngre" as far as "Radford Mere," in tenure of Robert Alcocke and Anne his wife and Wm. and Hen. Alcock, his brothers; and the lofty hall of "le Yate House Volte Porte" and the buildings lying between that hall and the "Frenche Walle," with the chapel and cemetery adjoining, in Offchurche, which belonged to Coventry; and (7) the advowsons of the rectories of Bugbroke, Byfyld, and Lychebarowe, Ntht., which belonged to Evesham; with all appurtenances except the rectories of Badbye, Newneham, Hardwyke and Merston and the tithes in these places. To hold in tail male to the said Sir Edmund, with remainder to his brother Valentine Knyghtley, with contingent remainder as regards Nos. 1, 2, and 7 to the right heirs of Sir Ric. Knyghtley, dec., father of the said Sir Edmund, and as regards the rest to the right heirs of Lady Joan Knyghtley, dec., mother of the said Sir Edmund.
Also grant to the said Sir Edmund, in fee, of the manors ... 24 April 34 Hen. VIII. Del. Westm., 25 April. P.S. Pat. p. 1, m. 17.
[1] Feet of Fines, Court of Common Pleas, CP25, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, CP 25/1/179/97, number 19, [AALTImage].
[2] Feet of Fines, Online Abstracts, CP 25/1/179/97, number 19, [Medieval_Genealogy].
[3] R. A. Latham, ed., Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VII, Vol. 2, 1500-1509 (London: HMSO, 1963), 323, [BritishHistoryOnline].
[4] Feet of Fines, Court of Common Pleas, CP25, The National Archives, UK, Anglo-American Legal Tradition, University of Houston, CP 25/1/179/99, number 151, [AALTImage].
[5] Feet of Fines, Online Abstracts, CP 25/1/179/99, number 151, [Medieval_Genealogy].
[6] Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858, PROB 11, Piece 25, Hogen (1533-1536), [AncestryImage].
[7] John Bridges and Peter Whalley, ed., The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, Vol. 1 (Oxford, 1791), 69.
[8] Barbara J. Harris, "The Fabric of Piety: Aristocratic Women and Care of the Dead, 1450–1550," Journal of British Studies 48 (April 2009), 308-335, at 317, citing Bridges, History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, 2[should be 1]:69. Harris appears to have amended the year of death of Joan to 1550. She also suggests ("At Fawsley, Northamptonshire, the inscription on the earliest Knightley tomb simply reads:") that this is the earliest inscription in the church at Fawsley, which, according to the transcriptions by Bridges, it is not, [JSTOR], [JSTOR(UM)].
[9] John Bridges and Peter Whalley, ed., The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, Vol. 1 (Oxford, 1791), 69.
[10] John Bridges and Peter Whalley, ed., The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, Vol. 1 (Oxford, 1791), 69.
[11] Barbara J. Harris, "The Fabric of Piety: Aristocratic Women and Care of the Dead, 1450–1550," Journal of British Studies 48 (April 2009), 308-335, at 317, citing Bridges, History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, 2[should be 1]:69, [JSTOR], [JSTOR(UM)].
[12] James Gairdner, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII., Vol. 7 (London: HMSO, 1883, reprinted by Kraus Reprint, Ltd., 1965), [HathiTrust].
[13] James Gairdner, ed., Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII., Vol. 9 (London: HMSO, 1886), 145, [HathiTrust].
[14] James Gairdner, ed., Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII., Vol. 10 (London: HMSO, 1887), 246, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].
[15] J. S. Brewer, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII., Vol. 13, part 2 (London: HMSO, 1893), 99, [HathiTrust].
[16] James Gairdner, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII., Vol. 17 (London: HMSO, 1900), 165, [HathiTrust].