c 1345 The inquisition post mortem for Eleanor, late the wife of John Parles, stated "Writ. 13 December, 19 Edward III ... She died on Tuesday the feast of St. Nicholas, 19 Edward III. Walter, son of the said John and Eleanor, aged 36 years, is their next heir." [1]
c 1347 In 21 Edward III., "Walter son of John de Parles to settle a messuage and land in Watford on himself, Alice his wife, and the heirs of their bodies, with remainder to his own right heirs, retaining messuages, land, and rent in Watford, Silsworth [in Watford], Byfield, Shutlanger, and Alderton. N'hamp." [2]
Walter Parles was mentioned in a biosketch of son, Ralph Parles, of Watford and Byfield, Northamptonshire. The biography (author: C.R.) reports [3]:
Biography
Our MP's career was remarkably similar to that of his father, Walter Parles, who represented Northamptonshire in at least six Parliaments, and also held office in the county as both escheator and sheriff. At the time of his death, in the summer of 1361, Parles owned the manors of Watford and Byfield, together with rents worth over 20 marks p.a., and these passed almost immediately to Ralph, who was then about 25 years old.
A biosketch of Ralph Parles reports [4]:
Walter Parles, born circa 1309 [5] ; six times MP for Northants, and sheriff of that county [64 Roskell et al. (1992, vol.IV, p.18)] ; died 24 July 1361 65 ; married Alice [6]
[1] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 8, Edward III (London: HMSO, 1913), 413, #573, [InternetArchive].
[2] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, C 143/285/11, Northamptonshire: Feet of fines for 35-38 Edw III: 501-550, [UKNationalArchives].
[3] 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].
[4] Michael Andrews-Reading, "Village Cromwells: The Parles Family, 1166-1452," Foundations Volume 2, Part 5 (2006), 342-349 at 348, person 7b, [FoundationMedievalGenealogy].
[5] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 8, Edward III (London: HMSO, 1913), 413, #573, [InternetArchive].
[6] The National Archives of the United Kingdom Catalog, C 143/285/11, Northamptonshire: Feet of fines for 35-38 Edw III: 501-550, [UKNationalArchives].