Research Notes:

eldest daughter and co-heiress

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• 12 Feb 1325, Westminster

Licence for Philip de Somervill to enfeoff Richard de Byllyngton of the manors of Alrewas and Wychenoure, co. Stafford, held in chief, and for him to re-grant them in tail male to the said Philip and Margaret his wife, with remainders to Res ap Griffit and Joan his wife, and the heirs of their bodies, and to the right heirs of the said Philip.

Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. II, vol. 5, p. 87

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• 13 Mar 1337, Westminster

Licence for Philip de Somervill to enfeoff John de Warrewik and John Prince, chaplain, of the homages and other services due to him by certain tenants of the manors of Allerwas, held in chief, to wit, Richard de Vernoun, John de Arderne, James de Stafford and Isabella, his wife, William de Leycestre, John de Horsebrok, Nicholas Allerwas, William de Horsebrok, John Hugyn of Strethay and Richard de Strethay, and for them to re-grant these to him and Margaret, his wife, in tail male with remainders to Rees ap Griffyth, knight, and Joan, his wife, in tail, and to the right heirs of the said Philip.

Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. III, vol. 3, p. 393

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• 10 May 1340, Westminster

Licence for Philip de Somervill to grant to Rees ap Griffith, Joan his wife, and the heirs of Joan, the manors of Benton and Stanynton in le Strete, co. Northumberland, held in chief.

Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. III, vol. 4, p. 508

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• 24 May 1355, Westminster

To John de Swynnerton, escheator in the county of Stafford. Order to cause Rhys (Reso) ap Griffitz, whose homage the king has taken, and Joan his wife, to have seisin of the manor of Allerwas, and not to intermeddle further with the other manors taken into the king's hand by the death of Philip de Somervill, delivering up the issues of those manors, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Philip at his death held the manors of Allerwas, Whichenore, Briddeshall, Tunstall, Neubald and Tatenhull to himself and the heirs male of his body by Margaret his wife, by fine levied in the king's court with remainder in default of such heirs, to Rhys and Joan, and that the said manor of Allerwas is held in chief by the service of paying 10l. yearly of ancient ferm at the exchequer by the hands of the sheriff of Stafford and 100s. of increase, and all the other manors aforesaid are held of others than the king.

To John de Wyndesore, escheator in the county of Warwick. Order not to intermeddle further with the manor of Stokton, delivering up the issues thereof as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Philip de Somervill, at his death held that manor to himself and his heirs male by Margaret his wife, now deceased, by a fine levied in the king's court, with remainder in default of such heirs to Rhys ap Griffitz and Joan his wife, for Joan's life, that the manor is held of another than the king, and that Philip died without a male heir by Margaret.

To Miles de Stapelton, escheator in the county of York. Like order not to intermeddle further with a capital messuage of the manor of Burton Anneys, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Philip de Somervill at his death held the said messuage for life of the grant of Rhys ap Griffitz, the elder, knight, and of Joan his wife, with reversion to them after Philip's death and to the heirs of Joan, and that the messuage is held of another than the king.

To Thomas de Fulnetby, escheator in the county of Lincoln. Order to make a lawful partition of a moiety of Orreby with its members of Ingoldmels, Skegnes, Burgh, Wynceby and Wadyngton, except 80 acres of meadow in that moiety, in the presence of Rhys (Resi) ap Griffitz and Joan his wife, daughter of Philip de Somervill, and of John de Stafford, to whom the king has committed at ferm the wardship of a moiety of the said lands falling to Maud daughter of Elizabeth late the wife of John de Stafford, Philip's other daughter, for her purparty, if they choose to attend, and to cause Rhys and Joan as the eldest of the inheritance to have seisin of the purparty falling to Joan, delivering the purparty falling to Maud together with the issues thereof to the said John to hold until she come of age, and to send that partition to be enrolled in chancery as is customary, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Philip, who held certain lands in chief in Northumberland at his death, held in his demesne as of fee the said moiety and members except the said meadow, of another than the king, and that the said Joan and Maud are his next heirs, and that Joan is of full age and Maud is under age, and the king has taken Rhys's homage for the purparty of Joan, by reason of the offspring procreated between them, and has rendered that purparty to them.

Calendar of Close Rolls, 29 Edw. III, pp. 133, 135

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• 28 Mar 1356, Westminster

To John de Coupeland, escheator in Northumberland. Order to cause Edmund Vernoun and Maud his wife, daughter of Elizabeth late the wife of John de Stafford, deceased, who was a daughter of Philip de Somervill, to have seisin of the purparty falling to Maud of Philip's inheritance, which the king previously committed to the said John to hold at ferm until Maud should come of age, as on its being found by inquisition taken by the escheator that Philip at his death held in his demesne as of fee a moiety of the manor of Stanyngton, six husbandlands in the town of Tranewell and a moiety of the manor of Great Benton in chief by homage and fealty and by service of rendering 18d. yearly for the ward of the Castle of Newcastle upon Tyne and 13d. for cornage for the moiety of the manor of Stanyngton and the land in Tranewel, and for the moiety of the manor of Great Benton 18½d. for fines of court and 7¼d. for cornage, and held also in his demesne as of fee, a third part of the manor of Witton and of the hamlet of Wyndesgates, of another than the king, and that Joan his daughter, whom Rhys (Resus) ap Griffitz married, and the said Maud were his next heirs, and that Joan was of full age and Maud under age...

Calendar of Close Rolls, 30 Edw. III, pp. 253-4

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• 16 May 1357, Westminster

To John de Swynnerton, escheator in the county of Stafford. Order to take the fealty of Joan late the wife of Rhys (Resus) ap Griffitz, the elder, in accordance with the form of a schedule enclosed, and not to intermeddle further with certain manors and hamlets taken into the king's hand by the death of Rhys, delivering any issues received therefrom to Joan, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Rhys at his death held no lands in that county in his demesne as of fee in chief, but held the manors of Alrewas, Whichnovere, Tatenhull and Briddeshale and the hamlets of Tunstall and Neubolt jointly with Joan by a fine levied in the king's court, and that the manor of Alrewas is held in chief by the service of paying 15l. yearly by the hands of the sheriff, and all the other manors and hamlets are held of others than the king.

To Alan del Strothre, escheator in Northumberland. Order not to intermeddle further with a fourth part of the town of Stanyngton, a fourth part of the manor of Benton and a moiety of a third part of the manor of Witton taken into the king's hand by the death of Rhys ap Griffitz the elder, etc. as above, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by John de Coupeland, late escheator, that Rhys at his death held no lands in that county in his demesne as of fee in chief, but that he held the premises as of the right and inheritance of Joan his wife, and that the said fourth parts are held in chief, and the moiety is held of another than the king, and he has ordered Joan's fealty to be taken by John de Swynnerton, escheator in the county of Stafford.

To John de Wyndesore, escheator in the county of Warwick. Like order not to intermeddle further with the manor of Stockton, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Rhys ap Griffitz the elder, at his death, held no lands in that county in his demesne as of fee in chief, but that he held the said fourth part as of the right and inheritance of Joan his wife, and that the fourth part is held of another than the king.

To Thomas de Fulnetby, escheator in the county of Lincoln. Like order not to intermeddle further with a fourth part of the manor of Orreby, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by the escheator that Rhys ap Griffitz the elder, at his death, held no lands in that county in his demesne as of fee in chief, but that he held the said fourth part as of the right and inheritance of Joan his wife, and that the fourth part is held of another than the king.

To Richard de Grey of Landeford, escheator in the county of Nottingham. Like order not to intermeddle further with certain lands in Shelford, Birton, Stoke Bardolf, Gedlyng and Neuton taken into the king's hand by the death of Rhys ap Griffitz the elder, as the king has learned by inquisition taken by Roger Michel, late escheator, that Rhys at his death held no lands in that county in his demesne as of fee in chief, but that he held the said fourth part as of the right and inheritance of Joan his wife.

Calendar of Close Rolls, 31 Edw. III, pp. 352-353