Proof of age
202. EDMUND SON AND HEIR OF NICHOLAS BARON OF STAFFORD
Writ at the request of the said Edmund, who is in the wardship of Henry de Sancto Lamberto and Benevenue late the wife of John Ertraud, 30 July, 22 Edw. I. [1294]
STAFFORD. Proof of age, made at Stafford on Thursday after St. Laurence, 22 Edw. I.
Nicholas, prior of St. Thomas’s by Stafford, says that the said Edmund was born at Madeleye on St. Edith’s day, 15 July, 1 Edw. I, and this he knows because, when news of the birth was heard in Stafford, many rejoiced; and within two months of his birth he saw the said Edmund, who was baptized in the church of Madeleg.
Walter de Elmedon, chaplain, and rector of the church of Weston, agrees and knows it because Sir Richard de Stretton, knight, married Rose, sister of Nicholas sometime baron of Stafford and aunt of the said Edmund, who, about the feast of St. Edith before the birth of the said Edmund, bore a daughter Joan, who was 22 years old at the feast of St. Edith last; moreover, the said Edmund was born on the feast of St. Edith next after the eyre of Sir Ralph de Hyngham and his fellows in co. Stafford in the summer before the death of King Henry III.
Roger de Pywelesdon, knight, agrees, for he remembers that the said Edmund was born on the feast of St. Edith after the eyre of the said Ralph in co. Salop, which was at Michaelmas before the death of King Henry III; he likewise says that Nicholas the father sent him a letter to come to Madeleg to lift the said Edmund from the font and that hastening to come he found the boy baptized.
Henry de Cressewall, knight, agrees.
Hugh de Weston, knight, agrees, and adds that soon after the birth the said Nicholas came to his house at Weston and told him that he had a son.
William Trumwyn, knight, agrees with Hugh de Weston.
Robert de Pype, knight, agrees.
William de Staff(ord), knight, agrees, for he remembers that the said Edmund was born on the feast of St. Edith after the death of King Henry III, adding that he himself was at Madeleg on the morrow of the birth of the said Edmund and saw him before he was baptized.
William de Wrottesle agrees, adding that servants of the baron of Stafford on their way from Madeleye to Wotton on the morrow of the birth of the said Edmund came to the house of Hugh de Wrottesle his father and brought news of the birth
.
Robert le Marschall agrees, and knows it because Gilbert le Marschall his father died sixteen years ago at the feast of the Purification last, and then it was commonly said that the said Edmund was 4 years old at the feast of St. Edith before; and he himself was of the household of Nicholas the father.
Hugh de Chaulden agrees with William de Staff(ord), and says that he was present at Madeleye when the said Edmund was baptized.
Robert Gerveyse agrees with Hugh de Weston, because at the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist before the birth of the said Edmund he demised a meadow in Pobbemor for 21 years to William de Aspeleye and the term expired at the said feast last.
Memorandum by the escheator that he warned Henry de Sancto Lamberto at Maddeleye, to be present, whose bailiff came to the inquiry and had nothing to say why the king should not restore the lands &c. to the said Henry if of full age, and the said Benevenue was warned at Wotton and came not nor sent anyone.
C. Edw. I. File 69. (6.) 1
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A table (obviously of late composition because of the language), hanging in Stone priory at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, names "Edmond" as son of “Nicholas”. A writ after the death of "Beatrice late the wife of Peter Corbet of Caus", dated "30 Aug 21 Edw III", names "Thomas Corbet…from whom issued Peter, Alice the elder daughter and Emma the younger", that "Alice" married "Robert de Staff[ord]" and "from them issued Nicholas who was her heir" and "from him came Edmund who had issue the present Ralph de Staff[ord]".
He was summoned to parliament 6 Feb 1299, whereby he is held to have become Lord Stafford. 2
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Inquisition Post Mortem
131. EDMUND LATE BARON OF STAFFORD.
Writ, 12 Aug. 2 Edw. II.
STAFFORD. Inq. Tuesday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 2 Edw. II.
Stafford, Bradeleye, and Madeleye. The manors (extents given), held jointly by the said Edmund and Margaret his wife, of the gift of Roger de Clungenford, clerk, who enfeoffed them jointly by charter, by the king’s licence, to be held to them and the heirs of their bodies; which manors, together with their manors in co. Warwick, are held of the king in chief by barony, viz.—by service of finding three armed men with barded horses for forty days at their own charges in his wars of Wales and Scotland whenever needed.
Norton in the Moors. A tenement sometime held of the king by knight’s service, which the said Edmund afterwards demised to William de la Mere for life, for 4 marks yearly.
He held nothing in the county in his demesne as of fee, on the day he died.
Ralph son of the said Edmund and Margaret his wife, aged 9, is his next heir.
WARWICK. Inq. 12 Sept. 2 Edw. II. (defaced.)
Wauenes Wotton and Tysho. The manors (extents given), jointly held by the said Edmund and Margaret, with certain lands, &c. in co. Stafford, of the king in chief by barony, viz.—by the service abovesaid; and there are 12d. (?) yearly rent paid to Sir John de Grendon.
Heir as above, aged 9 and more on the day of St. Denis, 1 Edw. II.
Writ of plenius certiorari on the complaint of the said Margaret that the escheator had taken the above manors, &c. into the king’s hand, 12 Aug. 2 Edw. II.
STAFFORD. Inq. Tuesday after St. Bartholomew, 2 Edw. II.
The said Edmund, by licence from the late king, enfeoffed Roger de Clunford [alias de Clungenford], clerk, of the manors of Stafford, Bradeleye, and Maddeleye, who reenfeoffed the said Edmund and Margaret, to them and the heirs of their bodies, and they peacefully continued their seisin until the day of the death of the said Edmund.
WARWICK. Inq. 12 Sept. 2 Edw. II.
To the same effect concerning the manors of Tysho and Wauenes [alias Wouenes] Wotton.
C. Edw. II. File 9. (15.) 3