Roger III de Merlay, Baron of Morpeth 1
- Born: Est 1210, Morpeth, Northumberland, England
- Married: Abt 1240
- Died: Shortly before 4 Dec 1265
 Orthographic variation: DE MERLEY
General Notes:
23/24 x great-grandfather
Research Notes:
By the Testa de Nevill it appears, that the third Roger de Merley held the Barony of Morpeth by the service of four knights' fees...
Roger, the third, granted to his burgesses a freedom from all taxes, subsidies, or contributions, except those to the king for public safety, the marriage honours of the lord's heir or eldest daughter, or the lord's redemption from captivity. By the same charter, the prizes raised by his officers and servants, or those of his successors, on bread and beer, and other things, were assigned to the creditors within the borough, to be paid within forty days. Such of them as were not paid within that time, were enjoined to remain easy till they could be paid. The lord was at liberty, in the mean time, to make other prizes, at his pleasure. His prize for beer in the whole year was three gallons, valued at one penny. Their accustomed common-right, pasturage, and other conveniences, were confirmed to them and their successors, and way-leave granted to and from the town, corn-fields and meadows only excepted. He gave them liberty of pasture on his stubbles of Wenherlaw, to the west of the town, between Newminster priory and the foss or ditch of the west park; reserved to himself and his heirs the eatage of them for fifteen days after the corn was carried off. They had fuel from his turbaries within the manor of Morpeth, at his pleasure, for a penny a load. For every horned beast, and for every horse, found feeding within his enclosed grounds, they paid a halfpenny, and the same for five sheep, as a compensation for three several trespasses, as well without as within the enclosures; and for the fourth trespass of every horned beast in his enclosed wood or boscage, they paid eight-pence, and four-pence for each taken without the inclosure, and afterwards taking only a halfpenny for a beast trespassing three times as at first. If their cattle were taken among corn, or in the meadows, they made reparation according to the season of the year. He granted and confirmed to them and their successors most of the unoccupied ground, which was their ancient market-place, with an injunction to build stalls for the use of butchers and those that sold fishes; and a prohibition for any of their goods to be sold before the hour of nine o'clock, and in no other part of the town, except in gross or by wholesale; his lordship reserving to himself and his successors a power to build upon any of his lands wherein he had granted a right of common to the corporation. He confined them to grind their corn at his mill of Morpeth, according to former usage.
Lord Merley's market at Morpeth proved such a detriment to the neighbouring market of Mitford, that Roger de Bertram, Baron of Mitford, 34 king Henry III, 1250, impleaded him in the county court of Northumberland for damages; but the king being acquainted with it, sent his precept to the sheriff, prohibiting him to proceed further in that suit, because it belonged not to his jurisdiction.
Lord Merley founded a chantry in the church of Stannington. He died 50 king Henry III.1265, and was interred at Newminster, near his father.... His barony came to his daughters and coheirs, Mary and Johanna. Mary married William Lord Greystock, by whom she had two sons and one daughter, viz. John, William, and Margaret. Johanna married Robert de Somerville, by whom she had five sons and one daughter, viz. Robert, Roger, Adam, John, Philip, and Isabell. Her husband and her son John died 25 king Edward I. and her daughter Isabell died 33d of the same reign. Her other four sons all lived to possess her moiety of the barony of Morpeth, in their turn, and died without male issue. 2
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Quo warranto proceedings in the reign of Edward I give references to two, perhaps three, lost acts of Henry I for Ranulf de Merlay. These acts were produced by John of Greystoke (son of William of Greystoke), and by Roger de Somerville and his wife Isabel, in separate hearings. William of Greystoke and Roger de Somerville had married the daughters and eventual coheirs of Roger III de Merlay, who died in 1265... In addition to the lost acts for Ranulf evidenced by quo warranto proceedings, there are several versions of a charter in Henry’s name giving him Juliana, daughter of Earl Gospatric, in marriage..... 3
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The king has taken the homage of Roger de Merlay, son and heir of Roger de Merlay , for the lands which the aforesaid Roger held of the king in chief. Order to Roger of Essex to take security from the same Roger for rendering £100 to the king for his relief, namely £25 at Trinity in the twenty-third year, £25 at Michaelmas in the same year, £25 at Hilary in the twenty-fourth year, and £25 at the Close of Easter in the same year, and to cause him to have seisin of the lands of which the same Roger was seised in his demesne as of fee on the day he died.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 23 Hen. III, 138
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Roger Bertram gives the king 5 marks for having a writ relating to the county court of Northumberland [returned] to [the justices of the Bench at] Westminster, concerning a market raised by Roger de Merley.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 34 Hen. III, 169
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The king has granted to Roger de Merlay that he may render 10 marks at the Exchequer of Michaelmas in the thirty-fifth year of the 100 marks at which he was amerced before his justices last itinerant to take the pleas of the forest in Northumberland, 10 marks at the Exchequer of Easter next following, and 20 marks thus from year to year at the same terms until the aforesaid 100 marks are paid to the king.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 35 Hen. III, 178
Inspeximus and confirmation of a chirograph made between Roger de Merlay and John de Lessinton, whereby the said Roger grants to the said John that, if Margery wife of the said John, late the wife of Roger de Merlay father of the said Roger, shall die during the life of the said John, the said John shall hold for life the manors of Ulcham, Benton, and Killingworth with the advowson of the church of Benton, the knights' fees and other appurtenances, all which he holds as the dower of the said Margery, saving however to the said Roger and his heirs their custom of hunting in the chaces pertaining to the manor of Ulcham, according to an agreement between the said Roger and the said Margery made during her widowhood ; and for this grant the said John has quit-claimed to the said Roger the mill of Ulcham, which he formerly had of the gift of the said Roger, provided that if the said John do not survive the said Margery the said mill shall remain to the said Margery with her dower for life, and upon her death shall return to the said Roger and his heirs; moreover if the said Roger and Margery shall die in the lifetime of Isabel, wife of the said Roger, if dower be due to the said Isabel, she shall have dower of the manors of Ulcham, Benton and Killingworth as of the other lands after the death of the said John, just as she would have had after the death of Margery if this grant had not been made ; and on the death of the said John all the said lands shall revert to the said Roger and his heirs. Witnesses, Hugh de Morewic, Roger son of Ralph, Odonel son of Ralph, John de Eslinton, Simon de Horsle, Walter de Bevercot, Robert de Cressewell, John de Plessetis, Henry Gateganc, clerk, Thomas de Oggel, John de Craucestre, John de Neuton, and Walter de Fenton.
Calendar of the Charter Rolls, 35 Hen. III, m. 5
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Sir Roger de Merlay was a witness to a charter of Roger son of Roger Bertram of Mitteford giving, for the souls of himself and his wife, to the abbot and monks of St. Mary, Newminster, in frank almoin, all the yearly rent of 20 marks, which the said monks used to pay to his ancestors and himself for the granges of Hortun and Heyhelawe.
Calendar of the Charter Rolls, 36 Hen. III, m. 12
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Grant to the prior and convent of Brinkeburn of:
— the gift of Roger de Merlay, the second, confirmed by Roger de Merlay, the third, all the land on the south of Coket, as it was enclosed on the day of the gift ; and common pasture in the wood of the said Roger the third for forty cows with their young (sequela) of two years and ten sows with their young of two years both in summer and winter ; and dead wood in the said wood south of Coket, as much as two horses can carry daily all the year round;
— the gift of the said Roger the third, common of pasture south of the Coket for ten mares with their young of three years; and when the prior and convent will take their horses, they shall warn the bailiffs or foresters of the said Roger, and then make or repair their folds (faldas) as may seem best, by the view of the foresters of the said Roger ; and when the prior and convent plough the land, which they have of the gift of the father of the said Roger to the south of Coket, their oxen shall feed in the same pasture so long as the ploughing continues. [Cartulary, 188.]
Calendar of the Charter Rolls, 37 Hen. III, m. 11, (Pt. 1, m. 16)
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Inspeximus and confirmation of the charter, whereby Roger de Merlay, the third, gave to John de Plesseto, and his heirs or assigns, the mills of Stanington and Plesset with the dams and water thereof and all liberties thereto pertaining, in fisheries and otherwise, with the whole suit of multure at the rate of the thirteenth measure from all the men owing the said suit, saving from two bovates of land which the prior of Hextildesham holds in Stanington....
Grant to Roger de Merlay, that during his life he shall cause all his woods within the king's forest of Northumberland to be kept by his own foresters and bailiffs, so that no forester, verderer or other bailiff of the king's shall meddle with the said woods saving in the matter of the king's venison ; but the foresters of the said Roger shall keep the said woods without making waste there, provided that the chief justice of the forest in bis eyre for the pleas of the forest or the justices of the forest, shall cause such waste if it occur to be viewed by twelve men, knights and other lawful men, and to be amended according to the assize of the forest ; and the foresters of the said Roger shall make fealty to the king touching his venison, and they and all other transgressors therein in the said woods shall be attached by the king's foresters, and shall amend according to the assize of the forest ; and the heirs of the said Roger shall have no more in the said woods than the said Roger had before the date of this charter.
Grant to the same, and his heirs, of a weekly market on Friday at his manor of Witton, co. Northumberland, and of a yearly fair there on the vigil and the feast of St. Lawrence and the six days following.
Calendar of the Charter Rolls, 41 Hen. III, m. 7, m. 6
Roger de Merley de Morpathe has made fine with the king by 4 marks of gold for having the liberty to keep his woods by his own foresters throughout his life, and for having charters of markets, fairs and warren and acquitting them [from the fees] of the seal as much as pertains to the king. And for the aforesaid fine he will pay one moiety in the king’s Wardrobe at the next Nativity of St. John the Baptist and the other moiety at Michaelmas next following. He has paid half for the term of St. John, namely two marks of gold and is quit thereof, and two marks of gold for the term of Michaelmas and is quit.
Calendar of Fine Rolls, 41 Hen. III, 604
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Grant to Geoffrey de Leziniaco, the king's brother, for 400 marks wherein the king was bound to him, and for 400 marks wherein Edward the king's son was bound to him, and for 200 marks which the said Geoffrey will pay to William de Chaueny by order of the king, if the wardship of the lands and heirs of Roger de Merley, deceased, who held in chief with the marriage of the heirs.
Grant to Geoffrey de Lezinian the king's brother, for 400 marks wherein the king was bound to him, and for 400 marks wherein Edward the king's son was bound to him, and for 200 marks which the said Geoffrey will pay to William de Chaveny by order of the king, if the wardship of the lands and heirs of Roger de Merley, who held in chief, with the marriage of the heirs.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen. III, vol. 5, pp. 542, 569
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[A] Charter, whereby Roger de Merlay the third gave to the abbot and monks of Newminster, in frank almoin, the tillage called Upper Farnileye and all the wood on the south side of Upper Farnileye as far as the tilled land of the said Roger on the south, with the dike enclosing, which runs from Wanspic between Upper and Lower Farnileye and through the middle of the wood southwards to the said tilled land, and thence along the dike between and the wood westwards to the old bounds of the said monks, provided that Upper Farnileye shall be specially assigned to the fabric (operi) of the church of Newminster; and also a place between the wood of Cottyngwode and the water of Wanspic, that is at Blyndwell, as enclosed by a dike, for use as a quarry or as the monks will.....
Calendar of Charter Rolls, 55 Hen. III, p. 167
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Mandate to Guichard de Charrun to make, by juries of the counties of York and Leicester, an extent of certain fees held of Roger de Merlay, lately deceased (tenant in chief, which, however, he did not hold of the king), to wit, as well as those fees which were assigned in dower to Isabella, late the wife of the said Roger, as of others in dispute, and to make a partition thereof between William son of Thomas de Creystok and Mary his wife, the elder daughter and one of the heirs of the aforesaid Roger, and Robert de Somervill and Isabella his wife, the other daughter and heir of the said Roger, the said parties being unable to agree.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. I, vol. 1, p. 88
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Inquisition Post Mortem
636. Roger de Merley alias de Merlay 4
Writ, 4 Dec. Extent, Tuesday before the Conversion of St. Paul, 50 Hen. III. [1265].
His three daughters are his heirs, whereof the eldest, aged 24, is married to William de Graystok, the second aged 10, is not married, and the third, aged 8, was married before the said Roger's death to the son and heir of Marmaduke de Tueng.
York. Burton manor (extent given with names of tenants), including a croft called Cumbland, a culture called Elyesflat, a mill and culture at Thyrnun, and lands and rents in the towns of Drenghou and Thyrnon, held of Peter de Brus, service unspecified.
Knights' fees pertaining to the manor:—
Harpam, Burton, Thyrnom, Mapelton, Rolleston, and Grancemor, 2 1/3 knights' fees held by Herbert de Sancto Quintino. Jetingham, Brentingham, Clif and Cave, 1 knight's fee held by Hugh Gubyon. Burton, 5 bovates land held by the said Hugh by service of 1/20 knight's fee. Rodestayn, Benton, and Buketon, 1 knight's fee held by William de Rodestayn. Hasthorp, 1/6 knight's fee held by William de Hasthorp. Thyrnom and Grancemor, 1/12 knight's fee held by Alan Romund. Thyrnom, 1/40 knight's fee held by Anselm le Engleys; and 1/4 knight's fee held by John le Engleys. Harpam, 1/10? knight's fee held by Thomas de Louthorp.
C. Hen. III. File 33. (10.) 4
775. Roger de Merlay
Writ of Partition, 6 Nov. on the complaint of William de Craystok, who married Mary, eldest daughter and one of the heirs of the said Roger, that owing to the death of Alice the youngest daughter, who was in the king's wardship, partition of the woods and parks had been omitted by the escheator, and Robert de Eure, who married Isabel, another daughter and heir, would not permit the said William and Mary to have their portion. Partition, 4 March, 55 Hen. III. [1270/1]
Northumberland. Morpath, Horseleye and Witton. Partition made, with full extent of boundaries, of the said parks and woods. And lot being cast, this is the part of Sir William de Graystoc, viz.—The western part of the forest, and Estparc with Schaldefen in Morpath; and to Sir Robert de Euer and his heirs remain, the eastern part of the forest, and Cotingwode and Westparc, and a parcel of wood in Widehaldeside.
Writ of ad plenum certiorari, 20 July, divers contentions having arisen upon the partitions lately made. Inq. The day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 55 Hen. III.
Northumberland. The whole inheritance of the said Roger in the county was parted at first as follows, viz.—Morpath assigned to Sir William, son of Thomas de Greystock, and Mary his wife, Wytton with the service of Wyndegate to the said Isabel, and Beuasys and Stanington with a parcel in Trenwell to the said Alice; but the woods remained unparted, the wood of Morpath in custody of William and Mary, and the forest in that of Sir Geoffrey de Lesyni, who had the wardship of Isabel and Alice by the king's gift. After the death of Alice, her part was parted by lot between the said William and Mary and the guardian of the said Isabel, and both were content, but the woods were not parted by lot but assigned; Sir William was never content with his part, but Robert de Euyr was content. Whereupon Sir William procured the king's writ to the escheator (as above), and the woods were parted, and lots cast; but because the part formerly assigned to the said Robert fell to Sir William by lot, the said Robert holds it still by force, and William cannot have seisin thereof. Waste has been done by both parties but chiefly by Robert, and the escheator having taken an oath from Robert's forester to keep the woods and parks safely, the said Robert removed him, so that the escheator could not fully perform the king's mandate.
C. Hen. III. File 40. (8.)
Marriage Information:
Roger married Isabel de Roos, daughter of Sir Robert de Roos of Wark, about 1240. (Isabel de Roos died after 9 Dec 1280.)
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