To this Baldwin is attributed the erection, on the ruins of a Roman fort, of the ancient Norman castle at Hodnet, traces of which still remain in the grounds of the present mansion...
He took a prominent part in the rebellion of his kinsman, Fulk Fitz-Warin, and was outlawed with him, being subsequently pardoned. In 1205-6 he purchased for sixty marks, less ten, the royal licence to marry Cecilia, daughter and heiress of Alan de Hadlegh, of Hadley, and relict of Roger Corbet of Tasley. He died in November, 1224, and was succeeded by his son Sir Odo de Hodnet, Knight. 1
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The Legend of Fulk Fitz Warin records that King Richard I summoned "le v. fitz Fouke le Brun: Foket, Phelip le Rous, William, Johan e Aleyn, e lur cosyn Baudwyn de Hodenet" to Winchester and knighted them, dated from the context to before the death of Fulk FitzWarin [II], a later passage naming Baldwin with his cousins during the reign of King John. 2
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In 1210 [Baldwin] accompanied King John to Ireland. He was with the King at Pembroke on June 6, at Dublin on June 28, at the siege of Carrickfergus on July 20, and at Dublin again on August 21. In or about the year 1211 we have it recorded how Baldwin de Hodenet was Tenant-in-capite (in right of his wife) of the Staffordshire Manor of Bromley Regis. In 1215, Baldwin de Hodnet had shown new signs of disaffection to King John; for a Patent of June 2nd bids him come to the King, and promises to pardon his fault and reward his services. The invitation was not accepted; for further Writs, of November 19, 1215, and March 28, 1216, show that his forfeited lands in Staffordshire were in the hands of Geoffrey de Canvill, by will of King John. On November 3, 1217, he had returned to the allegiance of young King Henry; and a Writ to the Sheriff of Gloucestershire orders that he should have such seizin of his lands as he had when he left the service of King John. What lands Baldwin de Hodnet may have had in Gloucestershire I have not been able to discover. On the 11th of July, 1223, King Henry being at Worcester, orders the Sheriff of Shropshire to give Baldwin de Hodenet full seizin of the Castle of Kinardeslegh; and, if anything had been taken thence since its seizure into the King's hands, Baldwin was to have it back again. A similar precept, dated at Montgomery, on October 9th following, relates more especially to the land of Kinardesle, which is described as Baldwin de Hodenet's... It appears from a Writ of March 24, 1224, that the King had fully ascertained that his faithful and beloved Baldwin de Hodenet was entitled to the Seneschalcy of the Honour of Montgomery. Godaschall de Maghelines (Custos of that Honour) was to give him full seizin of the said Seneachalcy. Another Writ of June 16, 1224, shows that Baldwin de Hodenet had in hand, or was to receive, as Seneschal, all the issues of the said Honour. He is ordered to hand them over to Hubert Hose and the aforesaid Godeschall, to be expended on the works of Montgomery Castle. The same Hubert, Godeschall, and Baldwin are also ordered to allow the knights and free-tenants of the Honour to take a reasonable quantity of timber out of the Woods of Muntgomery, wherewith to strengthen their fortalices in that district. A Writ dated at Montgomery on October 1, 1224, excuses Baldwin de Hodenet one-half of an amercement of 40s, which had been set upon him by the Justices recently in eyre at Shrewsbury. Other Writs, dated at Hereford on October 4, 1224, show that the King had left Baldwin de Hodnet not only as Seneschal, but as a Custos of the Honour of Montgomery. 3
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When Alice Pantulf died, her daughter Cecilia succeeded to High Hatton. It was in Cecilia's right that her second husband, Baldwin de Hodnet, was seized of High Hatton, when he suffered his second forfeiture for rebellion against King John. This forfeiture commenced in 1215 and lasted till November 1217. During the interval, William de Stanton had possessed himself of High Hatton, but was ejected by Baldwin de Hodnet, as soon as the latter obtained his pardon. At the Assizes of 1221, William de Staundon sued Baldwin de Hodnet and Cecilia his wife, for novel disseizin, "they having ejected him from his tenement in Hatton". Baldwin appeared and produced the King's Writ ordering his restoration to all his lands, and in particular, "to the dower, late Alice Pantulf's, whose daughter and heir, Cecily, was Baldwin's wife". Under this Writ he had seizin of Hatton. 4
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On November 6, 1224, custody of the "Seneschalcy of the Honour of Montgomery" was committed, by Patent, to Godescall de Maghelines. This was in consequence of the recent death of Baldwin de Hodnet, who but a month before had received that high mark of the King's confidence, already set forth under Westbury.
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12 May 1218
The king has granted R. earl of Chester and Lincoln, for the costs and expenses he has incurred in keeping the king's castles, that he and all of his bailiffs are to remain quit of all accounts, issues and farms that arise from the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire and the honour of Lancaster up to Sunday next after the Invention of the Holy Cross in the second year, and that will arise up to the term which will be established by the Legate and the king's council, save for the scutage assessed by the king's council in the second year. Moreover, the king has granted that the earl and his bailiffs are to be quit from the 5 marks that he received from Baldwin of Hodnet and Adam of Brineton of a debt which they owed the king, and from 40 marks which the earl received from Vivian of Rushall of a debt he owed the king, and from 30 marks which he received from Petronella de Cumbray of a debt she owed the king, and from 38 marks which he received of the tallage of Shropshire and Staffordshire, and from 410 marks which he received from Thurstan Banaster of his fine, and the earl and his men are to answer from the Sunday aforesaid for other fines, new and old, for which no answer has yet been given at the Exchequer for the aforesaid counties. However, the escheats pertaining to the king from the aforesaid counties are to be saved for the king. The earl and his men are to send someone to the Exchequer at the set terms by the customs of the Exchequer, but are not to pay anything of the farms and issues of the counties, nor will they remain in arrears of the farms and issues up to the term which will be set, as aforesaid. The earl will hold up to that term all manors that Thomas of Erdington held of the king's demesne in Shropshire and Staffordshire on the day he died, excepting those manors for which Thomas had a charter of King John, father of King Henry.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, 2 Hen. III, 69
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14 Aug 1223, Shropshire
Order to the sheriff of Shropshire to place in respite the demand of 5 marks that he makes from Baldwin of Hodnet by summons of the Exchequer, until upon his account at the Exchequer of Michaelmas in the seventh year, having accepted security from him that he will satisfy the king then upon the aforesaid account.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, 7 Hen. III, 240
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1 Oct 1224, Shropshire
Baldwin of Hodnet gives 20s. for having a writ to attaint, before the itinerant justices, the twelve jurors of the assize that was summoned over a pond raised in Weston to the harm of the free tenement of Thomas of Lee in the same vill.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, 8 Hen. III, 392
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21 Jan 1225, Rye
Order to the sheriff of Shropshire to take into the king's hand all land formerly of Baldwin of Hodnet with all his chattels in his bailiwick, and to deliver it with the same chattels to Godescallus de Maghelvis to keep for as long as it pleases the king, to whom the king has committed it by reason of the honour of Montgomery being in his hand, and which land is of the same honour.
5 Oct 1225, Alton
William of Hodnet has made fine with the king by 40 marks for having custody of the land and heir of Baldwin of Hodnet , which land Baldwin held from the king in chief of the honour of Montgomery . William will render which 40 marks at the Exchequer by his hand at the below-written terms, namely 10 marks at Hilary in the tenth year, 10 marks at Easter next following in the same year, 10 marks at St. John the Baptist in the same year, and 10marks at Michaelmas in the same year. Order to Godescallus de Maghelvis that, having accepted security from William for rendering the aforesaid 40 marks at the aforesaid terms, as aforesaid, he is to cause him to have full seisin without delay.
Calendar of the Fine Rolls, 9 Hen. III, 63, 350
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