In 1238 Alan's daughter, Isabella, had to complain to the court in Exeter that the new prior, Robert, was not honouring the agreement made between her father and the previous Prior [regarding land in Gillingham]. She won her case and Robert agreed that Isabella and her heirs should hold the manor forever.
Isabella married Osbert Giffard and the tenancy continued in the Giffard family without a break until 1306 when there was a quarrel between two members of the Giffard family, Ralph and Osbert, both of whom claimed Hooe. Following a court case at Westminster Osbert acknowledged Ralph's right to the Manor and Ralph agreed to Osbert's possession until he died, when it would revert to Ralph and not pass to the descendants of Osbert.
On 17 October, 21 Henry III (1237) an order was issued to the Sheriff of Gloucester, because it appeared to the King that Osbert Gifford held his lands in “Pichelecumb” in socage and because Isabel, who was the wife of Osbert, is the next of kin to the heir of Osbert, that Isabel is to have full seisin of the land with respect to the custody thereof. A similar order was issued to Robert de Audely regarding Osbert 's lands in Gillingham. And at the same time the Lady Isabel Gifford made Hamo de Karevil her attorney against the Prior of Plimpton, with respect to the many contributions and services which he demands with reference to the tenement of Isabel, in Bocland and Hoo (Cal. Close Rolls, 1234-1237, pp. 503 and 571.) On 8 July, 26 Henry III (1242) an order was issued to G. de Segrave, forest justice, that as Isabel, who was the wife of Osbert Gifford, and had custody of his tenements in Gillingham, and was the next of kin to Osbert's heirs, is now dead, her mother Alice Murdac, the next of kin to Osbert's heirs since Isabel's death, shall have the custody of the said Gillingham lands of Osbert until the heir is of full age. (Cal. Close Rolls, 1237-42, p. 448.) In 31 Henry III (1247) Ralph Fitz Nicholas made a fine with the King for 40 marks for the custody of the lands and heir of Alice Harang and Osbert Gifford, until the coming of age of the heir and also for his marriage. (Excerp. e. Rot. Fin., p. 16.)
Turning now to the parentage of Isabel, the wife of Osbert Gifford, we find that in the Rotuli Curiæ Regis for 1199-1200, Alan de Bocland and the Prior of Plimpton were given a licence to levy a fine in Devonshire on the octaves of St. Hilary. In the Devon Assize Roll, 22 Henry III, Isabel Gifford sued the Prior of Plimpton to compel him to carry out the terms of a fine levied in the time of King John by Alan de Bocland, father of Isabel, whose heir she was, with the Prior of Plimpton respecting lands in Bocland. This Alan de Bocland was one of the knights of William de Briwerre, the councillor of King John, and was greatly trusted and advanced by him. On 18 August, 18 John (1216) an order was issued to the Sheriff of Oxford to give seisin to Robert Mauduit and Alan de Bocland, knights of William de Briwerre, of the lands given to Wido de Dive in fee in the manor of Dadington (co. Oxon). (Rot. Litt. Claus, in turre Lond. asset.)...
These records prove that Osbert Gilford died between 23 June 1236 and 17 Oct. 1237. That his wife was Isabel, daughter of Alan de Bocland, and his wife Alice Murdac, the daughter and co-heiress of Ralph Murdac, the Justiciar of Richard I and of Eva de Grey daughter of John de Grey of Rotherfield in Oxon. (Cf. Eynsham Cartulary in the Oxford Historical Society Collections, vol. i, pp. 84 and 90.) Isabel, the wife of Osbert Gifford, died before 8 July 1242 and Alice Murdac, who re-married Ralph Harang, a Judge of Henry III, was appointed guardian of her grandson, the infant Osbert Gilford, who was born between 1233 and 1235, and so John Gifford le Boef, his younger brother, must have been born in 1236 or 1237 ; he was therefore called the younger in the entry from the Close Rolls of 24 Aug. 1265, regarding the land in Bigbrooke before cited, to distinguish him from John Gifford, the Baron of Brimsfleld, who was born in or about 1232-3. 1
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8 Jul 1242...
Pro Alicia Murdac. — Mandatum est G. de Segrave, justiciario foreste, quia constat regi quod Isabella que fuit uxor Osberti Giffard, que mortua est, recuperavit custodiam terrarum que fuerunt predicti Osberti quondam viri sui in Gillingham per preceptum regis eo quod predictus Osbertus terrain illam tenuit in soccagio et predicta Isabella propinquior fuit heredi ipsius, quod Alicie Murdac, matri ipsius Isabelle, que propinquior est heredibus ipsius Osberti post mortem ipsius Isabelle, de custodia omnium terrarum que predictus Osbertus tenuit in soccagio in Gillingham et que postea fuerunt in custodia ipsius Isabelle plenam seisinam habere faciat usque ad legitimam etatem heredum ipsius Osberti quoad soccagium. 2
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