Styrap and Oulcotes Cressy

STYRAP. AND OULCOTES Cressy.

In Estyrap before the conquest were three manors which leaving, Torchill and Leuric held, paying for seven bov. to the dane-geld. The land being sufficient for four plows or four car. (fn. 1) There afterwards Bernard the man of Roger (de Busli, whose fee it was) had one car. nine sochm. seven vill. five bord. having three car. and an half. There was six acres of medow, and ten acres of pasture wood. In the time of Edward the confessour the value was 50s. in theconquerours but 25s.— There was also foc one bov. ad geld. then waste.

(fn. 2) Fule de Lisoris for the love of God, and for his soul, and for the souls of Albreda his wife, and of his ancestors, gave to God, and St. Mary of Blyth, and the monks there serving God, half the town of Billinglay, and the whole land which he had in Curtingesloc, and four bovats in Oulecotes, and two bovats in Marton, and two bov. in Blyth, and one place in Serlecroft to make a mill, and the multure of Farewrd, and of the whole soc belonging to it, and one cart-load of wood daily in Billay. Furthermore he gave to the alms of St. Mary of Blyth in perpetual almes four bovats of land in Stirap, and two bov. in Hodesac, & one dwelling house in Tikeill, & the tenth penny of his rent of Nottinghamsir, and the tenth swine of his Paunage, and the tenth measure of his malt. And of Sceby, and of Plumtre, and of Harewrd, and of every plow of his demesne one acresset of the corn of wheat or rye or oates, with command to his heirs to maintain his alms, as they would be made partakers of all the benefits of that church. His son Robert de Lisoriis confirmed his fathers gift, and so did Albreda, daughter of the said Robert de Lisoriis encreasing one bovat of land in Vlecotes, which Sparro held by the consent of William de Clarofagio her husband. (fn. 3) Her son John, the constable of Chester, also confirmed all the gifts and alms which Fulco de Lisoriis, and Robert his son. gave, and the bovat in Vlecotes which his own mother the said Albreda de Lisoriis gave.

Torardus de Lisoriis (brother of Fulco) gave all the land which he had in Billinglay, by the consent of his son William, for his soul and his wife Beatrices, and all his children and friends, on condition that one priest in the church of Blyth should perpetually serve God for the redemption of his soul, and of all his parents (or friends.) William de Tanet was witness.

(fn. 4) John, the constable of Chester, gave to God and the church of St. James at Wellebek, and the monks there serving God, the whole land which William Wytherscote held in the town of Oulkotes of his fee, with all the appurtenances, as well in wood as in plain and arable land, and with all his sarts, and whatever could then be sarted in the said town of his fee, and the whole medow of Locheng as well new as old, viz. that which the said William held, and that which he held in his own hand, to sustain one lamp night and day before the altar, and to buy Wax in that church.— Roger constable of Chester, confirmed the gift of his father in the same words, and so did Wil Fitz-William, that which the said John constable of Chester his brother made; and likewise Thomas, son of William, son of (or Fitz) William, confirmed the gift which the said John constable of Chester, brother of the said William, his father, made of that land which the said William Wytherscote held in Hulecotes.

(fn. 5) Alan Casteluln gave to the church of Wellebek four acres of arable land in the territory of Hulecotes by the long ford, between Hulecotes and Blyth, towards the north, of the fee of William de Cressi, yielding 12d. Cecily, daughter of Alan Castell, by the consent of Roger de Osberton her husband, released the 12d.

William de Cressi, son and heir of Roger de Cressy, confirmed the gift of the said four acres of arable, in the fields of Holme, and the whole medow which the said Alan held in in Locheng. (fn. 6) William de Cressi lord of of Hodesak, son and heir of sir Roger de Cressi, in the year 1273, confirmed to that church and those monks all the lands &c. of his fee, of whose gifts soever they were, within the town (of Oulecotes) and without, together with free chiminage to carry their hay and corn, through his fee, as well of their grange of Hulecotes, as other-where, excepting the way before his manor of Hodesak.

(fn. 7) By a fine 4 E. 2, Hugo de Cressi, settled the of Oulecotes, and one mess. one car. of land, and 18s. rent, with the appurtenances in Great Morton by Babworth, on Robert Russel of Tikehull, and Cecily his wife, and the heirs which he should beget on the body of the said Cecily, remainder to the right heirs of Robert.

(fn. 8) Robert Russel 9 E. 3. granted a mess and twenty one acres of land, with the appurtenances, to Laurence Mynyot for the life of the said Laurence. By an inquisition taken at Newark, on Thursday 5 July, 2 H. 5, (where Stirap was pleaded to have been an hamlet of Oulecotes: but the jury found it otherwise, viz. a town of itself) it appeared that Robert Russel, and Cicely had a son named Robert Russel, who had a daughter, Sibyll, the wife of John Longespy of Dunham, and a son named Edmund Russel of Oulecotes, who gave the manor of Oulecotes who gave the manor Oulecotes, and land in Stirap to sir John Cressy lord of Hodesak, who gave the manor o Oulecotes to Hugh, son of William Cressy of Wadington, and the heirs males of his body, which Hugh gave it to Thomas Hercy chr and others 9 H 4, betwixt whom and the said John Longespy was a special assize, 2 H. 5, concerning lands in Oulecotes and Stirop. (fn. 9)

Hugh Cressy held a knights fee in Dulecotes in the time of H. 6, and after him Christopher Cressy. There was a recovery 20 E. 4, (fn. 10) wherein William Hynde claimed against Nicolas Worteley the manor of Oulecotes with the appurtenances, and one mess. one car. of land, 18s. rent, &c. in Great Morton by Babworth.

(fn. 11) Gervase Cressy 8 H. 8, suffered a recovery of the same to Richard Sutton, Adam Holland, Henry Waren, and William Clarkson.

(fn. 12) In queen Elizabeths time Henry Cressy paid 3s. 4d for lands in Oulecotes late sir John Byrons, and formerly Christopher Cressyes, held by the service of half a knights fee.

(fn. 13) John the constable of Chester was lord of the fee of Oulecotes by Blyth.

Gerard de Sterape begat Gerard, who begat Philip de Outecotes, lord thereof, who held the manors of Oulcotes and Sterap, for one knights fee, which Philip died without heir of his body, but had five sisters who divided the inheritance amongst them, being heirs of the said Philip their brother, the first whereof was called Alice de Sterap, the second Margery (or Margaret) the third Isabell, the fourth Juliana, and the fifth Constance.

Alice had three sons out of matrimony, viz. Ingeram to whom she gave three bov. in the town of Sterap.

Hamelin de Buggethorp married the second sister, and begot on her Galsr. who begot Ingeram de Oulecotes, who held the manor of Oulecotes, and gave it to Roger de Arci, (about 2 E. 1, (fn. 14) ) with all his lands in Ulecotes, and Stirap, and Blyth, on condition that the said Roger de Arci should procure him to be made a knight at his own charge, and find him and his three men, and three horses meat, drink, and clothes, during his life.

The third sister Isabell took an husband Thomas de Stretton, knight, who died without children, and in her widowhood sold part of her inheritance to the said Ingeram, and Norman de Sterap, and part to the abbat of Welbec.

The fourth sister took an husband Galfr. de Barneby, who begot on her Norman de Sterap, who begot Thomas, who begot John, who begot Robert de Sterap, who gave some land to the abby of Welbek.

The fifth sister Constantia took an husband Daniel of Newcastle, who begot her son and heir John de Adham, who had part of the inheritance in Northumberland, likewise Apletan in Sterap fell to him, and one bovat of land, and the meadow in Lokinton; but the lord of Oulecotes held that part, because the said John would not do him homage as all the other sisters did.

(fn. 15) The sheriff 6 R. 1, gave account of 32s. 3d. of the land of Philip de Ulecot the kings enemy of the honour of Tikehill. Robert de Veteriponte, 9 R. 1, (fn. 16) ought 4l. and 4d. of the firm of Stirap and Ulecotes, which were Arnald de Diest's the whole year of the escaets, which were delivered to the knights (or souldiers) of Flanders. Philip de Hulecote, 1 Joh. (fn. 17) gave the king 100l. and a war horse, which he paid the king John at Xantes, for having Johan (daughter and co-heir of Robert de Mesnill) the sister of the wife of Sewall, son of Henry, (progenitor of the Shirleys) whom the king had granted before to the said Sewall, to be married to his nephew, who was dead.

This Philip de Vlecotes was a very great man all the time of king John, & sheriff of Northumberland, &c. and had writs to free him from scutages, as in the pipe rolls of that time is evident. He was a justice itinerant 3 H. 3, in Cumberland, Westmerland, & Lancashire. In 4 H. 3, (fn. 18) Oct. 13, he was made Steward of Gascoigne and Poictou, His five sisters and heirs, before named, 5 H. 3, (fn. 19) had the lands of the said Phil. de Vlcotes the day that he went into Poictou, by the Kings precept, and Galfr. de Gurdon had the custody of the land and heirs of Stephen de Muschamp in Biermare, which Philip de Ulcotes gave him. Walter Crec, Hugh de St. Bermero, and Galfr. de Cressy, were then knights of the family of Philip de Ulcotes. (fn. 20) Walter de Godervill, 8 H: 3, (fn. 21) gave account of two hundred marks for having to wife Joane, who had been wife of Philip de Vlecote. Raph Mufard, 10 H. 3. (fn. 22) had Isabell her sister to wife, and the King took his homage, and granted that he should have seisin of their lands, which were his wifes the said Isabells inheritance.

(fn. 23) John son and heir of Roger de Arcy, 15 E. 1, recovered by the judgement of the court against Constancia de Bierne, William, son of Jordan de Tikhull, & two others, his seisin of two mess. sixscore acres of land, twenty of medow, five marks rent, and the fourth part of a mill in Vlcotes, Styrap, and Blith.

(fn. 24) In geram de Vlcotes, 20 E. 1, was amerced, and John recovered by a special verdict. Richard de Styrap, son of William, son of Richard, son of Ingelram, son of the lady Alice de Styrap, in 10 E. 2, (fn. 25) claimed against the abbat of Wellebek five acres of land in Stirap and Dulecotes.

(fn. 26) Matthew de Blyth, and Agnes his wife, 23 H. 6, levyed a fine of the manor of Styrop, with the appurtenantes, and two mess eight tosts, one hundred and thirty acres of land, forty of medow, six of wood, and 53s 8d. rent, and the rent of a pound of pepper, and a pound of cummin. with the appurtenances in Styrop, Dulecotes Staynton, Ferwarth, Plumtre, and Barneby, and of the fishing of South More, also of half a mill, with the appurtenances in the town of Owlecotes, to John Talbot, knt. son & heir of John earl of Shrowsbury and his heirs, whereby the said Matthew and Agnes warranted [against all] and quit-claimed from themselves and the heirs of the said Agnes.

Thomas Marshall, son of Richard Marshall of Newark, hath a lease at Styrap under the duke of Norfolk, and resides there.

(fn. 27) Queen Elizabeth, 10 July, 5 Eliz. granted to Robert de Hitchcock, and John Gifford, amongst other things the grange of Vlcotes, late in the tenure of Hugh Cressy, and belonging to the monastery of Welbek, and that mess. in Sturrope in the occupation of Richard More, late belonging to the monastery of Roche in Yorkshire.

(fn. 28) The owners of Stirroppe, Dwlcotts, Norney, and Farworth 1612, are thus set down, Gilbert, earl of Shrowsbury, Jervas Cliston, knight, George Chaworth, knight, William Cressye of Dwlecots, gent. John Robinson Alias Milner of Stirrop, John Hellaby, Thomas Peace of Owleboles, William Fysher, Thomas Walker, Richard Nicols, Robert Stoakham, Henry More, Thomas Darbyshire, William Monks, cottag. Nicolas Langforth, cott. Robert Poicey, cott. William Midlham, Samuel West, and George Wagstaffe.