C.P. Addition: Lord Huntingfield's two heirs, John de Sywardby and Eleanor Cobbe
Douglas Richardson royalancestry@msn.com
In the course of my recent research on the baronial Huntingfield
family, I've determined that William de Huntingfield, Lord
Huntingfield, was survived at his death in 1376 by two heirs, namely
John de Sywardby, Knt., and Eleanor (Francis) (de Norwich) Cobbe, which
two people were grandchildren of his great-uncle, Roger de
Huntingfield, Knt., of Harlton, Cambridgeshire and Bacton, Norfolk.
Curiously, only Eleanor Cobbe is named in Lord Huntingfield's
inquisition, she being incorrectly called Alice de Norwich in the
record. The incomplete inquisition in this case is doubtless due to
the fact that Lord Huntingfield alienated most if not all of his
property prior to his death. As such, the need to identify his lawful
heirs was not as essential as it might have been under normal
circumstances. What estate Lord Huntingfield had left in his
possession, he presumably disposed of by his last will and testament.
At the present time, no modern descendants are known for Eleanor
(Francis) (de Norwich) Cobbe. John de Sywardby, Knt. has traceable
descendants, however. I've presented below a record of Sir John de
Sywardby's family down to his great-granddaughter and heiress, Margaret
Sywardby (died 1485), wife of Geoffrey Pigot, Knt., which Margaret in
turn is ancestral to at least one 17th Century American colonist,
namely Elizabeth Bosvile, wife of Roger Harlakenden and Herbert Pelham.
Details of the Sywardby-Bosvile descent can be found in my forthcoming
book, Magna Carta Ancestry, scheduled for publication in June 2005.
If anyone knows additional details regarding the Sywardby family, I
should appreciate hearing from them here on the newsgroup. In the
meantime, I wish to thank Chris Phillips for his helpful input and
comments to me, both online and in private e-mail, regarding the matter
of Lord Huntingfield's heirs.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
Website: www.royalancestry.net
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HUNTINGFIELD-SYWARDBY FAMILY
1. ROGER DE HUNTINGFIELD, Knt., of Harlton, Cambridgeshire, Bacton,
Norfolk, Westleton, Suffolk, 2nd son, of full age in 1313. He married
ELEANOR _____. They had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth
(1st of name) (wife of Thomas de Sywardby, Knt.) and Elizabeth (2nd of
name) (wife of Richard Francis). SIR ROGER DE HUNTINGFIELD died 29
Dec. 1328. His widow, Eleanor, married (2nd) (as his 2nd wife) before
1332 Robert Sywardby, Knt., of Sewerby, Yorkshire, son and heir of
William de Sywardby, of Sewerby, Yorkshire, by his probable wife,
Beatrice. He was an adult by 1308, knighted by 1328. They had two
sons, Eymys and Stephen. Sir Robert de Sywardby was living 23 Oct.
1333, but died before 13 June 1335. His widow, Eleanor, married (3rd)
before 24 Jan. 1343 Richard de Keleshull, in right of his wife, of
Bacton, Barton Turf, and Worstead, Norfolk, a justice. In 1340-41
Richard obtained a license to retain the advowson of the church of
Haydon, Essex acquired from Walter de Clif. In 1344 he released all
right in his wife Eleanor's dower held of the inheritance of Sir
Thomas de Sewerby. His wife Eleanor was living in 1346. In 1353 he
witnessed a deed of his step-son, Eymys de Sewerby. Richard de
Keleshull died in 1365.
References: Feudal Aids 3 (1904): 484-485, 553. Cal. IPMs 7 (1909):
161. Yorkshire Deeds 4 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 65) (1924): 135
(charter of Sir Robert de Sewerby); 5 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser.
69) (1926): 129-131 (charter of Robert de Sewerby); 6 (Yorkshire
Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 76) (1930): 127 (charters of Robert de Sywardby),
188-191. C.P. 9 (1936): 764 (chart), 766 (sub Norwich). Paget
Baronage of England (1957) 299: 1-5 (sub Huntingfield). VCH
Cambridge 5 (1973): 216-217, 219 VCH Yorkshire E.R. 2 (1974): 95,
97-99. PRO Document, C 143/137/23: Robert de Sywardby to grant
messuages and land in Sewerby and Burton Fleming to the prior and
convent of Bridlington, retaining land in Sewerby. York (dated
1318-19); PRO Document, C 143/252/4 (re. Richard de Keleshull)
(abstract of documents available online at
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search.asp).
2. ELIZABETH DE HUNTINGFIELD (1st of name), was co-heiress in or before
1334 to her brother, Roger de Huntingfield. She married (1st) in or
before 1334 (date of fine) THOMAS DE SYWARDBY, Knt., of Sewerby, Burton
Fleming, Yorkshire, and, in right of his wife, of Westleton, Suffolk,
son and heir of Robert de Sewerby, Knt., of Sewerby, Yorkshire, by an
unidentified 1st wife. They had one son, John, Knt. His wife
Elizabeth was living 18 June 1335. In 1335 he granted a toft with a
croft in the vill of Sewerby to William Markand and Ivette his wife.
In 1343 he leased a culture of land in the field of Sewerby and Marton
to William son of Hernys de Neusom for a term of 22 years, paying 6s.
yearly. In 1346 he granted a toft with a croft in the vill of Sewerby
to John son of Margaret de Sywardby and Isabel daughter of Gilbert Fitz
Ralph the miller to hold for their lives at a yearly rent of 2s. 6d.
In 1352 he granted a toft of land with a croft and a bovate of land in
Sywardby, Yorkshire to Alice daughter of William son of Theobald de
Flaynburgh for life. In 1355 he granted his manor of Sewerby,
Yorkshire to Sir William de Playce, Knt. for the term of William's
life and one year after his decease at the yearly rent of 25 marks
silver or gold, with remainder after one year following William's
death to John de Sywardby the grantor's son and his wife, Margaret.
SIR THOMAS DE SYWARDBY was living 30 March 1365, and presumably died
shortly before 20 April 1365, when an attorney was appointed to deliver
seisin of lands in Sewerby to his son, John.
References: Feudal Aids 5 (1908): 59; 6 (1920): 211, 229, 230.
Yorkshire Deeds 4 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 65) (1924): 135-136
(charters of Thomas de Sywardby); 5 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 69)
(1926): 130-132 (charters of Thomas de Sywardby); 6 (Yorkshire Arch.
Soc. Rec. Ser. 76) (1930): 188-191. Online resource:
//ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jglanville/roanhg2.htm.
3. JOHN DE SYWARDBY, Knt., of Sewerby, Yorkshire, and Harlton,
Cambridgeshire, son and heir. He married about 30 Sept. 1355 MARGARET
PLAYCE, daughter of Thomas Playce, Knt. They had one son, William. In
1368 he demised a tenement in Sewerby to Robert de Croxton and Maud his
wife at a yearly rent of 4s 6d. In 1369 he granted two messuages and
one bovate of land in the vill and field of Sewerby to Thomas Gunnas of
Haiton. In 1376 Robert Suthiby, burgess of Scardeburgh, released him
of all actions, complaints, and demands. The same year he quitclaimed
his interest in the manor and advowson of Harlton, Cambridgeshire to
William Potton and William Bateman. He was co-heir in 1376 to his
cousin, William de Huntingfield, Knt., Lord Huntingfield, although not
named as such in Lord Huntingfield's inquisition post mortem. In
1377 he let to farm to John Bacon his chief messuage and other lands in
the vill and field of Sewerby for a term of four years. SIR JOHN DE
SYWARDBY was living in 1382, and died before 20 March 1387/8.
References: Yorkshire Deeds 4 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 65)
(1924): 136-137 (charters of John de Sywardby); 5 (Yorkshire Arch.
Soc. Rec. Ser. 69) (1926): 132-133 (charters of John de Sywardby); 6
(Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 76) (1930): 128-129 (charter of John
de Sywardby), 188-191. VCH Cambridge 5 (1973): 216-217.
4. WILLIAM SYWARDBY, of Sewerby, Yorkshire, Bacton, Barton Turf, and
Worstead, Norfolk, etc., son and heir. He married MAUD _____. They
had three sons, William, John, and Peter. In 1388 he was granted a
bovate of land in the vills of Sewerby and Marton by William Estiby of
Harpham. In 1389 he was granted a yearly rent of 4s. 4d. by Roger de
Lowthorp of Bridlington from the land and tenements of Hugh Stywardeson
of Lowthorp in the vills of Sewerby and Marton. In 1401 he and his
wife wife were granted three messuages and five bovates of land in
Sewerby. WILLIAM SYWARDBY was living 16 April 1411, when Thomas
Gunnays of Etton granted him two messuages and a bovate of land in the
vill of Sewerby.
References: Feudal Aids 3 (1904): 619. Yorkshire Deeds 5 (Yorkshire
Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 69) (1926): 133; 6 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser.
76) (1930): 129-130, 188-191.
5. WILLIAM SYWARDBY, of Sewerby, Duggleby, Heaton juxta Bradford,
Newton, etc., Yorkshire, Bacton, Norfolk, etc., son and heir. He
married ELIZABETH VAVASOUR, daughter of Henry Vavasour, Knt., of
Hazlewood. They had one daughter, Margaret. In 1431 William Bokton,
Knt. issued him a receipt for £10, part of a larger sum. WILLIAM
SYWARDBY left a will dated 9 April 1450, proved 22 Dec. 1450,
requesting burial at Bridlington Priory. The inventory of his widow
Elizabeth's estate was taken 30 April 1468. By her will (which has
not survived), she left the residue of her estate to maintain a regular
chaplain at Seweby, Yorkshire, on account of its distance from
Bridlington.
References: Testamenta Eboracensia 2: 136n.; 3 (Surtees Soc. 45)
(1865): 161-168. Feudal Aids 3 (1904): 553; 6 (1920): 263-265,
291, 302, 320-321. Yorkshire Deeds 6 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser.
76) (1930): 129-130, 188-191. Bridlington Chartulary, pg. 173.
10. MARGARET SYWARDBY, daughter and heiress. She married before 1452
GEOFFREY PIGOT, Knt., of Clotherholme (in Ripon), and, in right of his
wife, of Sewerby, Yorkshire, son and heir of Ranulph Pigot, of
Clotherholme (in Ripon), Yorkshire, by Margaret, daughter of Robert
Plumpton, Knt. [see PLUMPTON 9 for his ancestry]. They had three son,
Ranulf, Knt., William, and Thomas, and three daughters, Joan (wife of
John Wandesford, Knt.), Anne, and Elizabeth. In 1453 an oratory was
granted to them at Sewerby, Yorkshire, and again in 1454. In 1454 they
granted Peter Sywardby, Esq., a yearly rent of 40s. from their manor of
Sewerby, Yorkshire. In 1455 an oratory was granted to them and to her
mother, Elizabeth Sywardby. SIR GEOFFREY PIGOT died in or before 1469,
when his widow Margaret took a vow of chastity. She left a will dated
7 Nov. 1485, proved 17 Dec. 1485.
References: Testamenta Eboracensia 3 (Surtees Soc. 45) (1865): 161,
340; 4 (Surtees Soc. 53) (1869): 6-7 (will of Dame Margaret Pigot
names her daughter Scargill). Harvey et al. Vis. of the North 2
(Surtees Soc. 133) (1921): 30; 3 (Surtees Soc. 144) (1930): 134 (Pygot
pedigree: "Dominus Galfridus Pigot miles = Margareta filia et heres
Iohannis Swardby"). Thoresby Soc. 26 (1924): 26-29. Yorkshire
Deeds 6 (Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Rec. Ser. 76) (1930): 130, 188-191.