Fulk Eyton
Brian Austin
Caudebec en Caux in Normandy. Apparently the church was built by the English
during their occupation in the years after Agincourt. In the church is a
small stained glass window, much in need of repair, containing the following
inscription in French (my translation):
Fulk Eyton, Esquire, Captain of this town, gave this window for the worship
of God and "de lui" ( I am not sure how to translate the last two words).
This seems a noble gesture by an occupying power. Does anyone know anything
about Fulk Eyton?
Brian Austin
L.W.R. Potter
Fulk Eyton died in 1454 and left the following will. Fulk clearly had made
some money in Normandy, but it is interesting that he was hanging on to
the remains of Arundel's brother in order to make sure that he for the
vast sum of 1450 marks. Fulk Pembridge's tomb is still in Tong, but
there is no sign of Fulk's grave:
'In dei nomine, Amen; and of oure lady and of alle the Holy Company of
Heven, Amen. I Fooke Eiton, hole of body and mynd, make my Testament in
this wise. First I bequeath my sowle to God, and to our Lad, and to alle
the Company of Heven, and make myn Executors Sir RIchard Eiton Prest my
brother, Warden of the College of T0nge, and Sir Roger the vicar of
Welyngton, and Isabella Englefield. First I will that my body be laide in
Tonge, by mt godfadre, Sir Fowke de Penbrege,[ he died 1409] withinne the
Chapell of Oure Lady; and after that, I will that there be take of my best
goods for to say V thousand placebos and dirigies and V thousand masses;
and for every dirigie and masse iiijd, add I bequest to the almshouse of
TOnge £10 of money, for the which money the said almesman should be
charged for to sey at my grave De profundis, thei that canne, and thei
that can not a pater noster - and for mo sowle and Thomas of Eiton my
fadre and Katherine my modre's sowles; and also thei should pay a prest to
cast holy water on my grave. Also I bequeath to the Warden and to the
Prestes of the saide College of Tong my best Basin and Eure of silver; and
the saide Warden and Prestes shall have in charge, every daie when thei
wesch to sei a Pater Noster and Ave and so to have me in perpetuall
remembrance. Also I bequeth to the saide College a Bed caled a fedrebed
with the honging thereto of blew worstede wherefore the saide Wardenand
Prestes should be charged and bounden for to seie withyn the same year XV
Placesbos and Dirigiees and V masses of the Trinitee and V of the Holy
Ghost V and of our Ladye and while it pleasith him for my fadre sowle and
my modere's and myn and charge that he be a clene man of his body. Also I
bequeth to John Eiton ale myn horse and riding harnes reservyd to me al my
trapers and harnes of Goldsmythes worke and I will that Luce his wife have
£10 so that she kepe here a clene woman and a good till the daye of here
mariage. I bequeth also to John the boy an horse and 40s. and also to John
de Labowley 40s. and to my page Hermon 20s for thei both came with me out
of Normandye. Also I bequeth to the Chapell of our Lady of TOnge my masse
boke and Chalice and my blew vestiment of damaske of my armes and another
vestiment to Wembrege to pray for my fadre's sowle and my modere's. I
bequeath also to John Eiton £20 to his mariage and to Fowke Eiton Roger
Eiton son other [sic.] £20 of the summe which ROger Eiton oweth me and he
to be alowed of all that he paide me. Also I wille that the saide Roger
yeve to every frere house of Schropbery [Shrewsbury] a centayn of corne
for to pay certain eires [years] for my soule after the disposition of myn
Executours and that if he woll not I charge you that ye lawfully sue him
til he doe it. Also I woll that my Lord of Arundell that now is aggre and
compoune with you my seide Executours for the bon [bones] of my LOrd John
his brother that I broughte oute of France for the which carriage of bon
and oute of the frenchemennys handes delyveraunce he owith me a 1450 marks
and aftere myn Executours byn compouned with I woll that the bon ben
buried in the College of Arundell after his intent and so I tobe praide
for in the College of Arundell and Almeshouse perpetually. Also I bequeth
to Nicholas Eiton one of the good fedre beddis and a chambre and a bedde
of lynne cloth styned with horses. I bequeth also to Isabelle Englefield
another good feder bedd and a pair of fustians and a sparner of selke the
which myn armes beth ynne and after her decesse to yeve it to John
Englefield here sone. And as towchinge the goodes to fulfile my Testament,
Sir WIliam Iynsey my prest can telle you where thei ben and more overplus.
Wherefore I charge you as ye will answer afore God at the dreddfull day of
Dome and that ye fullfill and complete this my last Testament here and
afore God I geve you full power of all my goodes so for to do; and wille
that my brothers Nicholas and Roger have the oversight of the fullfilling
of my Testament.In to the witness of alle this I have sett to the seign of
myn armes and the seign ofmy devise. I wreten atte Schrawardyne the VLij
[sic but prob. viij] day of Februarie the yere of our Lorde a mlccccli
[sic.]'
Proved 12th Dec 1454 by Richard Eiton & Isabella Englefield.
[Source: G.Griffiths, _History of Tong_ (London, 1894), pp.216/7)
Luke Potter
Brice Clagett
Fulk Eyton was a brother of Sir Nicholas Eyton of Eyton upon the Weald Moors, Shropshire, who is supposed to have married Catherine Talbot, a daughter (probably illegitimate if she existed) of the great first earl of Shrewsbury. The family owned the manor of Eyton from the reign of Henry II, and probably from Domesday Book, until 1963. Fulk's niece Margaret Eyton married Sir William Yonge of Caynton in Edgmond, Shropshire, and from them descended Francis and Robert Yonge, settlers in South Carolina.
Fulk Eyton was a commander in France in the last phase of the Hundred Years War. In 1448 he and Matthew Gough were ordered to surrender Le Mans to the French but did not do so, the appeasement policy of the English government being intensely unpopular with the soldiery in France. Later that year Eyton and Osbert Mundeford held Pont-Audemar against the French until surrendering it after most of the twon was taken by storm.
Amazing that a stained-glass window placed by Fulk Eyton in Normandy still exists.
I'd be grateful to have the full French text of the inscription and to know what if anything besides the inscription appears on the window.
Brian Austin
recall that "Fulk" is rendered as "Fulques". Again, as far as I recall,
there are no other words and the picture is of what appears to be St George.
Brian Austin
Brice Clagett wrote in message ...