Dear Newsgroup ~
John de Vipont, of Appleby, Brough under Stainmoor, and King’s Meaburn, Westmorland [born c.1211, died 1241] is alleged to have married Sibyl de Ferrers, daughter of William de Ferrers, Knt., 5th Earl of Derby, by his 1st wife, Sibyl, daughter of William Marshal, Knt., 4th Earl of Pembroke (or Striguil), hereditary Master Marshal. This alleged parentage is discussed in an excellent article by G.W. Watson entitled "The Bohuns of Midhurst" published in The Genealogist n.s. 28 (1912): 1-16, 114-123.
More specifically, Mr. Watson discusses the evidence proving the parentage of another Sibyl de Ferrers who married Sir Frank de Bohun [died 1273], of Midhurst, Sussex. In the text on page 1, he states that Frank and Sibyl his wife were married "before 21 September 1247."
On page 1, footnote 3, he provides the evidence for the date of the marriage of Frank and Sibyl as being before 21 September 1247:
"At which date Sir William de Ferariis [5th Earl of Derby] owed a fine of 300 marks, because Frank de Bohun had married Sibyl, his daughter, without the King's assent or licence (Rot. Fin., 31 Hen. III, m. 2). According to the pedigrees of Vipont, Sibyl had been previously the wife of John de Vipont (who died before 25 July 1241 - Idem., 25 Henry III, m.5), but this is an error. It is true that John de Vipont married a daughter of William comes Ferariis, who gave her in free marriage a tenement in Little Brington and Newbottle, co. Northants, which was inherited by her granddaughter, Idoine de Vipont, wife of Roger de Leyburn (Ch. Inq. p. m. Edw. I, file 39, no. 1). But it is certain that his wife could not have been this Sibyl, nor indeed any daughter of Sibyl la Mareschale, for then the Viponts would have been among the coheirs of Sibyl (the elder), which they were not." END OF QUOTE.
Mr. Watson indicates that Sibyl de Ferrers, wife of Frank de Bohun, has been confused with the wife of John de Vipont. He is certainly correct in stating that John de Vipont's wife cannot have been the same person of Sibyl de Ferrers, wife of Sir Frank de Bohun. But if not, who was she?
The evidence which Mr. Watson cites for John de Vipont's wife being a daughter of "William comes Ferariis" is found in an inquisition post mortem for Roger de Leyburn, the 1st husband of Idoine de Vipont, granddaughter of John de Vipont mentioned above. The Leyburn inquisition is published in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem 2 (1906): 315-316. The writ for this inquisition is dated 21 Feb. 1283/4. On page 316, the following information is provided regarding Roger de Leyburn's land holdings in Northamptonshire:
"Little Brynton and Newbotle. 13l. 12s. 5d. [rents] from certain tenants, held of the inheritance of Idonea his wife, who is aged 22; which tenement William sometimes earl of Ferars gave to John de Veypunt in free marriage with his daughter, and the heirs of the same John still hold it without any service. He held nothing else in the county." END OF QUOTE
The above record dated 1284 affirms that John de Vipont [died 1241] had earlier married a daughter of William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, and that John had property in free marriage with his wife. But which Earl William? Given the chronology of the Vipont family, it would appear that John de Vipont's unnamed wife would necessarily be a daughter of William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby [died 1247] and his wife, Agnes of Chester [died 1247], and not daughter of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby [died 1254].
But what is the given name of John de Vipont's wife? Unknown to Mr. Watson, there is a surviving charter dated c.1230-41 of John de Vipont published in Prescott, Register of the Priory of Wetherhal (Cumberland and Westmorland Antiq. & Arch. Society Records 1) (1897): 328–330. The charter reads as follows:
"204. Carta Johannis de Veteri-Ponte facta Monachis de Wederhal de XX karreatis bosci in Winfel.
Omnibus Christi Fidelibus ad quorum notitiam praesens scriptum pervenerit Johannes de Veteri-ponte salutem aeteram in Domino. Noverit universitas vestra quod Ego pro salute animae meae et Sibillae uxoris meae necnon et pro salute animae Roberti de Veteri-ponte Patris mei et pro salute animarum Praedecessorum et Succesorum meorum dedi et concessi et praesenti carta mea confirmavi Ecclesiae Sanctae Mariae Eboraci et Priori et Monachis de Wederhal viginti karreatas de mortuo bosco jacenti capiendas annuatim in bosco meo de Winfel in Westmerlandia, et habendas in liberam puram et perpetuam Elemosinam ..."
The above charter proves that John de Vipont's wife was named Sibyl. As such, it would appear that her name was Sibyl de Ferrers. Given chronological considerations, she would be the aunt of the other Sibyl de Ferrers who married c.1247 Sir Frank de Bohun, of Midhurst, Sussex.
For interest's sake, I've copied below my current file account for John de Vipont [died 1241] and his wife, Sibyl de Ferrers. The following is a list of the numerous 17th Century New World immigrants that descend from this couple:
Robert Abell, Elizabeth Alsop, William Asfordby, Charles Barnes, Anne Baynton, Dorothy Beresford, Richard & William Bernard, Essex Beville, William Bladen, George & Nehemiah Blakiston, Joseph Bolles, Elizabeth Bosvile, George, Giles & Robert Brent, Edward Bromfield, Stephen Bull, Charles Calvert, Edward Carleton, Kenelm Cheseldine, Grace Chetwode, Jeremy Clarke, St. Leger Codd, Henry Corbin, William Crymes, James Cudworth, Francis Dade, Humphrey Davie, Edward Digges, Robert Drake, William Farrer, John Fenwick, John Fisher, Henry Fleete, Elizabeth & John Harleston, Warham Horsmanden, Anne Humphrey, Mary Launce, Hannah, Samuel & Sarah Levis, Henry, Jane & Nicholas Lowe, Thomas Lunsford, Agnes Mackworth, Anne Mauleverer, Joseph & Mary Need, John and Margaret Nelson, Philip & Thomas Nelson, Ellen Newton, John Oxenbridge, Herbert Pelham, Robert Peyton, William & Elizabeth Pole, Henry & William Randolph, George Reade, William Rodney, Katherine Saint Leger, Richard Saltonstall, William Skepper, Diana & Grey Skipwith, Mary Johanna Somerset, John Stockman, Samuel & William Torrey, Olive Welby, John West, Hawte Wyatt.
For further particulars of the Vipont and Ferrers families, please see my book, Royal Ancestry (5 volumes), published in 2013.
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
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7. JOHN DE VIPONT (or VIEUXPONT), of Appleby, and Brough under Stainmoor, and King’s Meaburn, Westmorland, Eyworth, Bedfordshire, Buckland, Buckinghamshire, Prescote, Oxfordshire, Essendine, Rutland, Kimberworth (in Rotherham), Yorkshire, etc., son and heir, born about 1211 (minor in 1228, of age in 1232). On 1 Feb. 1228 Hubert de Burgh was granted custody of the lands and heir of Robert de Vipont until the full age of the heir. On 12 October 1232, notwithstanding that Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, surrendered to John de Vipont his lands that had been in his custody, the king ordered the sheriff of Westmorland to cause Peter de Rivallis to have full seisin of all corn and chattels of the same lands on the day upon which John received seisin of those lands. He married SIBYL DE FERRERS, daughter of William de Ferrers, Knt., 4th Earl of Derby, by Agnes, daughter of Hugh, Earl of Chester [see FERRERS 6 for her ancestry]. Her maritagium included the manor of Little Brington (in Brington) with Newbottle, Northamptonshire. They had one son, Robert [died 1264]. Sometime in the period, 1230–41, he granted the monks of Wetherhal 20 carucates of woods in Winfel (in Brougham), Westmorland. In 1235 he was sent to escort Alexander II, King of Scots to London. Sometime before 1240 he granted the Hospital of St. Nicholas for lepers in Appleby, Westmorland to Shapp Abbey, Westmorland. JOHN DE VIPONT died shortly before 25 July 1241, when the king ordered that the sheriff of Westmorland take into the king’s hand all lands formerly of John de Vipont.
References:
Coll. Top. et Gen. 1 (1834): 256. Hodgson, Hist. of Northumberland Part II Vol. III (1840): 26–27 (Veteriponte ped.). Lipscomb, Hist. & Antiqs. of Buckingham 2 (1847): 123–126. The Academy 24 (1883): 325–326. Clark, Mediæval Military Architecture in England 1 (1884): 292–293. Taylor, Old manorial Halls of Westmorland & Cumberland (1892): 17–24. Prescott, Reg. of the Priory of Wetherhal (Cumb. & Westmorland Antiq. & Arch. Soc. Recs. 1) (1897): 62 footnote 5, 328–330 (charter of John de Vipont to Wetheral Priory dated 1230–41; charter granted for the health of his soul, his wife Sibyl, and his father, Robert de Vipont). List of Foreign Accounts (Lists & Indexes XI) (1900): 190. Cal. IPM 2 (1906): 315–316 (Inq. post mortem of Roger de Leyburn). C.P.R. 1232–1247 (1906): 255. VCH Bedford 2 (1908): 230–233. VCH Buckingham 2 (1908): 328; 3 (1925): 112–134. C.P.R. 1258–1266 (1910): 327, 371, 551. Misc. Gen. et Heraldica 4th Ser. 3 (1910): 254–261. Genealogist n.s. 28 (1912): 1, footnote 3. Farrer, Honors & Knights’ Fees 1 (1923): 242. VCH Rutland 2 (1935): 250–254. VCH Oxford 10 (1972): 206–210. Power, Norman Frontier in the 12th & Early 13th Cents. (2004): 528–529 (Vieuxpont ped.). Henry III Fine Rolls Project, 16/287; 17/124; 181/18; 18/265; 23/177; 25/568; 25/581; 25/599; 25/592; 26/311; 26/366; 26/573; 26/284; 27/52. National Archives, SC 8/172/8596 (available at
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.ukwww.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search.asp).