Walter Culpeper and his wife, Isabel, widow of William Gernon, of Theydon Garnon, Essex

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Newsgroup ~

I recently came across the following Common Pleas lawsuit which might interest some here on the newsgroup.

Essex. Date: 1341. Geoffrey de Berdefeld by Gilbert de Berdefeld his attorney sued Walter Colpepir and Isabel his wife, executrix of of the will of William Gernoun, regarding a debt of £20.

The original lawsuit in full may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/E3/CP40no327/aCP40no327fronts/IMG_0126.htm

I believe that Walter Culpepper above mentioned is the Walter Culpepper, of Goudhurst, Kent, died 1362, who is alleged to have married Agnes Roper, widow of John Bedgebury. The lawsuit above would indicate that Walter Culpepper married c.1341 to Isabel, widow of William Gernon [died 1340], of Theydon Garnon, Essex.

For furthur information regarding the Gernon family, see VCH Essex 4 (1956): 262-269, which may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol4/pp262-269

The above account reads as follows:

"In 1340 the manor was conveyed by John de Goldingham and others, no doubt feoffees, to William Gernon and his wife Isabel and the heirs of William, with remainder to their son Thomas. (fn. 38) William must have died shortly after, for later in the same year Isabel was a widow. (fn. 39) In 1345 the manor was conveyed by John Colepepir to Thomas son of William Gernon and Lucy his wife, daughter of Maud de Whetynton. Theydon Garnon was then said to be held by Walter Colepepir as security for a debt of £100 owing to him. (fn. 40) In 1346 John, son and heir of Sir John Gernon, again released his rights in the manor. (fn. 41)."

Inasmuch as William and Isabel Gernon's son and heir, Thomas Gernon, was married in 1345, Isabel may or may not have been of child bearing age when she married Walter Culpepper. If Thomas Gernon was actually married in 1345, it would peg his birth as c.1330. If so, it's quite possible that Isabel (mother of Thomas) was still of child bearing age when she married Walter Culpepper.

As for Walter Culpepper's wife, Agnes Roper, she is alleged to have died in 1457. If so, I assume she was a later second wife of Walter Culpepper. As such, the possibility exists that she is not the mother of his son and heir, Sir John Culpepper. I see one online database that states that Sir John Culpepper was born in 1342. If correct, that would seem to place him as a son of Walter's wife, Isabel, not Agnes Roper as commonly believed.

If correct, then the royal descent found in Gary Boyd Roberts' Royal Descents book through the Roper-Culpepper connection would surely fail. Culpepper-Gernon anyone?

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[Douglas Richardson]

In my post today, I inadvertently jumped a century and confused Walter Culpeper, living 1341, husband of Isabel, widow of William Gernon, with a later Walter Culpeper, died 1462, husband of Agnes Roper. Obviously the two Walter's were different men.

Since the name Culpeper is rare, the two Walter Culpeper's were surely related to one another. I see in Robert and Janet Wolfe's online database on the Culpeper family, there was in fact an earlier Walter Culpeper born about 1305, who conceivably is the man who married widow Isabel Gernon.

As best I can determine, the 1341 Common Pleas lawsuit I located is the first notice I can find of the marriage of Walter and Isabel Culpeper.

Best always, Douglas Richardson