C.P. Addition: Joan de Cokefield, wife of Sir John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz, Sir Laurence de Hameldon, and Sir William de Beauchamp

[celticp...@gmail.com]

Dear Newsgroup ~

Complete Perage 12(2) (1959): 20–22 (sub Tregoz) has a good account of Sir John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz, of Ewyas Harold and Eaton (in Foy), Herefordshire, who died in 1300. Regarding his second marriage to Joan de Cokefield, the following information is supplied:

"He married, secondly, Joan, daughter of Adam de Cokefield, of Feltwell, Norfolk, and Moulton, Suffolk, by his wife, Joan. He died s.p.m. shortly before 6 Sept. 1300. Joan married, secondly, without licence, before 28 Feb. 1300/01, Laurence de Hameldene, who was living, 8 June 1307. She married, 3rdly, in or before (1313-14) 7 Edward II, William de Beauchamp, and died before him." END OF QUOTE.

Although not mentioned by Complete Peerage, it appears that Joan de Cokefield was heiress in 1297 to her brother, Robert de Cokefield [see Cal. IPM 3 (1912): 256; VCH Oxford 6 (1959): 312–323]. As such, Joan came into possession of several Cokefield family manors, among them Feltwell and Flitcham, Norfolk, Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire, Bloodhall (in Debenham), Little Waldingfield, and Moulton, Suffolk.

As per Complete Peerage, Joan de Cokefield had two more marriages, but we are provided very few details regarding them. As stated by Complete Peerage. Joan de Cokefield married (2nd) Laurence de Hameldon, who I find was a knight, who resided in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, Norfolk, and Suffolk. He was a Knight of the Shire for Somerset in 1307. As stated by Complete Peerage, he was living 8 June 1307, on which date the king granted a pardon to Laurence de Hameldon for "taking to wife Joan, late the wife of John Tregoz, tenant in chief." [Reference: Cal. Patent Rolls, 1301–1307 (1898): 527].

He was living as late as 1309, when as "Laurence de Hamelden, Knt., of Somerset" he owed Frisottus and Tottus de Monteclaro, brothers a debt of 55 marks.

While Joan de Cokefield had no issue by her marriage to John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz, it appears that she had two daughters by her marriage to Sir Laurence de Hameldon, namely Thomasine (wife of John de Cheverston, Knt.) and Joan (wife of Gilbert de Walkefare). She likewise had a son, William de Beauchamp, by her 3rd marriage to Sir William de Beauchamp. See the items which follow directly.

In 1315 Cecily widow of Henry de Malyns sued William de Beauchamp and Joan his wife, custodians of Thomasine and Joan, daughters and heirs of Laurence de Hameldon, in the Court of Common Pleas in a Somerset plea regarding two messuages, lands, and rent in Hambledon, Buckinghamshire, which William and Joan claimed as the right of dower of the said Joan. [Reference: http://aalt.law.uh.edu/E2/CP40no211/aCP40no211fronts/IMG_0115.htm].

In 1333 John de Cheverston, Knt., and Thomasine his wife and Gilbert de Walkefare and Joan his wife arraigned an assize against William de Beauchamp and Joan his wife, Richard le Gouz and Ellen his wife, and others regarding a free tenement in Compton Dando, Chilcompton, and Midsomer Norton, Somerset.

References: Justices Itinerant: JUST1, no. 1414, Image 1339d, Year: 1333, Devon (available at http://‌aalt.law.uh.edu/‌AALT4/‌JUST1/‌Just1no1414/‌bJUST1no1414dorses/‌IMG_1339.htm). Justices Itinerant: JUST1, no. 1414, Image 1340d, Year: 1333, Devon (available at http://‌aalt.law.uh.edu/‌AALT4/‌JUST1/‌Just1no1414/‌bJUST1no1414dorses/‌IMG_1340.htm).

In 1334 John de Chenerestone [Cheverston] and Thomasia [Thomasine] his wife and Gilbert Walkfare and Joan his wife conveyed three messuages, a carucate of land, ten acres of meadow, seven acres of pasture, and seven acres of wood in Compton Dauno [Compton Dando], Somerset to the Abbot of Keynsham. Reference: Green, Feet of Fines for Somerset 2 (Somerset Rec. Soc. 12) (1898): 172-173.

Page, Supplement to the Suffolk Traveller (1844): 887 states that Joan de Cokefield and her 3rd husband, William de Beauchamp, had a “daughter and heir,” by whom the manor of Moulton, Suffolk “passed to” John de Chyvereston. John de Cheverston’s 1st wife, Thomasine, was actually the daughter and co-heiress of Joan de Cokefield, by her 2nd husband, Laurence de Hameldon. Moulton, Suffolk was a Cokefield family property.

Contemporary records likewise prove that Joan de Cokefield's 3rd husband was Sir William de Beauchamp, of Powick and Bransford, Worcestershire, Ashmore, Dorset, etc., Keeper of Clarendon Forest, 1308–13, Sheriff of Worcestershire, 1316–18, 1321–2, who died in 1354. He was a younger son of Walter de Beauchamp, Knt., of Alcester, Warwickshire, Bransford, Powick, and Sheriff’s Lench, Worcestershire, etc., Steward of the King’s Household, 1289–1303, by his wife, Alice de Tony. As stated above, this marriage produced one son, William, who died in young adulthood.

As for evidence of Sir William de Beauchamp's identity, I find that in 1314 William de Wengrave conveyed the manors of Moulton and Waldingfield, Suffolk to William de Beauchamp and his wife, Joan, and their heirs. Reference: National Archives, Feet of Fines dated 1314 (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT7/CP25(1)/ CP25_1_217_51-59/IMG_0240.htm).

In 1334–5 Roger Aunger, chaplain, and another conveyed the third part of the manor of Moulton, Suffolk to William son of Walter de Beauchamp, Knt. He is called William "son of Walter" here to distinguish him from at least two other William de Beauchamps in this time period.

William de Beauchamp is likewise styled "William son of Walter de Beauchamp" in the following record involving part of Joan de Cokefield's dower from her Tregoz marriage:

In 1328 John la Warre sued William son of Walter de Beauchamp and Joan his wife regarding waste in Chelwood, Somerset. [Reference: Index of Placita de Banco 1327–1328 1 (PRO Lists and Indexes 32) (1910): 443].

This following record proves that Sir William de Beauchamp, of Powick, Worcestershire had a wife named Joan:

In 1334 William de Beauchamp and his wife, Joan, settled the manors of Powick and Bransford, Worcestershire on themselves and their heirs. [References: VCH Worcester, 4 (1924): 184-192; Feet of F. Worcs. 8 Edw. III, no. 14].

I haven't located a firm death date for Joan de Cokefield. She was evidently living 30 April 1340, when John la Warre granted the reversion of the manor of Chelwood, Somerset, then held by Adam de Cheleworth for the life of William de Beauchamp and Joan his wife, to Warin le Latimer and Katherine his wife and their heirs of their bodies. Reference: Green, Feet of Fines for Somerset 2 (Somerset Rec. Soc. 12) (1898): 202, which may be viewed at the following weblink:

https://archive.org/details/somersetpub12someuoft

Joan was certainly dead before 9 Feb. 1352, when her husband, Sir William de Beauchamp, was holding manors in Suffolk and Norfolk presumably by courtesy of England. See the following fine:

National Archives, Feet of Fines, CP 25/1/287/44, #470.

Date: 9 Feb. 1352 Hugh de Chyuereston [Cheverston] granted the reversion of the manors of Moulton, Little Waldingfield, and Bloodhall (in Debenham), Suffolk and Flitcham and Feltwell, Norfolk, which manors William de Beauchamp, Knt., then held for life, to John de Chyuereston [Cheverston], Knt., for life, with remainder to the said Hugh.

Joan de Cokefield's son-in-law, Sir John de Cheverston (or Chiverston), was a prominent individual in this time period. He was Knight of the Shire for Devon, 1334, Sheriff of Devon, 1344–5, Captain of Calais, 1347, Seneschal of Gascony, 1351–62, and Seneschal of Aquitaine, 1362.

The following Discovery catalogue record names Sir John de Cheverston's first wife, Thomasine [de Hameldon], as well as his 2nd wife, Joan de Courtenay, daughter of Hugh de Courtenay, Earl of Devon.

Reference: Devon Heritage Centre (South West Heritage Trust), D1508M/Moger/157.

Date: 20 Jan. 1368.
Indenture made between John de Cheverston, Knt, on one part and John de Ferers, Knt, John Daumarle, Knt, and Richard de Greynevyle on other, witnessing that John de Ferers, John Daumarle and Richard grant to Cheverston, all their land and tenements, and c, in Sottisforde, Ekiswill and Chaldeswill and Parislond in Poudram and Exem (probably Exminster), to hold to John de Cheverston and his issue by Thomasie, late his wife, with remainder in default to Joanina, daughter of the Earl of Devon, now wife of said John de Cheverston, and their issue, with remainder in default to Hugh de Courtenay Earl of Devon and Margaret, his wife, and Master William de Courtenay, Cleric.

To date I haven't traced any living descendants of Joan de Cokefield. However, her 1st husband, Sir John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz [died 1300], has numerous descendants by his first marriage to Mabel Fitz Warin. For interest's sake, the following is a list of the 17th Century New World immigrants that descend from Sir John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz, and his 1st wife, Mabel Fitz Warin:

Elizabeth Alsop, Samuel Argall, Barbara Aubrey, Frances Baldwin, Charles Barham, Anne Baynton, Marmaduke Beckwith, Dorothy Beresford, William Bladen, George & Nehemiah Blakiston, Thomas Booth, Elizabeth Bosvile, Mary Bourchier, Thomas Bressey, Edward Bromfield, Stephen Bull, Elizabeth, John, and Thomas Butler, Charles Calvert, St. Leger Codd, Francis Dade, Humphrey Davie, Edward Digges, Robert Drake, William Farrer, Henry Filmer, Henry Fleete, Elizabeth & John Harleston, Warham Horsmanden, Anne Humphrey, Edmund Jennings, Mary Launce, Hannah, Samuel & Sarah Levis, Anne Lovelace, Percival Lowell, Thomas Lunsford, Gabriel, Roger & Sarah Ludlow, Simon Lynde, Agnes Mackworth, Anne Mauleverer, Richard More, Joseph & Mary Need, John and Margaret Nelson, Philip & Thomas Nelson, Thomas Owsley, John Oxenbridge, Herbert Pelham, Robert Peyton, George Reade, William Rodney, Elizabeth Saint John, Katherine Saint Leger, Richard Saltonstall, William Skepper, Diana & Grey Skipwith, Mary Johanna Somerset, John Stockman, Rose Stoughton, Samuel & William Torrey, John Throckmorton, John West, Francis & Hawte Wyatt.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[celticp...@gmail.com]

Dear Newsgroup ~

The following fine provides conclusive evidence that Joan de Cokefield, widow of Sir John de Tregoz, Lord Tregoz, married as her 3rd husband Sir William de Beauchamp, of Powick, Worcestershire [died 1354], younger son of Sir Walter de Beauchamp, of Alcester, Warwickshire.

National Archives, Feet of Fines dated 1334 (available at http://‌aalt.law.uh.edu/‌AALT7/‌CP25(1)/ ‌CP25_1_219_69-76/‌IMG_0264.htm).

Here is my abstract of the 1334 fine which is damaged and difficult to read:

In 1334 Roger Aunger, chaplain, and John Payn, of Caneford, clerk, conveyed the third part of the manor of Moulton, Suffolk to William son of Walter de Beauchamp, Knt. for life, with remainder to William son of William de Beauchamp and Elizabeth his wife and their heirs.

The manor of Moulton, Suffolk was part of Joan de Cokefield's inheritance. The younger William de Beauchamp named in the fine was the only child of William de Beauchamp and Joan de Cokefield. He married Elizabeth de Bradeston, daughter of Thomas de Bradeston, Knt., 1st Lord Bradeston.

The younger William de Beauchamp died before 1349 without issue. The manor of Moulton, Suffolk then passed to Sir John de Cheverston, the husband of William's half-sister, Thomasine de Hameldon.

Interestingly John Payn, of Caneford, clerk, shows up in another fine involving the elder William de Beauchamp, of Powick, Worcestershire:

In 1334–5 John de Mohaut and John Payn, of Canford, conveyed to William de Beauchamp the manors of Kinsham (in Bredon) and Caldecote (in Bredon), Worcestershire, with remainder in default of heirs to Thomas de Bradeston and his heirs.