C.P. Correction: Sir William de Beauchamp, of Somerset [living 1331]

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Newsgroup ~

Complete Peerage 2 (1912): 48-50 (sub Beauchamp) includes an account of the Beauchamp family of Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. On page 49-50, it discusses Sir John de Beauchamp, Knt., 2nd Lord Beauchamp of Somerset [died 1343]. The author states he was the "2nd, but surviving son and heir" of his father, Sir John de Beauchamp, 1st Lord Beauchamp [died 1337].

In a footnote c on page 49, it is stated that William de Beauchamp, the "elder brother" of Sir John, 2nd Lord, died in their father's lifetime.

However, it appears that William de Beauchamp was actually the younger son of John de Beauchamp, 1st Lord Beauchamp, which fact removes the inference made by Complete Peerage that William died without issue in his father's lifetime. For several records which prove that William de Beauchamp was a younger son of his father, see Maxwell-Lyte, Two Registers formerly belonging to the Family of Beauchamp of Hatch (Somerset Rec. Soc. 35) (1920): 84, 106, 107, which may be viewed at the following weblink:

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015038663426;view=1up;seq=100

My research indicates that Sir William de Beauchamp, usually styled "of Somerset," occurs in records from 1326 through 1331. He appears to have held the manor of Dorton, Buckinghamshire, a Beauchamp family property. He was styled “Sir William de Beauchamp the younger son of the said Lord” [i.e., Sir John de Beauchamp of Somerset] on 4 April 1330.

The possibility exists that Sir William de Beauchamp, of Somerset, is the father/grandfather of William Beauchamp who was granted lands in 1394 in Wellington and Gundenham in Langford Budville, Somerset [Reference: Somerset Archive & Rec. Service: Kemeys-Tynte family of Halswell House, Goathurst, DD\S\WH/10 (available at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk). A certain William Beauchamp, of Wellington, Somerset is elsewhere identified as the grandfather of Joan Bittlesgate [living 1450], wife of Richard Wydeville, Knt. [died 1442], in Vincent’s Collections at the College of Arms. Sir Richard Wydeville and his wife, Joan, in turn were the parents of Sir Richard Wydeville, 1st Lord Rivers [died 1469]. William Beauchamp, of Wellington, was evidently a male line descendant of the Beauchamp family of Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset, as his descendants, the Wydevilles, quartered the vair arms of the Beauchamp of Somerset family.

For interest's sake, I've copied my current file account regarding Sir William de Beauchamp below.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

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WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP, Knt., younger son. In 1326 Reynold de Hampdene and his wife, Nichole, arraigned an assize of novel disseisin against William son of John de Beauchamp and others regarding common of pasture in Dorton, Buckinghamshire. In 1327–8 as “William son of John de Beauchamp of Somerset,” he sued William Tule touching an account as bailiff in Dorton, Buckinghamshire. In 1327–8 and 1331, as “William son of John de Beauchamp of Somerset,” he sued John de Wynkaulton [Wincanton] in the Court of Common Pleas regarding a reasonable account of the time he was his bailiff in Dorton, Buckinghamshire and his receiver of money. He was styled “Sir William de Beauchamp the younger son of the said Lord” [i.e., Sir John de Beauchamp of Somerset] in 1330. SIR WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP was living in 1331 (date of lawsuit).

References:

Index of Placita de Banco 1327–1328 1 (PRO Lists and Indexes 32) (1910): 26; 2 (PRO Lists and Indexes 32) (1910): 560. C.P. 2 (1912): 49, footnote c (sub Beauchamp) (author states in error that William was his father’s eldest son and died in the lifetime of his father). Maxwell-Lyte, Two Regs. formerly belonging to the Fam. of Beauchamp of Hatch (Somerset Rec. Soc. 35) (1920): 84, 106, 107. VCH Buckingham 4 (1927): 45–48. Court of Common Pleas, CP40/269, image 28f (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E3/CP40no269/aCP40no269fronts/IMG_0028.htm). Court of Common Pleas, CP40/273, image 27f (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E3/CP40no273/aCP40no273fronts/IMG_0027.htm). Court of Common Pleas, CP40/285, image 26f (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/E3/CP40no285/aCP40no285fronts/IMG_0026.htm). Justices Itinerant: JUST1, no. 1551, Image 2020, Year: 1326, Buckinghamshire (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT4/JUST1/JUST1no1551/IMG_2020.htm). National Archives, JUST 1/1551/7 (available at http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk).