Waldeboef family
Stewart Baldwin
Here is my account of the Waldeboef family which was promised in an
earlier posting. Since the Herefordshire family is the most prominent
one in the records during the relevant period, and has individuals of
the correct names, there seems to be little doubt that the John son of
William son of John Waldeboef mentioned in RP were of the
Herefordshire family. I have not attempted to trace the earlier
history of the family. Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, series
5, 9, 77-83, has an account of an earlier Bedfordshire family named
Weldebof which may or may not be relevant.
WALDEBOEF of GATTERTOP, in HEREFORDSHIRE
1. JOHN de WALDEBOEF [mentioned 1242-3 to 1251]. In 1242-3, John de
"Waudebuef" was holding a half part of the manor of Gattertop and a
half part of Upton, both in the hundred in Leominster in the county of
Hereford [BF 2, 800, 806, 813]. John de Waldebeof was mentioned with
regard to an inqusition held at Hereford on 30 Aug. 1251 [CIM 1, 555].
During the period 1247-58* [see note below], John de Waldebof, among
others, was given protection as long as he was in Wales in the king's
service [CPR Hen. 3, 4, 596]. John de Waldeboef married Mary,
daughter and eventually heiress of Reginald, king of Man [RP].
Son of John de Waldeboef and Mary of Man [RP]:
2. WILLIAM de WALDEBOEF.
2. WILLIAM de WALDEBOEF, son of John de Waldeboef, was apparently
deceased by 29 Jan. 27 Edward I [1298/9], is known only from the Roll
of Parliament for 1305, which names him as son of Mary of Man by John
de Waldeboef, and father of the John de Waldeboef who unsuccessfully
claimed the Isle of Man in 1305.
Son of William de Waldeboef [RP]:
3. JOHN de WALDEBOEF.
3. JOHN de WALDEBOEF [mentioned 1299 to 1305], son of William de
Waldeboef. At an Inquisition post mortem for Humphrey de Bohun, earl
of Hereford and Essex, made at Hereford on 29 Jan. 27 Edward I
[1298/9], John de Waldeboef was listed as a tenant holding 2 knight's
fees [CIPM 3, 426]. In 1303, he held a fourth part of Gattertop (one
knight's fee), and a fourth part of Upton (one knight's fee) [FA 2,
382]. In 1305, he petitioned for the Isle of Man as son and heir of
William de Waldeboef, son and heir of Mary of Man [RP], which is
presumed to have been unsuccessful, as no further notice is found
connecting the Waldboef's to the Isle of Man.
Son of John de Waldeboef [CCR Ed. 2, 3, 484]:
4. WILLIAM WALDEBOEF.
4. WILLIAM WALDEBOEF [mentioned 1317 to 1355], son of John de
Waldeboef. On 5 May 1317, William Waldebeof, was staying with Roger
de Mortimer of Wigmore in Ireland, and had letters nominating Hugh
Hakelut and Richard Shour as his attorneys for one year in Ireland
[CPR Ed. 2, 2, 650]. On 9 Aug. 1321, Robert de Neuburgh acknowedged
that he owed William, son of John Waldebeef, 20 pounds [CCR Ed. 2, 3,
484]. On 6 June 1322, a William Waldebefe was one of several who were
to be delivered from Gloucester prison to answer for alleged adherance
to Roger Damory and other of the king's "contrariants" [CCR Ed. 2, 3,
457]. On 17 Aug. 1323, William Waldebeof of co. Hereford gave
security by oath [CFR 3, 234], and on 20 March 1324, at the request of
Edmund, earl of Arundel, was pardoned as a rebel, with restitution of
his lands and goods [CPR Ed. 2, 4, 394]. On 3 Oct. 1337, a William
Waldeboef was among those listed as going beyond the sea in the king's
service with William de Bohun, earl of Northampton [CPR Ed. 3, 3,
530]. In 1346, William de Waldeboef was named as holding a fourth
part each of Gattertop and Upton which had been formerly held by John
Waldeboef [FA 2, 398]. On 10 Feb 1355, William de Waldeboef gave a
messuage and 80 acres of land in "Draycote" to the prioress and nuns
of Lyngebrok/Lingebroc, to celebrate the anniversary of the said
William and Joan his wife every year after their death. This land
would appear to be that called Upton in other records, for the later
records do not show the Waldboef's in possession of Upton, and the
prioress of Lingebroc held a fourth part of Upton in 1428 [FA 2, 414].
The possession of Gattertop can then be followed through three more
Waldboefs, still alternating with the names John and William, but the
exact relationships are not stated in the records found so far, and it
is not clear whether they formed a father-to-son series or were
related in some other way.
5. JOHN WALDEBOEF [mentioned 1373 to 1384]. At an Inquisition post
mortem for Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford and Essex, made at
Hereford on 25 Jan. 47 Edward III [1373/4], John de Waldeboef was
listed as a tenant holding one knight's fee in Gattertop, and one-half
a knight's fee in Lanhankelok [CIPM 13, 140]. On 9 Sep. 1358, a John
Waldeboef (the same?) was among many pardoned with regard to the death
of one William de Wickestude [REBP 3, 323]. On 22 Dec. 1384, John
"Waldebeef" was mentioned as holding a moiety of one knight's fee in
Lanhankelok [CCR Ric. 2, 2, 512].
6. WILLIAM WALDEBOEF (WALDEBUF) [before 1428], was mentioned in 1428
as having formerly held Gattertop (see below).
7. JOHN WALDEBOEF (WALDEBUF) [mentioned 1428 to 1431]. In 1428, John
Waldebuf was named as holding a fourth part Gattertop which William
Waldebuf had formerly held [FA 2, 414], and he was still holding it in
1431 [FA 2, 422].
Other mentions of men named Waldeboef occur during the same period, of
whom two are also associated with Herefordshire. On 16 Feb. 1317, a
Roger le Waldebef, with many others, was accused of mowing grass in a
park at Dorsinton, co. Hereford [CPR Ed. 2, 2, 683], and on 28 Nov.
1386, a certain Geoffrey Waldebeof was appointed as tax collector in
co. Hereford [CFR 10, 157]. The latter is especially interesting in
light of a chancery case for the period 1500-1515, between John
Barette and Margaret his wife, daughter of Sybille, daughter of
Johanne, daughter of Geoffrey Waldebeof, and David ap Guillim Morgan
and Margaret his wife, concerning a detention of deeds relating to
"Draicotis", a parcel of the manor of Gattertop, co. Hereford [Early
Chancery Proceedings, Bundle 289, case 60, see Lists and Indexes 29,
157]. Thus, it would appear that there were still descendants of this
family living in Hereford in the early sixteenth century.
WALDEBOEF/WALBYF of BRECKNOCKSHIRE
As already noted above, a John Waldboef (#5 in the above list) was
holding land called "Lanhankelok" in 1372 and 1384. This would appear
to be the same as Llanhamlach (Llanhanlegh) in Brecknockshire, which
was being held by a "Walbyf" or "Walbieffe" family in the sixteenth
century. Unfortunately, I know of no good source for this family
prior to the sixteenth century, but it does appear that this
Brecknockshire family was a branch of the Herefordshire family. Dwnn
ii, 53 [see also pp. 37-8] does have a visitation of this family taken
on 1 Nov. 1603. Briefly, the pedigree of the main line goes as
follows:
Sir John Walby [sic], came to the conquest of Brecknock in the company
of Barnard Newmarkett [i.e. Bernard de Neufmarché] in the year 1060.
|
Sir John Walbyf, knight, lord of Lanhanlegh
|
Sir Walbyf md. Jane dau. Miles Pritchard
|
Phillip Walbyf, Esq., md. Jane, dau. of Sir Humphrey Stanley, earl of
Derby and Lord of the Isle of Man
|
Phillip Walbyf, Esq., md. Angharad, dau. Gwallter Sais
|
Jenkin Walbyf, Esq., md. Annes, dau. Thomas ap Hoell
|
William Walbyf, Esq., md. Margrett, dau. Ieuan ap Owain
|
Jenkin Walbyf, Esq., md. Jonett, dau. Jenkin Gwnter
|
Robert Walbyf, Esq., md. Mawd, dau. Watkin ap John
|
John Walbyf, Esq., md. NN, dau. John ap John
|
William Walbyf, Esq., living 1602
This pedigree is clearly bogus at the upper levels, for it only shows
ten generations between an alleged contemporary of Bernard de
Neufmarché (eleventh century) and a man living in 1602, giving a 50+
year per generation average. Also, there never was an earl of Derby
named Humphrey Stanley. Nevertheless, the statement that he was Lord
of the Isle of Man does suggest that the family had some memory of
having a claim to the Isle of Man. Combining the data from RP with
other information at his disposal (mostly uncited), Theophilus Jones
gave the following pedigree [Jones, Brecknock, 2, 455]:
John Walbieffe, to England with the Conqueror
|
Sir Humphrey Walbieffe
|
Sir John Walbieffe, companion of Bernard Newmarch [sic], md. Mary,
daughter of Reginald, king of Man.
|
Sir William Walbieffe, md. Jane, dau. Sir Miles Pitcher
|
Sir John Walbieffe, md. Margaret, dau. John ap John
|
Sir William Walbieffe
|
Philip Walbieffe, md. Jane, dau Sir Humphrey Solers
|
Philpott Walbieffe, md. Gwenllian, dau. Evan Trahearn
|
Jenkin Walbieffe, md. Anne, dau. Thomas Powel Llewelyn
|
William Walbieffe, md. Margaret, dau. Jeuan Owen Llewelyn
|
John Walbieffe, md. Margaret, dau. Morgan Evan David
|
Jenkin Walbieffe, md. Jennet, dau. Jenkin Gunter
|
John Walbieffe, md. Maud, dau. Meredith ap Morgan
|
Robert Walbieffe, md. Maud, dau. Watkin John
|
John Walbieffe, md. Gwladis, dau. Evan ap John
|
William Walbieffe, md. Catherine, dau. John Games
Note the serious differences between this account and the visitation
of Dwnn. Other than the data from RP which was obviously being used
here, the account of Jones shows no indication of any contemporary
source prior to the sixteenth century. Given the lack of cited
sources, and the extremely sloppy chronology used by Jones (the John
Waldeboef/Walbieffe who married Mary of Man in the thirteenth century
could obviously not have been a contemporary of Bernard de Neufmarché
in the eleventh century), there is no good reason to trust the account
of Jones.
Bartrum, in his Welsh genealogies, does not treat the Waldeboef/Walbyf
family, but does include a few individuals who married into other
lines he covered. However, there do not seem to be any good
chronological fixes for these individuals, so it is difficult to
estimate how far back the above two genealogies might be accurate
before the bogus parts begin. Nevertheless, it does seem very likely
that the Brecknockshire family was a branch of the Herefordshire
family, and therefore descendants of the marriage to Mary of Man, even
if it is not possible, based on the evidence seen so far, to determine
the exact line of descent.
Sources:
BF = Book of Fees
CCR = Calendar of the Close Rolls
CFR = Calendar of the Fine Rolls
CIM = Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous
CIPM = Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem
CPR = Calendar of the Patent Rolls
Dwnn = Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches, between
the years 1596 and 1613, ..., by Lewys Dwnn, edited with notes by Sir
Samuel Rush Meyrick (Llandovery, Wales, 1846)
FA = Feudal Aids
Jones, Brecknock = Theophilus Jones, History of the County of
Brecknock (2 vols, Brecknock, 1809)
RP = Rolls of Parliament for 33 Edward I, as printed, with
translation, in Manx Society 7 (1861), 135-6.
REBP = Register of Edward the Black Prince
*Note: An actual date is presumably given by the source cited, but I
carelessly neglected to write it down when I was taking my notes, and
since the nearest copy of that volume of CPR which I know about is
more than 150 miles away from where I live, it is difficult for me to
rectify that omission right away. Thus, unless some kind soul who has
easy access to this volume wants to provide an exact date from that
source, an interval of years will have to do for the moment.
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Stewart Baldwin