William de Brantingham
Encyclopedia
Sir William de Brantingham was an English
noble
and clergy
man of the late fourteenth century, and the brother of Thomas de Brantingham
, bishop of Exeter
and Lord Treasurer
.
, a church dedicated to St Mary and St Stephen in the deanery
of Darlington
and under the patronage of the bishop of Durham.
of de Henley's estate
, granting the manor
of Henley to the Crown
, then worn by Edward III
(1327–1377).
Sir William also stood as legal guardian
to the last male heir of the de Cahaignes (or Keynes) family, high sherriffs of Dorset and Somerset
and lords of Dodford
in Northamptonshire
, and his sister Wentiliana. Following the death in boyhood of the heir in 1337 and, shortly afterwards, Wentiliana without issue, Sir William used "artful chicaneries" to transfer the estate of Dodford to John Cressy, a grandson of Lettice Ayote, herself great-aunt of the late heir and Wentiliana, instead of to one Alice, in whom "the right of inheritance clearly vested". The "chicaneries" were as follows:
In a notarial
instrument dated 13 February 1373/1374 and given in St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street
, London
, Sir William, together with Sir Hugh de Westwyck, also of the diocese of Durham
, William Wyntryngham, a clerk, John Kyllynghale and John de Rome, all three of the diocese of York
, were appointed as attorney
s by Sir John Werenham, chaplain
, canon
of Aukland
, Durham
, and prebendary
of "Fichynache", Durham
, to take possession of the prebend
, to let it and collect rents.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
and clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man of the late fourteenth century, and the brother of Thomas de Brantingham
Thomas de Brantingham
Thomas de Brantingham was an English clergyman who served as Lord Treasurer to Edward III and on two occasions to Richard II, and as bishop of Exeter from 1370 until his death...
, bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
and Lord Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
.
Religious roles
In 1379, on the death of Thomas de Levesham, Sir William was appointed rector of WolsinghamWolsingham
Wolsingham is a small market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope in North West Durham.-History:Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck...
, a church dedicated to St Mary and St Stephen in the deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
and under the patronage of the bishop of Durham.
Legal duties
On the death of John de Henley, who was without issue, Sir William acted as feoffeeFeoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
of de Henley's estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
, granting the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Henley to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
, then worn by Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
(1327–1377).
Sir William also stood as legal guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
to the last male heir of the de Cahaignes (or Keynes) family, high sherriffs of Dorset and Somerset
High Sheriff of Somerset
The Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...
and lords of Dodford
Dodford, Northamptonshire
Dodford is a village in the county of Northamptonshire, England, within the Weedon Ward of Daventry District. The village is just north of the A45 road 1½ miles west of Weedon. It is 3½ miles east of Daventry and ten miles west of Northampton. It is also close to junction 16 of the M1 motorway...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and his sister Wentiliana. Following the death in boyhood of the heir in 1337 and, shortly afterwards, Wentiliana without issue, Sir William used "artful chicaneries" to transfer the estate of Dodford to John Cressy, a grandson of Lettice Ayote, herself great-aunt of the late heir and Wentiliana, instead of to one Alice, in whom "the right of inheritance clearly vested". The "chicaneries" were as follows:
That after the death of Wentiliana, he excited (incited) a woman to present herself before persons unknown, and personate Elizabeth Keynes, as late coming from the Holy LandHoly LandThe Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, 'in white clothyn as it were in an estate of innocencye;' when on discreet examination she was found to be 'a beest envenymed through the covetye of the said Brantingham.'
In a notarial
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
instrument dated 13 February 1373/1374 and given in St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street
St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street
The Church of St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street was a Roman Catholic, and later Church of England, parish in the City of London, England. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt.-Location:St...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Sir William, together with Sir Hugh de Westwyck, also of the diocese of Durham
Diocese of Durham
The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic County Durham . It was created in AD 1000 to replace the Diocese of Lindisfarne...
, William Wyntryngham, a clerk, John Kyllynghale and John de Rome, all three of the diocese of York
Diocese of York
The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire....
, were appointed as attorney
Attorney (England and Wales)
The use of the term Attorney under English law differs from that of most other English-speaking countries, and terms such as 'Power of Attorney' thus have different meanings as well. Correspondingly, some composite terms such as Attorney-at-law are no longer used at all...
s by Sir John Werenham, chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Aukland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
, Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, and prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of "Fichynache", Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, to take possession of the prebend
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
, to let it and collect rents.