Re: C.P. Addition: Basset Family of Weldon: Murder in Whittlewood Forest

Dear Newsgroup ~

Complete Peerage, 2 (1912): 12, footnote c (sub Basset) indicates that
various legal proceedings were lodged in the 1390's in an effort to
displace young Richard Basset as the lawful son and heir of Ralph
Basset, of Weldon, who died in 1385. Abstracts of two of these
proceedings have been published in Collections for a History of
Staffordshire, volume 15, a copy of which is presented below.

The first lawsuit was by filed by young Richard Basset's great uncle,
Thomas Basset, clerk, who outright claimed to be the real Basset family
heir. Following Thomas Basset's death, the legal proceedings were
continued by Thomas Basset's sisters' sons, Sir John de Aylesbury and
John Knyvet, who made the same claim to be the lawful heirs of the
Basset family estates.

Complete Peerage correctly states that the plaintiffs claimed in their
pleadings that young Richard Basset's grandparents, Richard Basset and
Joan de la Pole, died "s.p.m." (i.e., without male issue). In stating
this, though, the plaintiffs were implying, without saying so directly,
that young Richard Basset was illegitimate. That proving that Richard
Basset was illegitimate was the plaintiffs' real intent is indicated by
the notarial instrument dated 1390 which I've found elsewhere and
posted here on the newsgroup (see copy of my earlier post further
below). The instrument indicates that witnesses were produced who said
that young Richard Basset was the "son of Tybota Lovkyn" and that he
was "adopted" by his father, Ralph Basset. The plaintiffs further
claimed the Basset estates on the basis of an entail made in 1339.
Both Richard Basset's alleged illegitimacy and the claim on the basis
of the 1339 entail were overlooked by Complete Peerage in its account
of the lawsuits.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Website: www.royalancestry.net

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Item #1:
Extracts from the Plea Rolls.
De Banco. Michaelmas, 14 Richard II [1390].

"Northampton. The transcript of a fined was returned into Court at the
suit of Thomas Basset, clerk, son and heir of Ralph Basset of Weldon,
knight, and which had been levied in 13 Edward III [1339], between
Ralph Basset of Weldon, knight, plaintiff, and Roger Basset, parson of
the church of Arthyngeworth, and Henry, son of Philip Trayly,
deforciants of the manors of Weldon and Weston, near Ashele (with
certain exceptions detailed), and of the advowson of the priory of La
Launde, by which the said manors and advowson were settled on Ralph for
his life, with remainder to Ralph, son of the said Ralph Basset, and
Joan, daughter of Richard de la Pole, citizen of London, and to the
male heirs of the bodies of the said Ralph, son of Ralph and Joan, and
failing such, to the right heirs of the said Ralph Basset; and Thomas
Basset stated that the said Ralph Basset was dead, and Ralph, son of
Ralph and Joan had died, without leaving any male issue, and that one
Richard Basset held two parts of the said manors, and the advowson of
the priory, and one John Clisseby and Alianora his wife held the other
third part of the same manors, against the tenor of the above fine, and
he prayed for a writ against them to show cause, etc., and it was
granted, returnable at the Octaves of St. Hillary. m. 236, dorso."
[Reference: Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 15 (1894): 28].

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Item #2:
Extracts from the Plea Rolls.
De Banco. Easter. 19 Richard II [1396].

"Leyc. Staff. On the petition of John de Aylesbury, knight, and John
Knyvet, the transcript of a fine was returned into Court which had been
levied in 13 Edward III [1339] between Ralph Basset of Weldon, knight,
and Joan his wife, complainants, and Roger Basset parson of the church
of Arthyngworth, and Henry son of Philip Traylly, deforciants of the
manors of Thorp Langeton in co. Leycester and of the manor of Madele
(Madeley Alfac) in co. Stafford - By this fine the above manors were
settled on Ralph and Joan for their lives, with remainder to Ralph, son
of Ralph Basset of Weldon, and Joan daughter of Richard de la Pole,
citizen of London, and their male issue, and failing such, to revert to
the right heirs of Ralph; and the said John de Aylesbury and John
Knyvet stated that Ralph Basset was dead and that Ralph son of Ralph
and Joan his wife had died leaving no male issue, and that they were
the nearest heirs of Ralph Basset of Weldon and that one Richard Basset
had entered the manor of Madele in co. Stafford and held it against the
tenor of the fine - and they prayed he might be summoned to show cause,
etc. and it was granted returnable on the Octaves of Holy Trinity. A
postscript states that afterwards on the Quindene of Easter 21 Richard
II [1398], the plaintiffs prayed for new writs summoning the said
Richard Basset to show cause why the manors of Madeley and Thorpe
Langton should not remain to them according to the tenor of the fine,
and they were granted to them returnable on the following Octaves of
St. Michael. m. 152, dorso." [Reference: Collections for a History of
Staffordshire, 15 (1894): 73].


Douglas Richardson wrote:
< Dear Newsgroup ~
<
< As a followup to my original post regarding the inheritance of
Richard
< Basset of Weldon and his subsequent murder in 1400, I've located the
< abstract of a Basset family document in the helpful online National
< Archives catalogue
< (http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search.asp). This
< document is dated 1390. It concerns charges regarding the alleged
< illegitimacy of young Richard Basset, son and heir of Ralph Basset of
< Weldon. These charges were overlooked by Complete Peerage's account
of
< this family.
<
< Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
<
< Website: www.royalancestry.net
<
< + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
< C 270/33/21
< Notarial instrument in form of letters patent of the dean of
Coventry,
< of evidence of witnesses produced by Sir Thomas de Aylesbury, knight,
< in case between heirs of Ralph Basset of Weldon and Ralph's pretended
< son, Richard: that Richard was son of Tybota Lovkyn and adopted by
< Ralph. Date: 1390.

.

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