Beatrice de Hotham

Beatrice, probably the daughter of Sir John de Hotham III and Agnes de Heslerton, married firstly Sir Robert Hansard, and secondly Sir John de Rochford the elder, son of Saier de Rochford.

Sir John Hotham III died before Trinity term 1370, when Agnes, widow of John de Hotham of Scorborough, chivaler, claimed one-third of 60 acres of land and 40s. rent in Blacktoft as dower [1]. How Sir John Hotham came to be holding land in Blacktoft, which the Hansard family held of the bishop of Durham, is not known. It is possible that Beatrice, the wife of Sir Robert Hansard (who died before May 1362) was a daughter of John de Hotham III. On 31 May 1362, Nicholas de Westerdale, keeper of the Black Prince's fees in the county of Lincoln, was ordered to allow Beatrice late the wife of Sir Robert Hansard to work and occupy the manor of South Kelsey. [2]

In June 1373, Sir John de Hotham V witnessed a charter of Robert Hansard, son of Sir Robert Hansard, granting the manor of Blacktoft and other lands to John de Rochford and Beatrice his wife, for the life of Beatrice [3]. John de Rochford was Beatrice's second husband. The charter was also witnessed by Sir Thomas de Sutton, who married Agnes, another daughter of John de Hotham III, and Adam Coppendale of Beverley who was married to Margery, another daughter of John de Hotham III.

Beatrice was still living in 1381, when John  de Rochford, knight and Beatrice his wife paid poll tax in Toft (Fishtoft) , Lincolnshire. [4] Sir John de Rochford the elder died about 1393.

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[1] De Banco 44 E. III as cited in Saltmarshe, History of the Hothams, 55.

[2] Register of Edward the Black Prince, Part 4: 1351-1365 (London, 1933), 440.

[3] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III, vol. 13: 1369–1374 (1911), 580.

[4] Carolyn C. Fenwick, ed., The Poll Taxes of 1377, 1379 and 1381, part 2 Lincolnshire-Westmorland (2001), 18.