Early Pedigree of Rocliffe of Rawcliffe, Yorkshire

The earlier parts of many visitation pedigrees should not be trusted without some corroborating evidence from contemporary documents. Recently I have been looking at the early part of the pedigree of Rocliffe of Rawcliffe in Yorkshire.

The hamlet of Rawcliffe lies about 3 miles north-west of York. In medieval times, it was on the edge of the royal hunting forest of Galtres, partly in the parish of St. Olave, York and partly in the parish of St. Michael le Belfry, York and was in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This Rawcliffe should not to be confused with Rawcliffe, in the parish of Snaith and Roecliffe in the parish of Aldborough. The hamlet was the home of a minor gentry family which rose to knightly status during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. There are numerous spellings of the family name.

The pedigree given by Flower in the 1563-64 visitation of Yorkshire [1] starts with a “Sir Rychard Roclyff of Roclyff by York” who is given three sons: Rychard Roclyffe, who married a daughter of Everingham of Laxton; John Roclyffe; and Sir Robert Roclyffe who is given two wives, Constance Malbysse and Margaret daughter of … Aldborough. This part of the pedigree seems to have been accepted by most subsequent writers and genealogists and is repeated with small variations in numerous internet pedigrees. However, it is certainly not correct.

The youngest of the three brothers was Sir Richard de Rocliffe. In September 1386, Sir Richard de Roucliffe of Pickering deposed in the Scrope-Grosvenor case that he was aged sixty-five and armed fifty-two years. [2] Thus, he was born in 1321 or earlier. The oldest of the brothers was John, since his granddaughter Ellen carried the manor of Rawcliffe to her husband John Ingleby of Ripley.

I have looked in vain for contemporary evidence of a Sir Richard Rocliffe who should have been alive in the period 1280 to 1340 and I can say with certainty that he never existed. So, who was the father of the three brothers? The answer lies in a fine dated in 1332, where the eldest son John is identified as “John son of David de Routheclyf” [3].

The only information that I have been able to discover about David de Rocliffe is that he was one of the hereditary Galtres forest officials. Between 1296 and 1305, he was a witness or juror at four inquisitions concerning forests in Yorkshire. [4] In one of the inquisitions he is described as a “regarder” of Galtres forest. He was certainly not a knight.

Below are brief biographies of the three sons of David de Rocliffe taken from contemporary records:

John de Rocliffe

John de Rocliffe was probably born about 1310. He became a soldier and on 13 April 1333, John son of David Rouclif had protection, going to Scotland until Michaelmas. He had a further protection on 1 November 1334, going to Scotland with Sir Thomas Ughtred.[5] John died before 6 April 1348 when the sheriff of York was ordered to cause a verderer for the forest of Galtres to be elected in place of John de Rouclyf, deceased.[6]

John married a lady named Margery (not shown in Flower’s visitation) before Easter 1332, when Stephen Sampson and Margaret his wife, granted two messuages and 10 bovates of land in Skelton near Rawcliffe to John son of David de Routheclyf and Margery his wife.[7] In Easter Term 1346, John de Rouclif and Margery his wife sold property in Wighill, Catterton, Walton and Follifoot, to John son of Brian de Folifait.[8] Margery survived John for many years. Before April 1353, she sued John de Herthill, chaplain, for not rendering an account of the time when he was her bailiff in Rawcliffe, and receiver of her money. [9] In 1364, Brian de Rouclif, chivaler, and Katherine his wife sold property in Rawcliffe, Skelton, Clifton and Aton to Margery widow of John de Rouclif, William Fairfax, and Guy de Rouclif son of Margery. [10] In November 1375, she claimed the marriage of her granddaughter, Ellen daughter and heir of Brian de Rouclif. [11] She was living in October 1380, when she and her son Guy are named as executors of Thomas de Middleton, citizen of York. [12]

John and Margery had three children:

• ·    Sir Brian de Rocliffe, about whom little is known. He married Katherine before 1364.[13] He was living in 1366 and died before 1375, when his heir was his daughter Ellen [14], who later married John son of Thomas de Ingleby of Ripley.
• ·   Guy de Rocliffe, king’s clerk, warden of the king's mint who died in December 1392 and was buried in the church of the Friars Preachers, London.[15]
• ·     Ellen de Rocliffe, who is said in Flower’s pedigree to have married Bygod and Fairfax. There is no evidence of a Bigod marriage, but she almost certainly married William Fairfax of Walton, Yorkshire.

Sir Robert de Rocliffe

Sir Robert de Rocliffe was probably born about 1315. He became a soldier like his elder brother and was a retainer of John de Beaumont, second Lord Beaumont, whom he served in Scotland in 1336-7 and the Low Countries in 1339. He was knighted about 1339.[16] In September 1344, January 1346, June 1348, and October 1349, he had protections when serving in the defence of Berwick.[17] He was appointed a justice of the statute of labourers in Yorkshire in July 1354, October 1354, and February 1355; on commissions of oyer and terminer in November 1356, December 1358, and May 1364; in August 1357, he was collector of a tax in the North Riding [18] and a commissioner of array in the North Riding in October 1366. [19] In February 1362, he was one of those accused of illegally hunting in the parks of queen Philippa in Yorkshire.[20] In 1362, he granted land in Scarborough to the Carmelite friars there. [21] He was one of the knights of the shire for Yorkshire at the Parliaments of February 1371, June 1371, and November 1373.[22] 

The will of Sir Robert de Rouclyf, knight is dated 16 September 1381 at Helperby. To be buried in the church before the altar of St. Mary, Scarborough. He mentions his sons, Robert, Brian, Guy, John, Reginald, daughter Margaret, and his wife Margaret. He makes Margaret his wife, Guy Rouclyff, canon of Ripon and canon John de Kereby his executors.[23]

Robert de Rocliffe married firstly, about 1339, Joan Ughtred, daughter of John Ughtred of Scarborough (died 1298) and Isabel de Meaux his wife. She was much older than Robert and widow of John de Routh who died in 1310 and Thomas de la Rivere of Brandsby, Yorkshire who died about 1338. She was born about 1293 in Gowthorpe in the parish of Fangfoss, Yorkshire. [24] It was probably through possession of his wife’s property and her dower lands that Robert qualified for knighthood. In Trinity term 1342, John de Rouclif and John de Middelton (probably Joan’s feoffees) conveyed property in Scarborough and Gowthorpe to Robert de Rouclif, chivaler, and Joan his wife in tail to the heirs of Joan.[25] About the same time, William de Bayeux (Bayous) brought a writ of formedon in the descender against Joan late the wife of Thomas de la Ryvere, concerning tenements (probably in Helperby) which Joan held and which William claimed were held in tail from William's ancestor.[26] In Easter term 1344, John Wacelyn and Hugh Martell granted the manor of Helperby to Robert de Rouclyf, chivaler, and Joan his wife, to hold to Robert and Joan and the heirs of Robert. John son of Thomas de la Ryver of Brandesby (Joan’s son) put in his claim. [27] About 1235, Helperby was granted by Geoffrey Dean of St. Peter's, York to Bevis son of Alexander de Bayeux and his issue by Isabel daughter of Richard de la Rivere, the ancestors of William de Bayeux. In 1375, after the death of William de Bayeux, the dean and chapter attempted to recover the manor from Robert de Rocliffe and Joan, because the issue of Bevis and Isabel had failed. [28] Robert tried to delay the court case by obtaining letters of protection going to the garrison in Berwick, but the king revoked the letters on a complaint by the dean and chapter.[29] The church recovered Helperby, but Robert must have made some agreement with them because his will was written there in 1381.

Robert is said to have married secondly, Margaret de Friston, daughter of John de Friston of Marston, Yorkshire by Joan Bustard his wife, but there is no contemporary evidence of this marriage. Margaret was a co-heir of her brother Richard (Bustard) de Friston who died on 7 November 1363, when she was aged 19 (born about 1344).[30] In April 1366, after the death of her grandmother Maud, widow of John Bustard, she was said to be aged 22 and married to John de Clifton.[31] It is unclear when John de Clifton died and when Margaret married Robert. After Robert’s death, she is said to have married Thomas Fairfax (died January 1395), but this seems unlikely. She died on 1 June 1422. [32]

Robert and Margaret had the following children mentioned in Robert’s will:

• ·      Guy Rocliffe, esquire, was made recorder of York in 1426. He married Joan, daughter of Thomas de Burgh, of Kirtlington, Nottinghamshire, by whom he had a large family.
• ·      Robert Rocliffe who is said to have married Anne, daughter of Miles Etton.[33]
• ·         Brian, John, Reginald, and
• ·         Margaret who is said to have married Richard de Aldeburgh.

Sir Richard de Rocliffe

Sir Richard de Rocliffe was born about 1320. He became a soldier like his elder brothers and in 1386 he stated that he was aged sixty-five and had been armed for fifty-two years.[34] Like his brother Robert, he appears to have entered the service of the Beaumont family. He was knighted before November 1341, when Sir Richard de Rocliffe had protection going to Scotland in the company of Henry de Beaumont.[35] The inquisition post mortem of Henry de Beaumont who died in June 1369 shows Richard holding half a knight’s fee in South Witham, Lincolnshire of Henry. [36] After Henry’s death, Richard became one of the household knights of John of Gaunt. Before June 1372, Gaunt appointed him as chief forester of Pickering. [37]

In July 1354, he was on a commission concerning the statute of labourers in Pickering; on commissions of oyer et terminer in August and September 1356 in Scarborough. [38] In February 1367 and May 1378, he was a commissioner of array in Yorkshire. [39] He gave evidence in the Scrope-Grosvenor controversy, but was too old and infirm to travel, so his deposition was taken at his house in Pickering on 24 September 1386. Richard stated that he had served on campaigns in France, Scotland, Brittany, Normandy, Spain, and Gascony. He appears to have died around 1390.

Richard de Rocliffe is said in Flower’s visitation pedigree to have married a daughter of Everingham of Laxton. His wife’s name was Elizabeth and numerous secondary sources make her a daughter of Adam de Everingham of Laxton (died February 1388) and his wife Joan Deiville. However, there is no contemporary evidence that Elizabeth was an Everingham of Laxton (or that she had a sister Margaret who married Hugh de Hastings).

On 20 October 1351, Richard de Rauclif and Elizabeth his wife were pardoned by the king for acquiring in tail from Henry de Bayeux the manor of Little Markham, which is a third part of one third part of the manor of Tuxford, held in chief, and entering therein without licence; and licence for them to retain the same in tail, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Richard.[40] This moiety of the manor of Tuxford appears to be the one ninth which was held by John de Bayeux who died before 1327. Sir Henry de Bayeux who conveyed the property to Richard and Elizabeth was probably his heir after the death of William de Bayeux, John’s son.

Richard and Elizabeth had three children:

• ·     Sir David Rocliffe, knight, married Margery Hesill in 1393 and died s.p. on 20 June 1407, when his heir was his sister Joan, wife of William Lascelles. [41]
• ·         Sir Richard Rocliffe, knight, who died s.p before his brother David.
• ·     Joan Rocliffe, who married William Lascelles of Sowerby, near Thirsk, Yorkshire and died on 7 August 1418 at Pickering. [42]

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[1] Charles Best Norcliffe, ed., The Visitation of Yorkshire in the Years 1563 and 1564 Made by William Flower Esquire, Norroy King of Arms, Harleian Society 16 (London, 1881), 265.

[2] N. Harris Nicolas, The Controversy Between Sir Richard Scrope and Sir Robert Grosvenor in the Court of Chivalry, vol. 2, 1832, 351.

[3] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/272/106, number 56 (YASRS, xlii, 47).

[4] William Brown, ed., Yorkshire Inquisitions, vol. 3, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series, 31 (1902), 45 and William Brown, ed., Yorkshire Inquisitions, vol. 4, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series, 37 (1906), 88, 91, 134.

[5] Grant S. Simpson and James D. Galbraith, eds., Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, vol. 5 (Supplementary) (1970), 491, 494.

[6] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III, vol. 8: 1341-1349 (1905), 444.

[7] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/272/106, number 56 (YASRS, xlii, 47).

[8] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/274/117, number 40 (YASRS, xlii, 185).

[9] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 9: 1350-1354 (1907), 425.

[10] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/276/126, number 50 (YASRS, lii 102).

[11] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 16: 1374-1377 (1916), 223.

[12] Chancery: Certificates of Statute Merchant and Statute Staple, C 241/166/31.

[13] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/276/126, number 50 (YASRS, lii 102).

[14] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 16: 1374-1377 (1916), 223.

[15] John W. Clay, ed., North Country Wills Being Abstracts of Wills Relating to the Counties of York, Nottingham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland at Somerset House and Lambeth Palace 1383 to 1558, Surtees Society 116, 1908, 248.

[16] Andrew Ayton, Knights and Warhorses: Military Service and the English Aristocracy Under Edward III (1999), 215.

[17] Grant S. Simpson and James D. Galbraith, eds., Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, vol. 5 (Supplementary) (1970), 516. 518.

[18] Calendar of Fine Rolls, vol. 7, Edward III: 1356-1358 (1923), 45.

[19] Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1354-1358, 61, 122, 124, 227, 493; 1358-1361, 160; 1361-1364, 539; 1364-1367, 364.

[20] Calendar of Patent Rolls, vol. 12: 1358-1361 (1912), 207.

[21] List of Inquisitions ad Quod Damnum, Part 2, Lists and Indexes, 22 (1906), 521.

[22] Calendar of Close Rolls, Edward III, vol. 13: 1369-1374 (1911), 289, 316, 611.

[23] James Raine, ed., Testamenta Eboracensia, Part I, Surtees Society, 4 (1836), 118.

[24] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 4: Edward I (1913), 272, No. 403.

[25] Feet of Fines, CP 25/1/274/115, number 50.

[26] Luke Owen Pike, ed., Year Books of the Reign of King Edward the Third, Year XVI (Second Part) (1900), 160-2.

[27] Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/274/116, number 53.

[28] William Page, ed., A History of the County of York North Riding, vol. 2 (1923), 100.

[29] Calendar of Patent Rolls, vol. 16: 1374-1377 (1916), 68.

[30] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 11, Edward III (1935), 427, No. 561.

[31] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 12, Edward III (1938), 44, No. 56.

[32] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 22, Henry VI (2003), No. 19.

[33] Vicary Gibbs and H. A. Doubleday, eds., Complete Peerage, vol. 5 (1926), 193.

[34] N. Harris Nicolas, The Controversy Between Sir Richard Scrope and Sir Robert Grosvenor in the Court of Chivalry, vol. 2 (1832), 350.

[35] Grant S. Simpson and James D. Galbraith, eds., Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, vol. 5 (Supplementary), 1970, 514.

[36] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 12, Edward III (1938), 294, no. 321.

[37] Sydney Armitage-Smith, ed., John of Gaunt's Register, vol. 1, Camden Third Series, 20 (1911), 286, No. 765.

[38] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 10: 1354-1358 (1909), 60, 453, 454.

[39] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 13: 1364-1367 (1912), 431, Calendar of Patent Rolls, Richard II, vol. 1: 1377-1381 (1895), 205.

[40] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 9: 1350-1354 (1907), 177.

[41] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 19, Henry IV (1992), No. 161-2.

[42] Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 21, 6 to 10 Henry V: 1418-1422 (2002), No. 77-8.