Robert de Hotham II

Robert son and heir of Thomas de Hotham I was probably born about 1200. He succeeded his father before 1222. He died before 1252 when his widow's name was Alice.

About 1220, or perhaps a little later, the abbot of Meaux gave to Nicholas de Stuteville, the homage and service of Robert de Hothom for two bovates of land in Cranswick [1].

About 1225, Robert son of Thomas de Hotham gave 9¾ bovates in Foston which he held of the fee of William de Percy to the church of Beverley [2]. In January 1228, Robert de Hotham was in dispute with the Abbot of Thornton and the Prior of Watton concerning the ownership of a tenement in Cranswick [3]. In November 1229, Robert de Hotham was amerced half a mark because he could not bring to court the person whom he had pledged [4] .

In 1230, Robert de Hotham was consolidating his land holdings in Scorborough. John de Beauver, one of the heirs of Roger Arundel, made an exchange with William the Constable, another of Roger's heirs, for William's mills in Scorborough in exchange for John's land in Nafferton. On 31 March 1230, John de Beauver granted the mills at Scorborough to Robert son and heir of Thomas de Hotham, who for greater security, quit-claimed them to his lord, Richard de Percy [5].

In 1240-42, Robert de Hothum was holding two knight's fees of Peter de Mauley in Hotham, Cranswick, Seaton Ross and Easthorpe [6]. These were the two knight's fees which his ancestor, Durand, son of William de Hothum held of William Fossard in 1166.

At an inquisition enrolled in the Hundred Rolls of Edward I, the jury found that Robert de Hothum held 5¾ bovates of land of William de Percy in Nafferton and that he had alienated them to Hugh de Driffield burgess of Beverley to hold of the chapter of St. John in Beverley, to the prejudice of the king, of whom William de Percy holds these lands in chief [7].

In 1251, Maud de Beauver, (the widow of John de Beauver) claimed that Robert de Hothum had disseised her of the third part of 60 acres of wood, with appurtenances in Holme. Robert acknowledged the disseisin and was committed to gaol, but was pardoned of the amercement because he was poor [8].

Robert de Hotham II died in or before 1252 when Alice widow of Robert de Hotham sued Peter de Welton for one third of 80 acres of land and 22 acres of meadow in Cranswick and Hutton, and one third of 4 bovates and 6 acres of land and 16 acres in Scorborough which she claimed as dower. Peter called to warrant Thomasde Hotham, brother of the said Robert, and with regard to Scorborough, John son and heir of the said Robert was under age and in the custody of Peter de Mauley II [9].

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[1] Bond, Chronicle of Meaux, 1:376.

[2] Facsimile of Lansdowne Manuscript in the British Museum in Saltmarshe, History of the Hothams, 28–9.

[3] Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III, vol. 2: 1225–1232 (1903), 208.

[4] Calendar of Fine Rolls, 14 Henry III, No. 5.

[5] Martin, Percy Chartulary, 116, No. 342.

[6] H. C. Maxwell Lyte, ed., Liber Feodorum. The Book of Fees Commonly Called Testa de Nevill. Part I, A.D. 1198-1242 (London: HMSO, 1920), 1098.

[7] W. Illingworth, ed., Rotuli Hundredorum Temp. Hen. III. & Edw. I. in Tur’ Lond’ et in Curia Receptae Scaccarij Westm. Asservati, vol. 1 (London, 1812), 114.

[8] Charles T. Clay, ed., Three Yorkshire Assize Rolls for the Reigns of King John and King Henry III, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series 44, 1911, 57.

[9] William Paley Baildon, Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire, Vol. 1, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series 17, 1895, 132.