The time of the De Stacy’s

BARTON STACEY

Bertune (xi cent.); Bertune/Berton Sacy (xiii cent.); Bertone Stacy, Barton Sacy (xiv cent.).

1199 charter from charter rolls
The Charter of 1199 from King John

The manor of BARTON STACEY, according to the Doomsday Survey, formed part of the ancient land of the Crown and had the duty to feed and entertain the King for half a day.   It seems to have belonged to the Crown till 1199, when it was granted by King John to Rogo de Sacy (or Stacey) probably with NEWTON,  which in 1086 had belonged to William son of Manne. This is where our story begins…

In mediæval times the manor was the nucleus of English rural life. It was an administrative unit of an extensive area of land. The whole of the area was  originally owned by the lord of the manor. He lived in the big house called the manor house. Attached to it were many acres of grassland and woodlands called the park. These were the “demesne lands” which were for the personal use of the lord of the manor. Dotted all round were the enclosed homes and land occupied by the “tenants of the manor”.

The estate was at first called the manors of Barton and Newton, but subsequently Barton Stacey only. Rogo was succeeded by his son Emery,  ( alternatively called  Aimery or Emerico) who in 1215 obtained from King John a charter granting him a weekly market every Saturday at Barton Stacey.

He obtained in 1231 a confirmation of the grant of 1199,  and in 1241 a confirmation of the charter of 1215 with an additional grant of a yearly fair on the vigil and feast of St. Margaret. 

1241-charter

1241 charter for market and Fair reproduced by permission of the National Records Office

The words and their translation with thanks to Jamie Leader

[Rex] archiepiscopis etc, salutem.   The King, to his archbishops etc, greeting.
Sciatis nos concessisse et hac carta nostra confirmasse Emerico de Sacy quod ipso et heredes sui in perpetuis habeam unum mercatum apud manerium suum de Bertonem singulis septimanis pro diem veneris quod quidem mercatum prius habuit de dono domini nostri Regis patris nostris pro diem sabatii.

 

et quod habeat illi singulis annis unam feriam duratam pro duos dies videlicet in vigil et in die sancte Margarete, nisi predictum mercatum et predicta feria sint ad nocumentum vicinorum mercatorum et vicinarum feriarum

  Know that we have granted and by this charter confirmed to Emery de Sacy that he and his heirs

in perpetuity should have a market at his manor of Barton once weekly on Fridays, which market he previously had by gift of our lord the King our father,  on Saturdays.

 

 

 

And that he should have there once annually a fair lasting two days, namely on the vigil and the day of Saint Margaret, unless the aforesaid market and aforesaid fair should be detrimental to neighboring markets or neighboring fairs

Quare uolumus etc. Testibus: Willo de Cantilupo, Johanne filius Galfri, Herberto filius Mathii, Bertramo de Oryoyl, Roberto de Mustegos, Johanne de Lexynton, Pautmo Peyure et aliis. Dat pro manum meam apud Westm. Viii die Ottob. Anno etc   Which things we desire, etc. Witnesses : William de Cantilupe, John son of Geoffrey, Herbert son Matthew, Bertram de Oryoyl, Robert de Mustegos, John de Lexington, Pautmo Peyure and others. Given by my hand at Westminster, 8th day of October, year etc.

On his death, c. 1253, the manor was divided between his two daughters, Isabel, who was twice married, first to Warin de Bassingbourn and secondly to Ralph Gascelyn, and Agnes, afterwards the wife of Peter Coudray.   Warin was given the custody of the land of Agnes ‘while she is under age and lives with her mother also called Agnes,’ on condition that he provided her with sufficient food and clothing and paid £15 yearly to the king.  A final settlement of the division of the estate between the sisters was made in 1269.     Meanwhile Emery’s son Peter de Sacy inherited his fathers lands in Pamber.

Before 1313 Agnes was succeeded by her son Thomas de Coudray,  who about 1324 settled his moiety of the manor of Barton Stacey on himself for life with remainder to his kinsman Fulk de Coudray and Joan his wife.  Thomas was afterwards knighted and died in 1348,  when the manor passed in accordance with the settlement to Fulk and Joan, who in 1370 granted it to Elizabeth de Coudray their kinswoman.

It was perhaps by her marriage that the estate passed to the Popham family, for in 1397 Philip Popham is said to have held it ‘of the inheritance of his late wife Elizabeth.’ Their son and heir Philip died in 1400,  and the inheritance was divided between his daughters Margaret and Maud,  but it was re-united in 1420 when Maud, who had married Peter Coudray, died, leaving her ‘ moiety of the moiety of Barton Stacey manor ‘ to her sister, then the wife of John Coudray.  Margaret was thrice married, but had children only by her second husband, Thomas Wayte. She died before her third husband, Robert Longe, who held the estate for life and was succeeded in 1447 by her son Thomas Wayte.  This Thomas died in the following year, and the estate then passed to the Longe family as the inheritance of his sister Margaret the wife of John Longe,  the younger son of Robert Longe by his first wife Alice. The Longes continued in possession until 1576,

moiety – a part or portion, especially a lesser share

Established by Royal Charter in 1241