Parishes: Widmerpole

WIDMERPOLE.

Doomsd Wimarspol. Wimears Poll or Spear; or, Wide mere Poole. In Wymarspol, of the Fee of Raph Fitz-Hubert, lay to Boney as much as was assessed to the Dane-geld, as one Bovat; this continued with Boney. But here was, of the Tainland, (fn. 1) a Mannor which one William had before the Conquest, and paid for it in the public Tax, as eleven Bovats. The Land was two Car. Aldene had there fourteen Sochm. two Vill. two Servants, with six Plows or Car. and twenty Acres of Meadow. In the Time of King Edward the Confessor, this was valued at 40s. of the Conqueror at 30s. There four Tains had Lands, which paid the Geld as six Bovats. The Land was one Car. Alden had there one Sochm. with three Oxen in Plow, and six Acres of Meadow. In the Confessor's Time this was 20s. then when the Survey was taken 6s.

It seems there was almost continually Suits between the Family of Crumbewell and that of Heriz, and their Posterity for this Place: for Raph de Crumwelle, 1 R. 1. (fn. 2) is certified by the Sheriff Raph Murdach to owe five Marks, for hastening his Right here against Robert de Heriz; but the Record saith he yet had not Right. Raph de Crumbewell, 5 H. 3. (fn. 3) claimed against I vo de Heriz three Parts of a Knight's Fee in Wydmerpol, in the County of Nott. whereof Haldoen his Ancestor was seized in the Time of King Hen. the elder (viz. the 1st) from whom the Right descended thus, viz. from Haldoen to Hugh his Son, from him to Raph his Son, whose Son and Heir Raph, was Father of the said Raph de Crumbewell then claiming. The great Suit in the Time of Henry the Sixth was between Raph Lord Crumbwell, and Sir Henry Pierpont, as in Gunnaston will be noted, where the Descent of this Family of Heriz shall also be inserted, being Lords of that as well as of this Place.

William de Heriz, by the Consent of his Wife Aelina (fn. 4) (Daughter and Heir of Robert de Whaton) and of Robert de Heriz his Brother, gave Arnald his Man, of Widmerpole, with his whole Land, viz. four Bovats, and all Customs and Services thereunto belonging, and his Mill at Widmerpole, and Wood out of his Woods at Huccanal, to make and mend it for ever; and half his Mill at Gonolveston, and the like Power in his Woods there, and divers other Things, to God and the Church of Lenton upon the great Altar, whereon this Gift was offered by himself and his Wife, in the Presence of very many Witnesses, Robert de Heriz, and William his Uncle, Simon Son of Richard, and Herbert his Brother, William Pietas (Pitty), and Roger his Brother, Robert the Sheriff, and William his Brother, Robert, Raph, and William his Son, Henry the Clerk of the Sheriff, and Henry of Huccanal, and Henry Medicus (Leech), Roger de Burthon, and Peter Palmer, Reginald de Aslacton, Walter de Whatton, and Richard his Son, Ambrose, and John, Plungun, and Fulc Servants of Sir Ulf de Wydmarpole, and Gilbert the Parson, and many others there named, Robert (de Heriz) his Brother confirmed the Gifts, and gave his whole Portion of Corn, growing on his Land at Widmerpole, with his Body to be there (viz. at Lenton) Christianly buried.

Ivo de Heriz, 13. (fn. 5) Joh. is certified to hold four Knights Fees of the Honor of Peverell, in Nott. and Derb. viz. in Orcroft half a Fee, in Gunnelveston half a Fee, in Widmarepol one Fee, in Tibbesell, Oggedestone, &c. one Fee.—

The last John de Heriz by Fine, 18 E. 2. (fn. 6) settled this Mannor of Gunaldeston, and the Darbyshire Lands, Winfeild and Tibghelf on himself for Life; then on Roger Beler for Life; then to Roger, the Son of the said Roger Beler, and Margaret the eldest Daughter of Richard de la Rivere, Knight, and the Heirs of their Bodies; then to Thomas Beler, Son of Roger, and to Margaret, the younger Daughter of the said Richard de la Revere, and the Heirs of their Bodies; Remainder to the right Heirs of the said John de Heriz.

This Manor, and that of Gunaldeston, after they had passed through the Families of Beler and Swillington, by the help of another Fine levied 9 H. 5. or 1 H. 6. by Sir John Gray, of Ingleby, in the County of Lincoln, and Margaret his Wife, Daughter and (after the Death of her Brother John) Heir of Sir Roger Swillington, wherein the last Remainder was to the right Heirs of Sir John Heriz, and by a great Suit in the Time of Henry the Sixth were, amongst others, upon Attonement obtained by the Family of Perpoint, descended of Sarah, Sister of Sir John Heriz; and the Right Honorable Henry, Marquis of Dorchester is now Lord of this Manor by Inheritance from his Ancestors of Heriz.

There is an ancient Family which had their Surname from their Residence here, which are still Owners of considerable Lands in this Lordship. (fn. 7) The first that I have noted of them, out of their own Evidences, is in the Time of Henry the Third, where John, the Son of John de Leke, conveyed three Bovats, and one Messuage in Widmerpole to Nicolas, the Son of Henry de Tydesworth; and in another Deed Walter, Son of Walter Salmon, of Widmerpole, and Alice his Wife released all their Claim in three Bovats, and one Mess. viz. those two which John de Valeye, Father of Alice, held of John Plunchun, and one Bovat of John de Heriz, to Nicolas, Son of Henry de Diddisworth. William de la Valeye, 12 E. 1. of Widmerpole passed four Acres of Land (fn. 8) there to Nicolas, (fn. 9) (fn. 10) Son of Nicolas de Widmerpole, and Maud his Wife. John, Son of Sir John de Heriz, Knight, 31 E. 1. granted and released to Nicolas, Son of Nicolas de Widmerpole, Marriage, Relief, &c. for Lands which the said Nicolas held of William, Son of Robert de la Valeye, then within Age. Thomas, Son of Nicolas de Widmerpole, married Elizabeth, Daughter and Heir of William de Sheffeld, of Wisou, as there is shown, by whom he had Issue Robert, which made a great Increase in the Patrimony (fn. 11) of this Family there and elsewhere, which yet continueth at this Place.

The Rectory was 15l. and Mr. Perpoint Patron. Now in the King's Books it is 14l. 16s. 0. 0b. and the Marquis of Dorchester Patron.

[Throsby] Widmorepole

LORDSHIP is open field; Charles Meadows, Esq. one of the representatives for the county, owns all the lordship, excepting one farm and some cottage land. Much of it is cold and rented low.

This part of Nottinghamshire we pass through without feeling those agreeable sensations which are the effects of pleasing variety: woods, water, rocky eminences, gentle swells of the earth, adorned with venerable oaks, under whose spreading branches the cattle shade themselves from the summer's heat, abound not here. It is a district in the county, comfortless in winter, in summer only tolerable; it serves however as a soil to the richer scenes which present themselves on the borders of a neighbouring county, which in their distant views create delight; but at our nearer approach are splendid, grand, and awful!

The Village consists of about 46 dwellings, which appear scattered upon a great deal of ground.

The Church is dedicated to St. Peter, and stands at an easy distance from the village on the side of a hill. It consists of a nave and two side aisles, with a plain spire steeple with three bells. It has a spacious chancel. The church is badly lighted and is very dirty. In it we are informed that John Henson died in 1718, aged 78; and a Thomas Henson died at the same age in 1761.

Register begins in 1539, but it is not very regular at the beginning. In five years there appears to have been buried 6 and baptised 12. In the last five years bap. 29, buried 17.

Patron, Charles Meadows, Esq. Incumbent, Rev. Mr. Gayes. Supposed worth — Archiepisc. pro. Syn. 4s. Archidiac. pro prox. 6s. 8d. Val in mans cum gleb. eid. pertin. per ann. 1l. 10s. in in dec gran, &c. Earl of Kingston presented in 1704. Duke of Kingston in 1731, and 1759.