The “Brettons” of West Bretton from
Adam Fitz Swein de Bretton
The
direct pedigree of the Bretton family (of Flockton Green and West Bretton)
is considered fairly accurate back to about the middle 1400's, mainly
through the work of Dom Hugh Bowler, the Roman Catholic historian who spent a
great deal of time on tracing the life, and martyrdom, of Blessed John Bretton.
Before that there are numerous mentions of "Brettons'" in , for
instance, "The Burghs of Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire" by J. W. Walker
C.B.E., F.S.A., in the Yorkshire Archaeological Society Journal XXX p.312 :
"The Chartulery of the Abbey of Byland" in the 12th Century :
and Hunter's "Deanery of Doncaster" vol II Yorkshire (1831). The
"History of Barnsley" by Jackson and "Angles, Danes and Norse in
the District of Huddersfield" by W. G. Collingwood, and the "History
of Monk Bretton Priory” have also provided information - as well as the Court
Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, ”Wakefield - its’ History and People” by
J. W. Walker, and “West Yorkshire- An Archaeological Survey to 1500”.
Further information was contained in “ A Literary and Biographical History or
Biographical Dictionary of the English Catholics from the breach with Rome in
1534 to the present time” Vol. I.
by Joseph Gillow published in 1895.
The
information tends to be in scraps and, unless documents which may have been kept
privately now arrive in the public domain (in such a place where they may be
seen by future searchers) it is unlikely that the missing links will be filled
in. For the benefit of (any) future research the following information has been
culled from the above sources. It
is both an attempt to assemble as many pieces of a jigsaw as possible, in the
hope of completing (so far as possible) the picture, and an attempt to provide
an interesting glimpse of the way people lived in the 12th to 16th centuries.
Even more important in a family history it is, to us, quite fascinating
in its glimpses of the life of our ancestors so many years ago.
To put the way of life in the 11th to 15th centuries into perspective let me quote a few examples from the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield. These have nothing to do with the Bretton family but are striking examples of how hard the life was.
1.
(1274) "It is presented that Alice, widow of Elias Baugeclar broke the barn
of Robert, son of Henry de Crigeliston, and stole four sheaves of corn ; Robert
pursued her and took the corn from her and allowed her to go. Fined 13s 4d"
She did not wait for the fine and immediately became a fugitive. The
Court Rolls showed an almost immediate followup
- "These are the chattels which were found in the house of Alice, widow of
Elias Baugeclar, a fugitive, viz., 3 bushels of Draget, sold for 8d. 1 quarter
of oats, sold for 17d.., half a quarter of a bushel of oats for 10d, a small
hutch (a “hutch” was a kind of cupboard) value 6d.,one empty jar value 7d.,
and other small utensils value 2d.
Total 4s. 2d. The Grave of Sandale is to seize them into the Earl's hands"
and finally " Robert, son of Henry de Crigeliston gives 2s for license to
take all the land which Alice, wife of Elias de Baugeclar, a fugitive, held of
the Earl in Crigeliston, for ever, doing services and customs"
So not only was she fined over three times the value of all her chattels
but her accuser then took over the lands she had tenanted. It appears that she
never returned home after being caught since, if she had done, she must surely
have taken with her the food that was later found in her home. It seems fair to
assume therefore that the contents listed above represent everything she
possessed.
2.
The privilege of Infangthief was exercised by the Earls Warrene in Wakefield. This was the
right to execute in a summary manner all thieves who were taken with the stolen
goods in their hands. Starting in the Anglo-Saxon times this was retained in
Wakefield until the 1650’s and was the decision of a jury of 12 tenants of the
manor. and the death sentence depended upon the coroner being present. In 1275
Jack of Ireland was prosecuted for stealing a robe of burrell ( a coarse woollen
cloth of a reddish hue). The verdict of the jury was that he should hang.
In
1314 John de Blackhowmore was brought up for breaking into the house of Roger
Walgar and stealing goods valued at 10 shillings and he was executed.
In
1332 Richard de Rode was prosecuted for breaking into the house of Johanna de
Tothill’s father and stealing her clasps
and jewellery to the value of 20 shillings. He was hanged.
Also
in 1332 John Race was beheaded for robbery and his house and lands of 25 acres
were confiscated.
It
was a very hard life indeed for everyone.
But
now back to the items mentioning members of our own family ..................
Hugh
de Bretoil (spelling ?) was a witness to a charter from King Henry II granting
Dodworth to the monks of Pontefract (between 1154 and 1189)
Page
556 (West Bretton) 1166 An
Archeaeol. Survey.....
West
Bretton hamlet, charters of which have been published by Sir Charles Clay and
Farrer may have been held in 1166 by Ulfketill de Bretton, whose son Sveinn
granted and quit-claimed Smitherode in Bretton to Byland Abbey between 1190 and
1220, a gift confirmed by Henry de Bretton and Hugh, Sveinn’s brother and son
respectively. In 1202 Sveinn de Bretton and his wife Matillis released their
right in 2 bovates of land in Bretton to Alan de Crigglestone in exchange for
Alan’s release of his right in another 6 bovates there. Sveinn was granted a
bovate of land in Bretton by Adam
son of Thomas in 1219. Sveinn’s son Hugh leased his meadow to the north of his
mill to Ralph de Horbury from which Ralph was to have the hay crop from 1251 to
1271.
Peter,
another of Sveinn’s sons, granted his land in Bretton to Thomas fitzWilliam in
the mid thirteenth century.
Between
1190 and 1200 Peter son of Orm and William his son; Swein, son of Ulkile de
Bretton, Henry de Bretton, brother of Swein; Hugh, son of Swein, and Alan de
Criggleston granted Byland Abbey 10 acres of land in Bretton with common pasture
for 200 sheep and as many oxen could plough the land. His holding was probably
an undertenancy but it is not clear whether it lay in West Bretton hamlet or in
Bretton hamlet. A note for the above statement says that he gave them 10 acres
in Brectona wheresoever they should chuse, to wit, Rushcliff and Trunclive and
three acres under Trunclive with right of common for forty sheep and such cattle
as were requisite to plough the land. William the son confirmed this gift : and
amongst the witnesses were Sir William de Bretton, Sir Robert de Holland, Hugh,
son of Swein de Bretton. The same
10 acres were leased in 1317 to John de Dronfield
(Hunter’s “deanery of Doncaster Vol II) (1831)
Page
558 Bretton 1166 (West Yorks - an Arch. survey)
Hunter
has proved the descent of the manor of Bretton through the Dronsfield family (with whom the Bretton family had links dating back to the conquest)
In
the early 1200’s Thomas de Dicton and his brother Henry bought much land in
Woolley from (amongst others) the Brettons of West Bretton.Y.A. J. VolxxvII p.264
Between
1246 and 1258 Adam de Hoyland released all his claim to the land which William
de Bretton had held in Bretton, Cumberworth and elsewhere to William de
Dronsfield.....
Richard
de Bretton who was alive in 1158 had three
sons - Alan, Adam and Richard de Bretton. Adam
de Bretton had three bovates of land at High
Hoyland, a neighbouring village to West Bretton in 1176 and had a son -
William
Fitz Adam de Bretton who was alive in 1200. ("Fitz" is from the French
Fils and means "son of")
William
de Bretton was a witness to a charter of Richard de Craven to Pontefract Priory
during the reign of Henry II (before 1189)
"Charter
of Henry Rasur de Bretton granting to the monks of
St. John of Pontefract (with the consent of Alice, his wife) the land
situate nigh to the Bridge of Barnsley, towards the north, which is called
Stephene Crimbil, with all the liberties and easements belonging thereto, and to
the land called Lagelay, to hold in pure and perpetual alms, for the salvation
of the souls of the said Henry and
Alice and of their ancestors. A
witness was Hugh son of John de Bretton (from History of Barnsley - during early
years of the reign of King John - 1199 to 1216)
A
John de Bretton witnessed a Sykes of Flockton deed c. 1200.
Between
Swanus de Bretton & Matilda his mother demand(t) & Alan de Crigleston
ten(t), of 2 bouates (bovates) of land with the appurtenances in Bretton, the
right of Alan & his heires for euer (ever) And Alan remitted etc all his
right and claime which he had in 6
bouates of land with the appurtenances in Bretton which John de Thurgarland (Thurgoland)
held to the forsaid Swanus & Maud and their heires for ever. (Fines 4 John
[1202-3] Wapentake of Agbrigg) {additional note to this entry stated that
"the Prior of Bretton is returned as Lord of West Bretton in this wapentake" - 9 E 2 1315/1316} Note:It is extremely interesting to see (above) the the
Archaeological Survey to 1500 describes this transaction as being carried out by
Sveinn de Bretton and Matillis his wife
rather than Swanus de Bretton and Matilda his mother !!
William
de Bretton was a witness to a charter in the 7th year of the reign of King Henry
III (1223)
William
de Bretton was a witness to a charter in the reign of Henry III (page 70 - Hist.
of B.)
William
de Bretton was a witness to an agreement in 1242 between Rafe de Horbiry and
Henry, son of Elias de Ketelesthorp (Dodsworth’s Yorkshire Notes under heading
Ketelthorp)
Henry,
son of John de Bretton witnessed a charter (King Henry III reign ? - 1216 to
1272)
(unfortunately many early deeds were not dated) (page 75 H. of B.)
"Charter
of John de Cellario de Bretton, granting to Gerard de Bernesley,
son of Averdus, and his heirs and assigns, two crimbles in the fields of
Bretton, viz., those which belong
to his two assarts, to wit, Lamerod and Langlay which he held of the Lord Prior
of Bretton (Monk Bretton) which lay nigh unto the Mill of Bernesley,
and one crimble butted on the Mill, and the other end of the water, and
one end of one crimble butted on the Dearne, and the other end on the bridge. To
hold to him and his heirs in fee and inheritance, freely and quietly, paying
thereout annually three pence in lieu of all service at the Annunciation of the
Blessed Mary. For that grant the said Gerard gave him two shillings as the
price". One witness was John son of Hugh de Bretton (page 80 H. of B.)
Dominus (knight) William de Bretton was a witness to a charter of
Adam de Oldfield (in Henry III reign ?) page (81 H of B.)
A
William de Bretton ( the Dominus William above ?) witnessed a Whitley deed
c.1230. and a Scoley deed in the same year. (Scoley is not even a hamlet -
described as on the right hand side of the road to Pontefract from Hemsworth and
almost due south of Nostell.
The
name "Sir William de Bretton" (possibly the same William) appears in
several charters c. 1250 [The title "Sir" was commonly used for
priests before the reformation but it may have been a knighthood] In a deed
around 1230’s/40’s William de Bretton is described as “Dominus” --Knight
- in the Pontefract Chartulary
A "Swein de Bretton" and Matilda
(Maud) his mother (wife, in another record), are mentioned in 1202
Swein
de Bretton, son of Ulkile de Bretton (Ulfkettil in another record) is probably
the same person. (Whilst these names would confirm a saxon origin for the
Brettons, Swein had a brother, Henry, which is a Norman name and at least 5
sons, Hugh, Robert, William, Henry and John.
(History
of Sandal Castle mentions that "Bretton" is an old British (Saxon)
name.)
Robert,
son of Swein de Bretton grants to Agnes, daughter of Sir Thomas Fitz-William,
land and a house which he has in Bretton, conditionally that she rendered
annually to the light before the
altar of St. Mary, in the church of Sandal, one penny, ad Pascham floridam, for
all services, suit of court etc. saving the service to the chief lord of the
fee, with warranty against all men, as well Jews as Christians. (Hunter’s
Deanery of Doncaster Vol II - also on page 325 of "Wakefield it's history
and people" by Walker.)
Hugh
de Bretton is noted in a deed of 1251. "Convention between Ralph de Horbury
and Hugh, son of Swein de Bretton. Hugh demises to Ralph his meadow on the north
side of the mill of the said Hugh for twenty years for a certain sum of money
given in magna necessitude sua : the first crop to be taken in 1251 and the last
in 1271, Ralph to have sufficient hedge-wood from the wood of the said Hugh to
inclose the meadow, or to ditch it, whichever shall be thought the most
expedient. Hugh engages that Ralph shall have a suitable road for leading his
hay" Witnesses Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam, Sir William de Bretton, etc.
“John, son of Thorold de Bretton to Agnes, daughter of Sir Thomas Fitz-William, land and tenements, with all services etc to hold at a rent of 6d. (Hunter....)
Robert,
son of Thorold de Bretton, to Juliana, his sister, for her homage and service
and for 20s paid as a gersome, totum illud toftum cum edificiis deuper plantatis,
quod Willielmus frater mens quondam tenuit in West Bretton with two acres in Bromley to hold at a rent of 2s. (Hunter....)
John,
son of Geoffrey de Clayton, to Alexander son of Hugh de Brettona messuage with
common of pasture, rendering annually twelve pence of silver fratribus
Hospitalis Irlhm. scil. de Nova Terra, Newland. (Hunter....)
Sir
William de Bretton witnessed a charter from Thomas Faber to Sir Ralph de Horbiri
of a toft in Bretton and six acres. (Hunter.....)
Roger
son of Osilsete (Ossett) to William de Clayton, all lands in West Bretton in the
places undermentioned : Scrikhurst, Mapilhurst, Laterod, Walterode, Grescroft,
Haldenrod, Crofton, Water-rod juxta
Grescroft, Fitchfield juxta aulam, Westfield versus Clayton and Bromley, to hold
to the chief lord by homage and service and rent to him of 5s. per annum and Ixd
per annum to the brothers of the hospital of Jerusalem. Witnesses Sir William de
Bretton, Sir Thomas de Horbiri, Swain de Bretton, Hugh, Robert, William and
Henry, his sons........... (Hunter.........)
Note
We
mentioned earlier references to the relationship between the de Brettons and the
Dronsfields. Hunter states that the respective Lords of the manor of West
Bretton were the Brettons, the Dronsfields and the Wentworths. The
Wentworths later married into the Blackett/ Beaumonts from whom the last Lord of
the manor of Bretton (and the last occupant of Bretton Hall) - Lord Allandale - sprang.
Lord Allandale sold the estate in the mid 1900’s and resided then at
his other estates in Northumberland. The Colonel Blackett/Beaumont who bought
Bretton Hall in the 1700’s was descended from the Beaumonts of Beaumont,
Whitley who were in fact de Brettons’ who changed their name on moving to
Beaumont - so the wheel had come full circle.
Hunter
then goes on to discuss this. He says :- “Hitherto there has been no
appearance of the Dronefields or Dronsfields, for the name is written both ways
in their early charters, in whom
the various early interests in Bretton seem to have coalesced. The name, however
, is found in some undated charters respecting Bretton, belonging to the reigns
of Henry III and Edward I (1216 to
1306) and it is, I conceive, to the former of these reigns that we are to refer
as the period when the Dronsfields became settled in Bretton. Our genealogical
antiquaries have done little for this family: nor have I seen any attempt to
connect them with the people, (de Brettons) some of whose charters have now been
abstracted, and yet it can hardly be doubted that they came to Bretton in
consequence of some connection with the family, who appear with no other
addition than de Bretton. This I infer from the following very important charter
: “Omnibus etc Ad.de Holaunde
etc. Noveritis etc. Willielmo de Dranfeud et heredibus etc Release of all claims
in the lands and tenements which were William de Bretton’s, scilicet in Villis
de Bretton, Combreworth, Barnby, Keveresford, et in omnibus aliis locis
exceptis duobus bovatisterrae cum pertinenciis, scilicet una bovataterrae
in Holande, et alia bovataterrae in Comberworth. The witnesses are Sir
John de Hoderode, then steward of Pontefract, Robert de Stapleton, Thomas
de Horbiri, John de Neyvile, Baldwinus Teutonicus, Thomas de Dranfeud, Henry the
Forester and others.”
He
then goes on to say “ Other Dronsfields appear in Bretton in deeds without
date. William ----(de Bretton) and Cecilia his wife grant to John de Dronfeld
and Thomas his son a tenement in Bretton and the reversion
of another, which Edmund de Dronfeld holds for term of life: Henry (de
Bretton) son of Cecilia gives to John, his brother and Cecilia his wife, nine
selions in West Bretton between the land of John de Dronfeld and of Robert de
Dronfeld. Edmund de Dronfeld is mentioned in another part of this deed as being
the brother of John. ......................land which they held of the said
Thomas in West Bretton which Juliana had of the gift of Emma her mother, and of
Robert (de Bretton) son of Thorold, rendering a rose in tempore rosarum
...................... Robert, son of John, son of Swain (de Bretton) to Thomas
son of Thomas de Dronfeld half an acre in the south field of the town of West
Bretton, near the King’s highway which passes through the midst of the town of
Bretton ...............”
Note.
Again the lack of any attempt to obtain reasonable recompense for the land would
appear to indicate that the two parties were related.
John son
of Gilbert de Bretton to John de Dronfeld who is here called Dominus de Bretton
a toft and croft in Littlemore,
Edmund de Dronfeld de Bretton a witness. Dom Hugh Bowler,
in a letter to Rowland Bretton on
2/April/1956 identified Edmund de Bretton as Edmund de Dronfeld de Bretton
"Richard
de Bretton came in full Court, and proved a black ox to be his ; and he found
Robert the Baker of Bretton and John the Clerk of Cutherwrth as pledges for
producing it or 7s. 6d., it's value, within a year and a day" (Wakefield
Manor Court Rolls on Friday the morrow of S. Nicholas in the 3rd year of the
reign of King Edward I [1274])
Priest’s
orders were conferred on Ralph de Bretton of the House of the White Friars
(Carmelite Friars) of York in 1274. from Victoria History of Yorkshire iii, 291
Richard
de Bretton and John de Bretton were jurors in a murder trial . Monday in the
morrow of Holy Trinity [June 9th - 1275] Edward I
"William
del Hyrst the first time, as to a wager of law against
William son of Adam de Waddeswrth, by Robert Aleyn, and against John son
of Thomas Buste, by Henry de Byrry and against John Momyl who did not come, by
Richard de Bretton ..... plus many others (Wakefield Manor Court Rolls, Eve of
S. Laurence [10th Aug] 3rd year of King Edward I 1275)
"Richard
de Bretton against William de Letterby, says, for himself and Michael his son
and mainpast, that on Whitmonday this year he sent his son to a certain essart,
called Stonroyds, to distrain for a rent due to him, to wit, 2d. for one part
and 6d. for the other part ; Michael made the distress, and took a steer and a
cow and two heifers and drove the cattle to his father's fold ; and William de
Letterby came on the King's high way, with a bow and arrows and beat and wounded
Michael, and drew blood from him, and took the cattle away from him by force,
and made rescue of them, by force and unjustly, and against the peace ; he
claims 33s. 4d. damages and produces his suit. William comes and denies the
force etc, and says that he holds nothing of Richard in that essart for which he
ought to pay rent of 2d. and 6d., as Richard says, and denies the rest of it
word by word. He must therefore wage his law ;
pledges of the law, Peter de Bretton and Luvecok de Bretton [de eadem],
who are also pledges for William's good behaviour towards Richard Bretton and
his son. Richard finds Henry de Bir' as pledge for his good behaviour against
William and all others." (
Wakefield Manor Court Rolls, Friday in Whit week in the 3rd year of the reign of
King Edward I [1275])
"Richard
de Bretton and Michael, his son the first time against William de Letterby, as
to receiving a [wager of] law, by Pagan de Crigel[iston] and John de Bretton ;
pledge Robert Alayn. And because William offered himself, he has a day at the
next court. (Wakefield Manor Court Rolls, Friday in the Vigil of S. Peter [June
29th] in the 3rd year of the reign of King Edward I
[1275[)
"Richard
de Bretton, the second time against William de Letterby as to a wager of law, by
John de Bretton ; Pledge Robert Aleyn ; Michael his son, the like, against the
same William, by Henry de Byry. As he, William, offered himself, a day is given
at the next Court. (Wakefield Manor
Court Rolls Friday in the eve of S. Margaret the Virgin 3rd year of the reign of
King Edward I, 1275)
"Richard de Bretton and Michael his son are in mercy for withdrawing themselves
from receiving a wager of law by William de Letterby touching a seizure of
cattle ; Pledge John son of Swayn de Bretton. Fine 2s. (Wakefield manor Court
Rolls on Friday, the eve of S. Lawrence [Aug 10th] in the 3rd year of the reign
of King Edward I [1275]
"Agnes
de Bretton complains of John Kay, Robert del Grene and Amabel his wife, John
With-the-hounds (cum Canibus) and Margery his wife, John With-the-hounds,
junior, Roger son of Christiana, Hugh Bille and Walter Appecok for trespass.
They did not come and therefore are to be distrained" (Court Rolls of the
Manor of Wakefield page 213, on
Friday after mid-Lent in the 14th year of the reign of Edward I [1286])
"Agnes
de Bretton complained before Sir John de Kyrkeby, of Robert de Grene and his
wife, Henry de Swynlington, Lance del Clyf, John juvene cum Canibus [called John
cum Canibus junior at the previous court], Roger son of Christiana, and Walter
Appecock, for trepass. They compounded with the said Agnes for 8s. ; pledges
Henry Schorthose and John cum Canibus. She shall not make further complaint in
any court for the said trespass" (Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield,on
Friday next after the Octave of Easter in the 14th year of the reign of King
Edward I - 1286)
"Agnes
de Bretton complains of Henry de Swylington, Robert del Grene, Lance del Clyf,
son of Christiana, Walter Appecok and Margery,
wife of John With-the-hounds [cum Canibus] for trespass ; Pledge, William
de Barneby. Let them be summoned. She also complains of Henry Schorthose for the
like" (Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, on Friday the 1st of June in
the 14th year of the reign of King Edward I [1286])
"The
defendants to the suits of Agnes Bretton [as above] are to be resummoned" (Friday before the Nativity of Blessed John the Baptist [24th June] in the year
etc etc (1286)
"Agnes
de Bretton, plaintiff against Henry de Swillington, Robert de Grene, Lance de
Clyf, Roger, son of Christiana, Walter Appecock, Henry Schorthose and Margery,
wife of John With-the-hounds [cum Canibus] was called and did not come ;
therefore she and her pledges are in mercy" (Court Rolls of the Manor of
Wakefield on Friday the Feast of S. Margaret the Virgin [July 13th] in the year
etc [1286])
1293
Thomas de Hybernia de Thorgerland, Thomae de Dronfeld, domino meo et Joannae
uxori suae and annual rent of 6d. to be taken from Cecilia and Elizabeth,
daughters of William, son of Peter de West Bretton, for lands which they held of
me in West Bretton, of the fee of Thomas de Dronfeud my lord with all wards etc.
Richard
de Bretton was a witness of a sale of land in 1296 between John son of Rafe de
Horbiri Kt and John son of William de Thornhill. (Dodsworth’s Yorkshire notes
“Miggley in Shitlington”)
Richard
de Bretton was a witness at a court in Ossett (Ossete) on Friday of the first
week of Lent, 1297 as follows :-
Magge
Codling, sister of Henry Schorthose, arrested at the suit of Evote, daughter of
Ralph de Uchethorp, with regard to a burnet hood (pro uno capucio burnetti),
says she bought the hood honestly in Wakefeud market. Eva withdraws her
complaint and she and her pledge are in mercy and she is delivered to prison
because she withdrew. And the said Magge nevertheless puts herself on the the
verdict of the following twelve men .... (including Richard de Bretton) who say
that she is good and true and she goes quit. Eva to remain in the Lord’s
prison until she finds security to satisfy the Lord for her withdrawal. Fine,
12d.
"Alverthorpe.
- Agnes de Bretton complains of Adam son of Gerbot, and says that he sold her
and Adam, her husband, an acre of land near the fulling mill, surrendering it in
open court to them and their heirs. The defendant admits it, and says that when
he was Grave her rent was in arrears, and by the Steward's order he seized the
said land into his own hands, and not otherwise. The court finds for Agnes, who
is to recover seisin ; Adam's fine is forgiven, because he is poor. Pledge,
William son of John Hoskel." (Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield on
Friday the feast of S. Edmund the Archbishop [Nov. 16th] in the 24th year of the
reign of King Edward I [1296])
Richard
de Bretton - Juror - 22nd July, 1286 (W.M.C.R.)
Richard
de Bretton -Juror 11th Nov 1296 (W.M.C.R.)
Richard
de Bretton - Juror
- 1st week in Lent 1297 (W.M.C.R.)
Richard
de Bretton - Juror - Tourn on Sunday, next before Ascension Day, 1297 (W.M.C.R.)
"Alice,
widow of Nicholas de Brocholes, the first time against Robert, son of Molle in a
plea of detaining cattle, by Richard de Bretton ; Pledge John de Ryley" (Wakefield Manor Court Rolls on Friday after the Translation of S. Thomas the
Martyr [July 7th] in the 25th year of the reign of King Edward I [1297])
"The
daughter of Agnes de Bretton 1d for dry brushwood from the old park." [Wakefield Manor Court Rolls - Friday in Easter week 1297]
"Adam Gerbot sold an acre of land to Agnes de Bretton for one and a half pence per year and not 6d. as he says. Fine 3d. (12th March, 1289, Wakefield Manor Court Rolls)
"Henry
de Swillington v. Adam Gerbot and Richard his brother ; they let him an acre of
land in le Fal for three crops and he manured it ; and afterwards Agnes de
Bretton recovered the land against him as her own, whereby plaintiff lost two
crops and his manure. Adam acknowledges it and must satisfy the plaintiff. His
fine pardoned because he is so poor. May 1st, 1298 912 Edward I) (W.M.C.R.)
Richard
de Bretton Juror (Wakefield M.C.R.
25 Edward I - 1297)
"Agnes
de Bretton unjustly raised the hue after Henry de Swylington for carrying away
corn which he had sown on land that she claims which is the Earl's villein land.
She is to come before the Steward" (Wakefield M.C.R. 25 Edward I, 1297)
Richard
de Bretton - Juror 15.7.1298 Wakefield MCR
Richard
de Bretton - Juror 19.6.1308 Wakefield MCR
“In
the year of our Lord 1303 Adam de Wannervill, Lord of Hymelesworth let to
ferme to John, son of John de Bretton all his right which he had for the
terme of 27 yeares next following, in all his tenement which John de Bretton,
father of the forsaid John, lately held of Nicholua, mother of the forsaid Adam,
in the town and territory of Hornecastell etc etc.”
Dodworth’s Yorkshire Notes - Wapentake of Osgoldcross - in the
writeings of Francis Wortley Kt and Baronet. (Horne Castle is in Staincross
Wapentake)
"Agnes
de Bretton fined 4d. for her two maids breaking dry wood" (28th October,
1307 Wakefield Manor Court Rolls)
"Agnes
de Bretton sued Amice de Swylington for Trespass. Pledge William Taillour" (3.7.1308 Wakefield Manor Court Rolls)
"Agnes
de Bretton sued Amice de Swylington for trespass" (8.9.1308 Wakefield Manor
Court Rolls)
"Agnes
de Bretton and Amice de Swylington have a love day" (Fri after Michaelmas
1308, WMCR)
"Agnes
de Bretton withdraws her suit from Amice de Swylington. Fine pardoned because
she is so poor" (1.1.1309 Wakefield M.C.R.) ( Poor ? 15 months ago she had
two maids !)
"Elias
de Bretton was pledge for John de Chevet" (3.7.1308 - Wakefield Manor Court
Rolls)
Thorold de Bretton had three
sons named John, Robert and William
Richard
son of Richard de Bretton, lease of lands at Bretton to Thomas de Dronfsfeld for
twelve years from Pentecost 1310, at a rate of 12d. of silver. (Hunter’s
Deanery of Doncaster etc)
1310
(4 Ed II) Robert son of John de West Bretton to Thomas son of Thomas de
Dronefeld three acres in West Bretton which he has of the gift of John
de Kent. (Hunter .....)
"4
Edw. II (1311) Robert, son of John de West Bretton" (Hunter)
1315
(9 Ed. II) Henry de Seyvill and Amabil his wife to Edmund de Dronfeld, two
messuages and forty four acres, which they have of the gift of Richard de West
Bretton, father of Amabil (Hunter...)
1316 John son of Thomas de Dronfeld, leases to Hugh le Key and
Diota his wife, a messuage which Peter (de Bretton) son of William formerly held
in West Bretton for twenty years. The tenants to have spinas et stipites for
fencing and to build a grange. (Hunter)
1320
(14 Ed. II) Robert son of John son
of Swein de West Bretton to Edmund son of Thomas de Dronfeld a piece of land
called Heghrode. (Hunter....)
1321
(15 Ed. II) Robert son of John son of Swein de West Bretton to John son of
Thomas de Dronfeld a messuage
between the toft of Edmund de
Dronfeld and the meadow of the said John. (Hunter...)
"In prison. - Richard, son of John de Bretton, wounded Robert del Hay in the head with a sword, in which he was helped by Robert, his brother. Robert del Hay died of his wounds, and his murderers fled. They were to be taken. They are taken and are in prison
1324. Henry le Hyne fined 1 shilling for drawing blood from Robert de Bretton. This must be the same Robert de Bretton mentioned in the last note and who also owed money. We shall check the date of the "killing" of Robert del Hay to see whether it was before this episode or after. If it was before the previous episode then the two Bretton brothers had clearly been released from prison by 1324.
"The
township of Bretton says that Richard of (de)
Bretton delivered a waif cow to
William Goldsmith, foreign bailiff at the time when John of Doncastre was
Steward. Therefore let it be enquired of him what became of the aforesaid
cow." Wakefield Manor Court Rolls 1315 (8 Edward II) (the above Richard ?)
"Bailiff
; Dionisia, daughter of Cecilia of the Wro is defendant against Richard of (de)
Bretton in a plea of debt by Nicholas Smith (faber). Pledge William de Marjoriam
and because the aforesaid Richard appeared a day is given etc" (Wakefield
M.C.R. 9. Edward II, 1315)
"Bailiff
; Richard of Bretton complains against Dionisia the daughter of Cecilia of the
Wro in a plea of debt by John Patrikes. Pledge William de Marjoriam and because
Richard appeared a day is given etc" (Wakefield M.C.R. 20.11.1315)
"Bailiff
; Richard of Bretton, plaintiff and Divonia, daughter of Cecilia of the Wro have
leave to make a concord in a plea of debt and the said Richard puts himself,
12d.” (W.M.C.R. 6.12.1315)
"Bill
from Richard of Bretton for having an aid 3s.” (W.M.C.R. 6.12.1315)
"Richard
de Bretton's wife (fined) 12d for brewing" Wakefield Manor Court Rolls 1315
(8 Edward II)
"Bailiff
; John Scharp sues Richard de Bretton for debt. Surety Thomas de Wyttelay" (W.M.C.R. 24.6.1316)
"Richard
de Bretton sues Dyonisia, daughter of Cecilia of the Wro for debt. Surety Thomas
de Wittelay. (W.M.C.R. 25th July 1316)
"John
Bretton remain out of office of Constable in Bretton " (10 Edward II 1316
Wakefield MCR)
"Relief.
John son and heir of Richard of (de)Bretton an infant under age, is delivered to
the custody of Dionisia his mother on account of his fealty, 6s.
(9 Edward II 1316 Wakefield MCR)
1326. John son of Gilbert de West Bretton, to Edmund de Dronefeld
an acre of arable. (Hunter...)
1336/7
(11 Edward III) Richard son of Robert of West Bretton to John son of Adam of
West Bretton and Cecilia his wife, a messuage
abutting on the highway which leads from West Bretton to Pomfrayt (Pontefract),
to hold to the church of Saint Ellen of Sandal at the annual rent of 5d.
(Hunter.....)
1345
Edmund son of Thomas de Dronfeld de West Bretton, manumits to Robert, son of
Adam de West Bretton dwelling in Flocketon, cum tota
sequela et progenie procreata seu procreanda et cum omnibus catallis suis in
quocunque loco fuerint manentes.
1365/6
brings the first mention, in West Bretton, of the Wentworth family. Edmund de
Dronsfeld junior release of rent of a messuage held by him in West Bretton by
John de Dronsfeld. First amongst the witnesses is John de Wyntworth. The arms on
the seal are paly of eight, not six, with the bend and mullets. (Hunter...)
The
following excerpts from Hunter are nothing directly to do with the Bretton
family but show how the great estates of the Dronsfields came to the Wentworths
to whom the Brettons later intermarried through Frances Wentworth, the
wife of the martyr.
As Hunter was convinced that the Dronfields only came to Bretton as a
result of contacts with the de Brettons the relationships have now come full
circle.
1397
(21 Rich II) A deed (charter) from William Dronsfeld of West Bretton to Sir Richard
Dronsfeld, rector of Heton, (is the “Sir” because he is a priest ?), Robert
Barnby, Richard de Keresford and Sir John de Calthorn, rector of the mediety of
Hoyland all lands in West Bretton, Bulcliffe, High Hoyland, Bargh, Cumberworth,
Darton, Keresforth, Barnby, Barnsley,Oldeton, Wollay, Sandall, Wykerslay,
Staynton, Olyrton,Ingburchworth,,and Frith. The Dronsfelds had by this time
aquired a great estate . To this deed is a
beautiful seal of the arms with
the inscription SIGILLVM WIL’MI DE
DRONSFELD.
August
1405 (7 Henry IV) there follows in Hunter, under the heading of Parish of
Silkston the will of Sir William Dronsfeld (Knight) which is attached as a
photocopy to save typing a very lengthy will. It shows how some of the lands at
Bretton and Bretton Hall, came to the Wentworths. Agnes, the wife of John
Wentworth of Elmsal and mother of the Richard Wentworth who starts the charts of
the Wentworths of Bretton, is the sister of Sir William Dronsfeld. The remainder of the pages of Hunter are quite
fascinating and, as they relate to the village of Bretton they are also
photocopied and attached - all as Appendix 3
(The following is from pages 84 and 90 of "Monk Bretton
Priory")
"In
the floor of the presbytery were found three interments ; opposite the aumbry in
the south wall was a large stone coffin without a lid, which contained much red
dust, and measured 5 feet 18(?)inches in length, 15 inches at the top and 9
inches at the foot (inside) ; closely adjoining the stone coffin on its south
side was one made of squared stone slabs jointed together, which contained a
well preserved skeleton of a female. It is probable that these two coffins held
the remains of the founder of the priory Adam FitzSwain and his wife ----"
"In
the chapter house the whole convent assembled after prime for chapter each day ;
the martyrology for the day was first read, followed by notices of the dead from
other priories asking for the prayers of the brethren ; then a portion of the
rule of St. Benedict was read, after which confessions were made and the
discipline then awarded was carried out.
The
chapter house was the usual place of burial for the superiors of a monastery ;
just within the entrance lie two grave slabs, one bearing an elaborately incised
floriated cross-head on a shaft with a stepped base, but no inscription,
measuring 6 feet two and a half inches
long, 2 feet 2 inches wide at the head, and 18 inches at the foot ; the other 5
feet 10 inches long, 19 inches wide at the head and 16 inches at the foot, bears
an incised cross with floriated head within a circle on a stepped base, on the
right side of the shaft of the cross is a sword, over both shaft and sword a
shield is carved and above the shield is inscribed D.W.BRETTON. [Sir William's
coffin was smaller than that of his wife]{The “D” stands for Dominus - Sir}
This
Sir William Bretton was son and heir of John Bretton, of West Bretton ; his
father was Richard Bretton as also was his grandfather [Chart., 19 (26)].
In 1444, Sir William de Bretton gave to Thomas Haryngton, esquire, and
other trustees, certain lands and tenements in Monk Bretton, which his father
and grandfather had leased to the prior and convent for a term of years. I Nov.,
23 Hen.VI [Ib., 18 (24)].
On
the 4th November following these trustees released to Richard Ledes, prior of
the monastery of Blessed Mary of Monkbretton, these same lands and tenements.
[Ib., 19 (25)] This gift was probably made on the understanding that the donor
should be buried within the priory walls"
Note
The
history of Monk Bretton priory refers to Sir William Bretton as being the son and heir of John Bretton. The "Wapentake
of Agbrigg" mentions that William Bretton, son & Heir to John Bretton held land in socage
in 1425/6. They must be the same people and as it is unlikely that either of
these two records can be mistaken about the possession of a title it must be
presumed that William aquired a title between 1426 and 1444. (by the death of
his father ? - or by some other means ?)
Drawing of
gravestones shown in " Monk Bretton Priory" and still visible in situ
in the ruins of the Priory in 1996
"Thomas,
son of Erskyn de Bretton, sues Robert, son of John de West Bretton for 16s. 8d.
debt under the following circumstances : In 6 Edward II Thomas agreed to buy all
Robert's land and paid him 26s. 8d. as an instalment of the purchase price of £12
; afterwards Robert wished to withdraw from the bargain, and promised to return
the 26s.8d. of which he has repaid only 10s. Damages, 13s. 4d. Robert is ordered
to pay 16s. 8d. and 12d. damages and is amerced 12d." (Wakefield Court
Rolls 25th January, 1316 - 8 Edward II) ("Amerced" means to punish by
a fine)
"Diota
de Bretton fined 6d. for brewing" "Magota daughter of Thomas de
Bretton fined 6d. for brewing" Both 6th December 1324 (18 Edward II) At the
same tourn a Henry de Dyker was fined 6d. for fishing in the Lord's water at
Keldre without licence - ( fishing licences went back so far ?)
"Diota,
formerly wife of Richard de Bretton fined 3d for brewing beer etc." (Wakefield MCR 3rd May, 1325)
Grant
by John Tylli to Adam, son of Robert de Bretton, of Hingebirchworth, of one
oxgang (same as a carucate) and toft adjoining in the town and the territory of
Thurliston whereof one half was etc..........(19th April, 1326) (Vol XIII Y.A.S.
1895)
A
muster roll of cavalry Temp Edward III (1339/40) published by the Yorkshire
Archeological Journal, 1898, Vol XIV states “ the battalion was located for 77
days at the Ville of St John of Perth. They were commissioned to defend the
stronghold during the early months of the year until ’ the season when kings
go out to battle’ should arrive”. (we thought that the phrase about kings
going out to battle - quoted in the contemporary report - was a marvellous one)
Amongst
the muster Roll was Wils Breton, paid 4d per day as a Hobilar Pedite (probably
armed with a battle axe like foot soldiers but mounted on a hobby (small horses)
for rapid evolutions and long marches.
Johs
Breton was a horse archer and also paid 4d per day
Grant
by Wm de S. Elena of Waddeworth to Robt. Bretton of Ellesham of a rent of 40s.
from his lands at Waddeworth, Yorks. (27th Nov. 1340 (Y.A.S. Vol XIII 1895)
Y.A.J
Vol XXVII page 266 - Thomas de Stainton bought much land at Woolley between 1310
and 1340 from (amongst others) the Brettons of West Bretton
John
de Bretton witnessed a quitclaim (undated, at Shitlington)
Osbert
de Bretton was a witness to a charter by J. Durandus “out of the coucher of
the Priory of Bolton” (undated) (Y.A.S.
Vol XIII 1895 page 131) (meaning of “Coucher” is unknown)
John
de Bretton was a juror in 1349 (Wakefield Manor Court Rolls)
John
de Bretton witnessed the Dronfield deed founding Bretton Chapel in 1358 and
other deeds dated 1362 (app. to
parish records of Kirkburton - Frances Anne Collins) and 1369 Dodsworth’s
Yorkshire Notes Vol. VIII p.486 sale of property in Meltham) and an undated one
for land at Shitlington Nether (page 51 of the same volume.)
{Note Nether Shitlington was locally known as Netherton. Shitlington gave
rise to three “tons” called for their position relative to each other
Nether, Middle and Over (i.e Upper)}
John
de Bretton capellanus - Chaplain of Rastrick in 1363.
from J. Horsfall Turners “History of Brighouse, Rastrick and
Hipperholme”
There
was a William Bull de Wakefield,
cap., presented to the vicarage of Sandal Magna in May, 1357 by the Dean and
College of Westminster : he died and was succeeded by John de Briton in
November, 1361.
William
de Bretton was a witness to an undated charter of land from William son of Alan
de Witteley to the monks of Bellaland (Byland?) Dodsworth’s Yorkshire Notes
(as below)
Dodsworth’s
Yorkshire Notes in the Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Journal Vol
VIII. In the Evidences of John Holcroft of Marton 1635. P.P. 170
“Know p’sent that I, Jone, late wife of William de Bretton, in
my widowhood have given etc. to John le Hunt the elder & John de Heghrode
(now Heyrod, North of Stalybridge in Lancashire) all my lands and tenements at
Crawshalgh (probably Crawshaw Hey, Saddleworth) in the towne of Quicke (Whyk - a
manor which belonged to the Stapletons and now part of Saddleworth) in the
countie of Yorke etc which lands and tenements happened to me by vertue of a
certaine guift jointly with the foresaid William my husband etc. To have and
hold etc etc., Feast of St
Michaell. 12 R. 2 (1388). (note. Ailric had lands at Oldham and Saddleworth. Is this part of this
land ?)
In
the Subsidy Rolls of 1378 three Bretons are listed at Thriebergh - Thomas Breton
and Alicia, Artificer-Carpenter : Robertus Breton and Johanns seruiens Thome
Breton (Yorks Arch. and Topographical Journal Vol V)
John
de Bretton was granted letters of administration of the estate of John del gates
late vicar of Dewsbury on 12th March, 1397-8.
William
Bretton son & heire of John Bretton of Bretton cometh & acknowledgeth
that he holds in socage of the Lord 5 Bouates of land in Bretton and payeth
therefore yearely (Wapentake of Agbrigg at the court 4 H 6 1425/26)
William
Bretton, son and heir of John Bretton of Bretton pays 3 shillings yearly for 5
bovates of land in in Bretton, 1425 (probably the son of the John Bretton
mentioned in 1358,1362 and 1369). The History of Monk Bretton Priory gives
further information about this (?) William. It states that there was a Sir
William de Bretton, son and heir to John Bretton of West Bretton who in turn was
the son of Richard and the grandson of another Richard. No titles are ascribed
to these other three Brettons'. Is this an error and are they descended from the
Sir William de Bretton mentioned in 1250 - or did this "new" Sir
William (described as being alive in 1444) belong to another branch (unlikely)
or did he receive a knighthood in his own lifetime as we surmised in the note on
page 23 ? - without doubt he did not get the title as a priest because he is
buried alongside his wife and has a sword and shield inscribed on his grave)
Page
98. H. of B.) 6th year of Edward IV. (1467)
"Charter
of William Bretton granting to Thomas Boton, John Thomson, chaplain, and Thomas
Robinson, one close called Sighrode, lying near the bridge of Barnsley with all
his other messuages, lands and tenements, meadows,
woods and pastures in the parishes of Roystone and South Kirkby, with the
appurtenances, to hold of the aforesaid Thomas, John and Thomas, their heirs and
assigns, of the chief lords of those fees, by the services therefore due, and of
right accustomed : the aforesaid William declaring that he and his heirs would
warrent the aforesaid to the said Thomas, John and Thomas, their heirs and
assigns for ever, and that he, the said William Bretton had substituted and put
in his place his beloved in Christ, John Walker of Roystone and Richard Wilde of
Barnsley, his joint and several attorneys, to deliver for him, and in his name,
to the aforesaid Thomas Boton, John Thomson, chaplain, and Thomas Robinson, full
and peaceful seisin, both in one close called Sighroyd, and also in all his
lands and tenements within the parishes of Roystone and South Kirkby, according
to the form and effect of this charter etc. In testimony to which he affixed his
seal WITNESSES : John Clyfe, John Person, William Rainald and
others. Given at Ackworth, 5th January, 6th Edward IV" (Note : the two
different spellings of Sighrode and Sighroyd are copied verbatim)
Sighroyd
was then given by John Thomson and Thomas Robinson to the Prior of Monk Bretton
on 20th May, 7th Edward IV (1468)
John
Bretton is a party to deeds concerning the estate of Richard Wentworth of
Bretton, 1476.
Hunter,
in “South Yorkshire, Doncaster, Vol II says :-
In
25 Henry VI. 1447, Richard Wentworth describing himself as of Everton, esquire,
gives to William Fitz-William, of Sprotborough, and Nicholas Fitz-William
esquires, his whole manor of West Bretton and manors of Bulcliffe and
Cumberworth, with appurtenances in West Bretton, Bulcliffe, Cumberworth, Little
Bretton, Darton, Clayton, High Hoyland, Ingburchworth, Fryth, Carhouse, North
Elmsall, Staynton, Wickersley and Rotherham. He made his will in that year so
that we have probably in this feoffment all the places where his estates lay,
and we may presume that the other portions of the Dronsfield lands went with the
other co-heiresses to the Bosviles. In his will he directs that he shallbe
buried in the church of Holy Trinity at Everton. He names Richard and Thomas his
sons, and he gives his daughter Isabel fourscore marks for her portion.
The
legal estate in Bretton, etc, remained in the hands of the two
Fitz-Williams and their heirs till Feb 2nd, 15 Edward IV (1476) when William
Fitz-William lord of Sprotborough as heir to his father conveyed them to John
Bretton and Thomas Mooke ( note. We
have spent much time trying to discover information on Thomas Mooke as he
appears to marry the widow of Thomas Bretton of Upsall, North Riding of
Yorkshire - more on this separately), who on February 8th following conveyed
them to John Conyers, Robert Constable, William Evers,and Robert Rythers,
knights, William Gascoin William
Fitz-William, John Fitz-William, son and heir of William,Thomas Fitzwilliam of
Aldwark, Henry Sotehill, and John his son and heir, Thomas Wortley of Wortley,
and Nicholas his son and heir, George Hopton of Swillington, John Woodruffe,
John Fitz-William of Adwick, John Everingham of Birkin, John Nevil, Thomas Lacy,
John Sotehill junior, Richard Peck and John Kaye, esquires, William Wortley,
Hugh Wombwell, Robert Barnby, and John his son and heir, Ralph Barnby, and
William Staynton, gentlemen.
On
the same day the same premises were conveyed by Bretton and Moke to
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, George, Earl of Shrewsbury, William Fitz-William,
John, his son and heir, William Hopton, Henry Sotehill, and John, his son and
heir, Thomas Wortley, and Nicholas, his son and heir, and John Woodruffe,
esquires. On the same day Richard Wentworth, describes as of Bretton, esq., gave
to the Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir James
Harrington, Sir John Conyers, and Sir John Pilkington, Knights, William Hopton,
Thomas Wortley, John Everingham, John Wombwell senior, William Wortley, and
Thomas Hopton esquires, all his goods and chattels, moveable and immoveable,
wheresoever they are found,with power to dipose
of them as they please, without any hinderance from him or his executors.
Hunter
appears puzzled by all this. He says that he sees nothing in the political
circumstances of the times to account for these extraordinary feoffments, nor
could he see anything in the private life of the lord of Bretton himself to
explain it. [note. This comment is
surprising. The following comments from “The story of the Peerage” by L. G.
Pine, (Wm. Blackwood & Sons Limited, 1956) appear
to us to explain them. S.B & C.B.]
“Under
the old theory of Feudal dues, not only did the Crown own all the land of
England - as it still does - for fee simple is not absolute ownership - but in
practice this produced large revenues for the Sovereign. There were all sorts of
feudal dues - the guardianship and the marriage of wards, the aids payable to
the King on the marriage of his daughter or the knighting of his son : there
were fines for the alienation of land : inheritance dues, which resembled what
are now known as death duties, which had to be paid before an heir could enter
upon his father’s property, and sums were payable in lieu of knight’s
service.
To
avoid payments of these dues had been one of the great objects of tenants in the
15th and 16th centuries, and one of the means of doing this had been through the
medium of trusteeship or “uses” as it was then called. So successful had
this device been that under the early Tudors the Crown had lost a large part of
it’s revenues. To remedy this Henry VIII had caused to be passed through
parliament the Statute of Uses (1536) which rendered a trust or “use” inoperative and thus restored the old position.”
(
In our minds there is little doubt that the feoffments recorded above were made
purely as a trust or “use” to obviate the payment of death duries on the
Wentworth estates. S.B. & C.B.)
Transcription from the latin of a will by John Bretton
(Probate register 8 Folio IV)
“In the name of God amen. On the twenty fifth day of
the month of November in the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and eight I,
John Bretton, being ill of body but of sound mind, make my last Will
and Testament in this manner. Firstly I commend my soul to Almighty
God, to the Blessed Lady and to all the Saints, and my body to be buried in
the church of All Saints at Anneslay.
Item: I bequeath as my Morturariam, my best ox (“Morturarium” - a
bequest to the Testator’s Parish Church in recompense for tithes that may
not have been paid). Item:
I bequeath three pounds of wax candles to burn about my body on the day of my
burial and on the seventh
day. Item: I give and bequeath to the church at Anneslay one cow.
Item: I give and bequeath to the same building (or “the building of the
same”) 26 shillings and 8 pence.
Item: I bequeath to Margaret Bickerstaff one .......... (a young animal
- possibly a calf) of two years of age.
Item: to each person who shall come to my burial and on the seventh day
I bequeath one wheaten loaf and ...... ?
Item: I bequeath to each of my ......... (probably “Godchildren” -
literally “spiritual children”) one sheep, one full year old.
Item: I bequeath to Christopher Perott one ..... (a young animal -
possibly a heifer). Item: I
bequeath to Alice, my sister, one cow.
Item: I bequeath to my son Richard two.... (possibly bulls) of three
years of age, and two....... (possibly bulls) of two years of age, and two
......? Item: to the same
Richard, half a quarter of wheat and half a quarter of malt barley.
Item: I give and bequeath my dwelling place with all its belongings to
Elizabeth, my wife, for the period of 12 years, and then to revert to my son,
John, if he should be alive, and if the said John should have died then I wish
my dwelling place to revert to my son, William, and if the said William should
have died then I wish the said dwelling place to revert to my son Thom, if he
should be alive, and if all have died without heirs, I wish the dwelling place
to revert to the son of Richard (or “to son Richard and his heirs”)** The
remainder of all my goods not bequeathed above I give and bequeath to my wife
and to Thom my son, whom I appoint and constitute as my Executors that they
may dispose matters for the good estate of my soul as may seem best to them,
and as they shall have to answer before the Supreme Judge in the Day of
Judgement. Item:
I give and bequeath to my ........ (possibly “mother-in-law” or
“step-mother - literally “to my legal mother”) .............. (literally
“sanctum et vestitum” - “holy and clothing”). Possibly “shelter
[sanctuary?] and clothing” out of my own goods for as long as she shall
live. Item: I appoint
George Bikerstaff as the Supervisor of this my Testament. Given at Annesley on
the day and in the year mentioned above, the witnesses being Prior de Felley,
John Savage,Chaplain and others.
And on the twentieth day of December in the above
mentioned year of our Lord the said Testament was proved and the
administration of the goods was granted...........”
** This part of the will does not make sense if you
regard the “son of Richard and his heirs” or “son Richard and his
heirs” to be referring to his own son Richard, because he had just said that
if all his children should have died without heirs he wished it to revert to
..... The other possibility is that the “son of Richard” referred to was
born outside wedlock
Note
This will has taken a good deal of time to place. The
name “Anneslay” and the Priory of Felley meant nothing in the context of
Yorkshire. There was an Annesley House mentioned in the 1300’s in Elland
within the wapentake of Morley but no village ever existed and there was no
such parish church. Eventually “Anneslay” was traced to Nottinghamshire
between Sutton-in-Ashfield and Nottingham. It was then in the Diocese of York.
The Priory of Felley was close by and is now occupied by the original owners
of Anneslay Hall. Even by our modern road network it is about 56 miles from
West Bretton using the very
direct route of the M1. In 1500 it must have been much further.
Yet it is clearly the will of the John Bretton who
starts our chart. The names of his wife and his children are exactly the same
as those we have identified in West Bretton apart from Alice, his daughter,
who could well have died before the will was drawn up. The dates on the will and those on our chart are 5.11.1508
and 25.11.1508, a possible transcription error, and it is too much of a
coincidence to think they are not the same person.
Yet we have been, so far, unable to trace any
connection with Anneslay at all. Why should John Bretton of West Bretton make
his will there, die there and ask to be buried there ? Were his family and
neighbours expected to make a long journey and to stay there until the seventh
day ? If the church of All Saints was his his parish church for the purpose of
tithes how long had he been there ? Or was the “ Morturarium” he gave simply because he had never
paid tithes to that church and he did not want his body taking back to Sandal
(probably his nearest church to West Bretton) Why was a witness the Prior of
Felley Priory - did this mean
that he was staying at the Priory ? This is our preferred solution. We wonder
whether the Prior of Felley is a friend or perhaps relative of his. We have
discovered that Felley Priory was a Cluniac Priory - just as Monkbretton was.
Was there some connection between the two priories ? There were 35 Cluniac
Priories in England ( the Cluniac congregation of the Benedictine Order ) and
transfers between them was at the discretion of the Abbott at Cluny. Perhaps
John Bretton had known the Prior at Monkbretton ? Perhaps some day we may
know the answers to these questions.
There are, in Ripon Minster Library, two very fine
books written by William Bretton of London in 1505 and 1510.
They are Lyndewodes Provinciale - published by Paris
University Press in 1505 and Speculum Spiritualium, etc also published by the
Paris University Press in 1510. The second of these is in a fine binding with
Tudor Rose and labels borne by Angels, “hec virtute de celo missa sereno
Eternu@ florens regia sceptra feret” (this on last cover) (Y.A.& Top J.
vol II under Ripon Minster library)
Feet of Fines of the Tudor Period. In the Public
Record Office Part I 1518 -
Trinity Term, 10 Henry VIII page
32 Thomas Brettan is named as a Deforciant for 5 messuages with lands at
Thrybergh. In the fine the description is
Thomas Brettan als. Thomas Glentham de Thrybergh, gent. and Margaret
his wife.
Y.A.J XXI
(1911) says :-
Mr Fallow has left transcripts made by him in 1905 of
certain State papers preserved at the Record Office, which gave the names of
the clergy of a considerable part of Yorkshire, who were taxed in 1526 and
1527. Under the heading IN DECANATU DE BULMER occurs :-
dns (Dominus) Th...s
Bretton, cap. (chaplain) par de Cokewald (Coxwold, North Yorkshire) v marc
(the subsidy) ( 5 marks equalled £3. 6. 8d.)
In the Subsidy Roll for the Wapentake of Agbrigg and
Morley of the 15th Henry VIII (1523) in the Y.A.& Top. J. Vol II John
Bretton pays 6s. 8d. in Westbretton Half for ’10 March lands”) The Subsidy Rolls passed 1522 and 1523 granted a yearly
subsidy to the King for 4 years. The Roll gives the principal persons in each
township and the amount they paid. In some cases the value of the land was
given in Marks (written “March” in the original documents. A mark was 13s.
4d.) The total amount for the Westbretton Half was 11s.
2d. in that year)
John Bretton was appointed Deputy Secretary of the
King’s Council of the North in 1528. The
King’s Council was basically a Law Court which was very powerful
politically. It consisted of the Lord President of the Council, the
Councillors themselves, and a Secretary who was also titled and styled “the
Keeper of the Signet”. The Council was directly answerable to the monarch in
terms of law and order for a large part of the North of England. The standard
reference on the subject “The King’s Council in the North” by Rachel M.
Reid contains the following note on page 254 “In 1528 Richmond’s Council
appointed John Bretton deputy to Uvedale (ref. L & P iv. no. 4042..) At
that time the King’s Council was based at Sandal Castle, a castle of some
importance, and it is no doubt through this local association that John
Bretton was appointed. He died three years later and nothing is known about
this short-lived appointment.
The Council’s jurisdiction was both civil and
criminal and as soon as it was established in 1484 it moved from Middleham
(the home of King Richard when Duke of Gloucester) to Sandal Castle. It sat 4
times each year at Sherriff Hutton near York and probably as many times at
Sandal. Not all the original members are known but the Earl of Lincoln was its
official head and the Earl of Warwick, the Earl of Northumberland, Lord
Morley, probably Sir Richard Ratcliffe and John Dawney were members, as was
Miles Metcalfe the Recorder of York.
Transcript of the will of John Bretton - 1529
“In the name of God Amen. the third day of decembr
the yere of our Lord God a ml v(c) and XXIX I John Bretton of hool mynd and
memorie make this my last will and testament in manner and forme foloving
first I bequeith my saull to almyghty God and our lady Sancta Marie with all
the company of hevyn and my body to be beried within the churchyard of Sandall
Item I bequeith my best beest in the name of my mortuarie
Item I bequeith to Grace Bretton my daughter XII marks in porseon of
hir barme part Item I
bequeith to Isabell my daughter XII marks the porceion of hir barmepart
Item I bewit to Isabell Cowden my daughter on cow
Item I bewit to Anne Tottington on cow
Item I bewit unto the hye alter of Sandall XIId
The rysidew of all my goods unbequeith I gyff unto Rychard Bretton my
son whom I make my full executor thes beyng witnes William Whetly John
Gledhill, Rychard Walker, John More
In dei nomine Amen admisso probacionibus super
faccione testamenti presentibus annexis coram nobis officiali alme Curie Ebor
sede archiepiscopali ibedum vacante iposum testamentum rite factum et legitime probatum”
Richard Bretton was on the panel for the Lord at the
Great Court held at Wakefield before Thomas, Earl of Rutland, 4th October
1538. He was also on the panel for the Tourn the following day
Richard Bretton was elected Constable of West Bretton
in 1537 (Wakefield Manor Court Rolls) This is presumably the father of the
Martyr John Bretton and who died in 1558
A Katherine Bretton was one of two witnesses to a
heresy trial in Rotherham in 1537. They were reading in church when someone
who had uttered the same words elsewhere said that Blessed Mary was not the
mother of Jesus Christ and that God was not especially present in the host -
he was everywhere.
The following section headed “Richard Bretton O.S.F.” was placed in the family history because of a remark by Anstruther, the famous Catholic historian, stating that he was probably an uncle or close relative of John Bretton the martyr. We assumed (now it appears, wrongly) that he would have some good reason for making that statement and it was therefore added in good faith. Whilst we were researching “William Bretton of Maryland” we had quite a bit of contact with Caroline Dalton, Archivist, New College, Oxford University, who was most helpful. In the course of the discussions we mentioned Richard Bretton O.S.F. And she checked the college records for him. She found him there in the early 1500’s but , according to their records, he came from London. We have no records of any of our family moving to London so we must assume that he was NOT a family member. He has only been left in the history because we have no other way of bringing his privations and faith to the attention of a wider group of people. Family member or not we still admire his tenacity (Stan and Christine Bretton)
Richard
Bretton (Britton) O.S.F.
We find it quite startling that, after so many years
of research into the family history, we have only just (Sept. 1997) discovered
the existence of Richard Bretton O.S.F. and set out below the entry as it
exists in “ A Literary and Biographical History or Bibliographical
Dictionary of the English Catholics from the breach with Rome in 1534 to the
present time Vol I.” by Joseph
Gillow, published in 1895. There is no mention at all of this Richard Bretton
in any of the charts or letters from Dom Hugh Bowler so it appears that he was
also unaware of his existence.
“Britton Richard, O.S.F. was probably an uncle or
near relative of John Britton of Britton, in Yorkshire, martyred at York in
1598.
He was of New College, Oxford, and at the age of 24,
by dint of study, was clearly convinced of the faith, and openly did all he
could to oppose the process of schism. He denied and ridiculed the
ecclesiastical supremacy of Edward VI, the boy-king, and defended the
authority of the Pope.
For this he was tried, and fearless of death he
confessed in court more amply still, for which he was committed to prison.
Sanders, who knew him personally, and lived in the
same college with him, says, “He was in years a youth, but in courage an old
man ; he maintained, not by word of mouth only, that the Roman Pontiff, as the
successor of St. Peter, is the sovereign head of the Church, and in that
dignity the sole Vicar of Christ, but also by his writings, which he presented
to his judge, proving his faith and confirming it by the testimony of the
Scriptures and the ancient Fathers. And he too was kept in prison for the sake
of Christ”
He practised great austerity, mortification, and
abstinence, his only food being bread, to which on feast-days he added a
little broth. His wonderful austerities and constancy in the faith won others
over - among whom Sanders was one - who visited him in prison, and resolved,
if the opportunity arose, to contend for the faith as he had done.
The accession (to the Throne) of Mary brought him his
liberty, and he entered the Order of Franciscan Observants and was clothed at
Greenwich, where he died almost immediately afterwards, probably in 1554.”
Lewis,
Sanders Anglican Schism : Parkinson, Coll. Anglo-Min.,
p. 249
We discovered this book in the Minster Library at York
Minster and it is, according to the Librarian there, a very rare book - hence,
no doubt, our failure to find it previously. It is no different from any other
piece of information we have found, in that it immediately opens up a
multitude of other areas to research. Edward VI was born in 1537 and reigned
from 1547 to 1553 and was
followed by Mary I who reigned from 1553 to 1558. If the reference to Richard
Bretton ridiculing the supremacy of Edward VI occurred at the beginning of his
reign, and Richard was then 24, he must have been born no earlier than 1523
(and no later than 1529). He must have been released immediately Mary took the
throne because he died the following year, at an age of between 25 and 31.
From the way that the entry reads one must suppose that he was nearer 31 than
25 otherwise he would have been in prison only about a year - and that is not
the impression it gives. We have
assumed therefore a date of birth of approx. 1523 to 1526 - approximately the
same date of birth as John Bretton the Martyr.
That being so we have difficulty fitting him into the
family chart. Gillow gives no evidence of his statement that he was probably
an uncle or close relative of John Bretton the martyr. He could not be an
uncle because John Bretton’s father was also “Richard” and he only died
in 1558. It was common for two brothers or two sisters born of the same
parents to be given the same name if the first child died quite young but this
is clearly not the case here. The nearest relative he could be would be cousin
or half cousin.We have no record of Richard Bretton having any brothers (but
that is not to deny that one may have existed) but the martyr’s grandfather
had three brothers, Richard, William and Thomas and the grandson of either one
of them would have been the martyr’s half cousin. No work seems to have been
done to trace their families so it cannot be proved at the moment. It is, to
us, reasonable to accept Gillow’s statement of some relationship since he
was a leading authority on Catholic history whose scholarship is widely known.
It seems reasonable to assume that his death at such an early age would have
been influenced by the privations he is reported to have suffered. It is hard
not to believe that Richard Bretton suffered just as much for his faith as his
more famous relative, John Bretton.
Richard Bretton was a juror at the tourn held at
Wakefield on 10th April, 1540
Richard Bretton , Bailiff, Panel of the Lord, Tourn at
Wakefield 12.4.1551
Frances Wentworth, the wife of Blessed John Bretton
was the 5th daughter of Richard Wentworth of Hollingshurst, in the parish of
Thornhill.(who himself was the second son of Thomas Wentworth of Bretton Hall)
This information came from Dom Hugh Bowler and Roland Bretton.
Our own research led us to “Pedigrees of the County Families of
Yorkshire” West Riding - Volume II compiled by Joseph Foster - 1874.
The pedigree concerned is that of “ Wentworths of Elmsall, Bretton
and Baron Wentworth of Nettlested” and shows all the information we were
seeking. It confirmed that Frances Bretton was the daughter of Richard
Wentworth of Hollingshurst who was, in turn, the second son of Thomas
Wentworth of Bretton Hall. But - as I say elsewhere in this history every
piece of information leads to other unsolved mysteries. Richard Wentworth
appeared to have three sons and no less than eight daughters. If the pedigree
is true to the way in which these were usually written then Frances would have
been the eldest daughter and not the fifth. The puzzle is that the date of
marriage is given for two of her sisters but not for Frances herself (though
it confirms she married John Bretton). The marriage dates for the two sisters
are 1581 and 1583.
The marriage agreement of John Bretton and Frances
Wentworth was dated 26th June, 1543 and was followed one week later by a deed
of grant. Hugh Bowler surmised that it would be a child marriage and estimated
John to be about 14 at the time. We find it strange that Frances was married
38 and 40 years before two of her sisters. The documents of Frances
Wentworth’s marriage agreement are precise and have been checked, but we
wonder whether the marriage took place as early as Hugh Bowler suggests. We
have now seen notes by Rowland Bretton where he feels as we do. If the
marriage took place immediately after the agreement, and the dates of the
other two marriages are correct, then the mystery remains.
However the link to the Wentworths and to Wentworth Woodhouse are proven. An interesting thing is that later on in the same pedigree is shown the poet, Lord Byron
The following transcript is the will of Richard Bretton.
“In
the name of God Amen the XIII day of September in the yeare of our Lord 1556 I
Richard Bretton of West Bretton of the parishinge of Sandall Magna in the
countie of York, yoman, beyng holle of mynd and of perfite rememberance maketh
this my last will and testament in maner and forme followinge
Fyrst I bequithe my soull to God almyghtie my maker and redemer and to
all the celestiall companye of heaven and my bodie to be buried within the
sainctuarie of Sandall Magna also I will that all my goods be devided in thre
equall partes the one part to Annes Bretton my wyf
the other part to Jennet
Bretton and Richard Bretton my children and the third parte I will be brought
furthe of it and my detts paid with all my legaces and funerall costs and
charges borne of the same also I gyve and bequithe to the hye alter for tythes
and oblacions forgotten VIIId (8 pence) also I give and bequithe unto Richard
my sone an ew and a lambe also I gyve and bequithe to Jennet Bretton my
doughter a silver gyrdle with a buckill and a penny of silver and she to have
it after the decease of Annes Bretton hir mother also I give and bequeath to
Robert Bretton my bastard son all my wayne geare and ploughe geare. The
residue of all my goods unbequest I gyve and bequithe to Annes Bretton my wyf
and Robert Bretton my bastard sone the whiche I make my full executors.
Thes beyng witnes Richard Wentworthe Umfray Newton Thomas Roo and Robert
Brodle Clarke Eodem die domini supradicti idem decanus certificavit de
approbacione huiusmodi testamenti per Umfrifum Newton at Thomas Roo testes
supranominatos iuratos etc commisaque fuit administratio bonorum eiusdem
executoribus nominatis iuratis etc. Salvo iure”
Note
Richard is the father of the martyr, John Bretton. John is not mentioned in the will because, in his marriage agreement to Frances Wentworth his father, the above Richard, had already passed on the estate. What the rest of the estate mentioned in the will consisted of is not clear but as it was divided into three with other things going to the baseborn son, Robert one can only assume that, from the time Richard passed on the estate to John and Frances, (some 15 years), he had increased his estate sufficiently to leave something to his wife and other children. This seems to have happened so many times since the 1100’s with various members of the family apparently giving away large holdings of land but still managing to retain a substantial estate. The transcription in the will of “Annes” is clearly a mist