206 Notes on the Docttmenimy HMory of Zeah. 



to Percy, setting up a title under a purchase from Q-eorge Dynliam. 

 Percy being a poor man could not contest the matter, and therefore 

 sold his right to Charles, Lord Stourton : he was not so easily 

 satisfied, and when he could get no rent " thrust Ohafyn out of 

 possession," but he was soon reinstated by order of the Star 

 Chamber, probably because his leasehold interest still existed. 

 Upon Lord Stourton's attainder for the murder of HartgiU all 

 his rights in the manor were forfeited to the person on whom the 

 overlordship had descended from William Govis, the original 

 grantor. This was proved to be Lewes, Lord Mordaunt, and in 

 1567 he proceeded by action of ejectment to recover it from WiUiam 

 Chafyn, the son of Thomas, the lessee. It was necessary for Lord 

 Mordaunt, in order to establish his iitle, to prove his heirship, and 

 this was done by records produced in court. It was shown by 

 Inquisition that William de Govis died in 1299 and that amongst 

 his possessions he held a knight's fee in " Seles " in capite of 

 Eichard Fitz John, which fee Walter de Ailesbury held under 

 him in socage under an annual rent of 12f?., and that his heirs 

 were his two daughters, Joan and Alice. ^ Joan soon after was 

 man-ied to John de Latimer, and Alice became the wife of Robert 

 de Musters, or Monasteriis, but died in 1311 without issue, leaving 

 her sister Joan her heir, who thereby became owner of the entirety. 

 It was proved also that the manor was held by successive generations 

 of the Latimer family until the reign of Hemy VII., when Sir 

 Nicholas Latimer, Avho died in 1505, was succeeded by his only 

 daughter and heiress, Edith, wife of Sir John Mordaunt, grand- 

 father of Lewes, Lord Mordaimt, the plaintiff in the action, and a 

 verdict was retiu'ned in his favour. It is known that his son sold 

 the bulk of his paternal estates in the West, and there is no doubt 

 that the manor of Zeals Ailesbury was then purchased by William 

 Chafyn, Mr. Chafyn Grrove's ancestor. 



The other manor of Zeals Cliveden was at an early period held 

 by a family called " de Seles " and was no doubt the half of a 

 knight's fee which, in the reign of Hemy III., Richard de Seles 

 held of Avice Colimibers, and she of the Earl of Salisbury, and he 



1 Escl. 27 Edw. I., No. 53. 



