144 EPONYMOUS FAMILIES OF DORSET. 



lozenges between three plates, three cross croslets sable." This 

 blazon, however, fails to locate the cross croslets with the 

 requisite clearness. It may be noticed also that all these 

 Arms are but variants of those given in the Roll of Arms 

 temp. Edward II., viz., " De argent a une fesse de goules a iij 

 merelos en le chef de goules." 



CHIDEOCK. 



There is room for some doubt whether the family of Chideock 

 properly belongs to the class that we are considering, and 

 whether it should not be thought to have taken a name from the 

 place, rather than to have bestowed one upon it ; but the fact 

 seems to be that the Chideocks act in a double capacity, and, 

 having borrowed their name from one local habitation, have 

 subsequently lent it to another. 



John Gervase, a merchant of Bridport in the early part of the 

 reign of Edward I., obtained possession of the Manor of 

 Chydiok from the Mandevilles for 20 per annum, with fixity 

 of tenure to him and his heirs ; but the Mandevilles expressly 

 reserved the rights of heirship and wardship. 



John Gervase's son assumed the name of Chidiock on 

 succeeding to his father's estate in 1310, and two years later, 

 while Sheriff of the counties of Dorset and Somerset, he was 

 given the custody of the lands of the Knight's Templars in those 

 counties during the king's pleasure. Three years later he was 

 Knight of the Shire of Dorset, and again, two years after that, he 

 is certified by the sheriff to be lord of the township of Chidyok, 

 in Dorset.* 



It was part of the High Sheriffs duty in those days to 

 administer the county funds and to pay certain wages to the 

 members attending Parliament ; but John Chideock during his 

 shrievalty seems to have disapproved of this practice, and, a^ 

 any rate, he omitted that part of his functions, for in 1318 an 

 execution was levied upon his lands, houses, and goods for the 



*Nom. villarum. 



