POLEBROOK HUNDRED 



POLEBROOK 



occurs in the Buccleuch Deeds of the last quarter 

 of the 13th century as John le Despenser, or Spenser, 

 of Armston.'i He had by his wife M.ibel three sons, 

 John le Despencer, Geoffrey, and Walter.^- Of these, 

 John had three sons, Philip le Spenser, by whom he 

 was succeeded in I3I4,''^ David le Spenser,-''' and 

 John le Spenser, chaplain,^* who together held a 

 part of Philip de Armston's {3 of " knight's fee in 

 Armston'* ; Geoffrey had by his wife Sarah" a son, 

 John le Spenser, who was holding in the middle of the 

 14th century. 



Another tenement in Armston was held by Ralph 

 de Trublcvill, sheriflF of Northamptonshire in 1223, 

 whose name appears here as early as 1202.'* His 

 wife was Alice, who seems to have been an heiress.^" 

 In 1224 he received timber from the King's wood 

 of VVrikes towards the repair of his house at Armston,'" 

 and in 1 232 he and his wife built the Hospital of St. 

 John the Baptist of Armston on their land," and 

 Alice presented the first master.''- The fee later went 

 to Geoffrey, brother of Berengar le Moyne of Barn- 

 well St. Andrew, and he presented a master to the 

 hospital in 1274.''* Two years later Geoffrey claimed 

 view of frankpledge and assize of bread and ale.'''' 

 He was succeeded by his son Reginald,''* who pre- 

 sented a master in 1298'* and in 1302. His wife's 

 name was Divorgilla.*' John Moyne presented in 

 1353,'" and with his wife Cecily settled the manor 

 and advowson of the Hospital possibly in favour 

 of William Peytevj'n of Armston, who had letters 

 of protection for the King's service in Ireland in 

 1363.''* In 1381 he presented to the Hospital,^* and 

 in 1393-4 William with his wife Joan conveyed lands 

 in Armston and Kingsthorpe and the advowson 

 of the Hospital, all of Joan's inheritance, to William 

 Armston,"^ whose wife Joan was possibly the daughter 

 of William Peytevyn. William Armston claimed to 

 be patron when a new constitution was given to 

 the Hospital in 1397,*^ and he and his wife were 

 alive in 1428.*^ He was succeeded by his son William, 

 who married Maud and presented to the Hospital 

 in 1430.*'' He was succeeded by another William 

 Armston, whose widow Ellen was in 1500 the wife of 

 Robert Halley.** Thomas, son of the last-named 

 William Armston, inherited his father's estate and 

 was living in 1535.** A petition was presented by 

 Thomas Armston against Richard Compton, master of 



the Hospital, for neglect of his duties in not praying 

 for the souls of the founders nor saying divine service 

 in the chapel of the Hospital for the benefit of the 

 inhabitants living at a distance from tlie parish 

 clurch.^' 



Thomas was succeeded by his half-brother, William 

 Armston, who was dead by 1540,*' when the in- 

 heritance was disputed under various settlements. 

 The claimants were Thomas Henson, son of Elizabeth, 

 sister of the last-named William Armston, who is 

 said to have married John Henson ; Katherine, 

 daughter of Guy, son of the elder William Armston 

 by his third wife, which Katherine was then liiewife 

 of Richard Pallady, and was said to be illegitimate ; 

 and Sir Robert Kirkham, son of Anne, sister of Guy, 

 who had married George Kirkham.^* The matter 

 was compromised, and the disputants joined, about 

 1545, in conveying the estate to John I.anc,^'' by 

 whom it was sold in 1548 to Sir Edward Montagu.** 

 The Hospital was dissolved by Sir Robert Kirkham 

 in 1536, and sold to Sir Edward Montagu.*- The 

 Crown, however, granted it in 1548 to Sir William 

 Sharington, who conveyed his title to Sir Edward 

 Montagu. Probably on account of Sharington's 

 attainder it was granted by the Crown in 1588 to 

 Edward Wymark.'^ The Montagus seem to have 

 come to terms with Wymark and retained possession, 

 and the lands of the Hospital remained part of the 

 Manor of Armston, which descended with Barnwell 

 St. Andrew** until 1913, when it continued in the 

 possession of the Duke of Buccleuch. 



A family of Porthors of Armston held lands there 

 in the 13th century.** Andrew Porthors had a son 

 John, who with his wife Rose was living about 

 1270.** They had a son John and a daughter Alice, 

 who married John de Milton,*' living in 1305.*' 



One hide and a virgate of land in Kingsthorpe 

 (Chingestorp, xi cent. ; Kyngesthorp, xii cent. ; 

 Kynestorp, xiii cent.) belonged to the fee of Peter- 

 borough*^ from the 12th to the 15th century.'" The 

 Abbot of Peterborough's lands here were partly of the 

 fee of Maufe and partly of the fee of Lovetot.'i The 

 mesne lordships followed the descents of Woodford 

 and Clapton respectively (q-v.)- Walter de Lodinton, 

 the abbot's immediate tenant in the reign of Henry I,'^ 

 may have been the predecessor of the one or other, 

 or of both. Robert Maufe gave lands here to the abbot 



" Buccleuch Deeds, A. 7, A. 46, D. 10, 

 22, 23, F. I, 2, 4, 23, 24. 



" Ibid. F. 34, 41 ; Cbmn. Petrob. 23. 



" Ibid. 



•* Buccleuch Deeds, A. 121, G. 23. 



•• Ibid. F. 42, 43, G. 17, 23. 



•• Pytchley, loc. cit. 



•' Buccleuch Deeds, F. 10, 41. 



"List of Sberifs, 92; Plac. Abbrev. 

 (Rec. Com.), 41. 



" She was possibly Alice de Polebrock, 

 who held lands in Kingsthorp at this 

 time (Buccleuch Deeds, G. 2, 4). 



" Close R. 28, m. 3. 



" Anct. D. C. 31 19; Rot. Hug. ie 

 Wellfs (Cant, and York. Soc), ii, 255-6. 



" Ibid. 164. In 1269 Walter de Vernon 

 gave 5 marks for prayers for the soul of 

 Margaret de Pomeray (Buccleuch Deeds, 

 D. 25). 



" Ibid. H. 30, 34 i Rot. Rich, de Graves- 

 tnd (Cant, and York. Soc), 122. 



'* R<it. Hund. (Rec. Com.), ii, 8. 



*• Buccleuch Deeds, F. 23. CtoRttj't 



widow Lucy was dealing with lands in 

 Armston about 1280. Ibid. F. 24. 



*• Bridges, op. cit. ii, 419. 



*' Buccleuch Deeds, F. 23. 



*' Bridges, loc. cit. 



" Feet of F. Northants. case 177, 

 file 81, no. 494; Cal. Pat. 1361-4, 

 p. 428. 



'" Bridges, loc. cit. 



" Feet of F. Northants, case 178, 

 file 88, no. 144. 



" Buccleuch Deeds, F. 44. 



" Feud. Atds, iv, 48. 



" Bridges, loc. cit. 



•• Buccleuch Deeds, I. 6, 6 a. 



" Bridges, loc. cit. 



•' Buccleuch Deeds, D. 36. 



" Ct. of Req. bdle 6, no. 133 ; bdle 7, 

 no. 120. 



"Bridges, ii, 417-20; according to 

 the Visitation of 1564, Anne was the 

 daughter of Thomas Armston. (Met- 

 calfe, Visit, of Northants, p .30 ; Ct. of Req. 

 bdle 6, no. 133 ; bdle 7, no. 120). 



" Feet of F. Northants. Hen. VIII, 

 case 32, file 218. 



■* Bridges, loc. cit. 



" Chantry. Cert. Northants xxxv, no. 

 44 ; xxxvi, no. 33. 



" Pat. R. 30 Eliz. pt. 7, m. 6. 



•• Feet of F. Div. Cos. Trin. 9 Chas. I ; 

 Mich. 1658; ibid. Northants. East. 33 

 Geo. II i 16 Geo. Ill; Recov. R. Trin. 

 9 Chas. I, m. 40 ; Hil. 3 Anne, m. 223 ; 

 East. 33 Geo. II, m. 162 ; 9 Geo. IV, m. 

 122. 



" Buccleuch Deeds, D. 9, G. 4. 



" Ibid. D. 7, 10, F. 3, 12, 21, G. 4, K. 4. 



" Ibid. F. 23. •• Ibid. H. 47, 48. 



•• V.C.H. Northants. i, 367. 



" Cott. MS. Vesp. E xxi, fol. 30 b ; 

 Cleop. C ii, fols. 104 b, 743 b ; Feet of 

 F. Northants. case 174, file 50, no. 902 ; 

 Rot. Hund. (Rec. Com.), ii, 8 ; Feud. 

 Aids, iv, 48, 51. 



" Pytchley, Bk. of Fees (Northants 

 Rec. Soc), 56, 90. 



" V.C.H. Northants. i, 367a. 



