A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



GOO 



Camoys. Argent a chief 

 gules with three bezants 

 therein. 



Ascelina's son.-"^ John was also the heir of Mabel de 

 Torpel, probably the widow of the last Roger de Torpel, 

 who died the same year seised of a Kentish manor.^"* 

 She also held certain assarts in Pilton, presumably as 

 part of her dower.'' 



In 1280, John de Camoys released part of the 

 Torpel fees to the King and Queen, but retained 

 Pilton.'' It passed after his death in 1298 to his 

 son Ralph " and grandson 

 Thomas. 3'* The latter was 

 granted one fee in Pilton by 

 his father, including all the 

 demesne lands,'^ and after his 

 father's death in 1336 he 

 obtained the other half fee.'* 

 Thomas de Camoys and 

 Robert de Thorpe were hold- 

 ing a fee here in 1 346.'"' In 

 1 369, however, Camoys, whose 

 only son died in his father's 

 lifetime,''^ released all his right 

 in the manor of Pilton to Sir 



Robert Thorpe.*^ The latter was succeeded by Sir 

 WilliamThorpe,'" who died in 1 391, and directed in his 

 will that the option of buying certain lands in Pilton 

 should be first offered to John Mulsho.'"'' Presumably 

 John Mulsho obtained the whole manor, since in 1428 

 the l\ knights' fees formerly held by Sir Thomas 

 C.imoys and Robert de Thorpe had passed to Thomas 

 Mulsho,''* probably Sir Thomas Mulsho of Newton, 

 one of whose daughters and co-heirs, Alice, married 

 Henry, second son of Sir William Tresham,^" father 

 of Sir Thomas, who founded 

 the Rushton branch of the 

 family. Richard Tresham, said 

 to be her grandson,*' died 

 seised of Pilton manor in 

 1533.** It passed in direct 

 descent to John {d. 1539),'" 

 Maurice,*" and Sir Thomas 

 Tresham.*^ The last named 

 was succeeded in 1636 by 

 his son Thomas, whose son 

 Maurice is mentioned in a 

 settlement of 1628. ^^ It 

 would seem possible that he 



was the Maurice Tresham who held the manor in 

 1639,*' but a Maurice Tresham was apparently the 

 lord of the manor in 1666 and l67l.*'' It passed 



Tresham. Parly sal- 

 tircu'ise sahle and or 

 with six trefoils or. 



to George Tresham, who died before May, 1684,** 

 and to his son Edward Tresham, who only survived 

 him till 1692.** His heir seems to have been 

 Clemencia Tresham," but in 1714 his mother and 

 others, probably trustees, sold the manor to Sir 

 Thomas Powys,*' whose descendant. Lord Lilford, is 

 now lord of the manor.** 



The small holding, which the nth and 1 2th century 

 tenants of the Abbey of Peterborough held in Waden- 

 hoe or in Pilton,*" may perhaps be identified with 

 the land held by a family taking their name from the 

 place. The Piltons were tenants of the Torpels,*' 

 and their successors, and held i^ of a knight's fee of 

 the manor of Pilton,*^ bm {^^y pjjj sheriff's aid and 

 other dues themselves,'' so that it is probable that 

 their holding was originally separate from the main 

 holding in Pilton. William de Pilton (Pilkinton), 

 who was also known as WiUiam de Liveden,*'' was 

 succeeded by his son Robert de Pilton or Robert the 

 knight (le knith or chnit) of Pilton, who lived in the 

 last quarter of the 13th century.'* Robert had three 

 sons : GeofTrey, his successor ; John, apparently a 

 clerk, and Thomas, and a daughter Cicely." Geoffrey 

 was succeeded by Thomas." It seems possible that 

 their quarter fee was bought by Sir Robert de 

 Thorpe,** who evidently held land there by military 

 service as a sub-tenant of Sir Thomas Camoys,'* before 

 the latter sold the manor {qv.) to him. 



In 1318, Ralph de Camoys obtained a grant of free 

 warren in his demesne lands in Pilton,™ but in 1329, 

 when summoned as to his claim for free warren, the 

 warren was taken into the king's hands, in spite of the 

 charter, because Ralph had enfeoffed his son Thomas 

 with all the demesne lands of Pilton." In 1620 Sir 

 Thomas Tresham obtained a new grant of free 

 warren in the manor of Pilton.'^ 



A free fishery at Pilton is mentioned in an extent of 

 ,73 



"277 

 CHURCH 



The church of ST. MART and 

 ALL SAINTS''* consists of chancel, 

 24 ft. by 14 ft. ; clearstoried nave of 

 three bays, 35 ft. 9 in. by 17 ft. 6 in. ; north and soulli 

 aisles, south porch, and west tower, 6 ft. 6 in. square, 

 surmounted by a broach spire. The width of the 

 north aisle is 10 ft., and that of the south 13 ft. 6 in., 

 the total width across nave and aisles being 45 ft. 8 in. 

 All these measurements are internal. There is also a 

 modern vestry covering the north aisle doorway. 

 The chancel was rebuilt in 1864, and an extensive 



" Cal. Inq. ii, no. 212 ; Chron. Petrob. 

 (Camden Soc), p. 23. 



" Cal. Inq. ii, no. 178 ; Cal. Fine., 

 i, p. 76. 



"Cott. MS. Cleop. Ci,f. 59. 



"Cal. Close, 1279-1288, p. 66; I-cct 

 of F. Div. Cos. Trin. 15 Edw. I, no. 50. 



" Cat. Fine, i, p. 34<) ; Cal. Pat. 



'3>.Vi7. rP- i''5. 37o>4S2. 



•'•Coll. MS. Vcsp. K xxi, f. II; 

 riac. de Quo lyarr. (Rcc. Com.), |;o8. 



■• Asiizc R. no. 632, m. 76 ; Plac. tie Quo 

 H'arr. (Rtc. Com.), 508. 



•• Cal. Pat. 1334-38, p. 275 ; Cott. MS. 

 Clcop. C i, f. I36d ; A»flizc R. no. 632, 

 m. 76. 



*• Feud. Aids, iv, p. 448. 



** Complete Peerage (new ed.). 



"Cloic R 4 3 F.dw. Ill, m. 6. 



" Feet of F. ih\. Coi. 'Frin. 7 Ric. II. 



" Northanti. A'. <5>- Q. iv, 141 ; c(. 

 King'i Dcnch R. 534, m. 54. 



" Feud. Aids, iv, p. 48. 



" Uridgcs, Hist. Northanls. ii, 323. 



*' Ibid. lie w.ts sun of Rich.Trd 

 Trcjh.im. 



** Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. ii), dcxcvi, 2. 



" Ibid. Ix, 35. 



•" Feet of F. North.mts. E.ist. 5 Y.Vn.. 



" Ilridgcs, op. cit. ; Feet of F. Nortli- 

 .Tnts. Trin. 16 J.ts. I. 



" Ch.in. Inc], p.m. (Ser. ii), cccclssxi, 13. 



" Krrov. R. Trin. 15 CIi.ts I, ro. 51. 



•M'.R.O. Initit Boolii, 1606-1671. 



" Norlhants. A'. (S- Q. V, 238, 239. 



"Ibid. 



" Feet of F. Norlhants. F^.iit. 12 Will. 

 iSiMary. 



•• Feet of F. Northants. East. 13 Anne. 



" Recov. R. Mich. 6 Ceo. IV, ro. 265 ; 

 G.E.C. Complrir Peerage. '** See above. 



" Soc. Anii'|. MS. 60, f. 159 d. 



•MMd. f. is6. 



•■ Egerton MS. (Il.M.), 2733, f. 154 d. 



130 



'* 'I'he Piltons were benefactors of the 

 Ilospit.-il of St. John Baptist of Armslon, 

 .ind much information about them will be 

 found among the deeds of that house in 

 lUiccleuch Charters 66 to 75 ; Soc. of 

 Antiq. MS. 60, f. I59</. 



" liuccleuch Ch. 71, 72, 76; Egerton 

 MS. (Il.M.), 2733, f. 155; Cott. MS. 

 Clcop. C i, f. 58 d. 



•• liuccleuch Ch. 66, 69, 72, 74, 75 ; 

 Soc. of Antiq. MS, 60, f. i|;6. 



•' Coll. MS. Clcop. C i, f. 59 d. 



•• Cf. Pytchley, Hk. of Fees, 40 n, 43, 



4!; n. 53. 55 "• 



" Feud, .-lids, iv, 448. 



'» Cal. Chart. 1300-26, pp. 397, 417. 



" Plac. de Quo IVarr. (Rolls. Ser.), 508. 



"Pat. R. 18 Jas. I,pt. 15. 



" Cal. Inij. ii, no. 212. 



"The early dedication seems lo have 

 been lo All Saints (Assize R. no. 632, 

 m. 72). 



