George de Meriet

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹²⁷¹
At the time of the Conquest the later manor of Merriott formed two estates. The second estate, of five hides, occupied in 1066 by Godwin, had passed by 1086 to Harding son of Eadnoth the staller.

The manor evidently passed from Harding son of Eadnoth, or Harding de Meriet, to his son Nicholas FitzHarding (d. by 1171), followed by his grandson Henry de Meriet (d. by 1192). [Proc. Som. Arch. Soc. xxviii. 100-4.] Nicholas de Meriet (d. by 1229) inherited his father's lands in 1212, and in 1229 was succeeded by his son Hugh (d. c. 1236). [Pipe R. 1212 (P.R.S. n.s. xxx), 119, 223; Cal. Inq. p.m. i, p. 2] From Hugh's son Nicholas (d. c. 1258) the manor passed in turn to Nicholas's son John (d. 1285), and grandson, also John. The last succeeded as a minor and received his lands in 1297. [Cal. Inq. p.m. ii, pp. 341-2; Plac. Abbrev. (Rec. Com.), 293] On his death in 1308 he was followed successively by his sons John (d. by 1322) and George (d. 1328). [Proc. Som. Arch. Soc. xxviii. 104-24; Cal. Inq. p.m. vii, p. 119.] From George's son, Sir John de Meriet (d. 1369), the manor descended to his son Sir John (d. 1391), and subsequently to the latter's daughter Elizabeth, wife of Urry Seymour.[Cal. Inq. p.m. xii, pp. 376-7; Proc. Som. Arch. Soc. xxviii. 126-64] On Elizabeth's death without issue c. 1395 the estate was inherited jointly by her cousins Elizabeth and Margaret d'Aumale, granddaughters of George de Meriet (d. 1328) and wives of Sir Humphrey Stafford and Sir William Bonville (d. 1408) respectively. [Proc. Som. Arch. Soc. xxviii. 164-7]

~A History of the County of Somerset, Volume IV, p. 53-55

• Background Information. ¹²⁸²
George de Meriet of Castle Carlton, was bom about 1300-1; for-having, as son and heir of John de Meriet, deceased, proved his age before John Walwayn, the escheator beyond Trent, and done homage for all the lands and tenements which his father held of the King in chief,-the King, on 3 July, 1322, issued a Mandamus under his Privy Seal, to the same escheator to deliver to the said George de Meriet full seisin thereof [Close Roll, 15 E. II. m. 3]. But, notwithstanding this order, it would appear that he did not receive livery of the whole of the lands and appurtenances of his inheritance, for, as George de Meriet, he presented his Petition to the King in council, praying that=having come to full age-he might have restored to him the manors of Meriet and Lopen, Somerset, which, after the death of John de Meriet, his grandfather, and by reason of the nonage of John, son and heir of the said John de Meriet, were seised into the King's hand, and there retained until the coming of age of the said heir [Petitions to the King in Council, no. 5615]; and further, in 2 E. III. 1328-the year in which he died-the same George de Meriet, by a like Petition, sought to have restored to him the Fairs and Markets, which from before the Conquest and ever since, his ancestors had time out of mind peaceably held within their manors of Meriet and Lopen, down to the time of his grandfather, John de Meriet, when, by Solomon de Roucestre and Richard de Boyland, Justices-Itinerant of King Edward (E. I.), grandfather of our lord the King (E. III.) that now is, the said Fairs and Markets were seised into the King's hand and there remained, in consequence of the said John de Meriet's absence (death) and not putting in his claim when the said Justices made their Iter in the County of Somerset. To which it was responded that, if-upon a Writ of Inquiry-it should appear that the said Fairs and Markets were seised into the King's hand for the cause assigned, the Petitioner should re-have the said Fairs and Markets upon payment to the King of the requisite fine [Petitions in Parliament, 2 E. III. no. 2: from the MSS. of Sir Matthew Hale, Kt., as printed in the ' Rotuli Parliamentorum et Petitiones et Placita in Parliamento, ' II. 13a].

Pursuant to Writ, tested at Westminster, 9 May, 17 E. II. 1324, George de Meriet was returned by the Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset (Thomas de Marleberge) as a Man-at-Arms (Esquire), and was summoned accordingly to attend the Great Council on the 30th following [Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs].

In Trinity term 1325,-having previously obtained the King's license-he, with Isabel his wife, conveyed, by Fine, to Margaret de Meriet (his mother), in fee, to hold to the use of himself and the said Isabel, his wife, for their joint lives, and-afterwards to the use of his heirs, 27 messuages, 3 carucates of land, 40 acres of meadow, 30 acres of pasture, and 7s. l0d. annual rent in Meriet-held of the King in chief, by the service of one knight's fee. Besides the messuages and lands included in the above conveyance, there remained to the said George de Meriet the manor of Castel Carleton, Co. Lincoln, held of the King in chief, by the service of a third part of a knight's fee [Inq. A.Q.D. 18 E. II. no. 147; Final Concord Som's, 18 E. II. no. 56]

On 18 kalends of July (14 June) 1325, Philip Bernardini, clerk, a Florentine, was admitted to the church of Meriet by his proctor, the Reverend Andrew Sapiti, rector of the church of St. Mary of Arches, London, on the presentation of George 'dominus ' de Meriet, Patron thereof [Register 'Drokensford'].

Pursuant to Writ tested as Gloucester, 12 May, 19 E. II. 1326, George de Meriet was returned by the Sheriff of Dorset and Somerset (John de Erie) as holding-for two whole years last past-one knight's fee in Somerset of the full value of £40 a year, or lands or rent of the value, and as not having taken the degree of knighthood before the feast of Easter last past-in accordance with a former order:-he was therefore summoned to appear in Chancery to answer for his default within 15 days of the Feast of St. John Baptist next following (24 June-8 July, 1326)- [Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs]. By Letters Patent, tested at Westminster, 18 July, 20 E. II., 1326, he was- by special favour- respited from taking knighthood until the Feast of Michaelmas then next following (29 September, 1326)- [Pat. Roll, 20 E. II. m. 28: see Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs].

In December, 1326- pursuant to Writ of Certiorari, dated 4 October, 20 E. II. (1326), he- as George de Meriet, son and heir of John de Meriet (deceased)- obtained from the King the restoration of a messuage, ten acres of land, and one acre of meadow in Castle-Carlton, Co. Lincoln, worth 2s. per annum, and held of the King in chief as parcel of that manor, which John de Meriet, his father, had demised to John de Arderne for life, and which, on the death of the said John de Arderne- about six years past or more (in or before 1320)- were taken into the King's hand [Inquisition, 20 E. II. no. 10]. This Item and the Petitions to the King in Council- above cited- are corroborative evidences that John de Meriet, the elder brother of this George, had died whilst under age; and they serve to explain the absence of all notice of the manors of Meriet and Lopene in the Inquisition taken in Somerset on George de Meriet's death. It should also be borne in mind that, at the time of his decease, Margaret, his widowed mother, was surviving, and holding in dower the hamlets of Lopene and Stratton, with part of the demesne lands of the manor of Meriet, and the advowsons of the church of Bokland (St. Mary), Somerset, and of the chapel of Carlton, Co. Lincoln.

In April, 2 E. III. 1328, George de Meriet obtained the King's license on payment of a fine of one mark (13s. 4d.), to give and assign 20 acres of land, 5 acres of meadow and pasture- sufficient for the keep of two heifers, two oxen, and two cows, with the appurtenances in Castle-Carleton, Great Carleton, and Ryston- parcel of his manor of Castle-Carleton, of the annual value of 6s. 10d., to the chaplain of the chapel of St. John Baptist of Castle-Carleton, and his successors, celebrants of the said chapel, in augmentation of his maintenance. Besides the lands thus given, there remained to the said George de Meriet- not including lands and tenements in other counties- the manor of Castel-Carleton, which was held of the King in chief by military service, and worth £40 per annum [Inquisition, 2 E. III. (2 nrs) no. 66].

By Inquisition taken at Crukern, Somerset, 17 December, 2 E. III. (1328)- pursuant to Writs of 'diem clausit'- dated 6 November in the same year, it was found that George de Meriet, at the time of his decease, was not seised of any lands in Somerset in his demesne as of fee, but that he and Isabel, his wife, were- by Fine duly levied- jointly enfeoifed, for the term of their lives, of 27 messuages, 3 carucates of land, 40 acres of meadow, 30 acres of pasture, and 7s. l0d. rent in Meriet (as is already recited), all which were worth £14 per annum, and held of the King in chief, by the service of one knight's fee; that John, son of the said George de Meriet, was his next heir, aged- at the date of making the inquisition- seven weeks; and that the advowson of the church of Meriet appertained to the King by reason of the minority of the said heir, and was worth £20 per annum. (According to the above dates, his son and heir was born on or about 28 October, 1328). By another Inquisition- pursuant to a like Writ- taken at Castle Carlton, Co. Lincoln, on Monday, 21 November, 2 E. III. (1328)- it was found that the same George de Meriet held in his demesne, as of fee, the manor of Castel Carleton with its appurtenances, of the King in chief, by the third part of a knight's fee, together with lands and tenements in Riston and Carleton; that he died on 5 November last past, and that John de Meriet was his son and nearest heir, of the age - at the date of the inquisition - of twenty-eight days. (According to these dates, John de Meriet, the son and heir, was born on or about the 24 October, 1328.) [Inq.pm. 2 E. III. (1 £S) no. 48.]

~Genealogy of the Somersetshire Family of Meriet, pp. 24-28

George married Isabel.¹²⁸² (Isabel died on 3 Jul 1369 in Castle Carleton, Somersetshire, England ¹²⁸².)