Thomas de Beetham

  Noted events in his life were:

• Descendents. ⁹¹³
In 1242 it was recorded that Thomas de Beetham held the third part of a knight's fee in Warton of the Earl of Lincoln's fee (of Penwortham) [Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec Soc. Lancs, and Ches.), i, 151]. The Beetham estate, known as the manor of Cowburnor Cowburgh [Cockersand Chartul. i, 192], descended regularly in the family till the time of Edward IV. An estate first acquired by Adam de Yealand about 1230 and held after him by Conyers and Singleton of Broughton came in time to be regarded as a moiety of the manor of Warton. Thomas de Beetham on acquiring Warton gave a general confirmation to the monks of Lytham of the lands they held [The charter is named in the old catalogue of Lytham charters at Durham, but is now missing]. He died in 1248 or 1249, and it was found that he held three plough-lands of the Earl of Lincoln by the third part of a knight's fee, receiving only 4s. 4d. a year and certain white gloves, others having been enfeoffed freely [Lancs. Inq. and Extents, 1, 171], Sir Ralph his son and heir died about five years afterwards; his daughter Joan was only seven years old [Ibid, i, 195; the value is given as 2s. 4d. Joan's marriage was worth £3] and appears to have died a little later, for at inquisitions made in 1255 [Ibid. 202] and 1257 it was found that Ralph's brother Robert was his heir [Ibid. 203. Robert was of full age].

Sir Robert de Beetham confirmed the Lytham charters, and agreed with the monks as to the bounds of Bryning and Warton on the Lytham side ; he also gave land in the Bankhouses to Stanlaw Abbey [Whalley Couch. (Chet. Soc), ii, 453'964, The gift was made for the soul of Robert's deceased wife Maud]. He was succeeded by his son Thomas before 1302 [Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 316; Thomas de Beetham was under age, Assize R. 1288, m. 13d., 407, m. 1; and again in 1293, ibid. 408, m. 4; and was a knight by 1311, De Lacy Inq. (Chet. Soc), 22], and Thomas by his son Ralph in or before 1317, in which year William de Tours and Emma his wife called upon him to warrant to them certain land in Warton claimed by John de Astenthwaite and Margaret his wife as dower, Margaret being widow of Thomas de Beetham [De Banco R. 221, m. 219 d.; 226, m. 145; 230, m. 105 d]. In 1346 it was recorded that Queen Isabella, in right of the fee of Penwortham, held three plough-lands and a third for the third part of a knight's fee in Warton which Sir Ralph de Beetham and Thomas son of Gilbert de Singleton held of her in moieties, rendering 3s. 4d. yearly for castle ward [Survey of 1346 (Chet. Soc), 44. ]. In 1361 Robert de Beetham and his tenants held the third part of a fee of the Duke of Lancaster [Inq.p.m. 35 Edw. III, pt. i, no. 122].

A History of the County of Lancaster, Volume 7, pp.171-174

• Background Information: ⁸⁵⁹
Thomas de Bethum gave his daughter Eleanor the mesne manor of Farleton, and Eleanor was recorded as holding it in 1254. It seems that this manor passed to Eleanor's sister, Hawise. Hawise de Bathum was married Thomas Banastre of Bretherton, Lancashire.

~ Records relating to the Barony of Kendale: Volume 2, p. 266

• Background Information. ⁹²⁰
Bootle was certainly made a portion of the Bussels' fee of Penwortham. Warin Bussel, under Roger of Poitou, may have held Bootle before 1100. Of the barons of Penwortham it was held by Roger son of Ravenkil, and descended to his son Richard, lord of Woodplumpton and founder of Lytham Priory. Two only of Richard's five daughters left issue-Maud, wife of Sir Robert de Stock port, and Amuria, wife of Thomas de Beetham; and their heirs continued to hold it down to the time of Edward II.

The inquisition held in 1249,after the death of Thomas de Beetham showed that he held 8 oxgangs of land in Bootle of the earl of Lincoln, rendering 12s. yearly, and 2 by knight's service from which he took nothing. In 1242-1243, Thomas de Beetham and Robert de Stockport were said to hold the fourth part of a knight's fee here. [Lancs. Inq. and Extents, Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches., 149, 171].

~ A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, pp. 31-35

• Background Information. ⁹⁵⁵
Ralph de Beetham, lord of Beetham, died circa 1208. By Ingrith, his wife, he had issue, Thomas, his son and heir, and proably Roger and Robert, named in a deed, as well as a daughter married to Orm de Kellet. His son Thomas married Amuria, one of the daughters and coheirs of Richard, son of Roger, thane of Woodplumpton and founder of Lytham Priory. Thomas had, in the right of his wife, a large estate in Lancaster.

~ The Chartulary of Cockersand Abbey, Volume. III Part I, p. 1012

• From Gen-Medieval Archives: Jordan de Thornhill's father-in-law, Richard fitz Roger . ¹⁹³
From: FDP527ATaol.com
Subject: Re: Jordan de Thornhill's father-in-law, Richard fitz Roger
Date: 23 Dec 2005 04:04:16 -0800

William Farrer in his Records of Kendale, Vol II, page 266

*The mesne manor of Farleton appears to have been given by Thomas de Bethum in the time of Henry III to his daughter, Eleanor, who held it in 1254. It appears to have passed to Eleanor's sister, Hawise, the wife of Thomas Banastre of Bretherton, co. Lane., who had received a considerable maritagium in Beetham. Thomas Banastre their son, was father of Adam Banastre, whose daughter Katherine married John de Harrington, younger, of Farleton in Lonsdale. Lands in Farleton in Kendale were held by a local family. The first was Thomas de Farleton in the reign ot John and the last was Ralph de Farleton, named in 1349, who had a daughter Cecily, named in 1352. Ralph appears to have alienated his lands befole 1343 to John de Harrington, younger, named above, son of Sir John de Harrington of Aldingham. The younger John died in 1359 seised ot the manor.*
Cheers,

Dix Preston

• From Gen-Medieval Archives: Thomas de Betham . ¹⁹³
From: "Merilyn Pedrick" <pedricks@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Re: Jordan de Thornhill's father-in-law, Richard fitz Roger
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:40:40 +1030 (Cen. Australia Standard Time)

Dear John et al You might be interested in the following excerpt from material sent to me several years ago by a Freda Murray, whom I've since not been able to contact. She did a huge amount of work on the Betham family which straightened out many an error in the Betham tree I unearthed in 1990 in New Zealand. From this it appears that all five daughters of Richard fitz Roger were married. Merilyn Pedrick Aldgate, South Australia

THOMAS DE BETHAM, m Amuira, daughter of Richard Fitz-Roger, Lord of Wood Plumpton (whose wife was heir of Dunstan Banister) TAKEN FROM A HISTORY OF WHITTINGTON:

Newton with Docker

The third of the manor of Whittington was that now known as Newton with Docker and appears to have belonged to a native family which had accepted the Norman king. Ravenkil son of Raganald is the first of this family to be named, as he attested the Charter of Roger of Poitou to the monks of Lancaster in 1094 (Farrer, Lacs. Pipe Rolls p 43) he was also a holder of lands in Woodplumpton. His son Roger gave lands in Linacre to the Hospital of Jerusalem and was father of Richard who died in 1201 (Ibid, pp 43,44). This Richard, son of Roger, married Margaret daughter and co-heir of Thurstan Banastre and was the founder of Lytham Priory - Margaret is named in her husband's charter of 1-5 Richard 1 (1189-94)(Ibid, pp. 346, 348). Richard had five daughters and was fined £100 for marrying his eldest daughter, Matilda, without the King's licence; this fine is accounted for in the Pipe Roll of 1179-80. His children were:

(i) MATILDA, married to Sir Robert de Stockport, who died in 1205, leaving a son and heir Robert de Stockport, whose inquisition post mortem is dated 27th March 1249, who also left a son and heir, Robert de Stockport of full age, who had livery of his lands by writ dated 4th May 1248, having given 33s 4d for his relief. He died in 1292, leaving a daughter and heiress Joan, who married Sir. Nicholas de Eton.

(ii) QUINILDA, was married twice, first to Jordan de Thornhill and secondly to Roger Gernet of Halton. She however died without issue in 1252, when an inqusition post mortem, held on 13th May, found that her heirs were Robert de Stockport and Sir Ralph de Bethum, great-nephew and nephew respectively, and that she held in chief of the heirs of Sir William de Lindesey 5 1/4 bovates of land in Whittington by the service of 4s 5d. In June 1252 her heirs paid 40s and had livery of her lands..

(iii) MARGARET married in 1206 to Hugh de Morton, died s.p.

(iv) AVICE, married in 1201 to William de Millum; both died s.p before 1235.

(v) AMURIA, married, before 1206 to Thomas de Bethum on whom an inquisition post mortem was held on 17th April 1249, which found Sir Ralph de Bethum to he his son and heir.

In 1252 this Sir Ralph was found to be one of the heirs of his aunt the Lady Quinilda. He died 8th March 1254 and his daughter Joan, who was 7 1/2 years old, was found to be his heir by inquisition post mortem held on 8th June 1254, when it was stated that he held 7 1/2 bovates of land in Whittington of Walter de Lindesey by the service of 6s 8d. Joan however died shortly afterwards and her uncle Robert brother to Sir Ralph was found heir and had livery of his lands on 5th March 1257. He was living in 1283 and was dead in 1297, when his heirs rendered 8s 8d for the lands in Botle. He had a son and heir Thomas de Bethum, who appears in an inquisition a.q.d. of the year 1300 regarding the proposed gift of the church of Whittington to the Prior of Cartmel. This Thomas was knight of the shire for Westmorland in 30 Edward I and in 2,4,5 and 7 Edward II. Thomas was succeeded by his brother Sir Ralph de Bethum, who is named in the extent of the lands of the Duke of Lancaster made 20 May 1346 and in the minister's account of the same in 1348.
667
1206: Thomas de Beethum and Amera his wife proffer 40 marks for having her reasonable part of the land which was Richard son of Roger's; Lancs. Pipe Rolls.203 (the Antiquities of Kendale page 214)

1206: Thomas de Bethum holds two carucates in Bootle (Botlega) co. Lancaster for 8s 8d: Red Bk of the Exchequer, 572 (the Antiquities of Kendale page 214)

1212: Thomas de Bethum held lands in co. Lancaster in marriage with the daughter (and coheir) of Richard son of Roger, thegn of Woodplumpton: Bk. of Fees, 210, Lancs. Inq. XLVIII, 22. In 1243 Thomas de Bethum held the same lands. ib.149 (the Antiquities of Kendale page 216)

1216: The son or daughter and heir of Thomas de Bethum was to be delivered to the king as hostage by Gilbert Fitz-Reinfrid for his fidelity: (R. de Finibus (Rec.Com)571 (page 216 The Antiquities of Kendale) See Ralph de Bethum.

1226: Quindene of Easter. Thomas de Bethum was summoned to answer Adam de Yeland and Matthew de Redman by right he claims common of pasture in their land in Yeland, seeing that they have no common in his land nor do service to him. Thomas says that he claims no common in the manor of Yeland with them unless they wish to have common with him, unless by chance they wish to draw to themselves the wood and lands of the manor of Bethum wherefore of this he does not wish in this writ to reply. Thomas goes sine die (Cur. Reg. R 95,m 2d (Antiquities of Kendale page 216)

1228: Thomas de Bethum was appointed one of the perambulators of the forest of co. Lancaster (Close R. 1228 p 100; Cal. Pat R. 1340 p 427 (Antiquities of Kendale page 216)

1244: Lancashire Assize Rolls 30-31 Henry III M 12 (1244-45) relative to a suite brought against Sir Thomas de Betham for exercising right of common in "Yholand" through its lord, Matthew de Redman, exercised no such rights in Betham. Sir Thomas's case was "That his ancestors SINCE THE CONQUEST and for time without mind, have wont to common in the lands of the ancestors of Alice and Matthew in the said Vill, without any reciprocal rights" (taken from A House of Letters edited by Ernest Betham)

1246: Alice wife of Robert de Coygners appoints an attorney against Thomas de Bethum in a plea.(Lancs. Assize R. (Rec.Soc) XLVII, 41,47 (Antiquities of Kendal p 216)

1249: Thomas de Bethum held at his death divers lands in co. Lancaster. Ralph de Bethum, his son was his next heir (Lancs. Inq. (Rec Soc) XLVIII 170; Excerpt e R Fin ii 53)

Thomas married Amuira de Woodplumpton, daughter of Richard Fitz Roger Lord of Wood Plumpton and Margery de Banastre.⁹¹³ (Amuira de Woodplumpton was born before 1201 in Woodplumpton, Lancashire, England.)