Wakebridge of Crich, Derbyshire

[Gjest]

Alice (died 23 October 1368), the wife of Sir Roger de Belers (d 1326)
of Kirby Bellars, Leics is said to have been a member of the
Wakebridge ['Wakebrugge'] family of Crich, Derbyshire.

Secondary source vary, however, in their placement of Alice in the
Wakebridge pedigree.

'Leicestershire and Rutland Notes & Queries', 1891, p 83 calls her the
"daughter of William, son of Peter de Wakebrugge and Juliana, sister
of Hubert fitz Ralph of Crich".

'Leicestershire Pedigrees and Royal Descents', W.G.D. Fletcher, 1887,
p 23 calls her the "daughter of William Wakebridge and Juliana
Fitzralph".

Evidently, as least one of these is incorrect.

Some details of the Wakebridge family may be found in records of a
chantry at Crich, established by William de Wakebridge in 1350.

We see the first of these in the Calendar of Patent Rolls, which
contains an entry for 3 July 1350 in relation to this foundation:

"Licence for ten marks which William de Wakebrugge will pay to the
King for the alienation in mortmain by the same William of 4
messuages, 3 cottages, a toft, 7 bovates of land and 16 shillings rent
in Cruche [Crich], Whetecrofte, Holeways, Alveleie and La Lee by
Dethek, and 40 shillings rent from lands in Hassop, Harstone,
Wakebrugge, Tannesleie and Tyversalt, to a chaplain to celebrate
divine service in the church of Cruche as he shall ordain, for the
good estate of him; Alice Beler; Roger Beler and Margaret his wife;
William de Balydene; Henry de Codyington and Margery his wife, and
Robert de Chestrefield, for their souls when they are dead, as well as
for the souls of Nicholas de Wakebrugge and Juliana his wife; Peter de
Wakebrugge and Joan his wife, and John Wakebrugge, Robert, Nicholas
and Peter, sons, and Maud, Joan and Margaret de Wakebrugge, daughters
of the same Peter; William Cosyn and Eleanor his wife, and Alice and
Cecily, daughters of the same William; Roger Beler and Thomas his son,
and Katherine and Agnes his daughters; Thomas de Mumpeler, and all
children, ancestors and heirs of the first name William - ten marks
paid in the hanaper: Derbyshire".

MA-R

[Gjest]

On Feb 22, 5:12 pm, [email protected] wrote:

Some details of the Wakebridge family may be found in records of a
chantry at Crich, established by William de Wakebridge in 1350.

We see the first of these in the Calendar of Patent Rolls, which
contains an entry for 3 July 1350 in relation to this foundation:

"Licence for ten marks which William de Wakebrugge will pay to the
King for the alienation in mortmain by the same William of 4
messuages, 3 cottages, a toft, 7 bovates of land and 16 shillings rent
in Cruche [Crich], Whetecrofte, Holeways, Alveleie and La Lee by
Dethek, and 40 shillings rent from lands in Hassop, Harstone,
Wakebrugge, Tannesleie and Tyversalt, to a chaplain to celebrate
divine service in the church of Cruche as he shall ordain, for the
good estate of him; Alice Beler; Roger Beler and Margaret his wife;
William de Balydene; Henry de Codyington and Margery his wife, and
Robert de Chestrefield, for their souls when they are dead, as well as
for the souls of Nicholas de Wakebrugge and Juliana his wife; Peter de
Wakebrugge and Joan his wife, and John Wakebrugge, Robert, Nicholas
and Peter, sons, and Maud, Joan and Margaret de Wakebrugge, daughters
of the same Peter; William Cosyn and Eleanor his wife, and Alice and
Cecily, daughters of the same William; Roger Beler and Thomas his son,
and Katherine and Agnes his daughters; Thomas de Mumpeler, and all
children, ancestors and heirs of the first name William - ten marks
paid in the hanaper: Derbyshire".

A further version is printed in 'The Black Death', R. Horrox, 1994, p
251"

"The keeper of the chantry and his succesors are to celebrate masses
every day for ever, unless there is a lawful impediment, for the below-
written souls, that is to say, for the souls of Nicholas de Wakebrudge
and Joan (sic) his wife; Nicholas the son of that Nicholas; Joan,
Amice and Sarah the sisters of Nicholas son of Nicholas; Peter de
Wakebridge and Joan his wife; Robert, Nicholas and Peter, the sons of
Peter; Joan and Elizabeth my wives; John de Wakebridge, chaplain;
Matilda de Wakebridge; William Cosyn and Eleanor his wife; John Cosyn,
chaplain; Cecily and Alice, the daughters of William Cosyn; John de la
Pole and Cecily his wife; Henry de Coddington and Margery his wife;
their parents; Roger de Chesterfield, clerk; Henry de Chaddesden;
Nicholas de Chaddesden; Robert de Tissington; William de Ballidon;
Robert Beler and Margaret his wife; Alice Beler; Cecily Wyn; Ralph
Frecheville, and their heirs, and for the souls of all my friends and
all the benefactors of the chantry".

A further list is provided, citing Harl. MS 3669 ff 98-103, with some
death dates for member of the family:

18 May 1349: Nicholas, son of Peter de Wakebridge(*)
27 June 1349: Elizabeth de Aslaccon, sister of the wife of William de
Wakebridge
16 July 1349: Robert, son of Peter de Wakebridge, formerly vicar of
Crich
5 August 1349: Peter de Wakebridge and Joan his daughter
10 August 1349: Joan, wife of William de Wakebridge, and Margaret his
sister
15 August 1349: John de Wakebridge, chaplain

(* this Peter is identified as the father of William de Wakebridge)

Comparing the two lists, we note that the second list (of souls to be
prayed for) includes a number of persons known to be living at the
time that the chantry was founded - eg Alice Beler, who survived until
1368. It is therefore not possible to determine the status of any
person on that list - whether they were then living or dead; however,
the list in CPR does distinguish between those living and those dead
in 1350, and the Harleian MS details of deaths are also useful.

MA-R

[Gjest]

On Feb 22, 5:41 pm, [email protected] wrote:

Some details of the Wakebridge family may be found in records of a
chantry at Crich, established by William de Wakebridge in 1350.

There is a printed pedigree of the family in Stephen Glover's 'History
of the County of Derby', pt 2 (1829), p 323:

1. Peter de Wakebridge
2. Ralph married 'Savia daughter of Thomas de Pecco'
3. Nicholas ff 1286
4a. Ralph
4b. Amice, married Alexander son of Alexander de Lea
4c. Peter, MP for Derbyshire (etc); issue:
5a. Sir William
5b. Cecilia married John Pole

No primary material is provided in support of this pedigree.

I note that 'Savia daughter of Thomas de Pecco' should read "Sarra";
her father seems to have been Thomas fitz Richard del Pec.

In the absence of any other reliable primary material it seems that
the two chantry documents are all we currently have to build a
pedigree on. This leaves us with:

A.

1. Nicholas de Wakebridge, married Juliana/Joan; both dead by 1350;
issue:

2a. Nicholas de Wakebridge
2b. Joan de Wakebridge
2c. Amice de Wakebridge
2d. Sarah de Wakebridge

B.

1. Peter de Wakebridge [it is not clear from the primary sources that
he was the son of Nicholas at (1) above]; died 1349; married Joan;
died 1344; issue:

2a. Sir William de Wakebridge; married firstly Joan, died 1349;
married secondly Elizabeth; founder of the Crich chantries
2b. Robert de Wakebridge, clerk; died 1349
2c. Nichola de Wakebridge, died 1349
2d. Peter de Wakebridge
2e. Joan de Wakebridge, died 1349
2f. Margaret de Wakebridge, died 1349
2g. Maud de Wakebridge
[2h. John de Wakebridge, chaplain]

Sir William is said to have had a further sister, Cecilia, wife of
John de la Pole, who was his heiress; this may well have been the
case, since the Poles afterwards succeeded to the Wakebridge estate at
Crich. If it is true, then Alice (Belers) cannot have been a further
sister of Sir William, or she would have also been his heir [unless
she were illegitimate or a half-sister].

It seems we are presently left without any firm evidence that Alice,
the wife of the elder Sir Roger Belers, was a member of the Wakebridge
family.

MA-R

Cecily de Wakebridge, mar