Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/438

 :374- EXAMPLES OP MEDIAEVAL SEALS. is " Sire Johan Giffard de Bremesfoud," lier son by lier second husband. Leaden Hall was no doubt the residence of Henry de Cornhill, whose daui^htor and heiress Hugh de Neville, the Forester, married. Stow, speaking of Leadenhall says, " I read that in the year 1309 it belonged to t>ir Hugh Xevill, Knight." This date being earlier than the deed seems to have presented a little dithculty to Mr. Planclu', who writes as if he supposed that Margaret dc Neville was the absolute owner in fee-simple (uitil she made the giant to her son, though he suggests that, if Stow did not mistake the date, Hugh might be residing there. It is more probable from the history of the family, and also from the tenor of the deed itself, that Hugh was not only residing there in 1309, but had been the pro- prietor from the time of his father's death, subject to his mother's dower or jointure in it for her life. The object of the deed seems to have been, to give up to him her life estate in all the property except the advowsons, unless he happened to die before her, in which event it was to return to her for her life ; and, accordingly, the contingency of Hugh surviving his mother was not provided for, since in that case the propcrt}' was already his in fee simple. The advowsons referred to were most likely St. Christopher's, St. Bennet Finks, St. Peter's Cornhill, St. Margaret Patens, and St. Olave's extra Turrem : for of them the father of this Hugh died seized. What Stow proceeds to say of the Lady Alice, Hugh's widow, having made a feoffment of Leaden Hall and the advowsons in 1362, is an error so far as she is stated to have been Hugh's widow. She was probably the widow of his son John, who succeeded him and died in 1358. In consequence of the Chief Forester having had one or two contemporaries of the same name there is great obscurity and many C(»ntra(lictions in the books as to the pedigree of this family. Any one who would pursue the subject will do well to consult Mr. Drunnnond's " British Families," '■' Mr. Stapleton's Preface to Liber de Antiq. Lcgibus, and also Morant's History of Essex, in addition to the luiblishcd Records, an<l the originals of the several Inquisitions post mortem that arc mentioned in the printed calendar. On whatever authorities Mr. Drummond and Mr. Stapleton have relied, as to Alice dc Courcy, the mother of Joan, the wife of Hugh the Chief Forester, there must surely be some mistake in stating that she n'as the sister and heir of the William dc Courcy, who was a ward in 1201, and whose father was only twenty years old in 1185 ; ' for it was liardly possible that the father should have had a daughter wlio lost her husband in or before 1194, having had by him a daughter that married in 1200, This Alice is more likely to have been the aunt of that William dc Courcy, and the sister of his father, the Wiiliant de Courcy who married Clundrada dc Warciuie. 3, Skai. of Fma.nuh Fkuki:, It is of red wax, and appended to an acquittance to " Monsire Edmoun Cheny " for 12/. lO.s-., the rent (yirj/x) of her dower out of the manor of Totele (Totbill, l,iiicolnshire). The docuiiioiit is dated at I'.cidialc ( iKiiliall, Sullolk), on Tu<>sday, before the '' In fliiH coHtly work tlicn- arc wooilpiita Thomn.s Kcaiifort, Diiko of Exeter, that of all ijio Jiljovc-ineiitioiifil hchIh, Ijiit tlicy (lii'iiriated to a pj). lii. and Ixiii. noieh. Marram N. villi- .,1 llr.inliv, uilr of