Agnes (Legh) de Venables (abt. 1240 - bef. 1295)

Born about 1240 in West Hall, High Legh, Cheshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of Richard (Lymm) de Lymm — married about 1260 in Cheshire, England

Descendants

Died before 1295 before about age 55 in Bradwall, Cheshire, England

Biography

Agnes de Legh was born about 1240 at West Hall, High Legh, Cheshire, England, and died in 1300 in Bradwall, Cheshire, England.

Agnes was the daughter and heir of Richard de Legh, lord of the moiety of High Legh de West Hall.^[1]

"Egerton Leigh of West Hall in High Legh and Twemlow, Esq. is descended from Richard Lymme who in the late 13th century married Agnes the daughter and sole heiress of Richard de Legh.  Agnes had a second husband, William Venables, and they had a son, John, who (also) took the name of Legh and settled at Booths. William Venables was descended from Gilbert Venables the first baron of Kinderton who held land in Cheshire under Hugh Lupus after the Norman Conquest."^[2]

Marriages

1st:

Agnes married Richard de Limme, younger son of Hugh de Limme, lord of the moiety of Limme.^[1] Agnes' father, Richard, gave half a bovate of land etc in High Legh, held by Gilbert son of Walter Becke, in marriage with his daughter Agnes, to her husband, Richard son of Hugh de Limme about 1260.^[3] The grant was witnessed by Hugh de Limme and Thomas his brother, Adam de Lehe and Hugh his son Roger, the parson of Limme (and others).^[3]

1. Thomas de Legh of the West Hall in High Legh, and surnamed de Legh after the place of his birth and residence.

• In about 1286, Richard de Mascy granted to Thomas de Lehe for his homage and service of a third part of the entire moiety of all woods and wastes had of the gift of Rafe brother of said Thomas in the town of Lehe, which was witnessed by Radulph de Virnun, Hamon de Mascy, Roger de Dunruile, knights, Robert le Grouenor then sheriff of Chester, Hugh de Lehe and others.^[4]

2nd:

Agnes married for a second time to William de Hawarden.^[1]

1. Raufe de Hawarden, born about 1265, who had half the moiety of High Legh given to him by his half-brother, Thomas Legh of the West Hall, and Raufe sold his part to sir Richard Massy of Tatton in 1286.

• In about 1258 [1288], Rafe son of William de Hawirdin quitclaimed to Thomas as lord of a moiety of the town of Lehe of all right to certain fields there, and Sir Hamon de Mascy and Richard de Mascy Knights, Robert le Grosvenur then sheriff of Chester and Hugh de Leye and others were witnesses.^[5] This document is undated and the estimated date is incorrect, since Richard de Massey was not knighted until about 1286.

3rd:

Agnes married thirdly to William Venables of Bradwell younger brother of sir Hugh Venables baron of Kinderton.^[1]

1. John de Legh del Boothes, who purchased Knotsford Booths, cum Norbury Booths, from William de Tabley in 28 Edward I [1300], and from whom the Leghs of Booths nigh Knotsford are descended.

• A footnote by Helsby explains in detail that William Venables was her third, and not second, husband. ^[6]

Death

Agnes died before 1295, since her husband had remarried by then. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} George Ormerod, ed., "Containing the Introduction and Prolegomena, the county of the city of Chester and Bucklow Hundred", The history of the county palatine and city of Chester compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county; incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal, and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities, Archive.org, Vol. I, (London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, and Jones, 1819), accessed 21 May 2014, https://archive.org/stream/historyofcountyp00orme#page/350/mode/2up pp.351-2.
2. ↑ Magna Britanica at http://www.thornber.net/cheshire/htmlfiles/legh.html
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} The National Archives Website: Discovery: DLL 3/3: LEIGH OF WEST HALL, HIGH LEGH: SCHEDULE OF LEIGH FAMILY DEEDS, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/c91f7693-8c93-4d3e-a551-a8bcb8978ba0, 26 August, 2014.
4. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: DLL 3/7: SCHEDULE OF LEIGH FAMILY DEEDS: LEIGH OF WEST HALL, HIGH LEIGH, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/b7e99d27-5c92-4836-8081-bdf8d93a697f, 5 October, 2014.
5. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: DLL 3/4: SCHEDULE OF LEIGH FAMILY DEEDS: LEIGH OF WEST HALL, HIGH LEIGH, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/d4a0a0e4-c5d3-4cf1-84a0-da0fbd01f35e, 5 October, 2014.
6. ↑ Helsby, Thomas. The history of the county palatine and city of Chester compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county; incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal, and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities, Vol. I, Second Ed. (George Routledge and Sons, London, 1882) p. 451.
7. ↑ George Ormerod, "Containing the Hundreds of Edisbury, Wirral, and Broxton", The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester; Compiled from Original Evidences in Public Offices, the Harleian and Cottonian MSS, Parochial Registers, Private Muniments, Unpublished Ms Collections of Successive Cheshire Antiquaries, and a Personal Survey of Every Township in the County; Incorporated with a Republication of King's Vale Royal, and Leycester's Cheshire Antiquities, 2nd Edition, Ed. Thomas Helsby, 3 volumes, (London: George Routledge and Sons, 1882), II:15.