Ralph Lee Esquire (abt. 1404 - 1479)

Born about 1404 in Langley, Shropshire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Ralph was born circa 1404, the son of Robert de Lee of Roden and his wife, Petronilla de Lee, daughter and sole heir of Roger de Lee of Lee, Shropshire.^[1] Sometime before 31 August 1447,^[2] he married Isabella Ridley, the daughter of James Ridley, and they were the parents of Richard Lee.^[1] Ralph’s marriage brought the villages of Haxalls, Acton, Burnell, and Buryton, all in Shropshire, under his domain.^[3]

Ralph's father died sometime before 14 March 1435/6, and upon his father's death, Ralph assumed the titles of Lord of Langley and of Roden.^[4]

At Alverton, Shropshire on Monday after the feast of St. Hilary 15 Henry VI (14 January 1436/7), Pernell [Petronilla] once the wife of Robert de Lee of Rodene leased the Manor of Alverton and the services and customs of all her tenants of the said manor, to Rauf son of the said Robert and Pernell, to hold to Rauf for the term of her life, paying to her p.a. 6 marks, that is 40s on the feast of All Saints and 40/- on the Invention of Holy Cross.^[5] This Indenture of Allartone is in French.

In 17 Henry VI (1438-9), Ralph leased the Manor of Berrington, Shropshire from his mother for the duration of her lifetime. She died on 12 March 1442, and Ralph received her interest of one third of the town of Langley as her heir. He recovered some of the lands of Berrington through a lease of eighty years duration from the Abbot of Haughmond. The leased lands are described:^[6]

"messuage and garden,—parcel of the half-virgate which Helewisa daughter of Hamo de Sancto Remigio gave to the Abbey, and of a croft,— parcel of the virgate which John le Strange gave to the Abbey".

On 4 August 1439, Thomas Banastre of Hadnale, Esq, was bound by written obligation to Ralph Lee of Longeley, Esq, for £100 to be paid to Ralph by the feast of St Michael, Ralph grants that if he and his heirs peaonbly hold and enjoy all those lands and tenements, rents and services in the township of Biriton and a certain annual rent of 2/- which Thomas used to receive from John Stuche for lands and tenements which he held of Thomas in the township of Burghton near Allerton, with the services of the said John, meaning that Thomas and Elizabeth his wife by a certain deed have granted to Ralph to hold to him and the heirs of his body, as appears more fully in the deed, without disturbance, claim etc. from then or anyone, then the statute merchant shall have no force.^[7]

At Salop on the morrow of St. Michael in 18 Henry VI, [30 September, 1439], Sir Thomas Abbot of the Monastery of St Peter, Salop, granted to Ralph Lee, Lord of Langley, and his heirs, his cultures called Havekely lying between the townships of Ralph called Rokeley, and his manor of Langleye, and whatever elese he has there by the gift once made by the ancestors of Ralph, to hold to Ralph and his heirs of the Abbot and the Convent, and his successors at a fee farm, forever, in default the Abbot may distrain Ralph, and his heirs or successors and their tennants of Langley, Rockeley and Hotales or in the town of Salop or in the suburb called Foriet.^[8]

In 37 Henry VI [1 September 1458-31 August 1459], Ralph Lee, the son of Petronilla daughter of Roger son of John son of John son of Reyner de la Lee, sued Roger Corbet, of Moreton, for land in Staunton-upon-Hynhithe, which Philip de Wystantowe had given to John son of John son of Reyner de la Lee and the heirs of his body in the time of Edward II [1307-1327].^[9]

Ralph Lee was Sheriff of Salop when John, lord Strange, knight, and lord of Knockin and of Mowghue [Marches of Wales] was a debtor, and a writ was issued which Ralph endorsed on 20 October 1461.^[10]

Ralph died on 5 December 1479, and an Inquisition Post Mortem was held that specified that he held the Manor of Langley for one-forth knight’s fee and that he also held the Manor of Berrington in fee-tail of John, Earl of Arundel, for unstated services. It further stated that the Manors of Roden and Stanton had passed entail to his son and heir, Richard Lee.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Eyton, R.W. Antiquities of Shropshire. London, England: John Russel Smith, 1858. Volume VI, p 133.[[1]]
2. ↑ Grazebrook, G. and Rylands, J.P. (Editors). The Visitation of Shropshire taken in the Year 1623. London, England: The Harleian Society, 1889. Volume XXIX, p 316.[[2]]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Mead, E. C. Genealogical History of the Lee Family of Virginia and Maryland. New York, New York: Richardson & Son, 1868, p 36.[[3]]
4. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: 1514/529, Catalogue of the Shropshire deeds and papers of the Smythe Family of Acton Burnell, FAMILY MORTGAGES, MARRIAGE SETTLEMENTS & WILLS.[[4]] accessed: 28 November 2018.
5. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: 1514/408, Catalogue of the Shropshire deeds and papers of the Smythe Family of Acton Burnell, Deeds - Shropshire, MYDDLE, ALDERTON.[[5]] accessed: 28 November 2018.
6. ↑ Eyton, R.W. Antiquities of Shropshire. London, England: John Russel Smith, 1858. Volume VI, pp 41-42.[[6]]
7. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: 1514/271, Catalogue of the Shropshire deeds and papers of the Smythe Family of Acton Burnell, Deeds - Shropshire, BERRINGTON.[[7]] accessed: 28 November 2018
8. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: 1514/160 & 161, Catalogue of the Shropshire deeds and papers of the Smythe Family of Acton Burnell, Deeds - Shropshire, Acton Burnell Parish, LORDSHIP OF LANGLEY, HAWKSLEY.[[8]] accessed: 28 November 2018.
9. ↑ Wrottesley, George. Pedigrees from the Plea Rolls. Published by the author, 1905. p 393.[[9]]
10. ↑ The National Archives Website: Discovery: C 131/239/4, Chancery: Extents for Debts, Series I, Unexecuted writs; writs detached from their lost returns; writs de liberacione.[[10]] accessed: 28 November 2018.

See also:

• Edward Campbell Mead, Genealogical History of the Lee Family of Virginia and Maryland from A.D. 1300 to A.D. 1866 (Google eBook). University Publishing Company, 1871.

Acknowledgements

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