John (Grey) of Shirland (1200 - 1266)

[CLR HIII] 22 July 1227 Westminster. Liberate to John de Gray 10/ for Easter term of the 20/ that he receives yearly for his maintenance in the king's service.

[CLR HIII] 13 November 1229 Bisham. Liberate to Richard de Grey 15/ for Michaelmas term, in thirteenth year, and to John de Gray, his brother 15/ for the said term, of their yearly fees of 30/ each, which the king granted to them at the exchequer to maintain themselves in his service.

[CLR HIII] 22 August 1239 Westminster. Computate to John de Gray, in the issues of counties Bedford and Buckingham, as much as pertains to him for the custody of those counties according to the length of time that he has been sheriff of those counties at the same rate as the other sheriffs before him were wont to receive.

[CLR HIII] 23 July 1242 Westminster. Liberate to John de Grey, who is coming overseas to the king in Gascony, 30 marks for his expenses.

[CPR HIII] 28 August 1242 Winchester. Appointment of William de Cantilupo the younger, John de Gray, Philip Basset and Paulinus Peyvre as constables and leaders of the knights crossing this time to Poitou by order of the king. [CPR HIII] No date 1242. Protection with clause volumus for John de Grey, so long as he be beyond seas with the king. [CPR HIII] 12 November 1242 La Reole. Writ of liberate to the treasurer and chamberlains for 50 marks to be paid yearly to John de Grey at the exchequer of Michaelmas, which the king has granted to him until he can provide him in wards or escheats to that value.

[CPR HIII] 30 November 1246 Grant to John de Grey, justice of Chester, of 200 marks a year at the Exchequer for the custody of the county of Chester and of the king's castles of Gannoc and Dissard during the war with the Welsh.

[CPR HIII] 17 January 1249 Guildford. Commission to John de Gray, justice of Chester, of all the king's lands of the county of Chester and of North Wales, so that he may have all the issues from the Purification next, rendering to the king 500 marks a year, and that he keep all the castles in these lands at his own cost, and preserve the king's houses in the state in which they now are, and grieve no tenant but maintain them according to law and the custom of those parts; saving to the king advowsons of churches, reliefs, wards, stews, parks and forests as far as relates to venison and vert, and the pasture of which the said John shall not overcharge to the detriment of the king's deer; and saving all to the king the tallages of free broughs, and all manner of escheats. Memorandum that this compact is to be observed by the said John in time of peace, and such is the king's intention.

[CPR HIII] 2 July 1250 Marlborough. Appointment of Alan la Zuche, justice of Chester, to the keeping of all the lands in the county and of North Wales from the morrow of the Translation of St Thomas the Martyr, 34HIII, until Michaelmas, 36HIII, that is for two years and a quarter. Mandate to John de Grey to deliver to him the said castles and lands with all the stock and munitions therein, as he received them at the time when the king committed them to him at farm.

[CFR HIII] 20 April 1251. Merton . John de Grey owes the king 11 m. for a charter to have a market and fair at his manor of Shirland in Derbyshire and for acquitting the same from the [fees of the] Chancery.

[CFR HIII] No date [October] 1251. John de Grey has made fine with the king by 500 marks for the trespass that he made in taking to wife Joan, who was the wife of Paulinus Peyvre [second wife], without the king’s licence, and he is to render 100 marks thereof per annum, until the aforesaid 500 marks are paid to the king.

[CFR HIII] 14 May 1252 Westminster.. The king has given respite to John de Grey, until Michaelmas in 15 days, from the 18 marks which are exacted by summons of the Exchequer and which he ought to have taken from the abbey of Basingwerk for a trespass made to the king while he was justice of Chester, and from the £20 which are similarly exacted from him by summons of the Exchequer for the custody of the land and heir of Ralph de St. Amand. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause him to have the same respite.

[CFR HIII] 29 October 1252 The king, concerning 500 marks that are demanded from John de Gray who took to wife Joan who was the wife of Paulinus Peyvre by summons of the Exchequer for a fine which the same Joan made [...] for having custody of the land and heirs of the same Paulinus until the legal age of the same heirs, and concerning another 500 m. that are exacted from the same John by summons of the [same Exchequer] for a fine which he made with the king for a trespass which he made in taking the same Joan to wife without the king’s licence, and concerning an account to be rendered at the same Exchequer from the time when he was [...] of Chester, has given respite to the same John until the quindene of Easter in the thirty-seventh year. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause the same John to have that respite.

[CFR HIII] 30 May 1253 Westminster. The king has committed to John de Gray custody of his castle and park of Northampton with all appurtenances for as long as it pleases the king.

[CPR HIII] 30 May 1253 Sutton. Protection for John de Grey going with the king to Gascony, for so long as they are in his service in those parts with the king.

[CFR HIII] 11 July 1253 Portsmouth. For John de Grey. The king, concerning 500 marks. that Joan wife of John de Grey owed to the king for having custody of the lands formerly of Paulinus Peyvre sometime her husband concerning which the king took from the same John, and concerning 500 marks by which the same John made fine with the king for a trespass that he made in taking the same Joan to wife without the king’s licence, and concerning 10 m. that the same John and Richard his brother owe to the king of a prest, and concerning 20s. that the same John owes to the king for John son of Norman’ for the farm of two bovates of land in Datinton’ and Presteclive, and concerning £323 8s. 1d. that the same John owes to the king for the remainder of his account for the garrisoning of the castles of Deganwy and Dissard, has pardoned the same John £300. And concerning the residue of the aforesaid debts he has granted to the same John and his heirs that they are to render 100 marks to the king per annum, until the aforesaid debts are paid to the king. Order to the barons of the Exchequer to cause the aforesaid John and his heirs to be quit of the aforesaid £300 and to have the same terms concerning the residue of the aforesaid debts, and it to be done and enrolled thus.

[CPR HIII] 20 July 1253 Portsmouth. Grant to John de Grey of the manor and hundred of Ellesmere for fifteen years from Michaelmas, rendering yearly 20/ at the exchequer.

[CPR HIII] 24 August 1253 Bordeaux. Appointment, during pleasure, of John de Grey as Seneschal of Gascony and warden of the island of Oleron.

[CFR HIII] 25 January 1256. Windsor. Because the king has kept with him his beloved and faithful John de Grey such that the king does not permit the same to approach his Exchequer at present, order to the barons of the Exchequer to place in respite until 15 days from the Purification of the Blessed Mary in the fortieth year.

[CFR HIII] 16 June 1263 Concerning the castle and county of Hereford, which has been committed. In the same manner the castle and county of Hereford have been committed to John de Gray to keep for as long as it pleases the king, so that he answers him for the issues arising therefrom at the Exchequer.

[CFR HIII] 9 June 1263 Westminster. To the barons of the Exchequer. The king has pardoned to his beloved and faithful John de Grey the 40s. at which he was amerced before the king’s beloved and faithful Alan la Zouche and his associates, justices last itinerant to take the pleas of the forest in Northamptonshire, for the common summons. Order to cause him to be quit from the aforesaid 40s.

[CFR HIII] 14 April 1264 Nottingham. Concerning the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, which have been committed. The king has committed the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with appurtenances to John de Grey to keep for as long as it pleases the king, so that he answers him for the issues arising therefrom at the Exchequer. Order to the archbishops etc. Concerning a castle that has been committed. Item, the king has committed Nottingham castle with appurtenances to the abovesaid John to keep for as long as it pleases the king.

[CFR HIII] 20 April 1264 Nottingham. Concerning the stocking of castles. Whereas the king lately committed to his beloved and faithful John de Grey his castles of Nottingham, Bolsover and Horsley to keep for as long as it pleases the king, and whereas it is essential that John stocks the aforesaid castles with victuals by reason of the disturbance that has now arisen in the kingdom, just as will seem best to him and as he is able to do adequately, the king promises John that he shall make allowance to him or to his assigns of the reasonable costs that he spends in providing the aforesaid victuals by the view and testimony of law-worthy men, so that, indeed, the aforesaid victuals shall remain to the king to make his advantage therefrom, unless, by chance, they happen to be used up in stocking the aforesaid castles by reason of the war. If it happens that they are used up, in full or in part, in stocking the aforesaid castles by this reason during his aforesaid custody, the king will cause to be allowed to him all that which will be used therein in the aforesaid form, as long as he answers the king by a reasonable account at the Exchequer for those costs which happen to be incurred, whether in full or in part, in the said manner.

[CPR HIII] 15 September 1264 Canterbury. Safe conduct for John de Grey, coming with his household, horses, arms, harness, and things to the king wherever he may be in England, staying and returning; and for his greater security the king has commanded Ralph Basset of Sapcote to conduct him.

[CPR HIII] 18 December 1264 Worcester. Protection until Easter for John de Grey, late constable of the castle of Nottingham, his men, lands and possessions; and safe conduct for him and his household in going to his lands, staying there and going there whither he will. And be it known that the said John, for himself and the underwritten with him, has mainprised that he will stand his trial in the king's court if any will proceed against him touch any trespasses. The like for the following – Reginald de Grey and 41 others listed.

[CFR HIII] 6 August 1265 Worcester. The king has committed the castle of Nottingham together with the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have been committed to John de Gray to keep for as long as it pleases the king, so that he answers for the issues arising therefrom at the Exchequer.

[CPR HIII] 14 February 1266 Westminster. Appointment of John de Grey, sheriff of Nottingham and Derby, as keeper of the peace in those parts; with mandate to all persons of those counties to be of counsel and aid to him with horses and arms and their whole posse in aggrieving and vanquishing all malefactors and disturbers of the peace, as the said John shall instruct them on the king's behalf.

[CFR HIII] 18 October 1266 Westminster. The king has committed custody of his counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire for as long as it pleases the king to John de Grey rendering £100 per annum for profits of the said counties just as Simon de Aslakeston' previously rendered, and he will make good the body of the county and will render the fixed alms and will answer for the others farms, as above. The king has committed custody of his castle of Nottingham and his mill below the same castle to the same, such that he is to answer for the issues of the same at the Exchequer as keeper.

John I Grey, the second son of Henry de Grey, who was to inherit the manor of Shirland from his father, was the patriarch of this branch of the family. John with his brothers Richard and William, were knights of king's military household by 1220, serving in the military expedition to Poitou in 1224 and acted as one of the principal commanders of the 1242 expeditions to Poitous and Gascony, after which, was appointed justice of Chester, a position that involved being in command of the defence of the northern Welsh marches. Was to remain overseas with his brothers Richard and William for another 18 months following the expedition to Gascony of 1253 being appointed as Steward there in the August of that year, although he was briefly replaced because of illness a few months later by Richard. He retired from the court in 1255 but appears to have retained the favour of the Lord Edward being appointed by him as keeper of the Welsh marches in 1257 and the royal constable of Shrewsbury. Was one of the baronial supporters in 1258 but returned to the royalist party in 1260 and following the battle of Lewes in 1264 continued to hold Nottingham for the king for several months. Following the victory at Evesham was restored to royal custody of Nottingham and Derby and held those appointments until his death on the 18 March 1266. John was succeeded by his son Reginald, who was to acquire the manor and castle of Wilton through marriage to Matilda de Longchamp, who Banks records as a daughter of Hawise, who in turn the daughter of Henry III de Longchamp who died c1238, who married a William fitzHugh. Unfortunately the question of Matilda's parentage has remained unanswered. Reginald, like his father, also served as a military commander, and the grant the castle of Ruthin after the Welsh conquest of 1282 is just one of the many examples of how highly his service was valued by Edward I.

References, Oxford Dictionary National Biography – "Grey family [per. 1325-1523]" by R. Ian Jack, "Grey [Gray], Sir John de [d. 1266], Grey, John, second Lord Grey of Wilton [d.1323]" by A.J. Musson, "William de Longchamp died 1197" by Ralph V Turner. "Chronicles of Roger of Hoveden" edited by William Stubbs "English Episcopal ACTA" – Ely 1109-1197 by Nicholas Karn, David Michael Smith, "Baronia Anglica Concentra" by Sir T.C. Banks [This is a secondary reference and should always be cross referenced to a primary reference.]