Richard Adderbury II (abt. 1350 - 1416)

Ancestors

Biography

"Sir Richard [iii] Abberbury (d. 1416)"

"Sir Richard the younger began his career in the service of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, and rose to be chamberlain of the Lancastrian household during the duke's Castilian expedition. During the 1390s he gravitated towards the royal court, however, and was several times employed on diplomatic missions by Richard II, besides serving as knight of the shire for Berkshire in January 1394 and 1397."

"The case of Sir Richard [iii] is more puzzling: he left England early in 1400 and seems subsequently to have returned only for the briefest stays. In 1408 he is described as ‘on pilgrimage, beyond the great sea’ (TNA: PRO, E 28/24/8); in 1415 he began to sell up his entire inheritance, disposing of some estates to his nephew, Sir Richard Arches, but selling the bulk of his lands to the rising star of local politics, Thomas Chaucer. Whether this change of life sprang from a fervent spirituality, political disgrace, or a principled unwillingness to serve a usurping king is unclear, but it is plain enough that the surviving members of the Abberbury family were unable to sustain their social position in the face of such a wholesale loss of influence and income."^[1]

Family and Education

s. and h. of Sir Richard Adderbury I*. m. bef. Feb. 1388, Alice (d.1416), da. and h. of John Cleet of South Denchworth, Berks., wid. of Edmund Danvers (d.1381) of Winterbourne Danvers, s.p. Kntd. by May 1381.^[2]

Property

Souldern Manor

"Thomas was succeeded by his son Richard, the most distinguished member of the family, by 1362. (fn. 87) Richard was a knight of the shire for Oxfordshire in 1373 and 1387, and a royal servant. He is best known for his rebuilding of Donnington castle and his endowment of Donnington Hospital. (fn. 88) Both the hospital and the Crutched Friars of Donnington received grants of lands and rents in Souldern from Sir Richard. (fn. 89) The latter was dead by 1401 (fn. 90) and was probably succeeded first by his brother Thomas, who had lands in Souldern in 1399, (fn. 91) and then by Thomas's son Richard*. (fn. 92)

The younger Richard married Alice, widow of Edmund Danvers of Chilton (Berks.), (fn. 93) but had no children. By 1415 his heir presumptive was probably Sir Richard Arches, the son of his sister Lucy, (fn. 94) to whom with other feoffees he conveyed Souldern manor in that year. (fn. 95)"^[3]

• This account confuses Richard II with Richard I, and his nephew Richard in that sentence.

Manor of Shaw

"In 1229 a suit was brought against Philip de Sanderville by Richard de Coupeland and Joan his wife, (fn. 98) who received a grant of land here, probably the manor, from Philip in 1231–2. (fn. 99) A little later Richard was holding the manor, (fn. 100) and in 1287–8 Alan de Coupeland, who seems to have been his son, (fn. 101) sold it to Thomas de Eadburbury. (fn. 102) He may, perhaps, be identified with the Thomas de Abberbury who received a charter of free warren here in 1292. (fn. 103) Thomas died in 1307 seised of the manor, which passed to his brother Walter, then aged thirty. (fn. 104) Walter was living and in possession of the manor in 1308–9, (fn. 105) but by 1315–16 he was dead, and the manor had passed to Richard de Abberbury, who was probably his son. (fn. 106) Richard died in March 1333 seised of this manor, when his heir was his son John, then aged sixteen. (fn. 107) John seems to have died without issue before 1353, when Richard de Abberbury, probably his cousin, (fn. 108) was holding the manor. (fn. 109) In 1387 Richard received a grant of this manor, or some further rights here, (fn. 110) and in 1388 or 1390 he was expelled from the court by the discontented nobles on account of his loyalty. (fn. 111) In 1415 he* sold the manor to Thomas Chaucer, (fn. 112) who is thought to have been the son of Geoffrey Chaucer the poet."^[4]

• His son, Richard who "in a much more drastic move he sold outright to Thomas Chaucer the castle and manor of Donnington and five other manors".

Cleets Manor

"From the Earleys, who were still in possession in 1307, (fn. 64) the manor passed to David Martin, Bishop of St. David's, (fn. 65) who in 1328 held of the Prior of Poughley a capital messuage and lands here. His heir was Thomas de Carew, son of his sister Avice, (fn. 66) who in 1333 granted two parts of the manor to Richard Cleet of Chipping Lambourn. (fn. 67) Richard had a son and heir John, whose daughter and heir Alice married first Edmund Danvers, (fn. 68) and afterwards Richard Abberbury. (fn. 69) She and her second husband leased Cleets to the Hyde family. (fn. 70) The latter had already acquired the mesne lordship from John Shelford and his wife Elizabeth, who had bought it from the Prior of Poughley, (fn. 71) and in 1408 Richard Abberbury and Alice granted to John Hyde all their right in lands in South Denchworth. (fn. 72) Cleets was thus added to the other Hyde lands. After their sale in 1617 it seems to have followed the descent of South Denchworth."^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Simon Walker, ‘Abberbury family (per. c.1270–c.1475)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [1]
2. ↑ The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993, ADDERBURY, Sir Richard II (d.1416) [2]
3. ↑ "Parishes: Souldern," in A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 6, ed. Mary D Lobel (London: Victoria County History, 1959), 301-312. British History Online, accessed March 18, 2016, [3]
4. ↑ "Parishes: Shaw-cum-Donnington," in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London: Victoria County History, 1924), 87-97. British History Online, accessed March 18, 2016, [4]
5. ↑ "Parishes: Denchworth," in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London: Victoria County History, 1924), 280-284. British History Online, accessed March 19, 2016, [5]