Robert (Legh) de Legh (bef. 1337 - abt. 1382)

Born before 1337 in Adlington, Cheshire, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 9 Nov 1382 after about age 45 in Adlington, Cheshire, England

Biography

Robert Legh of Adlington, Cheshire, was the son of Robert Legh,^[1] and his first wife Sybil or Sarah Honford.^[1]

Robert de Legh was of age in 1358, in which year he is spoken of as "Robert de Legh, junior."^[2]

He was living in 35 Edward III.^[1]

Robert was married to Matilda, daughter and coheir of John de Arderne.^{[3] [1]} their son Robert Legh, married Isabel, d. & h. of Thomas Belgrave.^[1]

In response to a writ of certiorari de feodis &c., issued on 8 February, 2 Richard II [1379], regarding Edward, prince of Wales, the escheators of Chester issued a certificate of the knights' fees and advowsons of churches held of the king as of the earl of Chester, which found that Robert de Legh held Adelynton by a fourth part of a knight's fee.^[4]

Robert de Legh passed away in 1382.

His wife survived him by many years, and in 4 Henry V [21 March 1416-20 March 1417], at Chester, Matilda who was the wife of Robert de Legh, of Adlyngton, sued Thomas de Asthull for dower of one messuage, thirty acres of land, three acres of meadow, and three acres of wood in Fulshagh.^[5] Then Matilda who was the wife of Robert son of Robert de Legh, Kt, sued John de Macclesfeld, clerk, senior, and Katherine de Kyngesley for dower of one messuage, two hundred acres of land, forty acres of meadow, and twenty acres of wood in Hurdefeld and Ravenowe. The said John and Katherine vouched to warranty Robert son and heir of Robert son of Robert de Legh, Kt.^[5]

Sheriff of Cheshire.

Inquisition of John de Ardene, Kt, died 1408

An Inquisition regarding John de Ardene, Kt, was taken on Thursday next before the feast of St Margaret the Virgin, 9 Henry IV [19 July,1408], at Chester, found that Robert de Hampton, parson of the church of Alderlegh and John, son of Roger de Motlowe, were seised, in their demesne as of fee, of the manors of Aldeford, Alderdelegh, and Echeles, and of the advowsons of the churches of Aldeford and Alderdelegh, together with an annual rent of ten marks issuing out of the manor of Upton in Wyrehale, and gave the same for life to John de Ardene and Ellen his wife, with successive remainders in fee-tail male to Thomas and Wacelin, sons of the said Ellen, and, failing them, to the heirs male of John de Ardene and Ellen, and them, failing, to the right heirs of the said John and Ellen; that the said John and Ellen had issue two daughters, Matilda and Isabel; that Wacelin died without heirs male; that the said Thomas had issue John de Ardene, Kt., who entered upon the said estate and died without issue male; that Robert son of Robert de Legh, married the said Matilda, and had issue Robert de Legh, Kt, then living; that the said Matilda died; that Hugh de Wrottesly, Kt, married the said Isabel and had issue one John, who had issue Hugh, then living; that the said Hugh and Isabel died; that the said John their son died; that after the decease of the said John son of Thomas, the estate remained to the said Robert de Legh, Kt, as son and heir of the said Matilda daughter, and one of the heirs of the said John and Ellen, and to Hugh son and heir of the said John son of Hugh and heir of the said Isabel, other daughter and heir of the said John and Ellen; that the manor of Echeles was held of Lord Lestraunge as of his manor of Dunham Mascy, by knight's service, and was of the yearly value of 50l; that the manor of Aldeford was held of the Earl of Chester in capite by knight's service and was of the yearly value of 40l; that the manor of Alderdelegh was held of the said Earl in capite by knight's service, and was of the yearly value of 10l; that the manor of Upton was held of the said Earl in capite by knight's service; that the said John died on Monday next before the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul "last" past [25 June, 1408]; and that the said Robert de Legh was of the age of 40, and the said Hugh of the age of 8 years.^[3]

The Prince of Wales Vs Margaret, Widow of John son of Thomas de Ardene

In 10 Henry IV [30 September, 1408-29 September, 1409] at Chester, the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, versus Margaret formerly wife of John, son of Thomas de Ardene, in a suit for the right to the manors of Aldford, Alderdelegh and Echeles, the advowsons of the churches of Aldford and Alderdelegh, and a rent of ten marks from the manor of Upton in Wyrehale. The pleadings show the following descent:^[6]

John de Ardene, seised of the manors, advowsons and rent, in the reign of Edward III [1327-1377], married Elena, and had two sons and two daughters:

1. Thomas, who had:
   1. John de Ardene, living 8 Henry IV [30 September, 1406-29 September, 1407], but dead by 10 Henry IV, married Margaret, the plaintiff;
2. Walkeline, who died with no surviving children;
3. Matilda, who was married to Robert, son of Robert de Legh, and had:
   1. Robert de Legh, Kt, living 10 Henry IV;
4. Isabella, who was married to Hugh de Wrotteslegh, and they had:
   1. John de Wrotteslegh, who had:
      1. Hugh de Wrotteslegh, living in 10 Henry IV.

The pleadings also state that Thomas and Walkeline were illegitimate, being styled sons of Elena only— and that John de Ardene, the husband of Elena, had left no male heir of his body. Margaret claimed under a settlement made by her husband in 8 Henry IV [30 September 1406-29 September 1407], a licence of alienation having been obtained from the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, and a verdict was given in her favour. Under a previous settlement of 21 Edward III [25 January, 1347-24 January, 1348], also made with the licence of the prince of Wales, as earl of Chester, the same properties had been settled on John de Ardene and Elena, his wife, for their lives, with remainder to Thomas, son of Elena, and their heirs male of his body, with remainder to Walcheline, brother of Thomas, and the heirs male of his body, and failing such, to the heirs of the bodies of John and Elena. Under the first settlement, the Arderne estates would have been divided between Robert de Legh and Hugh de Wrottesley.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} "Legh of Adlington," in Vis. of Chesh., 1580. Archive.org. eBook.
2. ↑ Earwaker, J.P. East Cheshire: Past and Present; or A History of the Hundred of Macclesfield, in the County Palatine of Chester. Vol. II (Wyman and Sons, London, 1880) p. 234.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Peter Turner, comp, "Appendix 6. Welsh Records. Calendar of Deeds, Inquisitions, and Writs of Dower, Enrolled on the Plea Rolls of the County of Chester.—Ric. 2 to Hen. 7.", The Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [25 February 1868], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1868), 66, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450518?urlappend=%3Bseq=264%3Bownerid=34524648-263 : accessed 6 July, 2022). [10 Hen. 4. m. 9.]
4. ↑ M. C. B. Dawes, A. C. Wood and D. H. Gifford. "Inquisitions Post Mortem, Richard II, File 7," in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 15, Richard II, (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1970), 67-77. British History Online, (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol15/pp67-77 : accessed 6 July, 2022).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Peter Turner, comp, "Appendix 6. Welsh Records. Calendar of Deeds, Inquisitions, and Writs of Dower, Enrolled on the Plea Rolls of the County of Chester.—Ric. 2 to Hen. 7.", The Twenty-Ninth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records [25 February 1868], (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1868), 70, e-Book HathiTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015039450518?urlappend=%3Bseq=268%3Bownerid=34524648-267 : accessed 6 July, 2022).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Public Record Office, Pedigrees from the Plea Rolls Collected from the Pleadings in the Various Courts of Law AD 1200 to 1500 from the Original Rolls, ed. Major-General The Hon G Wrottesley, (1905), 256, e-book Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/pedigreesfromple00wrotrich/page/256/mode/1up : accessed 11 June, 2022. [Chester Pleas: 10. Hen. 4. m. 9].