Acton of Iron Acton

Surname/tag: Acton

Contents 1 How Many Johns 2 Thoughts to keep in mind 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

How Many Johns

The first thing to figure out in determining the line of Acton of Iron Acton is how many John Actons were there. There were at least 5 if not 6 consecutive Johns, there were cousins named John and at least one of the Johns named two sons John. It is difficult to separate them. It is likely that no secondary source has this correct. The main considerations are:

1. John de Acton married Margaret Aller from whom he received extensive property.
2. John de Acton married Sibyl d'Ebroicis, widow of Walter Baskerville. He died in 1312. ^[1]
3. John de Acton married Helen Le Brun which brought the family the manors of Elkston and Winston.
4. John de Acton was the heir in 1312. He was born c1288 and died 1362.

John de Acton III who married Sibyl died in 1312. I am going to call him John de Acton III because it appears both his father and grandfather were also named John. An IPM was taken from which we learn: ^[1]

• His heir was John de Acton, aged 24
• his wife was Sibyl and she had previously been married to Walter de Baskerville.
• The lands of Walter Baskerville were now held by Richard Baskerville (his brother and heir).

The next question would be who is John Acton who married Helen Le Brun. In 1266, John Le Brun died holding the manors of Elkston and Winston. He was succeeded by another John Le Brun who in 1303 granted these manors to John de Acton and Helen (daughter of John Le Brun) his wife with reversions to his other daughter and her husband, Elizabeth and William Maleherbe. A similar grant of Bere was made to Elizabeth with reversions to John and Helen de Acton. Elkston, Winston and Bere can then be traced for hundreds of years in the Acton and then the Poyntz family. So how do we explain the shared descent of all of the Aller manors, along with Elkston and Winston.

1. First, some sources say that John de Acton married 1st Helen Le Brun and then married 2nd Sibyl . Well this is clearly wrong. John de Acton married Sibyl by 1289, then John de Acton was married to Helen Le Brun in 1303, and then John de Acton is found still married to Sibyl when he dies in 1312. These are clearly two different men. The John de Acton who married Helen Le Brun we will call John de Acton IV.
2. Second, the heir of John de Acton III (d. 1312) was also the heir of John de Acton IV. All of the property held John de Acton III also descended with the property acquired from Helen Le Brun and can be traced for 100s of years in the Acton and Poyntz families.
3. Third, John de Acton IV cannot be the same person as John de Acton who was the heir in 1312. This would mean he was married and his father-in-law settled land on him when he was only 15 years old.

Possible Solution: One solution would be:

(This is wrong, Sibyl cannot be the grandmother of John de Acton born 1288).

1. John Acton (d. 1312) m. Sibyl d'Ebroicis
2. John Acton m. Helen Le Brun d.s.p. before 1312
3. John Acton born c1288, died 1356. Heir to his grandfather in 1312.

Possible solution: "Extracted from a pedigree in the College of Arms"^[2]

(This is wrong. John de Acton was married to Sibyl by 1289 and still married to her in 1312. He can't be the John de Acton married to Helen Le Brun 1303).

1. John de Acton (d. 1312), m.1 Sibyl d'Ebroicis m. 2 Helen Le Brun
2. John de Acton, (b. c1288 – 1362 d.s.p.) the heir in 1312.

Possible solution:

1. John II de Acton m. Margaret Aller (b. aft. 1227)
2. John III de Acton (d. 1312) m. Sibyl (b. 1257-1265 – d. aft 1316)
3. John IV de Acton (d.v.p.) m. Helen Le Brun
4. John V de Acton (b. c1288), the heir in 1312.

Possible solution:

Not right. The John de Acton who married Margaret Aller appears to have been dead by 1285. He was also born c1230 so too old to have married Sibyl and too old to have been politically active after 1300.

1. John III de Acton (d. 1312) m.1st Margaret Aller m. 2nd Sibyl d'Ebroicis
2. John IV de Acton (d.v.p.) m. Helen Le Brun
3. John V de Acton (b. c1288 – 1362 d.s.p.) the heir in 1312.

Only viable solution:

1. John II de Acton m. Margaret Aller (b. aft. 1227)
2. John III de Acton (d. 1312) m. Sibyl (b. 1257-1265 – d. aft 1316)
3. John V de Acton (b. c1288), the heir in 1312. m. Helen Le Brun

This does mean John V de Acton married Helen Le Brun at about age 12. This is less of a problem than all of the other reconstructions.

Thoughts to keep in mind

• The John de Acton who married Helen Le Brun cannot be the same as JdA who married Sibyl d'Ebroicis. Sibyl and JdA were married by 1289 and still married in 1312; JdA and Helen Le Brun were married in 1303.

• Sibyl d'Ebroicis cannot be the grandmother of JdA born in 1288.

• John de Acton (b. 1288) inherited all of the Acton/Aller/Wanstrow lands. He also inherited (or was given) Winstone and Elkstone from the Le Brun family.

• The printed Cal of Inquisitions Post mortem says John de Acton died in 1312 leaving "John his son, aged 24 and more" as his next heir. However, the IPM does not actually say this. In the Abstracts of Inquisitions Post Mortem of Gloucestershire the wording is "John, son of John de Acton." This is in contrast to almost every other entry in this volume where the wording is "son of the said (deceased)." In other words, the entry does not explicitly say the heir is son of John de Acton - "John son of John de Acton" could refer to a grandson.

• John de Acton and Helen Le Brun are proven to have a son John as they re-settled Elkstone on their son in 1303.^[3]

• The land in Winston in the IPM of John de Acton is not the same as the land granted by John Le Brun. Rather it is the 1/4 share of the Le Archer family and was acquired by purchase around the same time as the grant from John Le Brun. This is key as the John de Acton who died 1312 is no longer inheriting from both Sibyl and from Helen Le Brun.^[4]

Research Notes

John de Acton III:

Married Sibyl d'Ebroicis after 1282. She was previously married to Walter de Baskerville (d. 1282).

Walter de Baskerville of Eardisley (d. 1282).^[5]

Died 1282.^[6]

Differentiate between the Walter de Baskerville of West Bredwardine and Walter de Baskerville of Eardisley?

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} CIPM v. 5 (1908):229-230, John de Acton.
2. ↑ Pooley. Old Crosses of Gloucestershire. (1868): page 46.
3. ↑ Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 4: 1301-1307. (London, 1898): page 131.
4. ↑ Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 4: 1301-1307. (London, 1898): page 164.
5. ↑ Soc.genealogy.medieval Discussion Group. "BASKERVILLE OF EARDISLEY" (First post by Tony Ingram, 22 November 2007). Google Groups link.
6. ↑ Great Britain. Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 2, 1-19 Edward I:1272-1291. (London, 1906): page 355, IPM of Walter de Baskervill.

Source list:

• Great Britain. Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 1, 20-57 Henry III: 1235-1272. (London, 1904):201, IPM of John le Brun (d. 1266). Archive.org LINK

• Great Britain. Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, 1-9 Edward II: 1307-1316, volume 5. (London, 1908): pages 229-230, IPM of John de Acton (d. 1312).

• National Archives, Access to Archives, reference SC 8/339/15993. 6 Feb. 1290 requesting dower in Eardisley. National Archives LINK

• Pooley, Charles. Notes on the Old Crosses of Gloucestershire. (London, 1868): page 46.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 4: 1301-1307. (London, 1898): page 131; page 141.

• Wells-Firby, Bridget. "To compose their controversy: the role of magnates in local dispute resolution in 14th-century Gloucestershire" in Bristol and Gloucestershire Notes and Queries, volume 134 (2016): pages 257–268.

John III de Acton (d. 1312):

• Green, Emanuel ed. Pedes Finium, Commonly Called Feet of Fines, for the County of Somerset from Richard I to Edward I, volume 1. (London: Somerset Record Society volume 6, 1892): Google Books link.
  page 78. 13 Jan. 1234 Aller: Agreement with D&C of Wells re. Saltmore, Stathe, Northcury, etc.
  page 265. 1286 Grant by Margaret to junior re. Wanstrow and Blakeford
  page 265. 1286 Grant by Margaret to junior re. Stathe and Northcury
  page 273. 1288 Grant by Margaret to junior re. Aller
  page 275. 1289 Grant by Margaret to Robert and Elizabeth de Berkeley
  page 322. 1303 John Le Brun grants Bere, with remainder to John de Acton and Ellen

• Green, Emanuel ed. Pedes Finium, Commonly Called Feet of Fines, for the County of Somerset from 1 Edward II to 20 Edward II, volume 2. (London: Somerset Record Society volume 12, 1898): Google Books link.

• Discovery: The National Archives. Reference C 241/31/28. "Debtor: John de Acton, knight [held Iron Acton, Glos] Creditor: Sir Peter, the parson..." "John de Acton, lately the parson of the Church of Iron Acton [Glos.], deceased."

John IV de Acton (d. 1362):

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward II 1318-1323, volume 3. (London, 1895).
  page 421, order for arrest.
  page 580, imprisonment at Pontefract Castle.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward II 1313-1318, volume 4. (London, 1893).
  page 46, released from prison to the custody of Matthew de Clyvedon.
  page 428, lands held by the king.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward III 1327-1330, volume 1. (London, 1896).
  page 99, debt to Otto de Bedrugan.
  page 123, holding a moiety of Side.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward III 1333-1337, volume 3. (London, 1898).
  page 492, Matthew de Clyvedon of Aller owes John de Acton £400.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward III 1360-1364, volume 11. (London, 1909).
  page 232, John de Berkeley holding land in Cheddar that was a gift of John de Acton.
  pages 317-318, 28 May 1362 John de Acton dead, and John Poyntz to receive Winston and Elkstone.
  page 321, Iron Acton to be delivered to his widow Joan which she held jointly.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Close Rolls, Edward III 1364-1368, volume 12. (London, 1910).
  pages 61-62, agreements between John Poyntz and Joan de la Hale.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Fine Rolls, Edward II 1319-1327, volume 3. (London, 1912; reprint 1971).
  page 84, confiscation of lands.
  page 96, custody of Elkstone and Winston to Simon de Dryby.
  page 97, custody of Iron Acton to Richard Lovel.
  page 122, custody of Iron Acton to Robert de Aston.
  page 124, custody of Iron Acton to Richard de Foxcote.
  page 175, custody of Elkstone and Winston to James de Broughton.
  page 181, custody of Iron Acton to Hugh Le Despenser.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward II 1321-1324, volume 4. (London, 1904).
  page 19, pardon for actions against Hugh Le Despenser.
  page 53, order to arrest John de Acton.
  page 396, Elkstone in the king's hands.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III 1327-1330, volume 1. (London, 1891):
  pages 284-285, complaint that custodians had stolen from his lands.
  page 385, Richard Belers acquiring Elkstone from John de Acton.

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III 1343-1345, volume 6. (London, 1902): page 52, grant of Winston and Elkstone to John Poyntz.

• Green, Emanuel ed. Pedes Finium, Commonly Called Feet of Fines, for the County of Somerset from Richard I to Edward I. (London: Somerset Record Society volume 6, 1892): Google Books link.

• Green, Emanuel ed. Pedes Finium, Commonly Called Feet of Fines, for the County of Somerset from 1 Edward II to 20 Edward II, volume 2. (London: Somerset Record Society volume 12, 1898): Google Books link.

• Bund, J.W. Willis ed. Episcopal Registers, Diocese of Worcester: Register of Bishop Godfrey Giffard, volume II. (1902): page 263. John de Acton "now of full age."

Baskerville:

• Great Britain. Calendar of the Fine Rolls, volume 1, Edward I: 1272-1307. (1911; reprint 1971): page 168; page 224. Writ CDE for two different Walter de Baskervilles 1282 and 1286.

• Horwood, Alfred John . Year Books of the Reign of King Edward the First: Years XX-XXI. (London, 1866): page 76. 1292, John and Sibyl Acton suing Richard de Baskerville.

• Duncumb, John. Collections Towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford. (Hereford, 1897): page 37. Walter de Baskerville married a youthful bride and settled Yazor on her.

• Soc.genealogy.medieval Discussion Group. "BASKERVILLE OF EARDISLEY" (First post by Tony Ingram, 22 November 2007). Google Groups link.

• Great Britain. Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Vol. 2, 1-19 Edward I:1272-1291. (London, 1906): page 355, IPM of Walter de Baskervill d. 1286.

• https://archive.org/details/calendarofpatent02grea/page/340/mode/2up?view=theater

Brun:

• http://www.execulink.com/~eacott/web_008.htm

• https://www.google.com/books/edition/Abstracts_of_records_and_manuscripts_res/PgUVAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22john+le+Brun%22+elkstone&pg=PA513&printsec=frontcover

• Notes On Medieval English Genealogy website, by Chris Philips. Feet of Fines Abstracts: CP 25/1/285/27.

Aller: