Roger de Goswyk, of Cople

Date: 1250 to 1300
Location: Cople, Bedfordshire, England

Gostwick Name Study

Rogero de Gostwyk, of Cople, Bedfordshire aka Roger; perhaps 'Roger the Elder' briefly

born abt 1250, Goswick?, Northumberland?, England^[1]

died aft 1309, Cople, Bedfordshire, England^[2]

Language Spoken: French, Latin^[3]

Easily conflated with his grand-son, Rogero.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Marriage & Children 1.2 To Do 2 Pre-1500 evidenciary logic 3 Sources 4 Acknowledgements

Biography

Roger de Gostwyk appears in some of the earliest records of Cople, Bedfordshire. He is believed to be a son of William de Gosewyk, of Goswick, Northumberland. This proposed father William has but one citation in 1284 in the Durham Cathedral archives, leaving us perhaps just guessing.

H. Finberg notes that prior to our few scant 13th century Bedfordshire references, the Domesday books curiously make no mention of our Gostwyks in these Hundreds.

Long hours of consideration, and research into the history and circumstances of these times, brought me to document the 'Goswyks of Berwick' for the first (known) time.

When we bring TOGETHER these two matrices of evidence and conjecture, we find that the the losses of estates, status and income following the Siege of Berwick, had all but ruined the family there.

Direct ties to the Le Despenser and de Mowbray families; combined with a direct appeal to the King for permission for the family to live elsewhere but Berwick, where 'their own friends and family had held them hostage'.

I propose that there was *already* a few Gostwicks, e.g. Rogero the Elder, who were perhaps associated with the Baronetcy through their roles as Clerks and Exchequers, and had moved to Bedfordshire abt 1270-1280. Perhaps this Rogero was only temporarily in Willington with Lord Mowbray when the Siege became eminent, and they opted to stay out of the conflict, which didnt end for years.

This is my 'tapestry' story that answers the questions:

• How did the Gostwyk family get to Willington, and Why?
• How did the Berwick, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, and London Gostwicks interconnect?
• How did the Gostwyk men become 'Exchequers', a job you didnt, as far as I know, get to choose from the Worshipful Livery Companies, such as Solicitor. Perhaps it hid under a branch I am unaware of...

900 years of careers as Auditors of one sort or another make for interesting topics of biology vs sociology.

Sep-1265, Historical Context, Willington, Bedfordshire, England

Maud de Mowbray (nee de Beauchamp) inherits the Bedford Barony. Her husband, Roger de Mowbray becomes Lord of Willington

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Nov-1266, Historical Context, Pontefract, Yorkshire, England

Roger de Mowbray (1210-1266), dies, leaving wife Maud de Mowbray (nee Beauchamp), Lady of Willington

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Marriage & Children

between 1267-1274, England

Rogero de Gostwyk to Unknown Unknown

1. John de Gostwyk, b. abt 1279
2. Richard de Gostwyk, b. abt 1280
3. Robert de Gostwyk, b. abt 1287

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Apr-1273, Historical Context, Willington Manor, Willington, Bedfordshire, England

Lady Maud dies, leaving Roger le Strange as Lord of Willington Manor until his death in 1311

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1282-1283, Historical Context, Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, England

Robert de Wooton, and wife Constance, held Marston Manor from 1282-1283

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Nov-1297, Historical Context, Ghent, Flanders (aka Brussels, Belgium)

Sir Roger de Mowbray, Esq. was not to outlive his step-father, and would die shortly before 21 Nov 1297, in Ghent, Flanders, passing the right to inherit title to his son & heir, John de Mowbray, now Esquire.

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Mar-1298, Witness, Cople, Bedfordshire, England^[4]

Witness to land exchange. Witnesses: William Picot (Pigot), Roger de Gostwyk, Walter Wygem, Henry Gomelot, Robert le Breton and others

Note: most of these surnames can be found in the 1309 subsidy rolls.

Quick surname list: Aylbrith, Rous [Ruffus], fitz-Richard, Wygem, Picot / Pigot, Gomelot, Breton / Barton / Britton

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Apr-1298, Cople, Bedfordshire, England^[3]

Witness Roger de Gostwick to sale by Thomas Payse to Walter Aybrith, lands in Cople.

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abt 1309, Wylitone (aka Willington), Bedfordshire, England^[5]

Rogero de Gestwyke, 2s, 3/4d tax paid.

Rogero de Gostwyk, 6s 10d 'incremental' tax paid.

Notes:

• this is the 2nd highest to Roger Strange, and just above Walter Pokke. These three landholders own 49% of Willington as taxed.
• As logical evidence,

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1311, Historical Context, Willington, Bedfordshire, England

Roger Le Strange died in 1311, passing the Lordship to John de Mowbray (son of Roger/Rose (De Clare))

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To Do

• detail the 'read between the lines' connections I have made about this Roger, that he was of the Berwick Goswick family branches (as opposed to the Lincolnshire branches, or being in his own, un-identified family branch, like most have him. first pass
• first draft block out of BIO details, research backgrounder

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Pre-1500 evidenciary logic

Re: Birth date

In 1298, Roger acts as a legal witness, making him 'of age' (17-21) before 1298 (1298-18=b. bef 1280)^[4]

Rogero de Gostwyk is 'of age' (17-21) by 1309, when taxed. (1309-18=b. bef 1293)^[5]

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Re: Birth location

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Re: Marriage date

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Re: Marriage location

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Re: Death date

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Re: Death location

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Re: Parentage

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Re: Offspring

Re: John

Re: Richard

Re: Robert

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Sources

1. ↑ Evidentiary Logic: See 'Re: Birth Date (below Research Notes)
2. ↑ Evidentiary Logic: See 'Re: Death Date (below Research Notes)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United Kingdom National Archives Online" [database on-line]. Discovery.Nationalarchives.gov.uk Entry for Roger de Gostwik, Exchange, Easter Week 1298 (accessed [13-Oct-2021]); citing Bedfordshire Archives & Record Service, Latin, NA Ref: R6/62/12/139
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Bedfordshire Archive Catalog Service (BEDCAT)" [database on-line]. bedsarchivescat.Bedford.gov. Entry for Roger de Gostwyk, Mar 1298, Exchange of Land (accessed [13-Oct-2021]); ref: R6/14/4/1
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Two Bedfordshire subsidy lists. 1309 and 1332", Great Britain. Exchequer., S. H. A. H. (Sydenham Henry Augustus Hervey), 1. (1925)... Bury St. Edmunds: Paul & Mathew., pg. 47-48 Hathitrust.org

• See also my transcription and working discussion 1309 Willington Tax rolls

Acknowledgements

A survey of very great import, well translated from latin and notated with care...please have a look at this source, it has not been available on the web that long, and hard to get.

• "Two Bedfordshire subsidy lists. 1309 and 1332", Great Britain. Exchequer., S. H. A. H. (Sydenham Henry Augustus Hervey), 1. (1925)... Bury St. Edmunds: Paul & Mathew.