Normanton

 

Extract from The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester by John Nichols 1795

Antiently Northmanton, and Normans-town, where several of the Francigenć who accompanied Robert de Todenei into England were settled, is also a hamlet to Bottesford, and situated about a mile to the North of it.
In 1205-6, William de Coleville, who was an English baron, agreed to pay the king a fine of 20 marcs and one palfrey, to have seisin of Normanton, co. Leicester, then of his fee, though late parcel of the lands of William de Meynilldurant, and at that time in the king's hands, for that same William left the king's service in Normandy :
"Willielmus de Coleville dat 20 marcas & unum palfridum pro habendâ de Normanton, de feodo suo ; que suit Willielmi de Meynilldurant, & que est in manu domini regis, eo quod, acceptâ ab eo securitate quod illas 20 marcas & unum palfridum reddet ad suum scaccarium, tunc ei plenariam seisinam de predictâ terrâ habere f--at 1."
By an inquision preserved in the Tefta de Nevill it appears that in the villata of Normanton, about the year 1240, the second William de Colevill enfeofied Peter Humor of land belonging to the Normans in Normanton to the amount of a fourth part of a knight's fee ; and from Peter it devolved (descendit) to William Menidurant, and one moiety of it came to Robert de Estre and his brother Jordan, Robert and Jordan sold their portion to the Knights Templars, who then held it. It appears also that when the lands of the Normans in general became forfeited to the crown, the elder William de Colvill had the address so to make his peace with the king, that he had a re-grant of all his property ; and from him the Knights Templars had a re-confirmation of their tenure 2.
That the Knights Templars possessed some lands here, appears also by a deed, dated at Temple Dynesley, in Hertfordshire, 43 Henry III, 1258 ; when Amadens de Morestello, master of the Knights Templars in England, by the advice and consent of a chapter of his brethern, gave certain lands at Normanton to Henry de Colvil, knight 3, whose daughter and heir Beatrix was married to Hugh de Charnels, knight ; which grant Imbertus de Peran, a succeeding master of the Templars, by consent of his brethern, confirmed to the said sir Hugh de Charnels and Beatrix his wife, by another deed, dated also at Dynesley 4.
In 1312 it appears that Robert de Stepelton held half a knight's fee in Normanton of John de Hastings, senior, deceased ; and John de Hastings, junior, the son and heir of the aforesaid John was then aged 26 5.
In 1315, Margaret, the mother of Edmund de Colvill, deceased, held in dower (nomine dotis), six bovates of land, with appurtenances, in Normanton, of the heir of the said Edmund, in dower 6.
In 1324 the possessions of the Knights Templars at Normanton passed, with those of Easthorpe, into the possession of the Knights Hostpitallers of St John of Jerusalem.
A great part of this village belonged to the lord Ros ; for in 1343, William lord Ros of Hamlake died possed of a quarter of one knight's fee, with the appurtenances, in Normanton, which Robert and William de Belvoir held 7.
In 1346, William lord Ros, being then in the king's ward (on aid then given for knighting Edward of Woodstock, the king's eldest son) was assessed 30s. for three parts of one knight's fee in Bottesford, Normanton, Redmile, Barkston, Plungar, and Herdby, parcel of the fee of Ros.
In the same year, Robert Colevill (on the same occasion) was assessed 30s. for three parts of one knight's fee in Muston and Normanton, parcel of the fee of Ros 8.
In 1352-3, William de Ros of Hamlake died possessed of the moiety of one knight's fee in Normanton, which the prior of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England held of the king in capite 9.
In 1363, Margery wife of William de Ros of Hamlake died possessed of one knight's fee in Normanton, which Robert de Colville and William de Beaver then held 10.
In 1370, Adam de Lymberg, Geoffry de Brunne, and others, had the king's licence to give the manors of Muston and Normanton to any religious house, or to any secular dean, provost, chapter, or society, the statute of mortmain notwithstanding 11.
In 1383, Thomas de Ros, of Hamlake, knight, died seised of one carcucate of land, with the appurtenances, in Normanton, and 40s. rent there, payable at Easter and Michaelmas ; which land and rent were held of the prior of the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England 12.
In 1393, John de Ros of Hamlake died seised of a carucate of land, with the appurtenances, and of 40s. rent, all in Normanton, held of the king in capite, as of the house of Belver, by knight's service 13.
In 1394, Mary wife of John de Ros of Hamlake, brother and heir of John de Ros, died seised of 33s. 3d. yearly rent, in Normanton, held of the king by knight's service 14.
In 1421, John de Ros of Hamlake, knight, died seised of one carucate of land, and 100s. rent, with the appurtenances, in Normanton 15.
Aug. 9, 1467, king Edward IV. granted the hamlet of Normanton, together with the manor of Bottesford, of which it was then accounted a member, to William lord Hastings, to hold of the king by homage only in lieu of all service 16.
In 1486, on the attainder of William lord Hastings, Normanton reverted to the Ros family ; and from them it came, with other great possessions, by marriage to the family of Manners, and has lineally descended to John Henry the present duke of Rutland.
Of the chapel of Normanton, we find that in the reign of king Henry III. it belonged to the vicar of Bottesford, who was deputed by the rector to perform divine service there three days in a week 17. The chapel is now down, and searcely a trace to be found, though walls were standing within memory of man, but removed for the use of barns, roads, &c.
The duke of Rutland is at present impropriator.
From the act for inclosing the open fields of Bottesford, &c. in 1770, it appears that the duke of Rutland was then entitled to the tithes of all corn arising within the open fields of Normanton ; that the rector of Muston was entitled to the tithe of hay arising from 30 acres of land in open meadows there ; and the rector of Bottesford to all the other great and small tithes of the open fields, and to all the tithes both great and small arising from gardens, orchards, homesteads, and old inclosures, &c. For all these several rights, and for those of all others who had any legal claim of commonage in any of the said open fields, a sufficient compensation was directed to be made 18.
The hamlet of Normanton at present contains 21 families and 95 inhabitants.

1 Rot. Fin. 7 John, m. 5.
4 Burton, p. 207
7 Esch. 17 Edw. III. No 60 Leic.
9 Esch. 26 Edw. III. No 53 Leic.
12 Esch. 7 Edw. III. No 68 Leic.
15 Esch. 9 Hen. V. No 50 Leic.

2 Tesra de Nevill, p. xlviii.
5 Esch. 6 Edw. II. No 56 Leic.
8 Rot. aux. 20 Edw. III.
10 Esch. 44 Edw. III. No 41 Leic.
13 Esch. 17 Ric. II. No 49 Leic.
16 Pat. 7 Edw. IV. pars 1.

3 See this deed in the Appendix, p.12.
6 Esch. 9 Edw. II. No 49 Leic.
11 See this under Muston.
14 Esch. 18 Ric.II. No 34 Leic.
17 See the Matricula, p. ixii.
18 See above, p 88.

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