Edward Esq/Gent son of Edward of Letchworth
Born c 1519-26, died bef 1584 (probate of his father's will).
Edward would have enjoyed a certain status in society as eldest
son of the Sheriff of Herts and Essex—1547, 54, 55. He
gained special admission to Lincoln's Inn
1544, probably through influence from his father, and was
called to the bar 1560. But Edward became embroiled in financial
problems, ending up an outlaw and then in prison in the late
1560s—pardoned 1569. He was the only sibling not mentioned
by Lucie in her will.
This was a consequence of the suit
brought against him by Robert Nycolles and John Gaddesden,
William I of Hitchin's executors. The Calendar entry
for 2 Jul 1569 (Calendar of Patent Rolls
1566-1569, vol 4 p 420 no 2523) summarises:
| Pardon
of outlawry for Edward Brokett late of
Letchworth, Co. Hertford, administrator of Edward
Brokett late of Letchworth, deceased intestate,
who was put in exigent in the Husting of London for non-appearance
in the Common Pleas to satisfy William Nicolles
of Eaton, Co. Northampton, and Thomas Nicolles of the
Middle Temple, London, in respect of a debt of
100 marks, and £4 4s 4d damages, recovered in the
said Court and has now surrendered himself to the Fleet
Prison. |
Notes: To be
put in exigent meant to receive a sheriff's summons to
appear and answer to a complaint, or else be declared
an outlaw.
The Husting was the oldest and highest court in the City
of London.
The Court of Common Pleas—or 'the bench' as in l
3 below—was the highest court for civil actions at
law brought by one subject against another, as opposed
to Pleas of the Crown, where the Crown had a financial
interest.
100 marks was £66 13s 4d.
No Fleet records survive before 1690. |
| Original |
Translation |
1. Regina
Omnibus Balliuis et fidelibus
suis ad quos etcetera salutem . Sciatis
quod cum Willelmus
2. Nicolles de Eaton' in Comitatu
Northampton' et Thomas Nicolles
de medio templo London'
3. nuper in Curia nostra coram Iusticiarijs
nostris de banco [.... .... ....] recuperauerunt
versus
4. Edwardum Brokett nuper de Lechworth
in Comitatu Hertford Generosum
Administratorem
5. bonorum et catallorum que
fuerunt Edwardi Brokett Armigeri
nuper dicti Edwardi
6. Brokett de Lecheworth in Comitatis Hertford
Armigeri qui obijt intestatus
vt dicitur tam quoddam debitum
7. Centum marcarum quam quatuor libras quatuor
solidos et quatuor denarios qui eisdem Willelmo
8. et Thome in eadem Curia nostra adiudicati
fuerunt pro dampnis suis que habuerunt occasione
9. detencionis debiti predicti
Ac idem Edwardus pro eo quod non venit in
eadem Curia nostra
10. coram prefatis' Iusticiarijs nostris
prefatos Willelmum et Thomam
secundum legem et consuetudinem
11. regni nostri Anglie inde satisfaciendo
in exigend positus fuisset in Hustingo nostro Londoniensi
12. ad vtlagandum et ea occasione
postmodum vtlagatus sicut per
tenorem recordi et processus
13. vtlagarie predicte quem coram nobis
in Cancellaria nostra venire fecimus
plene liquet
14. Iamque idem Edwardus se reddidit prisone
nostre de Flete occasione predicta
et in eadem
15. moretur sicut dilectus et
fidelis noster Iacobus Dyer miles Capitalis Iusticiarius
noster de
16. banco predicto in Cancellariam
nostram predictam ad mandatum nostrum
certificauit . Nos pietate
17. moti perdonauimus eidem Edwardo
vtlagariam predictam et
firmam pacem nostram ei
18. inde concedimus Ita tamen quod stet
rectus in Curia nostra si predicti
Willelmus et Thomas versus eum
19. loqui voluerint de debito et dampnis
supradictis . In cuius rei etcetera
Teste Regina apud Westmonasterium
secundo die
20. Iulij . |
1. The
Queen to all her bailiffs and faithful men to whom etc.
[these present letters shall arrive, gives] Greetings!
You are to know that since William
2. Nicolles of Eaton, Co Northants and Thomas
Nicolles of the Middle Temple of London
3. recently in our Court in the presence of our justices
of the bench had a judgment in their favour against
4. Edward Brokett late of Letchworth, Co Herts
Gentleman, administrator
5. of the goods and chattels that used to belong to Edward
Brokett Esquire late of the said Edward
6. Brokett late of Letchworth Co Herts Esquire [repetition]
who died intestate as it is said both
a certain debt
7. of a hundred marks and four pounds four shillings &
four pence which were adjudged to the same William
8. and Thomas in our same Court for their damages which
they suffered on the occasion
9. of the non payment of the said debt And the same Edward
because he did not come in our same Court
10. in the presence of our justices the said William and
Thomas according to the law and custom
11. of our realm of England for not satisfying in that
respect was put in exigent in our Husting of London
12. for the purpose of making [him] an outlaw & for
that reason later on was declared an outlaw
as per the tenor of the record and process
13. of outlawry aforesaid which we have abundantly clearly
caused to come into our presence in our Chancery
14. And now the same Edward has offered himself
up to our prison of Fleet because of the aforesaid
events & in the same
15. he is to stay [or 'let hiim stay'] as our beloved
and faithful James Dyer, knight, our Chief Justice
16. of the said bench in our aforesaid Chancery according
to our order has certified. We, by pity
17. moved, have pardoned the same Edward the aforesaid
outlawry & our firm peace to him
18. in respect thereof we do grant On condition that he
shall stand upright in our Court if the aforesaid William
and Thomas against him
19. shall wish to speak about the debts and the abovesaid
damages. In [witness] of which etc. the Queen being witness
at Westminster 2
20. July. |
Edward married Ellen daughter of William
BELFELD (Metcalfe 1886 p 3). As eldest son,
this would have been a strategic move by his father. The 1860
Gateshead Pedigree mistakenly made Edward son of William,
his younger brother, and misspelt Ellen's surname Bolfield.
Children:
- Mary married Richard BARDOLFE Esq, heir
to Bardolf of St Michaels and had issue (Metcalfe 1886 p
26; Munby 1974 p 67—where her surname is wrongly given
as Braitell).
- ?Edward. If there was a son Edward
he died young, as Mary was Edward's heir (Metcalfe 1886
p 26).
Edward was bequeathed Bradfield/Broadfield manor in his father's
will. After his
heirs male it was to go to brother William and his, but the
will was not proved until 1584, by which time Edward's legal
problems had long intervened. In the court cases, however,
he is known as Edward Brockett of Bradfield Esq/Gent
so he did live there.
John PULTER of Hitchin Edward BROKET of Wheathampstead d 1488
Sheriff Beds 1453 d 1485 m Elizabeth THWAITES
|_________________________ |
| | |
| | |
William, Sheriff Herts Lucy m John, Sheriff Herts and Essex
and Essex 1495 d 1513 | 1507, 1531 d 1532
|
| _______|____________________________________
| | |
| | |
William John d 1526 Edmund BARDOLFE Edward of Letchworth d 1559
d 1549 m Dorothy HUSON of Rothamsted m Margaret MICKELFIELD
| ____|____ ___|___ _________|__________
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Sir Sir Sir Nicholas m Margaret m Edmund Ann m William Edward of John of
Edward of Robert John HOO | d 1600 2nd son Bradfield Stow
|
Wymondley LYTTON m Margaret | d 1609 m Ellen Longa m
|
d 1574 | BENSTED | BELFIELD Katherine
| |
| ___|___ | | ________________| ...
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |?
Edward m Mary Ellen m Sir John II Richard of m Mary Edward
Sheriff of Brockett Harpeden Gent alive 1570
Herts 1586 Hall d 1598 1558-1622 ?d young
d 1626
|
i. Chauncy's account
'John
Brocket of Stow Longa in the County of Huntingdon,
Gent., and Katherine his Wife, by Deed
covenanted with John Brocket of Brocket-Hall
in this County, Esq. George Horsey of
Dygeswell, Esq. and Thomas Docwra, Gent.
to suffer a Recovery of [Bradfeild] Mannor with the Advowson
of the Church, to the Use of Edward Brocket of
Bradfeild, Gent. for the Term of his Life, with
Remainder to the Use of Ellen his Wife, for her
Life; the Remainder to the Executors of Edward
Brocket until Michaelmas Term then next following the
Death of Edward and Ellen, and from thence unto the Feast
of St. Michael, then next ensuing, also to the same Executors,
to the Remainder to John Brocket and Ellen his Wife, and
his Heirs.
'This Edward Brocket
died, Ellen surviving, whereupon his Executors
conveyed this Mannor to the said Ellen, and Richard
Bardolf the younger of Harpeden in this County,
Gent.
'Which Ellen Brocket, Widow,
and Richard Bardolf, by Deed dated the 5th of May, An.
34 Eliz. [1593] convey'd the same to Edward Pulter
of Codred ...
'Queen Elizabeth by Letters,
Patents dated at Westminster, Febr. 15th, 30 Regni sui
[1589], demised the same to Ellen Brocket Widow,
to hold from the Feast of St. Michael then last past for
twenty one Years, reserving to the Crown 3s. 4d. to be
paid at the Annunciation ofthe Virgin mary, and St. Michael
the Archangel' (1826 vol 1 pp 144-5). |
Notes:
- Chauncy gave no date for the first deed, the effect of
which was that the right to this entailed property was transferred
(i.e. recovered) from Edward the father's heirs—in
particular from Edward the son—to John and Ellen of
Brocket Hall and their heirs. This would have been for some
consideration paid (i.e. suffered) by John and Ellen of
Brocket Hall and George Horsey and Thomas Docwra to John
Brocket of Stow Longa. They had all presumably sold on their
interests before the death of Edward the son.
- John Brocket of Stow Longa was co-executor of his father's
will, presumably giving him the power to change his elder
brother Edward's sole right of ownership of Bradfield to
one of life use. Might it have been a move to prevent Edward
selling the manor to pay debts?
- Edward the son had executors, but a will or administration
has not been found.
- Edward Pulter of Codered and Bradfield and great great
grandson of John Pulter, friend of Edward Broket of Wheathampstead,
became Sheriff of Herts 1586 (Metcalfe 1886 p 85; Clutterbuck
1827 vol 3 p 517). He was John of Brocket Hall's 3rd cousin
and brother-in-law.
- The letters patents of Elizabeth of 1589 have not been
found.
ii. The VCH account
| 'In 1571 Edward Brockett
settled the manor [of Broadfield] on himself with remainder
to Ellen his wife for life with remainder
to John Brockett of Brockett Hall and Ellen his
wife (Feet of Fines Herts Hil 14 Eliz, Recov
R Mich 14 Eliz rot 513 [a wrong reference]). On Edward
Brockett's death his executors conveyed the manor to his
widow Ellen and her kinsman Richard Bardolf.
In 1580 John Brockett, who had been knighted
in 1577, and his wife Ellen, released their interest in
the manor to Edward Pulter of Great Wymondley
(Feet of Fines Herts Hil 22 Eliz), and in 1592
Ellen Brockett and Richard Bardolf conveyed their interest.
Edward Pulter held the manor till 1600 (VCH Herts
vol 3 1912 p 210). |
As with John Brockett of Stowe Longa's deed in Chauncy's
account above, the right to the property was transferred from
Edward and his brothers to John and Ellen of Brockett Hall.
1553 Sale of 9 acres of land and 2 of pasture
in Hitchin by Edward and his father to William Frances
(HALS 87655).
?1559 Complaint against William
More concerning land in East Greenwich, Kent. Edward's
father was deceased (l 28), dating the Complaint after October
1559 (PRO C3/14/26).
1562 Edward assigned the 14 remaining years
of the lease on tithes
in the Manor of Almshoe inherited from his father to John
Esq (Chauncy 1826 vol 2 p 183).
1562 An indenture of bargain and sale by
'Edward brokett of bradfylde in the cowntie of Hertf' esquyer
Sonne and Heyre of Edwarde Brokett late of letecheworth in
the said cowntie of Hertf' esquyer disceased' (HALS 57616B)
to Edward Pulter of mutche wylmeley Herts
Esq after the life interest of Edward's mother Margerye
of the capital messuage Boxe Busshe with
all its land and buidlings in Tylers St Hitchin and lands
in Offley.
|
