Sir Walter Reynell & Margaret Strighull

311916. Sir Walter Reynell & 311917. Margaret Strighull   

~1355, Walter Raynell born in Cambridgeshire, England, s/o 623832. Walter Reynell & 623833. Joan Bassingbourne.

~1365, Margaret born in England, 623834. William Strighull & 623835. Elizabeth Malston.

6/21/1377, Richard II, age 10, succeeded Edward III as King of England.

1381, Walter married Margaret, obtaining the Devonshire manors of Malston and East Ogwell.

1382-86, Walter, Controller of the stannaries, duchy of Cornwall.

1385, Walter’s father died.

1387-90, Walter’s title to East Ogwell was disputed by David Servyngton who, in a lawsuit, claimed both manors, and rights to the wardship of the heir of Robert Styl. (Walter won the case.)

1388, Walter took on the feoffeeship of multiple estates in Somerset.

1388, Walter holding Butterleigh in Devon by services to Edward Courtenay, earl of Devon, who claimed homage, fealty, the repair of a battlement in Plympton castle and 10s. for an aid, and, moreover, he ‘distrained the said Walter by the cattle of his carts [draught oxen], so that he cannot cultivate his land’. Walter sued, saying he did not hold the property directly of the earl, and was imprisoned by the sheriff for attempting to influence the jury, and fined 13s. [Walter won the suit.]

1389-91, Walter Reynell, of Devon v. Thomas Hethe, of Mildenhall, co. Suffolk.: A moiety of the manor of Badlingham; Assault on complainant and his servants at Badelyngham.: Cambridge. (S) UKNA.

3/1393, Walter on a commission of arrest in Devon.

9/30/1399, Henry IV succeeded Richard II as King of England.

5/31/1400 at London, Walter Reynell demised to prior William L., 50 acres of land with appurtenances for a 6 years, at an annual rent of 40s at Michaelmas and Easter in equal portions. (S) See 9/1406.

11/8/1401, Walter the escheator in Devon and Cornwall. (S) BHO, CCRs, Henry IV.

7/14/1402, Walter on a commission of array in Devon.

11/15/1402, To Walter Reynell escheator in Devon. Order to give Eleanor late the wife of Amery de Sancto Amando knight livery of the manor of Ippelpenne. (S) CCRs.

5/1403, Walter on a commission of inquiry in Devon.

5/5/1404, Walter granted formal exemption from discharging any such public services in future against his will.

11/5/1405, Walter Reynel in records of Totnes priory and convent. (S) The Hist. of Totnes Priory and Medieval Town, Watkin, 1914, P309.

9/1406, Walter R. claims that on 5/31/1400, he demised to prior William L., 50 acres of land with appurtenances for a 6 years, at an annual rent of 40s. This rent had not been paid for 5 years. Damages are claimed at £20. (S) CP 40/583, rot. 119.

4/1410, Walter appointed to a commission “of the matter of Darthmouth” by Sir Thomas Beaufort, Admiral. (S) Select Pleas in the Court of Admirality, Godfrey, 1897, Plxi.

1412, Walter in possession of Bassingbourne manor as heir to his mother.

3/20/1413, Henry V succeeded Henry IV as King of England.

1413, Thomas Hethe of Mildenhall, Suffolk, a man of ‘graundes affinite et alliance’ entered Badlingham by force and so threatened Reynell’s servants that they left his employment. Being ‘estraunge et de loynge pays come del counte de Devenshire’, and having few connexions in Cambridgeshire, Walter sought redress in Chancery.

By 1413, Margaret [likely] died.

1413, Walter obtained an episcopal licence to have an oratory at Malston.

6/8/1413, To the sheriff of Middlesex. Like writ, mutatis mutandis, by mainprise of John Trelownay of Cornwall, Richard Bosoun of Devon, Robert Westecote of Oxfordshire and William Mounforde of Dorset, in favour of Walter Reynell at suit of John Batesforde. (S) CCRs.

1415, Walter acquired, on a lease for 23 marks a year, the other half of the manor of Badlingham.

1416, Walter Reynell and Walter Reynell (his son) and Cristina his wife of Manor of East Ogwell [Devon]. (S) UKNA.

9/1415, Walter at the siege of Harfleur. Walter  accompanied King Henry V in all his French Wars with his own men at arms. [“The inheritance of the Reynells,” says the Prince, has decreased by their long following the French wars, and their liberality to their retinue and soldiers, exhausted a great part, viz the land which came by Alan le Fraunceis.” Joan le Fraunceis the maternal grandmother of this Walter.]

10/25/1415, Walter at the battle of Agincourt under the Duke of Bedford.

1416, Walter Reynell and Walter Reynell (his son) and Cristina his wife of Manor of East Ogwell. (S) UKNA.

By 1418, Walter died. [Possibly in France.]

(S) A Gen. and Heraldic Hist. … Burke, P447. (S) 1620 Visitation of Devon. (S) Hist. of Parliament, Roskell, 1993.

Family notes:

·         Walter, knight of Badlington, Cambridgeshire; and East Ogwell, Devonshire, made Governor of Calais and the Marches.

Children of Walter and Margaret:

i. John Reynell, born ? in England.

John died before his father.

ii. Walter Reynell (155958), born 1398 in England.