Sir James Bellers & Margaret Bernake

3803096. Sir James Bellers & 3803097. Margaret Bernake

~1345, James Belers born in England, s/o 7606192. Ralph Bellers & 7606193. Agatha ?.

~1355, Margaret born in Hoveringham, Nottingham, England, d/o 7606194. Nicholas Bernake & 7606195. Eleanor ?.

4/22/1368, Order to cause James Beler to have seisin of a messuage and 5 acres of land in Sixtenby, held by Ralph, son of Isolda de Sixtenby, hanged for felony it is said; as the king has learned by inquisition, taken by the sheriff that the premises have been in his hand a year and a day and are yet in his hand, that the said Ralph held the same of Ralph Belers, father of the said James, whose heir he is, and that the said James had the year and a day and the waste, and ought to answer to the king for the same. (S) CCRs.

3/28/ 1371, John de Berkeley, James Belers, John Vilers (3803088) … to collect a war subsidy in the county of Leicester. (S) CFRs.

12/8/1372, Commission … to levy … to Roger Belers, William Bernak, James Belers, … county of Leciester … (S) CPRs.

~1374, James married Margaret. (S) Lay Subsidy Roll.

1/1376, James attended parliament for Leicester.

7/10/1376, Order to the sheriff to cause James Beler, knight, and William Flaumville, knight, to have £32 of the commons of the county, being knights of the shire summoned to attend parliament held at Westminster. (S) CCRs.

1/1377, James attended parliament for Leicester.

7/1/1377, Commission for array for co. Leicester to … Roger Belers, … James Beler and others named. (S) CPRs.

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

2/12/1378, William Flarnvill and James Belers, late knights for Leicestershire in the parliaments of 1376 and January 1377, bring a bill against Richard Herthull, late sheriff, reciting that on 14 August last at Leicester they delivered to the sheriff the king’s writ, ordering him to let the said knights have from the county £32 for their expenses … (S) Parliament History, App. 1, 10/15/2008.

10/1/1380, Association of James de Belers with John, duke of Lancaster, and the rest in the commission of the peace in the county of Leicester, in the place of Roger Belers, excused. (S) CPRs.

5/16/1381, Fine. … Between James Belers, chivaler, and Margaret, his wife, plantiffs, and William de Sibthorp, parson of
the church of Houton, … who granted the manor, 50 messuages, … in Melton, Ketulby on Wrethek, Dalby, Chacombe, Somerby, Sileby, Quenby, Tirlyngton, Burton St. Lazarus, Little Dalby, Ansty and Retherby to the said James Belers and Margaret, together with certain homages and services … except 2 messuages and 5 virgates of land in Quenby which Thomas de Assheby of Quenby and Alice, his wife, hold for life, a messuage and 2 virgates which John Belers holds for life in Ketelby, a virgate in Oleby which Elena de Rempstone holds for life, and which ought to revert, at their respective deaths, to William, shall remain to James Belers and Margaret and their joint issue male, in default to Roger Beler of Ketelby and his heirs male, and in default successively to John, brother of the said Roger, Thomas, brother of the said John, brother of Roger, the elder, to Ralph, brother of Thomas, to Nicholas, brother of Ralph, to James, brother of Nicholas, to Thomas, brother of Nicholas, the younger, in tail male respectively, and in default to the right heirs of the said James Belers for ever. (S) Hastings’ MSS.

4/5/1381, Commission of the peace … John, duke of Lancaster, … James Belers … in the county of Leicester. (S) CPRs.

5/24/1381, James Belers, knight, and Margaret his wife, querents, by John Purle, put in place of Margaret, … (S) Feet of Fines, Leicestershire.

11/26/1383, James de Belers knight and Robert de Langham £15 4s. for 38 days at parliament at Westminster representing Leycestershire. (S) CCRs.

6/1385, Suit between James Belers, chivaler, plantiff, and Richard Dyke of Tyrlyngton, and John Beste of the same, in a plea of trespass, is put in respite to Michaelmas for default of jurors. (S) De Banco Roll.

6/23/1392, Commission to James Belers, Richard Assheby, John Wodeford, Thomas derby and John Purle to enquire who killed Robert Horn at Melton Moubray. (S) CPRs.

9/30/1399, Henry IV succeeded Richard II as King of England. [Richard II died a prisoner in the Tower.]

4/1402, James Belers, knight, and William, his son, chaplain, v. James Pacey of Holewell, in a plea of 36 marks.

3/1406, … executors of John Talbot … James Belers, knight, … James’ son John, came with a body of armed men, dragged him, a sick man of 8y, away half-naked, and took him to John Belers’ manor of Sysonby, …

1/1409, James Belers of Leicestershire involved in a suit in the court of Common Pleas. (S) CP 40/594, rot. 202d.

2/8/1412, James Bellers on a commission of peace in Leicestershire. (S) CPRs.

12/1/1412, James summoned to parliament.

2/3/1413–3/20/1413, James attended the parliament headed by Speaker Thomas Chaucer.

2/3/1413, James Bellers on a commission of peace in Leicestershire. (S) CPRs.

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

3/21/1413, Commitment of the office of the escheatry in the counties of Warwick and Leicester to James Belers during pleasure, so that he answer at the Exchequer for the issues. (S) CFRs.

6/1413, James, in the fields of Thorp Langton, co. Leicester, was assaulted by a group of armed men and left for dead.

6/27/1413, Commission to William Roos of Hamelak, … that William Perwych and other evildoers assaulted James Beller, one of the keepers of the peace and justices of oyer and terminer in the county of Leicester and escheator and one of the knights of the shire, when returning from the last Parliament at Westminister to his home and left him for dead and afterwards fled to divers places … (S) CPRs. [The inquisition was held 7/1/1413.]

11/12/1414, Commitment of the county of Rutland to James Bellers, during pleasure, so that he answer at the Exchequer as sheriff. (S) CFRs.

4/1/1418, Commission of array … William Ferrers of Groby, … James Belers, … county of Leicester. (S) CPRs.

11/26/1419, Commission about a loan to be paid to the king … William Ferrers of Groby, … James Belers, … county of Leicester. (S) CPRs.

1/27/1420, Commission to … James Belers … to levy and collect in the county of Leicester … (S) CFRs.

11/16/1420, Commitment of the county of Rutland to James Bellers, during pleasure, so that he answer at the Exchequer as sheriff. (S) CFRs.

1421, James of Somerby wrote his will.

1421, James died.

4/24/1421, Order to the executors of the will of James Bellers, late sheriff of Rutland, to deliver the county to Thomas by indenture. (S) CFRs.

Family notes:

·         From 1453 record of John, grandson of James: James, s/o Ralph, s/o Ralph, s/o Hamon, s/o William.

·         There is another James Bellers, esquire, at this time, s/o James Bellers & Lettice Prest, of Rutland and Warwickshire. Yet another James Bellers is this James’ paternal uncle.

Child of James and Margaret:

i. John Bellers (1901548), born ~1375 in Leicestershire, England.