Records of Godberd

1250 Roger Godberd complains, unavailingly, that his mother and step-father have wasted his lands. G. F. Farnham, Leiscestershire Medieval Village Notes, 6 vols. (Leicester 1928-33), iv, p. 190.

Curia Regis Roll 141. Trinity, 34 Henry III, 1250, m. 13, Leyc. Anketil de Swaninton and Margaret, his wife, were attached to answer Roger Godebert in a plea of having made waste of 60 oaks, damage 100s. Anketil and Margaret come and deny waste and put themselves on the country. Roger did likewise. The inquisition say that they made no waste; therefore Anketil and Margaret are quit. Roger is not amerced because he is underage.

1258 Excerpta e Rotulis Finium in Turri Londinensi asservatis, Henerica tertio rege, II, 1247-1272, 42 Henry III.  

Leicestershire. Diva daughter of Roger de Godeberd’ gives half a mark for an assize of novel disseisin to be taken before Gilbert de Preston. And the sheriff of Leicester[shire] is instructed to take…) (Lesley Boatwright Translation)

1260 Roger Godberd demises his manor to Jordan le Fleming then ejects him by force. G. F. Farnham, Leiscestershire Medieval Village Notes, 6 vols. (Leicester 1928-33), iv, p. 190.

Curia Regis Roll 168, Mich., 44/45 Henry III, 1260, m. 16 d Leyc.
Jordan le Fleming v. Roger Godberd in a plea wherefore, since the said Roger demised to Jordan his manor of Swaninton for a term of 10 years, and the same Jordan had not held the manor for one whole year, the said Roger ejected Jordan from the said Manor with force and arms, and took and carried away Jordan’s goods and chattels to the value of 20 pounds. Roger did not appear. Order for attachment.

1263 Surrey Eyre. Roger Godberd V Jordan le Fleming.

1264 Patent Rolls. Roger Godberd along with John, Reginald and William de Gray, promises to stand if anyone wants to press any cases of trespass against them. 

1266 Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry III, 1264-1268 (1937) p353:

Roger Godeberd of Swaneton came at Gerewedon [Garendon] and took and carried away by extortion the charters, which he had made to the abbot and convent of Gerewedon concerning one assart [a piece of land converted from forest to arable] and a wood in the same town and concerning a quittance of 5s. and certain land, which they held of the same man for a term, and one deed obligatory of seven marks, in which he was bound to them, on Saturday next after the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary in the 50th year of the reign of the king [1266]. In the same year on the day of St Calixtus next following [October] the same Roger caused the said abbot and convent by force and compulsion to make him a certain charter of quittance concerning all the things, above-said.

1266? Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 (1913), pp 7 & 11. Godberd and others granted safe passage to court. 

1266 Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 (1913), p.16

Admission to the king’s peace of Roger Godbert and William his brother; and pardon to them of all their trespasses and forfeitures in the time of the late disturbance on condition of their good behaviour’ and grant to them the lands which they now hold shall not incur loss thereby provided that they stand to the award of Kenilworth with regard to their lands which the king has given to others. And if they offend against their fealty again their bodies shall be at the king’s will, and their lands shall fall (incurrantur) to the king and his heirs forever.

1266  Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 (1913), p 7 Membrane 35—cont.                                                                             

Nov. 14.  Kenilworth.

Safe conduct for eight days for Roger de Remes, Nicholas de la Hus’ and Roger Godeberd and three in their company, coming to the king to treat of peace for themselves and those in their company

1266? Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 (1913), pp 11

Nov. 25. Kenilworth.

Safe conduct until Sunday after the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle for Roger Godberd, coming to the king’s court. 

1269 Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 p. 320 Membrane 22—cont.

Pardon, at the instance of Edward the king’s son, to Walter de Ewyas for the death of William fuiz le Chapeleyn, of which he is indicted, as it appears by inquisition made by Gilbert de Preston that he is not guilty.

1270 Roger Godberd committed a robbery at Stanley Abbey Wiltshire.

1271 Hundred Rolls, June, Roger Godberd and Walter Devyas captured along with four other men and imprisoned in Nottingham castle.

1271 Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry III 1266-1272 p. 578, Membrane 4—cont.

Oct. 15. Westminster,

Power to Richard Folyot to conduct Walter Deuyas, charged with divers trespasses to the king, doing right and taking restum according to the law and custom of the realm and bringing him back to his own again; until the morrow of Martinmas.

1272 Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Henry III, 1266-1272 (1913), p. 622  (11 February) Reginald de Grey paid 100 marks from three counties for expenses which he incurred in fighting outlaws in Notts, Leic, Derby, and for manfully taking, capturing the leader Roger Godberd. 

1272 Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry III 1268-1272, 19380, P. 462. Richard Foliot is accused of harbouring Roger Godberd, Walter Deyvas, and others.

‘The mainpernors of lord Richard Folyot, that he should come before the king in the quindene of St Michael in the 57th year of the reign of the king, to make and receive justice concerning those things, which were imposed on him both concerning the harbouring of Walter Deyvas, Roger Godberd and other wrongdoers and also concerning other things according to the consideration of the court of the king; namely John, son of John, Robert de Estutevill, Baldwin de Akeny, Walter de Colevill, Philip de Colevill, John de Haversham, Robert de Affagaz of the county of Essex, Richard de le Vache, Herbert de St. Quintin, Gilbert de Colvill, Roger de Leukenore, Walter de Bures in the county of Essex.’

‘That acknowledgement was made in the presence of lord W., Archbishop of York, lord G. de Clare, earl of Gloucester and earl of Surry, and other’s of the king’s council.’

‘Memorandum about the business of the lord earl Warenn.’

‘The king, to the sheriff of York, greetings. Whereas Richard Folyot had been indicted of the harbouring of Walter de Euyas, Roger Godberd and other Wrongdoers, by occasion of which indictment you took the lands and tenements of the same Richard in your bailiwick into our hands, and in addition you came to his castle of Fenwyk to capture him, on account of which the same Richard handed over the aforesaid castle and Edmund his son as a hostage, namely with such a condition that he should come before you at York at a certain day, fixed in advance between you and him concerning this, to surrender himself to our prison, and the same Richard, personally appearing before us and our council at Westminster, found for us the below written mainpernors, namely John, son of John, Robert de Stutevill, Baldwin de Akeny, Walter de Colevill, Philip de Colevill, John de Haveresham, Robert de Affagaz of the county of Essex, Richard de la Wache, Herbert de St Quintin, Gilbert de Clovill, Roger de Leukmore and Walter de Bures of the county of Essex, to come before us in the quindene after the day of St Michael, or, if Edward, our first-born son, returns more swiftly to England and wishes this business to be hastened, at a certain day, which we consider to be lawfully fixed in advance for the same Richard, to stand trial in our court concerning the aforesaid harbouring imposed on him, just as he ought lawfully to do according to the law and custom of our kingdom; we order you that you cause his aforesaid lands and tenements thus taken to be delivered to the same Richard without delay in the aforesaid form. Witnessed by the king at Westminster on the 17th day of February’. 

1272 Calendar of Close Rolls 1268-1272, p. 584. ‘Lestrange himself claimed 100 marks (66 pounds, 13 shillings, and 4 pence) for expenses incurred in his pursuit and capture of Deyvas’.

c. 1272 Annales Monastica, Chronicle of Furness Abbey, continuation of William of Newborough’s chronicle, mention of Walter Devyas being hanged.

1272 Patent Rolls, Roger Godberd imprisoned at Bruges castle (Bridgenorth, Shropshire).

1273 Ancient Correspondence of the Exchequer, Roger Godberd imprisoned in Chester, regents of Edward I order an inquiry into his capture. 

1275 Roger Godberd is accused of various crimes and tries to excuse himself. TNA JUST I/1222, m. 15 (1275). Transcribed and translated by Lesley Boatwright. 

Delivery of the Gaol of Hereford, made by command of the Lord King, of Roger Godberd, before W. de Helynn (with Roger de Burghill associated with him) on St Stephen’s Day, in the fourth year of the reign of King [Edward I]

Hereford. The same Roger, accused as a public criminal of many burglaries, homicides, arsons, and robberies committed by him in the counties of Leics, Notts, and Wilts, and especially accused that he, together with other evildoers, wickedly robbed the Abbey of Stanley in the said county of Wiltshire of a great sum of money, horses, and other things found there, and also of the death of a certain monk killed there about the feast of St Michael in the 54th year of the reign of the lord king Henry, father of the present lord king [29 Sept 1270] , comes and denies all burglaries, homicides, arsons, robberies and all larceny etc., except at the time of the disturbance recently happening in the kingdom between the lord king Henry and Simon, former earl of Leicester, and his accomplices. And whereof he says that the same lord king Henry received him into his peace and pardoned him for whatever he had done against his peace etc. up till the ninth day of December in the 51st year of his reign [1266], on condition that from then on he would conduct himself faithfully towards the king and his heirs, etc., and he puts forward letters of patent of the same king Henry which bear witness to the same. And he says that he has always thereafter conducted himself well and faithfully towards the said king and his heirs and everybody else, and that he is not guilty of any of the foregoing, and for godd and ill he puts himself on the country of the aforesaid counties. And so the sheriffs of the aforesaid counties were instucted to cause, each from his own county, 12 men to come beforeJ. de Cobbeham, (justice appointed to deliver Newgate Gaol) at London ( marginated: London) three weeks after Easter to decide the matter. [There now follow, in the shortened form, the standard formulae-12 jurors by whom the matter will be considered, who are not related to the parties, because the defendant has asked for a jury trial.] And the sheriff of Hereford was instructed to cause the said Roger to come there on the said date.

1276 *Leic. Assize Roll, Roger Godberd appears in a deed relating to Swannington.

1287 Roger Godberd, Reginald de Grey and others are accused of poaching venison in Sherwood Forest in 1264 (extract from the Sherwood Forest Book, ed. H. E. Boulton, Thoroton Society xxiii (1964) p. 129, translated by Tina Hampson.

Item, Warin de Bassingburne who had died, Reginald de Grei and their men took one stag with their greyhounds in the field of Bullewell and one other stag is Beskwode on Monday next before the feast of St. Lawrence in the same year, and took the venison as far as Bassingburne. Item, the aforesaid Reginald and his men took one stag and one deer in the wood of Bullewell on Saturday next after the feast of ST. Bartholomew in the aforesaid year and brought the venison to the aforesaid castle [Nottingham], and two deer in the wood of Novo Loco on the eve of St Giles in the aforesaid year and brought the venison to the aforesaid castle. Having been asked who were in the company of the aforesaid Reginald and Warin, They say that William le Wasteneys, who has died, Stephen his brother, Robert le Lou, knight, Ralph le Boteller, knight, William de Mungumry, father, William de Maysam, Richard de Gaham, parson of Schirlond, Wyotus de Sandiacre, Roger Gootbert, Geoffrey, his brother [and fourteen others]. Which aforesaid Richard and Stephen and the others have not come and not previously, etc. but it is witnessed that the same Stephen remains in the county of Lincoln. Therefore it is presented to the sheriff, etc. as above. And Robert le Lou has lands in the county of Northamptonshire. Therefore it is presented to the sheriff, etc. And Roger Gootberd and Geoffrey his brother have lands in the county of Leicestershire. Therefore it is presented to the sheriff, etc.

1293 *Roger Godberd may have been dead?

*Supplied by Brian Benison