Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle

by J. Conway Walter

Domesday Book, however, tells us of owners of land before the Malbyshes, in pre-Norman times. The Saxon, Thane Elnod, held land in Mavis Enderby and Raithby and East Keal, in the reign of Edward the Confessor (p. 31) [a/][47c]; while another Saxon, Godwin, whose name appears in connection with several other parishes, had the Manor of Mavis Enderby (p. 159) [a/][47c] The old hereditary owners of the lands met with no mercy from the Conqueror, who had to provide for his Norman followers. The historian records that as William passed along the ranks of his army before the great Battle of Hastings, he addressed them in a loud voice thus, “Remember to fight well, if we conquer we shall be rich, if I take this land, you will have it among you,” and the promise then held out, was amply fulfilled; the vanquished Saxons were robbed of their lands, to reward William’s favorites who had capacious maws. Among those rewarded extensively with plundered territory, was William de Karilepho, consecrated Bishop of Durham in 1082, and also made Chief Justice of England; he received grants of land in Mavis Enderby, Raithby, Spilsby, Hundleby, Grebby, and many other places. Ivo Taillebois (equivalent to the modern Underwood), who was then leader of the Angevin Auxiliaries of the Conqueror, also received very extensive grants; among them being lands in Mavis Enderby, Raithby, Hareby, Halton Holgate, Asgarby, Miningsby and many other demesnes. About the same time also (1070), another of the Conqueror’s favourites Eudo—son of Spirewic, subsequently the founder of the Tattershall family, received very extensive domains, among them being the Manor of Mavis Enderby, a Berewick (or smaller outlying portion) in Raithby, another in Hundleby, and in the two Keals, Hagnaby, and endless more possessions, his head-quarters being at Tattershall, all of which he held “in capite” or directly of the King. But, as we have repeatedly observed in these notes, these early Norman tenures were precarious, they were acquired by violence, and when the hand that held them waxed feeble, a stronger hand, in turn, took possession. Mavis Enderby, like very many other parishes, became an appurtenance of the Manor, or Honor, of Bolingbroke, and throughout that great appanage of the Crown there were many changes in the Lords of demesnes.

The first of the Malbishes, whose name is recorded, is Osbert Malbishe, who, with others, is witness to a charter of Revesby Abbey, of date 1173; this probably is accounted for by the fact of there being a cell of Revesby Abbey at Mavis Enderby. Another Malbishe, William, also witnesses another Revesby charter in 1216. Both these lived before the Richard Malbishe who is generally referred to as being the Lord of the Manor, whose name became attached to the parish.

Among the “Final Concords” (p. 162), we find it recorded, that in a deed, dated 5th June, 1222, Matilda, wife of the above William Malebisse, claimed certain lands in Enderby (not yet specially designated “Mavis”), as her dower, but that through the agency of Robert de Wion, she quit-claimed all her rights to that particular portion in favour of one Nicholas and his heirs, for which the said Nicholas gave her 20s.

In a Chancery Inquisition, 4 Edw. III., 1330, it is shown that the heirs of Alan Malbish hold certain lands in Sausthorpe and Langton; and another Inquisition in 1352, mentions ¼ fee held in Sauzethorpe and Langton, which the heirs of Alan Malbish hold. (“Archit. S. Journ.,” 1894, p. 170.)

After this we hear nothing more of the Malbishe family. But in a Chancery Inquisition post-mortem, 18 Henry VII., No. 34, taken at “Est Rasen, 26th October, 1502, after the death of Thomas Fitzwilliam, heir of Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam, Knight, lately deceased,” it is stated that John Vere, Earl of Oxford, Sir Robert Dymmok, Knight, Robert Rede, Justice of the Lord the King, Thomas Chaloner, and others, were seized of the fee of the Manors of Malburssh Enderby, Maydinwell, Malberthorp, etc., with their appurtenances (which are described as extensive) to the use of the heirs male of the said Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam lawfully begotten, and the Jurors further say, that the Manor of Malburssh Enderby, with appurtenances, etc., are held of the Lord the King, of the Duchy of Lancaster, as of his Manor of Bolingbroke, and that certain lands are held of Sir George Taylboys (doubtless a descendent of Ivo Taillebois, owner in the days of the Conqueror), but by what services they do not know. (“Architect. Soc. Journ.” 1895, p. 14).

The Fitzwilliams still held lands in Mablethorp in the reign of Henry VIII. One of the family, Sir William Fitzwilliam was Lord High Admiral, and a staunch supporter of the King in the rebellion of 1536. Only two years later, in an Inquisition, 20 Henry VII., No. 14 (January 31, 1504–5). After the death of George Gedney, it is stated that a certain John Billesby (of Billesby) [49] and Nicholas Eland were seized of the Manor of Mabysshenderby, with appurtenances, as well as lands in Hagworthynham, Bag Enderby, Holbeche, Fleet, and Swaby, and that they enfeoffed the said George Gedney and Anne his wife of the aforesaid Manors, to them and their heirs for ever. The Gedneys continued for many generations an influential family in the neighbourhood. Andrew Gedney, of Bag Enderby, married Dorothy, daughter of Sir William Skipwith, of South Ormsby, 1536; and within recent years Arthur P. Gedney, Esq. (a cousin of the writer of these notes), owned the Manor of Candlesby, and resided at Candlesby Hall. (“Arch. S. Journ.,” 1895, page 27.)

In an Inquisition p.m. in the same year No. 52, after the death of the said Anne, wife of George Gedney, much of this is repeated, but it is further specified that the property in Hagworthingham is held of the Abbot of Bardney; some in Bag Enderby is held of the Warden of Tateshale, some in Holbeche of the Lady Dacre de la South, and some in Flete of the Lord Fitz Water; that the said Anne died on the Saturday after the feast of the Holy Trinity, and that John Gedney is son and next heir. In a deed of 14 June, 1535, John Gedney, of Bag Enderby, refers to his wife’s jointure of lands in Mavis Enderby and other parishes; the said wife being Isabel, heiress of the Enderbies of Bag Enderby.

In the register of Mavis Enderby, one book of which extends from 1579 to 1772, an entry shows that George Lilbourne was Rector from 1522 to 1588, or 66 years. He was a relative of the Smyths of Elkington, near Louth, who are still represented in the two parishes of North and South Elkington, as is shown by his will, dated 5th July, 1587 (Lincolnshire Wills), in which he requests that he may be buried on the north side of the chancel, bequeathing “to my niece Lacon, my niece Hansard, and my niece Simpson, an old English crown apiece; to Sir Edward Hustwaite, all the books he hath of mine, and a great book of St. Gregory’s works, in the hands of Sir Robert Welles, Parson of Howell; to my servant Agnes Cressie, a silver spoon with akorne at the end of it; to George Smithe 3^li.; to Dorothy and Susan Smyth, 10^s. apiece; to my nephew Herbert Lacon, a macer (mazer or drinking bowl), lined with silver and gilt; to my cousins Thomas Smithe and Anthony Smithe, and my nephew Tristram Smithe a little silver salt (cellar). I make my nephew Herbert Lacon, and Mr. Thomas Taylor, supervisors.” (Prob., 8 May, 1588).

It would appear that he was more generous in lending his books than his friends were careful in returning them, the latter, a failing not unknown in our own day, and even St. Paul could write to Timothy (2 T. iv. 13), “Bring with thee the books, but especially the parchments.”

Among Lincolnshire Wills is one of Roger Metcalf, clerk of Mavis Enderby, dated 18 July, 1606, in which he desires to be buried in the chancel, John Downes of Lusby, clerk, being left executor, and George Littlebury of Somersby, Gent., and John Salmon of Haltham-on-Bain, clerk, supervisors. We thus see that in Saxon times, lands in Mavis Enderby and Raithby were held by the same owner, and that in early Norman times, lands in the two parishes were held more than once by the same Lord. In a Feet of Fines, Lincoln, file 68 (32), 30 Ed. I., there was a dispute between John Beck (of the ancient family of Bec, of Eresby, Lusby, etc.) and Robert de Wylgheby (ancestor of the Lords Willoughby) about the Manors and advowsons of Enderby Malbys, and Ratheby, as well as other properties, in which the said Robert granted to the said John the said lands and advowsons. “Architect. S. Journal,” 1897, p. 56. And in the present day the two benefices are held together by the Rev. George Ward, who is himself patron of Mavis Enderby, Raithby being in the gift of the crown.