seen affixed to several deeds, and in particular to a grant made in 1298,[1] to William Partekyn of Prilleston, (now Billingford,) dier, by which he granted, for his homage and service, and half a mark of silver in hand paid, two messuages in Diss, with liberty of washing his wool and cloths in Diss Meer, whenever he would, with this reserve, that the gross die should be first washed off, and that he should not suffer the drain of his dying office to run into the Meer. The Escheat Rolls of the 19th of Edward II. say, that he held Diss at three knights fees, and Hemenhale by barony. Dugdale[2] and others imagine that he died this year, because we find that from the 28th of January the escheator accounted for the profits of his estates till the 12th of February following, when he delivered seizin to Robert Fitz-Walter, son of the said Robert, who was of full age; but this is an errour, for at that time we find that he renounced all the temporal goods of this life, and, as Mr. Weuver[3] tells us rightly, then entered himself a friar minor in the friery at Colchester, which he himself, in 1309, had founded, and there took upon him the habit of a religious votary, where he spent the rest of his days.[4]
In the catalogue of emperors, kings, princes, and other potent persons, that have entered into this religious order, this Robert[5] was one. It seems as if the church of Diss was built by this man, his arms cut in stone still remaining several times on the south porch.
Robert Fitz-Walter,[6] Lord of Wodeham, his son, married in his father's lifetime, first[7] to Joan daughter of John de Botelort in 1304, by whom he had no issue; and after to Joan,[8] one of the daughters and coheirs of John de Moulton of Egremond, who survived him, and had for her dowry an assignation of the manors of Henham in Essex, Diss, and Hemenhale in Norfolk, &c. In 1361, this Joan[9] purchased by fine of Nicolas de Walcote and Joan his wife, one messuage 80 acres of land, 60 acres of meadow, 6 acres of pasture, 4 acres of wood, and 14s. per annum quit-rent in Diss, Frenze, and Burston, which was added to the capital manor, and was part of Walcote manor that was granted by one of the Mounteney's, to William de Walcote, the father or grandfather of this Nicolas. She it was also that brought the Castle of Egremond in Cumberland, and a third part of that manor, and many others, to this family. This Robert was in the expedition made into Scotland in 1326, and died the year following, leaving
John,[10] his son, then 13 years old, possessed of two parts of his estate, the third being held by the said Joan in dower; he was a ward of Henry de Percy's; but in the ninth of Edward III. by the King's
- ↑ Autog. penes W. Camell de Diss, Gen.
- ↑ Dug. Bar. vol. i. 221.
- ↑ Ibid. fol. 613.
- ↑ Anno 1309, Robertus filius Walteri Custos de Essex, fundamentum posuit Fratrum Minorum de Colecestria. Lib. Dunmow.
- ↑ Frater Dominus Robertus Fitz-Walter Baro, fundator Conventurs Colcestrie, intravit ibidem ordinem anno Domini 1325.
- ↑ Dig. Bar. vol. i. 221.
- ↑ Pat. 33 E. 1. P. 1. mem. 13.
- ↑ Claus. 11 E. 3. P. 2. m. 25.
- ↑ 3
- ↑ coll. P.L.N.
Dug. Bar. ibid.
