Robert le Wafre

Personal and Family Information

Robert was born about 1225, the son of Robert le Wafre and Alice de Baskerville. The place is not known.

His wife is not known. They were married, but the date and place have not been found. Their only known child was Lucia (c1250-?).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Notes

Note 1

!Source: Source: ANTIQUITIES OF SHROPSHIRE. BY THE REV. R. W. EYTON, RECTOR OF BYTON.

Non omnia grandior asetas Quae fugiamus habet . VOL. IV. LONDON JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, 13, SOHO SQUARE. B. L. BEDDOW, SHIFFNAL , SALOP . MDCCCLVI I . page 185-6

I now proceed to give some account of the family which held

Hopton Wafre and Cleobury North, immediately under the Lords of

Brecknock. The names of Le Wafre, Baskerville, and Weldeboeuf

occur frequently in the twelf and thirteenth centuries, in con-

nection with certain localities in Brecknockshire and Hereford-

shire. Tedston Wafre, in Herefordshire, was held by Le Wafre

under Weldebazuf, and byWeldebmuf of the Honour of Brecknock.

Again, one Robert ls Wafre, about 1220, had to wife a Lady who

was apparently a Baskerville. One or two quotations from the

Charters of Brecknock Priory are relavant to the subject in hand.

About 1200-1210, William de Weldebeof grants to that House

“the wood which belongs to the land, which was formerly Bernard

Unspac’s,3 which passes from Brecon to Abreschir.-Witnesses :

Sir William de Bracae, Matilda his wife, William their heir, Robert

Wafre.”

Between 1216 and 1222, a confirmation by Reginald de Bruess

is attested by Robert de Wafre, and, vice vered, Sir Reginald de

Bracae attests the Charter whereby— “Robert ls Wafre, with con-

sent of his wife Alice, eldest daughter of Roger de Baskerville,

confirms to the Monks of Brecon the Mill of Landevaillane, which

Ralph dc Baskerville4 had first given them.” 5

The obit of Alice, wife of Robert le Wafre, was annually cele-

brated in Hereford Cathedral; and it was their son, intimates my

authority,5 another Robert, who, in 1243, is said to hold one hide

in Thoddesthorne of John de Weldebef, of the Honour

of Brecknock.7

Another, and nearly cotemporary Record, represents Robert le

Wafre’s Tenure in Tedethom as immediate, under the Earl of Here

ford, and by service of a fourth part of a knight’s-fee.8 About this

time, Sir Robert le Wafre and Sir John de Weldebmuf attest a

Charter of Herbert fitz Peter, then a Coparcener in the Honour of

Breeknock.9

We now turn to HoptonWafre, concerning which the Inquisition

of Stottesden Hundred, in 1255, found as follows Robert le

Wafre is Lord of Hopton, in which are two and a half hides of

land geldable ; and the said lands do suit to the Hundred Courts,

and give hydage ; and he holds in capite of the

Earl of Hereford, of the Honour of Breckenock, and renders to the

Sheriff 10d. for S tretward, and 20d. for Motfee.” 10

At the County Assizes of 1256, Robert de Wafre of Hopton was

reported as a Defaulter in due attendance. The period of this

Robert le Wafre’s death I am unable to ascertain, but hewas living

in 1265, after which he attests, as a Knight, a great Charter which

Humphrey de Bohun expedited to Brecknock Priory. 11 I

imagine it to have been at least ten years later that Lucia, his

sole daughter and heir, married to Roger, younger son of Roger

Lord Mortimer, of Wigmore. The Feodary of 1284 tells us ac-

cordingly, that Roger, son of Roger de Mortimer, holds Hopton

Waffre of the Earlof Hereford, of the Honour of Brekeynoc, and

the same Earl of the King in capite.” 12 In 1285 I find that Roger

de Mortimer presented, to Tedston-Wafre Church;13 and on May

6, 1286, Roger de Mortimer of Chirk had a grant of Free-Warren

in Hopton Waffre, as well as in six Herefordshire Manors, one of

which was Todesteme14 In the Nomina Villarum of Roger

de Mortimer is entered as Lord of Upton Wafre ; but I here quit

a subject, for further details of which, as connected with the Baro-

nial House of Mortimer of Chirks,” I may refer elsewhere.16