General Notes

William le Latimer, 1st Lord (Baron) Latimer (of Corby), apparently created by writ of summons 1290 to an assembly deemed by later (though not the very latest) doctrine to have been a Parliament, though the first recorded writ dates from 29 Dec 1299; saw action at English defeat by Scots at Stirling 1297 and English victory over the Scots at Falkirk 1298; Keeper of Berwick 1300, paricipating in the Siege of Caerlaverock June 1300; married c1268 Alice, elder daughter and coheir of Walter Ledet, whereby he acquired Corby, Northants, with other extensive possessions, and died 5 Dec 1304.  [Burke's Peerage]

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BARONY OF LATIMER [OF CORBY] (I)

WILLIAM LE LATIMER, son and heir. He is called "the elder" or "the father" to distinguish him from his son William. On 20 February 1269/70 he was pardoned, for 200 marks, all arrears due from his father in respect of his accounts as Sheriff of York, escheator beyond Trent, and custodian of the Morewick and other estates. In the following May he had letters of protection for four years on going with Prince Edward to the Holy Land. In May 1275 he was going on pilgrimage to Santiago, and in the following November had letters of protection on going beyond seas with Edmund, the King's brother. He was frequently summoned for military service against the Welsh in 1277 and1282, against the Scots in 1291 and (as a "baron") 1299 to 1303, to serve in Flanders 1297-98, but was exempted from service in Gascony in 1294. From these summonses it appears that he held lands of the value of £20 per annum in Northants, Sussex, and Surrey, and of £40 in Yorkshire and co. Lincoln. In reward for his services in Wales he had in 1285 a grant of the custody of the lands late of Robert de Thwenge, during the minority of the heir. In 1289 he was in France, attesting royal charters in April and June. On 29 May 1290 he is named among the magnates and proceres assembled in full Parliament who granted an aid for the marriage of the King's daughter, and in September joined as a "baron" in a letter of protest to the Pope concerning the appropriation of some English benefices to a foundation in Rome. From his presence in Parliament it is to be inferred (on the analogy of the Hastings case) that he received a writ of summons in or before 1290, and consequently became, according to modern doctrine, LORD LATIMER. His first recorded writ of summons to Parliament, however, directed Willelmo de Latymer seniori, is dated 29 December 1299, ten months after his son was summoned. The summonses were continued to 12 November 1304. In 1291 he witnessed a charter at Newcastle-on-Tyne. On 11 April 1294 he was going beyond seas with Eleanor, the King's daughter, Countess of Bar. Although exempted from service in Gascony, as has been mentioned, he took part in the expedition of 1294, and in consideration of his doing so the King on 4 August 1294 lent him houses in Skipton-in-Craven Castle for the use of his wife and household, with brushwood and fuel. On 7 August he was setting out in the train of Edmund, the King's brother, and appointed attorneys, including William le Latimer the younger; and on 8 October was captain of all the sailors for Gascony. He remained in Gascony till 1297, but in the latter part of the year was with the Earl Warenne and the English army sent against Wallace, by whom they were defeated io September at Stirling. He was commissioned to enquire into the conduct of the justices of the forest in 1298, and was later in the year appointed the King's Captain-General in cos. Notts, Derby, York and Northumberland. From this time he appears to have been engaged chiefly in military service in Scotland, and in September 1302 was ordered to remain in Scotland notwithstanding his summons to attend Parliament. In May 1298 he went North with 100 men-at-arms, fought in the English victory at Falkirk 27 July, and in August was stationed at Berwick. In July 1299, at Carlisle, describing himself as "captain and lieutenant of the King in the Marches of Scotland," he ordered payment of the expenses of a foray into Scotland. In 1300 he was Keeper of Berwick, with 30 men-at-arms and 200 foot, and in June took part in the siege of Carlaverock, where the St. Johns and Latimers were leaders from the first. In 1301, as dominus de Corby, he joined in the Barons' Letter to the Pope. On 18 July 1302 he had a grant of a weekly market and a yearly fair at his manor of Ash, in Kent, and a yearly fair at his manor of Wotton, Surrey, and a weekly market and yearly fair at his manor of Terrington, co. York, and free warren in his demesne lands in that manor. In the autumn of 1302 he was at Roxburgh, where in January following his life was in danger.

He married, about 1268 Alice, elder daughter and coheir of Walter LEDET (e), by Ermentrude [? DE LISLE]. With her he had a great inheritance in Northants, including Corby, as also in Beds. He died 5 December 1304, and was buried at Helpringham, co. Lincoln. His executors had respite of debts 20 May 1305. His widow sent the service of a fourth part of a knight's fee in 1306. In 1316 she held part of Sutton, Beds, and all the hundred and town of Corby Northants. She appears in various pleas from 1306 onwards. She died before 8 March 1316/7, when enquiry was made as to a claim by her son Nicholas le Latimer that her manor of Sutton, Beds, and lands in Potton, &c., should descend to him.  [Complete Peerage VII:461-4, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(e) This Walter (d. 1256) was son and heir of Wischard Ledet, who was son and heir of Christian (d. 1271), daughter and heir of Wischard Ledet and Margery Foliot. . . In 1274 William le Latimer and Alice his wife, and John le Latimer (brother of William) and Christian his wife, claimed various manners as heirs of Christian Ledet, and the claim was allowed, particularly as to the advowson of the church of Wardon, Northants.  William le Latimer was described as "of Corby" in 1280.  On 6 June 1285 it was provided that William le Latimer and Alice his wife, elder coheir of Henry de Braybrook and Christian Ledet (his wife), should do homage for their moiety of the inheritance; John le Latimer (d. 1282) and Christian his wife, the younger coheir, had done homage.