General Notes

From "Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society", Vol I, Colchester, pp 251-273, The History of the Barrington Family
@www.southfrm.demon.co.uk/Genealogy/Barr.html:

Sir Nicholas de Barenton was steward to Robert de Brus, Lord of Annandale, and had from him a quit-claim of an annual rent of twenty-one shillings, payable out of lands held under him at Hatfield, reserving only sixpence to be paid each year at Michaelmas, the keeping in order thirteen perches of the fence round the park, and the payment of any tax the King might impose.
There is a curious patent from King Edward the Second, dated York, September 4th, in the 18th year of his reign, and sealed with his Privy seal, which is still attached to the letter and nearly perfect; it is in red wax, three leopards, or lions, passant.
The letter states that the King was informed that Robert de Brus was bound to Nicholas de Barenton for the payment of the sum of eighty pounds for cloth and other things that Nicholas had bought for him, Nicholas being his steward for his lands in Essex, with which money Nicholas was willing to aid his Majesty's dear and faithful subject Sir Thomas de Mandeville in part of his ransom, he being detained in prison by the Scots. That the said Robert de Brus was ready to pay that sum to the said Sir Thomas de Mandeville, at such time as Nicholas de Barenton should send him an acquittance for the money, which acquittance could not be made or sent without special license from the King; his majesty, therefore, at the request of his dear sister the Countess of Hereford by these letters, gave leave that Nicholas might make the required acquittance to the aforesaid Robert de Brus, without any hindrance or challenge from the King, or his heirs, or any of his officers whatsoever.
Sir Nicholas had by his wife Alice Belhouse four sons, Nicholas who succeeded him, Thomas, Roger, and Philip. Of Thomas and Roger there is not any trace; Philip married Margaret daughter of Sir William Tey; he was knighted and resided at Rayleigh, as did his son Nicholas who was keeper of the King's park there. This Nicholas married Margaret Cloville and had a son John, who was the last male representative of this branch of the Barringtons. He and his wife Thomasine were buried at Rayleigh, where there was formerly a monument to their memory. They had an only daughter, and heiress, Thomasine, she was thrice married: first to William Lunsford, of Lunsford in Sussex; secondly to William Sydney, of Penshurst in kent; and thirdly to John Hopton, of Cockfield Hall in te parish of Yoxford in Suffolk; in the church of which they place her daughter by her second husband, William Sydney, is buried. Her son by her first husband, William Lunsford, whose name was also William, succeed on her death to the property called Barringtons, at Rayleigh. She is named as Thomasine Hopton in a memorandum dated 1459, which will be mentioned in the account of the next owner of the estates.
The exact time of the death of Sir Nicholas does not appear; he is found as a witness to a deed in 1330, and must have died soon after, as in 1336 his eldest son, Nicholas Barenton, was in possession of the estates.