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, on his father's death, succeeded to his estates and office: by virtue of which last he appears to have summoned to his forest court all the Regarders, Verderers and Agistors of the forest of Essex. He and his uncle Warin were witnesses to Richard de Montfichet's endowment of the Priory of Tremhall in the parish of Stanstead Montfichet. This Priory was founded by Gilbert de Montfichet, but his son Richard was its great benefactor, endowing it largely with lands and contributing greatly to the expense of the buildings. It was dedicated to St James, and possessed property in Stanstead, Takeley, Little Clacton and Birchanger, with the advowson of the church of Stanstead, and, at one time, of that of Takeley also. Sir Warin de Barentone was buried at Tremhall, as were several others of the barringtons. It was the burying place also of the Montfichets and some of the De Veres. The Montfichet family became extinct in the male line in the reign of King Henry the Third and Camden says, "The Barrington family are greatly enriched by the estates of the Montfichets which fell to them."
Sir Nicholas de Barenton was married twice, first to Mary daughter of John Boville, by whom he had not any issue, and secondly to Joan daughter of Sir Ralph Montoft, by whom he had several sons, of whom the names of Nicholas, Humphrey, Hugh, Richard and Geoffrey, are found, and will be mentioned hereafter. He had also five daughters, Margaret, wife of Sir james Umpharaville, Isabella, wife of John de Sidneia, Agatha, Cicely and Joyce. Nicholas his eldest son, married Agnes daughter of Sir William Chetwynd, and had three sons, Nicholas, John and George, and one daughter Isabella, who married Ralph de Coggeshall. Nicholas died before his father in the reign of King Henry the Third, having made his will in writing and

"thereby comended his soul to God and his body to be buried in Triplow Church, and gave to the lady Agnes his wife one cart and all his hogges and sheep, and the moveable utensils of his house and all the corn on the lands of William Mulciter, and all his land that he had in the town of Triplow which he had by purchase or gift. Item, to Sir Hount the vicar five marks. To his sone John six marks. To William Gernon forth shillings. Item, to a certain chapel at Wiliabere one mark, and twenty sheep there being. Item, twenty shillings to satisfy the wages of his servants detained. Item, to Humphrey his brother a horse, and he constituted Sir Nicholas his father, Humphrey his brother, the lady Agnes his wife, Sir John de Mickelfield, and Simon de Ashwell, his executors to dispose of all his goods moveable and immoveable for the health of his soul."

(This will is still in existence, but is nearly illegible. It has apparently been wetted with some mixture to shew the fading ink more clearly, but the liquid applied has itself become black, and has thus almost obliterated what it meant to clear.)
Some rather curious parts of this will are not named in the MS. account of it copied above. It begins--

"In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. This is the will of Nicholas de barenton which he made in the night next after the feast of St. Botolph, before midnight, in te presence of Sir Adam the vicar of Triplow, William Gernon, the lady Agnes wife of the said Nicholas, Geoffrey the clerk, and John the said Nicholas' servant. First he leaves his soul to God, the Blessed Mary and all Saints, his body to be buried at Tremhall, and to the Church at Triplow his best horse, and his best ox, and, for a wax candle to burn before the alter there, four quarters of barley and his bed, and to the altar of St. Nicholas at Tremhall three quarters of wheat and three quarters of draget."

It then goes on with the legacies as before stated. The MS. names Triplow as the place where his body is to be buried. The will says Tremhal