General Notes

Lord Stephen de Cameis: Baron by tenure of Flockthorpe Manor, Norfolk, unquestionably inherited, with the lands and advowson of Hardinghom and the Manor of Cemeis, from his father, as probably also the lands in Tansour, Northants and Toppesfield, Essex, already referred to. Probably granted by Richard I the Manor of Wood Ditton, (10) Cambridgeshire, held in chief as half a Knight's fee and by annual payment of 2s to the Sheriffs court; appears to have been granted by David, Earl of Huntingdon a Manor in Stukeley Magna, (11) Hunts, which he held as a quarter of a Knight's fee from the said Earl; also held lands in Suffolk. Died before 1198 in which year the King sold the wardship of his children to the Earl of Huntingdon, as appears from the following account in the Pipe Roll among the new payments due during that year under counties Cambridge and Huntingdon, "Earl David owes 200 marks for having the wardship of the land and the "heir" of Stephen de Cameis in the whole of his property, saving thereout his service to the King (i.e. for those lands held in chief), and because the Earl may not divide that Estate (baronies were not divisible) he also returns an account in Northamptonshire." Consequently the same year under Northamptonshire there is and entry that "Earl David returns an account as to 200 marks for having wardship of the estate and of the "heirs" of Shephen de Cameis."The following year the Earl still owed 50 marks under the same head in Northants. Married Matilda, daughter of Gilbert de la Leghe, of la Leghe, Effingham and Polesden, Surrey, whose family bore "or, on a chevron sable 3 lions rampant argent, armed and langued gules"; she held in her own right a Manor in North Denchworth, Berks (12) as two parts of a Knight's fee held of the Honor of Giffard, which Honor was then possessed by Walter Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, and also lands in Wiseley, Surrey; It seems evident that she held in addition as her dower the Manor of Wotton (13), Surrey, on Knight's fee held of the Honor of Clare and worth yearly £15. 13s. 0d. In the reign of King John, the Abbot of Chertsey claimed (12) the wardship of her heir because, as he stated, her father had held from him a free tenement in Effingham (adjoining Wotton), whereupon Matilda replied that being dowered she was free from his claims. On 29th October 1214, the King commanded Simon de Patishull and his companions to bring Matilda de Cameis and (? her son) Nicholas de Ainesti to Court (14), evidently fearing her influence over her eldest son Ralph de Cameis, as two years later it is stated that "Matilda de Cames had her son with the Barons, "i.e. in arms against King John. She married secondly prior to 1206 Hugh de Anestie.