General Notes

Lord John de Cameys: Baron by tenure of Flockthorpe Manor. Heir to his father, and aged about 27 years on the latter's death, when on doing homage to the King and paying 100 marks as a baron's relief he obtained livery of his father's lands. Prior to his doing this the King had (1277) presented to the Church of Boddington and Ufford (i.e. Torpel). He acquired by marriage a Manor in Eling held in grand serjeanty by the annual service of one pair of gilt spurs and 30 acres of assart at 6s 8d rent, with lands in Hambledon held by military service of John de St. John, and half a Manor in Lasham, all in Hampshire. Through his wife on her father's death circa 1269 he also acquired a portion of the Gatesden estate, consisting of the Manors of Broadwater, Ullaventon, Tratinton otherwise Trotton and Budelynges, with lands and tenements of Groffam, Alfradesham, Dychenninge, Fletchinge and Demesford situated towards the aforesaid Manors, all which Manors etc. lay in Sussex (26) and apparently comprised 8 Knight's fees held of the Honor of Brembre: also the advowsons of the churches, chapels, and chantries of Broadwater, Ullaventon, Groffham, Tratington, Hetchingfeld (26) and Fletchinge, the Manor of Hegton, Sussex, and one third of a Knight's fee held of the Honor of Leicester, also lands in Kyrkeby Betume, Norfolk, for which Sir John de Gatesdene had paid £8 a year rent to the King. On the death of his grandmother Mabel de Torpel in 1276-7 Lord John de Cameys was found to be her heir and on paying a relief received livery of her lands in Cambridge, held of Roger de Mowbray. As no further mention is made of these lands he probably sold them. In addition to his Manor in Wood Ditton he held other lands in that Parish, which with one third of Newmarket composed three Knight's fees held of the Earl of Brittany; these lands he sold prior to 1284-6 to Robert de Valeynes and they then became known as Ditton Valence in contradiction to Ditton Cameys, the Manor which he held in chief in Wood Ditton; this latter Manor he demised to the King and Queen in 1281 for a term of 15 years, no doubt in payment of a debt due to the Crown, and in 1285 released to them all his rights therein. In addition to his Manor in Orwell he held 25 acres as a free tenant at a rent of 17s. 9. Previous to 1290 he had sold Orwell Manor to John de Kyrkeby and John de Lovetot, but subject to his wife's right of dower therein. Between 1276, in which year he presented to the living, and 1280 he also sold Cotterstoke with the advowson of the Church of Piriho Priory to John de Kyrkeby; he would also appear to have sold Glapthorne. Referred to in the Close Rolls of 1275-8-9 and 1280 as owing various persons sums of 35, 40, 25, 38, 20, 12 and 110 marks, and also £32, all secured upon his lands in Sussex, Essex and Cambridge. 26th July 1280 the King having granted to Queen Eleanor a debt of 500 marks owned by John de Cameys to one Haginus, a Jew of London, the Exchequer was ordered to levy payment of this debt, whereupon in payment Lord John de Cameys released to the King and Queen his rights in his Manor of Torpel and Upton together with their advowsons for a term of 10 years, with a proviso that his tenants in Pilketon, Cotterstoke and Glapthorn should not do suit or service at the Manor Court of Torpel; the following year in consideration of 600 marks he released to the King all his rights in the said lands and advowsons, which were estimated at the yearly value of £80. In 1291, the King granted these Manors and advowsons to the Abbot of Burgh (Peterborough) during pleasure at a rent of £100. Is seems evident that the Abbot sublet these lands to their former owner, as on his death in 1299 Lord John de Cameys was returned as being seised of them. In Hengham, Norfolk, John de Cameys held lands in chief, which he sold without license from the Crown. Mentioned as holding in 1275, 110 acres in Pampesworthe hundred, Cambridgeshire, occupied by free tenants, also 57.5 acres in the township of Henxton, in chief, wherein he claimed in 1279 "ab antiquo" rights of gallows, "tumberelli", assay of bread and ale and view of frank pledge. He would appear to have sold his lands in Henxton subsequent to 1284-6 and subsequently to 1279 he sold Burwell Manor to Robert Tiptoft who then held it from him by the service of one sparrow. He claimed free warren in Orwell by right of Charter to his father Ralph, and similarly claimed free warren in Flockthorpe. In 1275, he is mentioned as having free warren in Broadwater, Trotton, Audelings, Woolavington, Bemesford and Elnested, Sussex, together with rights of assay of bread and ale and, upon those of his lands adjoining the Sussex coast, rights of wreckage. In 1281, he is mentioned as having view of frank pledge in Stukeley. 1287 presented his cousin David de Cameys (see Kemeys of Kemeys) to St. Mary's Church, Pilton, in succession to his cousin Nicholas de Cameys deceased or resigned. 1294 presented his kinsman Stephen de Hepworth (see Cameys of Great Stukeley) to the Church of St. George, Hardingham, which living was valued at 35 marks and possessed a manse with 60 acres of land attached to it. In 1295, he obtained license from the King to enfeoff his son Ralph in Flockthorpe Manor. In 1277, he was summoned to perform military service in person for his lands in Cambridge and Norfolk against Llewelyn Prince of Wales, the muster being at Worcester in 8 days of the Festival of St. John the Baptist, in pursuance of which summons he acknowledged the service of one Knight's fee, half for the inheritance of his father (i.e. Ditton Cameys) and half for that of his mother (i.e. Henxton), to be performed by himself and one "serviens", and also the service of one fee held in serjeanty (i.e. Flockthorpe), to be performed by one "serviens". In 1278-9, he was assessed to pay 40s scutage on Flockthorpe for the Welsh war. In 1282 again summoned to perform military service in person against the Welsh, the muster being at Worcester on Whitsuntide, May 17th, and he having already gone to Wales on 6th July following letters of protection were granted to him until Machaelmas whilst on the King's service. On a further summons to Rhuddlan for Sunday, August 2nd - the morrow of St. Peter ad Vincula, - he acknowledged the service of one and half Knight's fees only, to be performed by himself and two "servientes", he having previously, as already stated, sold Ditton Cameys Manor to the King; to this muster he appeared three weeks late but his default was excused by the King. There is no record of his having been summoned to Parliment, there being no writs extant between 49 Henry III (1265) and 23 Edward I (1295). Lord John de Cameys bore "Or, on a chief gules 2 roundeles arg." He died in 1299, when according to his post mortem inquisition in Northamptonshire he was seised in that county of "Torpell manor' extent'. Leholm cultura, ibidem vocat' Hilhawe contin' 63 acres etc., Ayston hamlet' extent'. Ufford adv. ecc. pertin' ad manor' de Torpel. Dounhall messuagia ibidem. Leholme dimid' feod'. Upton Maner' extent'" Married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Sir John de Gatesdene, whom he subsequently made over by deed (see Appendix) to Sir William Paynell, whose wife she was then called; in 1289, he further granted to Paynell all the lands he held in Sussex in right of his wife for a term of 100 years, i.e. for his own lifetime. She outlived her husband and under this deed claimed on his death her dower of one third of his estate, but this by judgement by Parliment, 29 and 30 ED.I (1301-2), was negatived on the ground that a husband's deed could not legalize adultery. After her husband's death, she obtained license on paying the King 100 marks, to marry whom she pleased, whereupon she married Sir Wm. Paynell. He bore "arg. 2 bars sable between 7 martlets gules, 4, 2 and 1.