William de Whitechurch

Blancminster, Norfolk, England

General Notes

William, who died before June 11, 1260, left four daughters; the eldest, Berta, was an imbecile, and died in 1281; the fourth of the manor of Whitchurch, which had escheated to the King by reason of her imbecility, was granted by him to her sister Eleanor to hold at will at a rent of œ17 12s. per annum. The third daughter, Johanna, married William de Barentyn; and Matilda, the youngest, was the wife of Robert de Brascy. Fulk, the son of Robert le Strange and Alianora, eventually inherited his mother's third of Whitchurch, and apparently purchased the two other thirds, as at his death in 1324 the inquest finds him to have been seised of the whole manor. Shortly after Robert's death his widow married Bogo de Knovill, then Sheriff of Shropshire, but had no issue by him. Eyton, to whom I am indebted for most of these particulars, mentions that she was buried at High Ercall, and that she was probably living in 1301, but died before 1306; he says that--
Her monument consists of a slab of grey marble, sometime inlaid with a fleury cross and two shields of arms, but the brasswork of these is gone. Her epitaph remains:
DAME ALIANORE LESTRANGE DE BLANCMINSTER GIST ICI. DIEU DE SA ALME EIT MERCI.
(Le Strange Records, page 172-173)