The ancient Barons of Wem. thereof, gave to Ralph de Boteler the sum of £400. to be received out of the fines, and amerciaments coming into his exchequer. This baron died 6th Edward I. 1277. 2d. William de Boteler, his son and heir, in his father's life time married Ankaret, the niece of James de Aldithley or Audley, of Red Castle, in the county of Salop. 1278. And 6th, Edward I. doing his homage had livery of the manors of Wem, and Loppington paying his relief. 1282. In 10th, Edward I. inconsideration of his special services, he obtained a grant of the right which the king to the service of three knights' fees due from Maud his mother; upon of the Scutage of Wales. This lady about this time married Walter de Hopton. 1283. For in 11th, Edward I. a fine was levied on the manors of Wem, in Shropshire and Tirley, in Staffordshire, to the use of Walter and Maud during the life of Maud, the remainder to the right heirs of Maud. William de Boteler departed this life 12th, Edward I. being then seized of the manor of Northbourough, in Leicestershire, which he held jointly with Anmaret his wife, by the grant of Adam Boteler, and of the manor of Oversley, in Warwickshire, his father's inheritance. 3rd, John de Boteler his son and heir was but 16 years old at his father's death; so Walter de Beau F The ancient Barons of Wem. champ of Alcester, in Warwickshire, the same year obtained of the king a grant of his marriage on the behalf of Eleanor his daughter, and in case she died before the accomplishment of that intended marriage, that then he might have one other of his daughters; or if the said John should die before marriage, then the said Walter might have the like benefit of his next heir; and so from heir to heir till one of his daughters was wedded to one of the Botelers; or in case such a one should make a different choice, then to have the forfeiture due to the king thereupon. 1287. But this John died within 3 years following, so that whether this marriage was completed is uncertain. 4th, Gawine le Boteler, second son of William, and brother of John succeeded to the barony, and married Alice de Montgomery, who long survived. him. He by the king's writ impleaded Walter de Hopton, his stepfather, for waste and destruction made by him in certain lands and tenements which Walter held for term of his life, (or rather his wife's life) of the inheritance of Gawine, in Wymme and Thyrke, (Wem and Tirley) but Gawine died before he obtained judgment, about 18th, Edward I. 1290. For then I find his name in our extent. 5th, William le Boteler 2nd, third son of William 1st, and brother of John and Gawine, being also The ancient Barons of Wem. under age, John de Britannia obtained of the king the wardship of him and Walter de Langton, lord treasurer of England, and Walter de Beauchamp then steward of the king's household, procured the said wardship of John de Britannia. 1291. In 19th, Edward I. this William le Boteler revived the suit which his brother Gawine had commenced against Walter de Hopton for waste made by him in lands and tenements of the said William's inheritance. Walter appeared before Gilbert Thornton, and others appointed to hear the king's pleas, and said that he ought not to answer to the said William for the waste and destruction made in the time of another, before the right of the said inheritance descended to him. The justices being divided in their opinions, the matter was brought before the parliament; and in 20th, Edward I. it was by them enacted, that an action of waste is maintainable by the heir for waste done in his ancestor's time, as well as for that done in his own time. At the assizes held the same year, Walter de Hopton complained by his bill, that Walter de Beauchamp at Pykesley Field, in Hynestoke (now Hinstock, near Drayton) distrained his cattle, and refused to replevy them. Walter de Beauchamp answered that the manor of Hynestoke was a member of the manor of Wem, and that after the death of Gawine le Boteler, by reason of the minority of William le Boteler, his brother and heir, the custody of Wem The ancient Barons of Wem. fell to the king, who gave it to John de Britannia, and he assigned it to the defendant Walter de Beauchamp, who further pleaded that there was such a custom in the manor of Wem, that the Greth serjeants were to be maintained by the villains of the manor, and because the tenants in villenage, were six pounds in arrears to the Greth serjeants he distrained. Walter de Hopton replied that the said contribution for the support of the Officers aforesaid, was converted to a certain yearly rent or allowance by the ancestors of William de Boteler, and said that he held a moiety of the barony, and was always ready to contribute his proportion, et posuit se super patriam. The business of these Greth serjeants was to keep the peace as their name imports for Grith, signifies peace and serjeant keeper. At the same assizes William le Boteler made his claim, and held a free court in his manor of Wem, and to have a market every week on the Lord's day, and a fair on the eve, the day and the day after the feast of St. Peter and Paul, Apostles. In an account of the fees of the hundred of Bradford, taken in 24th, Edward I. Walter de Hopton is said to hold the manor of Wem with its members, viz. Aston, Steel, Tilliley, Dyoke Low, Horton, Wolverley, Edstaston, Cotton, Harpeçote, Beselow, Doddington, Alkington, and Edesley. The three last towns are in the parish of Whitchurch. Beselow in former times was the seat of the Wolriches, The ancient Barons of Wem. in Wroxeter parish. And Harpecote perhaps is Harcote, in the parish of Stanton. This same year William le Boteler though still in his minority, procured a grant of his lands from his guardians before mentioned, as if he had been of full age, and by their mediation had livery of them from the king. 1298. 26th and 34th, Edward I. he was in the wars of Scotland. 1307. In 35th, Edward 1. he gave to the monastery of Alcester (of his great ancestor's foundation) sixty acres of waste ground lying at Hynestone, in Shropshire, with licence to enclose the same, as only the advowson of the church there with common of pasture for 8 oxen, 6 kine, and 200 sheep in his woods and wastes belonging to that lordship. 1314. Moreover in 8th, Edward II. he was again in the Scotish wars, and had summons to parliament amongst the barons of this realm from 24th, Edward I. and 1st, Edward III. inclusive. He had two wives, the first named Ankaret, daughter of Griffin, by whom he had issue William his son and heir: the second Ela, daughter and coheir to Roger de Herdeburgh, by whom he had issue two sons, Edmund and Edward, who both died without issue, as also four daughters, viz. Ankaret, the wife of John le Strange, of Blackmore, Ida of sir Fulk Pemburgge; Alice of Nicholas Longford and Dionesse of Hugh de Coksey. 1334. He died 8th, Edward III. being then seized of the manor of Tirley, in the county of Stafford, and of the manors of |