Philippa Almescombe

Philippa Bonville's year of birth is unknown and her parents are unconfirmed. No contemporary document has yet been found to establish her age or parents. She died after the 3rd February 1464 when she was mentioned in a fine with John Almescombe, her second husband. This is the last known mention of her.

Philippa was either the sister or daughter of William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville.

The earliest mention that she was a daughter of William Bonville comes from William Pole in his Description of the County of Devon. Pole was writing in the early 17th century, and he stated that the descent given was from a pedigree in the possession of Sir Bernard Grenville. The 1620 visitation of Cornwall records her as the sister of William Bonville.

Both of these pedigrees were recorded about 150 years after Philippa Bonville was alive.

William Bonville married Margaret Grey in 1414, their marriage contract is dated 12 December 1414. The earliest Philippa Bonville could have been born to this couple is 1415.

William Grenville's first wife Thomasine was mentioned in an indenture dated 5 May 1427. This is the last known mention of Thomasine. The absolute earliest William could have married Philippa Bonville is in the last half of 1427 so the earliest the couple could have had Thomas Grenville was in 1428. This would make Philippa 13 years old when she gave birth to Thomas Grenville. Thomas's birth is generally estimated as around 1430, if this is correct, then she would have been about fifteen years old when she gave birth.

If Philippa was the sister of William Bonville and the daughter of John Bonville she could not have been born any later than July 1397. This would make her at least 30 years old in 1427, quite old for a first marriage of a woman of her social class at that time, but still young enough to have several children. One could speculate that Philippa had an unknown first husband with unknown children, but there is no evidence to support this.

Another possibility is that she was not the mother of Thomas Grenville.

William Grenville was married to Thomasine Cole by 1403 (DCNQ 1979, p. 158: citing a deed in the Pole Collection). If Thomasine was still a teenager in 1403 and still living after 1427, then it would be possible for her to still have children in the early/mid 1430s.

This leaves open the possibility that Thomasine was the mother of Thomas Grenville and would resolve the age issues for Philippa.

Primary Sources

William Grenville is mentioned in a deed with Philippa his wife to Thomas Barnecote, dated at Stowe, 20th July 1446.

John Almescombe and Philippa are mentioned in a deed dated 1450-51, in a grant of land from John Copleston, and others, of lands in Weldhays and Guakemore.

May 9. 1455 Westminster.
Thomas Bodrugan late of Bodrugan, co. Cornwall, esquire, for not appearing before the justices of the Bench to answer John Almyscombe and Philippa his wife, late the wife of William Greynevyle, esquire, touching a trespass. Devon. Source: Calendar of the patent rolls, preserved in the Public Record Office. Henry VI. A.D. 1452-1461, p. 189

CP 25/1/34/44, number 2.
Link: Image of document at AALT
County: Cornwall.
Place: Westminster.
Date: Three weeks from St Michael, 1 Edward IV [20 October 1461].
Parties: John Kayll' and William Smyth', querents, and John Almescombe, esquire, and Philippe, his wife, deforciants.
Property: 23 messuages, 1 mill, 42 and a half ferlings of land, 80 acres of meadow, 100 acres of wood, 230 acres of furze and heath in Kylkehampton' and the advowson of the church of Kylkehampton'.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: John Almescombe and Philippe have acknowledged the tenements and advowson to be the right of William, as those which William and John Kayll' have of their gift, and have remised and quitclaimed them from themselves and the heirs of Philippe to John Kayll' and William and the heirs of William for ever.
Warranty: Warranty.
For this: John Kayll' and William have granted to John Almescombe and Philippe the tenements and advowson and have rendered them to them in the court, to hold to John Almescombe and Philippe and the heirs of their bodies, of the chief lords for ever. In default of such heirs, the tenements and advowson shall remain to John Greynevyle, to hold of the chief lords for life, and after his decease the tenements and advowson shall remain to the right heirs of William Greynevyle, to hold of the chief lords for ever.
Source: Abstracts of Feet of Fines

CP 25/1/294/74, number 20
Link: Image of document at AALT
County: Cornwall. Devon.
Place: Westminster.
Date: The day after the Purification of the Blessed Mary, 3 Edward IV [3 February 1464].
Parties: John Sydenham of Colmestoke and William Pomeray, querents, and John Almyscombe and Philippe, his wife, deforciants.
Property: The manor of Kilkehampton' and 13 messuages, 10 ferlings of land, 64 acres of meadow, 20 acres of wood, 60 acres of furze and heath and 39 shillings, 11 pence and 1 halfpenny of rent in Kilkehampton' and the advowson of the church of Kilkehampton' in the county of Cornwall and the manor of Bideforde and 17 messuages, 485 acres of land, 40 acres of meadow, 40 acres of wood, 60 acres of furze and heath, 9 pounds, 3 shillings and 4 pence of rent in Bideforde, Abbotisham, otherwise called Abbisham, and the advowson of the church of Bideforde in the county of Devon.
Action: Plea of covenant.
Agreement: John Almyscombe and Philippe have acknowledged the manors, tenements and advowsons to be the right of William, as those which William and John Sydenham have of their gift, and have remised and quitclaimed them from themselves and the heirs of Philippe to John Sydenham and William and the heirs of William for ever.
Warranty: Warranty.
For this: John Sydenham and William have granted to John Almyscombe and Philippe the manors, tenements and advowsons and have rendered them to them in the court, to hold to John Almyscombe and Philippe and the heirs of their bodies, of the chief lords for ever. In default of such heirs, remainder to the right heirs of Philippe.
Source: Abstracts of Feet of Fines