Henry de Tracy, of Barnstaple

Not the same as Sir Henry Tracy of Bremridge

brief biography

also known as Henry de Traci

~Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Edition, 25:29, 63A:29,

“Henry de Tracy, of Barnstaple, Devonshire, son of Oliver de Tracy, held Wollacombe and Bremridge, Devon in 1284. (??)” He was the [sic: not the] father of Isabella de Tracy and with his wife, Maud de Broase, was the father of Eve de Tracy who married Guy de Brian, of Laugharne, Cornwall. 160

Family

Maud de Braose, Heiress of Tavistock (Abt 1196-) married before May 1220 (date of lawsuit) Henry de Tracy, Knt., Baron of the Exchequer, Constable of Exeter Castle, Governor of Lundy Island, son and heir of Oliver de Tracy of Barnstaple, Devon, and Eve Fitz Warin.[1] They had four sons and one daughter:

1. Henry, living in 1263, predeceased his father and left no surviving issue[1]
2. Thomas, Knt., married Iseult de Cardinham before 1256 and had no issue; he was living in 1263, when his father gave him lands in Cornwall, but had died by 1268[1]
3. John, clerk, died about 1254[1][2]
4. [Master] Oliver, clerk, appointed in 1265 with his father as Wardens of the Devon sea shore[1][2]
5. Eve, predeceased her father, wife of Guy de Bryan and mother of Maud[1]

   ---

Notes

Maud de Braose married before May 1220 Henry de Tracy, Knight of Barnstaple, son and heir of Oliver de Tracy, of Barnstaple, Devon, by his wife, Eve, most likely the daughter of Fulk Fitz Warine, of Whittington, Shropshire and Westbury Wilshire. They had four sons, Henry, Thomas, Knight, John (clerk) and Oliver (clerk) and one daughter, Eve.

Sir Henry was the heir to his father's one-half share of the barony of Barnstaple, Devon. He ovtained theo ther half of the barony of Barnstaple in 1213, as a gift of King John on the forfeiture of his father-in-law, William de Braose. He was later granted the borough of Barnstaple by King Henry III. He fought in Poitou in 1214, and joined the barons against King John.

~Richardson's Magna Carta Ancestry, pp. 30-31

Source <Danmonii Orientales Illustres: Or, The Worthies of Devon. A Work, Wherein ...> Par John Prince: "... Guy de Bryan, of Slapton and Tor-bryan, married Eve, the sole daughter and heir of the Lord Henry de Tracy, whose dwelling was at Barnstaple, and sometimes at Taustock near adjoyning

Inquisition post Mortem

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol2/pp50-58

C. Edw. I. File 6. (5.) 76. Henry de Tracy.
Writ, 21 Aug. 2 Edw. 1. [21 August 1274]
Devon. Inq. and extent, Monday before the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, 2 Edw. 1.
Uppehesse. A hall, grange, chapel, lands &c. (extent given) held of the king in chief as member of the barony of Barnastap[le].
Grenesnylche. A free tenant rendering 4s.; and 50a. arable held by the lord, of Sir Walter son of Payn of the fee of Wyr' by knight's service.
Kelmeton. 33a. arable, 2a. meadow and 16s. rent from villeins, held of Walter de Merton of the fee of the countess of Devon by service of 1/5 knight's fee.
Maud, daughter of his daughter, whom Geoffrey de Caunvile lately took to wife, aged 31 at Christmas in the said year, is his next heir.

Devon. Inq. and extent, Tuesday before the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, 2 Edw. I.
Barnastaple. The borough (extent given), including a place called the castle, around which a wall is almost built, and there is a motte (mota) in which are a hall, chamber, kitchen and other houses almost built, a market and fair, a priory founded on the lord's demesne, with its custody when vacant, and the advowson of the church, held of the king in chief as head of the barony of Barnastaple by service of two knights or four esquires at his own cost for forty days when the king shall have need.
Heir as above.

Devon. Inq. and extent, Sunday before the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, 2 Edw. I.
Bovy. The manor (extent given with names of tenants) held of the king in chief as member pertaining to the barony of Barnastaple.
The advowson of the church is held to the use of the fraternity of Bridgewater (Bruges Walteri).
Heir as above.

[Devon.] Inq. and extent, ... Virgin Mary, 2 Edw. I. (defective.)
Fremyngton. The manor (extent given with names of tenants) held of ... of the barony of Barnastaple.
The advowson of the church pertains to the abbey of Hertilond to their own uses.
Taustoke. The manor (extent given), held of the king in chief as member of the said barony.
The advowson of the church pertains to the priory of Barnastaple.
Nymet Tracy. The manor (extent given) with the advowson of the church, held of the king in chief as member of the said barony.
Hallesworth. The manor (extent given with names of tenants) with the advowson of the church, held of Sir Payn de Chaworth in chief for 1d.
Toriton. A fifth part (extent given with names of tenants), worth ..., held of Ricard Tr[emale]t in chief as a fifth of Toriton.
The advowson of the church pertains to the joint lords.
Nymet St. George. A fifth part of the manor (extent given), held of Sir Richard Tremalet as a fifth of a member of Toriton.
Lewe. A fifth part of the manor (extent given), held of John de Umfrevile in chief as a fifth of a member of Toriton.
Hele. Land &c. (extent given with names of tenants) worth 24s., held of William de Cluyngny in chief, service unspecified.
Ilfredecumb. The borough (extent given) held of Henry de Chambernun in chief, rendering 8 marks yearly.
Wynkelegh. The manor (extent given with names of tenants), tenure unspecified.
He had a daughter Eva, married to Guy de Bryane, from whom was born Maud, whom Geoffrey de Caunvile lately married, who is his next heir and 31 at Christmas last.

Feudal barony of Barnstaple

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremridge

Bremridge was a constituent manor of the large feudal barony of Barnstaple, whose first Norman lord was Geoffrey de Montbray (d.1093), Bishop of Coutances.[11] Thus the descent of Bremridge followed the descent of the barony. At some time before his death in 1100 King William II re-granted the barony of Barnstaple to Juhel de Totnes (died 1123/30), formerly feudal baron of Totnes.[12] Juhel's son and heir was Alfred de Totnes, who died sine prole some time before 1139, leaving two sisters as his co-heiresses each to a moiety of the barony: Aenor and a sister whose name is unknown,[13] wife of Henry de Tracy (died pre-1165).

de Tracy
The Totnes sister of unknown name married Henry de Tracy (died pre-1165), to whom approximately half of the constituent manors of the barony, including Bremridge, were allocated as his wife's inheritance. Henry left a son and heir Oliver I de Tracy (died c. 1184), who in 1165 was charged scutage on 25 knight's fees for his moiety. In the Cartae Baronum of 1166 he declared 23 1/3 and in 1168 30 1/2 knights' fees. Oliver I left a son and heir Oliver II (died 1210), who left as his heir Henry de Tracy (died 1274), who also inherited in 1213 the other moiety of the barony.[14] The Book of Fees (compiled circa 1198-1292) lists Bremelrig and Sudaure (Bremridge and South Aller) as held by "Oliver de Tracy".[15]

de Tracy confirmation

An undated confirmation deed relating to Bremelrigge sealed by Henry de Tracy survives as the oldest of the mediaeval deeds amongst the Cruwys Papers at Cruwys Morchard House.[16] It was dated by Dr. Oliver[17] as tempore King Richard I (1089-1099), but by more modern authorities as circa 1220. The text (translated) is as follows:[18]

Know ye present and future that I, Henry de Tracy, have given and granted and by this present charter have confirmed to Oliver de Tracy, for his homage and service, all the land of Bremelrigge and the service of Aure which belongs to the said land, with all its appurtenances, to have and to hold to himself and his heirs or to whomsoever he shall have wished to give or assign it, from me and my heirs, for ever freely, quietly, peacefully, wholly, doing for it royal service as much as pertains to the fee of one knight for all service and demand, to me and my heirs, he and his heirs or assigns. And I, the aforesaid Henry, and my heirs, are bound to warrant the title of the said land of Bremelrigge with the service of Aure and with all its appurtenances to the said Oliver and his heirs or their assigns against all men for ever. And that this my grant, gift and confirmation by charter may remain stable and unbroken for ever I have strengthened the present charter with the impression of my seal. Witnesses: Hugh Peverel; Willm de Widewich; Richard de Cruwes; Philip de Bello Monte; Nicholas de Filelaya; Hugh de Chaggkeford; Willm Coffin; Alexander de Cruwes; Henry de Bello Monte; Ralph de Widewich; Thomas le Brutun; Gregory de Stoke, clerk; and many others.
Amongst the witnesses were members of the Cruwys family, which still survives today in residence at its ancient seat of Cruwys Morchard, anciently held as tenants of the de Tracey family;[19] members of the Beaumont family (Latinised to Bello Monte) of Youlston in the parish of Shirwell, great landowners, a member of the de Filleigh family lord of the manor of Filleigh, in which parish is now situated Bremridge; and Hugh de Chagford, of Chagford,[20] Dartmoor. Also William Coffin of Portledge, lord of the manor of Alwington, which family survived there in the male line until 1766.[21]

FitzMartin

The eventual heiress of the barony was Maud de Brian, granddaughter of Henry de Tracy (died 1274), who married Nicholas FitzMartin (d.1260), feudal baron of Blagdon in Somerset. Maud's son was William I FitzMartin (died 1324) whose son and heir William II FitzMartin died sine prole in 1326. The 1326 Inquisition post mortem of William II FitzMartin (died 1326) lists his fees pertaining to the Barony of Barnstaple, comprising 88 estates, including Bremelrugg and South Alre (Bremridge & South Aller), forming one knight's fee and tenanted by John Tracy.[22]

comments

Surname has also been reported to be de Tracey.

Date and place of birth have also been (erroneously?) reported to be:

• 1190 at Toddington, Gloucestershire, England
• 1202 at an unspecified location
• 1220 at Barnstaple, Devon, England
• 1232 at Wollacombe Manor, Bradninch, Devonshire, England

Died:

• Shortly Before 21 Aug 1274
• Aft 1284 Bremridge Manor, Barnstaple, Devonshire, England

sources

• Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists who Came to America Before ... By Frederick Lewis Weis, Walter Lee Sheppard, William Ryland Beall, Kaleen E. Beall Page 72

links

• https://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/tt/tracy1.php#con1 (membership required in order to view without interruption)
• https://hammroots.com/getperson.php?personID=I57456&tree=Main
• http://cybergata.com/roots/3682.htm
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tracy-572 cites

1. Miscellaneous Inquisitions https://hdl.handle.net/2027/pst.000023992122?urlappend=%3Bseq=79 inquisition 178 on pp. 59-60
2. Devon. Feet of Fines. Document 1, pp. 1-4 : https://archive.org/details/publications61devo/page/n43/
3. Richardson, Douglas, Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2005.), pp. 30, 135.
4. Weis, Frederick Lewis, Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700 (7th ed., Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992.), 63A-29.
5. Cokayne, George Edward, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant (London: St. Catherine Press, 1910.), 3:4, 8:535.
6. Sanders, Ivor John, English Baronies: A Study of Their Origin and Descent, 1086-1327 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1960.), p. 15 note 5.
7. Paget, Gerald, An Official Genealogical and Heraldic Baronage of England (Sta - Z (Charts 501-582) FHL BRITISH Film #170,067.)
8. http://www.thepeerage.com/p20287.htm#i202869
9. [Henry de Tracy, held Wollacombe and Bremridge, Devon, in 1284. - which Henry?] (Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries, cit.) Weis, Frederick Lewis, Ancestral Roots, Seventh Edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1992.
10. https://buist-keatch.org/buist/goring/8503.html