Hugh de Mortimer, Baron of Burford

Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Shropshire Walcot Family - Chart X: Mortimer Family; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id104.html. (Steven Ferry, May 6 , 2020.)

HUGH DE MORTIMER, son and heir, was an infant at his father's death, and in 1230 his custody was granted to Henry de Trublevill. He was said to be 40 years of age in 1259. He did homage on 12 June 1259, the relief being £100. He was in 1239 summoned for a debt due by William de Stuteville. In 1254 he obtained a grant of free warren in Amberden in Essex, Ham in co. Worcester, and Rochford in co. Hereford. In 1261, as Hugh de Mortimer, son and heir of Robert de Mortimer and Margery de Say his wife, he confirmed certain land to Worcester, the first witness being his brother William de Mortimer, knight. In 1267 his men and those of Roger de Mortimer adhered (redidderunt se) to Llewelyn. He had protection in February 1262/3 on going to the Welsh wars; and in the autumn of 1264 he surrendered Richard's Castle to Montfort. Like the other Lords Marchers, he appears to have taken the King's side in 1264 and 1265, and was consequently rewarded. On 9 August 1265, just after the battle of Evesham, he received custody of the manor and forest of Feckenham, co. Worcester; in November 1266 a charter for a market and fair at Burford and free warren at Wichbold; and at about the same time a charter to make Burford a free borough. In 1272 respite of pleas was allowed him in co. Hereford while he came to the King's Parliament at Westminster(a). The name of his wife is not known(b). He died 18 November 1274.(c)

(a) Close Roll, 56 Hen. III, m. 10 d. (b) See, however, note "i" below. (c) The escheator accounted for the issues of Richard's Castle, & c., from the Sunday before St. Edmund the King 3 Edw. I (Pipe Roll, 6 Edw. I, m. 7; Cat. Inq. p. m., vol. ii, no. 132). There were 32 1/4 knights' fees in the Burford fee. Hugh had a younger son, William de Mortimer of Ham, co. Worcester, who d. in 1308, aged about 60 (Idem, vol. v, nos. 66, 133).

(i) Ann. Mon., vol. iv, p. 485. See for this, post, p. 282, note "a," sub Edmund de mortimer of Wigmore. The Worcester Annalist calls Robert nepos of this Edmund, so that his father Hugh must have married a daughter of. Roger de Mortimer or a sister of Edmund's wife (a Fienes), but no such, marriage is recorded. [CP 9:262-3]

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SIR HUGH DE MORTIMER, BARON OF BURFORD

Robert Mortimer died in the summer of 1219, around the same time as he was presented by Margaret Say with a son and heir, Hugh Mortimer (d. 1275). Then on 23 November 1219 Margaret married her third and final husband, William Stuteville, who was to hold Richard's Castle and Burford until his death in 1259, much to the eventual chagrin of Margaret's son and heir, Hugh Mortimer.

At Easter 1242 Hugh the son of Robert Mortimer, launched a determined attempt to gain his mother's lands, probably on the occasion of her death. The attempt failed, but in 1243 Hugh was granted his mother's hereditary lands of Homme (Hamme) and Clifton on Teme in Worcestershire and Cascob (Cascope) in Radnorshire as a settlement by his father-in-law (William Stuteville). It is interesting that no castle is mentioned at Homme and it may be presumed that the old motte of Richard Fitz Scrope set in the now peaceful Worcestershire had long been derelict. The same is probably also true of Tenbury, or Burford motte, the town of Tenbury Wells offering far better accommodation to the Lord of Burford than an ancient and obsolete castle.

William Stuteville died before 20 May 1259 when Sir Hugh Mortimer, aged 40, inherited Richard's Castle and the BURFORD BARONY. Hugh may or may not have campaigned with the other Marchers in the lead up to the Battle of Lewes in May 1264, but he did support them in the subsequent struggles against Simon Montfort. In June of July 1264 the lands of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore were fired by the victorious Earl of Leicester and at the same time Hereford and Hay on Wye castles were captured by the allied barons before Simon moved north, forcing Hugh Mortimer to surrender his person and Richard's Castle. Earl Simon then proceeded to capture Ludlow Castle and make Roger Mortimer of Wigmore and his remaining allies surrender at Montgomery on 25 August. Richard's Castle and the Burford barony were then granted to John Fitz John, whose father held Longtown Castle in right of his wife and whose grandfather Geoffrey Fitz Peter had won the great Battle of Painscastle back in August 1198. John held Burford for only one year, he being captured with so many of his friends and companions at the Battle of Evesham on 4 August 1265. With John's defeat Hugh Mortimer regained Burford and was granted by a grateful king the privilege of hunting hare, fox, weasel, and cat in the royal forests of Shropshire. Hugh finished his career by becoming sheriff of Hereford in 1272, and office he held until his death.

Hugh Mortimer was dead, aged only 56, by 28 November 1275 when an Inquest Post Mortem was held upon the lands he had held before they were passed to his 22 year old son and heir, Robert. In Herefordshire these were found to have been Richard's Castle, HELD OF THE BARONY OF BURFORD, and Rochford (Rachesford), which was held of the fee of Clifford by service of 1/4 knight.

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