Richard de Musgrave, Sr., Sheriff of Westmoreland

Richard de Musgrave was born about 1226 in Great Musgrave, Westmorland, England and died in January, 1301 in Great Musgrave, Westmorland, England, about age 75. He was the son of Sir Thomas de Musgrave, Sheriff of Westmorland and wife Alice de Sanford.

Richard married Christina (unk) about 1275 in Great Musgrave, Westmorland, England. Christina was born about 1250 in Westmorland, England and died in 1292 in Great Musgrave, Westmorland, England, about age 42. Richard and Christina had four known sons. Richard also had a daughter, by Isabella (unk), in a first marriage or a liaison before the marriage to Christina. This daughter, Alice, married Thomas de Neuton.

In 1268, Richard de Musgrave and brother Nicholas de Musgrave and others, were defendants in a plea, at the suit of William de Greystoke, for trespassing on his lands at Holewick

In 1272, in the Final Concord between Richard de Musgrave, plaintiff, and Thomas de Musgrave, deforciant, of the manors of Musgrave, Sandford and Morton. Richard grants the manors to Thomas and his heirs male; the remainder to Richard and his heirs male. So that Richard shall have and hold the manors of Musgrave and Sandford of the chief lords for ever, and the manor of Morton of the heirs of Thomas for ever.

In 1286, during the settlement of the estate of Robert de Veteripont and division between Robert's two daughters, the homage and service of Richard de Musgrave was assigned to Idonea, the younger daughter.

Dispute over Sanford lands

It was during the lifetime of Sir Adam de Musgrave that the Musgrave family acquired the manor of Sanford as well as a considerable portion of the Sanford lands, which passed father to son until 1356, almost 140 years. Sir Adam's son Thomas inherited the Sanford manor and lands from his wife Isabel's father, William de Sanford. (Thomas de Musgrave was required to turn over 1/3 of the land to Beatrix, the wife of William's son Robert, so it is assumed that Robert was deceased by this time.)

In 1278 Thomas de Goldington brought an action against Thomas de Musgrave "for enclosing ground in Sanford." In his suit he claimed Thomas de Musgrave had no right to the lands because all the easements had been warranted to his father William de Goldington before they had been given to Thomas de Musgrave, in reply to which, Thomas de Musgrave claims that he had all William de Sanford's rights and could exercise them.

Thirteen years passed by and the Goldington family still refused to recognize the Musgraves as their lords. Once again Thomas de Goldington brought suit against Thomas de Musgrave, this time for seizing his cattle which were on the Sanford property. Thomas de Musgrave countered that anyone who uses his lands is obliged to pay homage (a ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord) and service (the work or action performed by one who serves). Thomas de Goldington had not paid his services and dues and thus, owed de Musgrave. Nevertheless, because Thomas de Goldington had not made an agreement to become a tenant of the new landlord Thomas de Musgrave (which would give de Musgrave rights over all property movable and immovable), Thomas de Musgrave lost the case.

In the year 1300, the Goldington family once again tried to claim the Sanford lands as theirs. A full verdict is given in which it is found that Richard de Musgrave had been Lord of Sanford and that Thomas his son succeeded to his rights.

• (a) This Richard de Musgrave was son of Thomas de Musgrave and Isabel de Sandford. Thomas de Musgrave and Isabel however also had a son Thomas , whose daughter and heiress Avice married Thomas de Hellebeck, and amongst other lands the Hellebecks held the manor of Smardale which they granted to Guido de Smardale in 1291, except half a carucate and six acres - the same amount of land that Robert to Sandford had kept back from his grant to Nigel de Smardale in 1203.
• (b) It seems that somehow or other the Musgraves had become possessed of a considerable portion of the Sanford lands. Smardale, as we have seen, descended to a daughter, but the manor of Sanford went down in the male line of the Musgraves until1356, when, it once more came back to the Sanfords. There is little doubt however that whatever the Musgrave claim was it was not an undisputed one. In an enquiry held in the year I284 as to the names and lands of those holding their estates from the Veteriponts, Thomas de Musgrave is given as mesne lord of Soulby, Marton and Great Musgrave, and Richard de Sandford as mesne lord of Sanford and part of Smardale,
• (c) and at the partition of the inheritance of the Veteriponts between the two daughters of the last Robert de Veteripont, Idonea had allocated to her the homage and service of Richard de Sandford.
• (d) It would seem that their overlords at least would recognise only the Sanfords as the lords of Sanford. The de Goldington family, as we have seen, refused to recognise the Musgraves as their lords, having brought an action against Richard de Musgrave for seizing his cattle.

Child of Richard de Musgrave and Isabella:

• Alice de Musgrave, who married Thomas de Neuton

Children of Richard de Musgrave and wife Christina:

• Thomas de Musgrave was born about 1280 in Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England and died on 21 Aug 1314 in Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England, about age 34.
• Richard de Musgrave, born c.1226 in Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England
• Nicolas de Musgrave, born c.1284 in Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England and died after 1346 in Rokeby, Yorkshire, England.
• Adam de Musgrave, was born c.1286 in Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England

Links to additional material:

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p51939.htm#i519388
• The Baronetage of England: Or The History of the English Baronets ..., Volume 1; By William Betham
• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WES/Warcop/sandford2.htm
• http://philsgenes.org/Phillips/Legacy%204/D1.htm#i807
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43510#s8
• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WES/Warcop/sandford2.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Argee/Musgraves_of_Northern_England_(draft)