Sir John de Wahull, Baron of Wahull,

Hey guys just thought you might want to see this information that I

had on Early English Woodall's (now Odell)

I found a book that lists early English Woodalls and it says that

through the 1500-1600 it was sometimes shortened to Odall and Odell.

It doesn't list the 1500-1600's people though it cuts out about

1400's. Now I'm trying to find the connection. Do you know of any?

From "All our Yesterday's: Part I, A History of Odell's and Related

Families" by Evelyn Spitzer Drinnon. (quoted from directly from the

text until ---)

pgs. 32-35

[pg. 32]

"From 'Barons and Knights'

A smaller estate established itself as the third of the Bedfordshire

baronies. This is connected with a family of Flemish adventurers. It

seems that there were with the original Norman force two brothers,

Seier and Walter, the younger still living in 1086, but the elder

having died leaving two sons, Walter and Hugh; thus the younger Walter

was head of the barony, and since he made his headquarters at Odell,

his family came to be known as Wahull (an old form of Odell).

The nucleus of this estate was that of the former thegn Levenot,

Levenot had held Odell, Podington, Thurleigh, Segenhoe or Ridgemont,

part of Silsoe and also Totternhoe, while one of his men held

Wymington. To this was added Langford, which had been held by another

thegn, Lewin. The Flemings too had other small pieces of land, of

which one at Henlow had been held by 6 socmen, one at Podington by 4

socmen; and pieces at Milton (Ernest) and Holme in Biggleswade, each

of which had been held by 2 socmen.

Walter de Wahull's headquarters were at Odell on a stron defensive

site overlooking the river, the site of Lord Luke's present house. An

18th century writer says of it that it 'must have been an impregnable

fortress from its advantageous situation near the river and on a rock

of considerable height and steep ascent.' Impressive, too was his

brother, Hugh's stronghold at Thurleigh- Hugh's decendants took their

name from the old form of Thurleigh, and were known as Lega. Here is

a mound in two levels, rising 23 ft. above the bottom of the ditch or

fosse, which is about 25 ft. across and 8-10 ft. deep. The outer

rampart encloses a very wide area, and the entrance seems to have been

on the northeast. The family had another stronghold on the Ridgmont

holding, perhaps built later.

In 1086, nearly all the holdings was in the hands of members of the

family, Walter de Wahull kept in his own hands Odell and Langford,

Hugh (later deLess) had Podington and Thurleigh. The senior Walter

had Segenhoe and some land at Silsoe.

The barony, Wahull of Odell remained for 200 years or more."

[pg. 33]

"The King's Thanes of Saxton days were landed gentry; some with large

estates in several counties. The lands of Levenor, a wealthy thane of

King Edward the Confessor, included Wahull, the modern Odell. After

the Battle of Hastings, Lavenot's lands fell, with the title of Baron

of Odell to Walter de Flandrensis, the brother-in-law of William the

Conquerer, who came over with him and fought at Hastings.

The name Odell is purely English in origin, with a Norman-French

background as it was first applied to the Norman, Walter de Flanders,

who became known as Walter de Wahull. Odell was originally called

Woodhill from the plant wood once used as a dye and apparently

cultivated in Saxton days and later. The modern spelling is a

corruption; the loss of the initial letter did not occur until about

1500 and Wodell continued to alternate with Odell during the 16th

Century until Odell established itself. Other variations have been

Woodhull, Odenhull, Odalhull, Odhul and finally Odle, Odill, and

lastly Odell.

The title of nobility expired with the last of the Odell direct line.

By the 16th Century (1575) the Odell Estate had come to Agnes Woodhall

(the name had taken this form in the 1300's). She married Richard

Chetwood and their son, Richard, tried to have his claim as Baron of

Odell recognized, a claim his 18th and 19th century descendants

revived without success.

The Odell castle rose above the north banks of the Ouse River. On 24

Feb. 1931, smoke was seen billowing from the furnace room and shortly

afterwards the house was burning like a beacon. The Bedford fire

brigade did what it could rescuing som of the old furniture and

paintings, but the building was gutted.

Old Mrs. Ashton, who lived in the low-ceilinged cottage in High Street

was a servant for many years in the big house and remembered it well:

a whole sheep hanging in the cellar, the oil lamps and candles, the

dark paneling, the 80 feet deep King John's well where the butler used

to hang the champagne; and the ghost -- a smoky black insubstantial

apparation that frightened the life out of her. Others, too, claimed

to have seen the spectre, but none knew to whom the unquite spirit had

belonged.

Now a new house, in the classical style, has arisen on the ancient

site, the home of Lord Luke of Pancham. For it, much [pg. 34] of the

old stone was reused. The stables have been replaced by dwellings,

King John's Well has been filled in and only the piers of the 17th

Century gates and the broad avenue of elms, with its regiment of

rooks, still remain.

The Odell Mill's great undershot cast-iron wheel has long since ceased

to turn and the mill has been converted into a pleasant residence

looking across the Ouse River, which flows lik molten glass over the

little dam. In Bedfordshire, England, the village of Odell still

exists.

{centered and Underlined} English Odell's

Helewyse Vivonia, who was married to Walter de Wahull, son of Saither

de Wahull, who died in 1250. His death occured in 1269 when he was

succeeded by his son:

John de Wahull, who became of age in 1269. In the 22nd of King Edward

I, he had a military summons to march into Gascony and later had a

similar summons to march against the Welsh, but within 2 years, he

died (in 1295). His wife was Agnes, daughter of Sir Henry Pinckeney

of Weldon Pinckeney. Their son was:

Thomas de Wahull, who had the Manor of Wahull Co., Bedford and

Pateshill Co. Northhampton, when he died in 1304. By his wife Hawise,

daughter of Henry Praters, he left a son and heir:

John de Wahull, an infant at the time of his father's death. He

married Isabella and died in the 10th of King Edward III. Their elder

son, John's line ended with his two grand-daughters, Elizabeth and

Eleanor who died without leaving issue. Their youngest son was

Nicholas de Wahull, who married Margaret, daughter and heiress of John

Foxcote and died in the 12th of King Henry IV. Besides a son and

daughter, Edith and Margaret, Nicholas and wife, Margaret, had an

elder son & heir:

Thomas de Wahull, who died in the 9th of King Henry V, having married

Elizabeth, sister and heiress of Thomas Chetwode and had two sons,

Thomas and William."

[pg. 35]

"The three immigrants from England to America are thought to be

Thomas, William and Reginald. "

So from the above I have found:

1. Saither de Wahull (b.? d. 1250)

2. Walter de Wahull (b.?, d. 1269) m. Helewyse Vivonia

3. John de Wahull (b.?, d. 1295) m. Agnes Pinckeney

4. Thomas de Wahull (b.?, d. 1304) m. Hawise Praters

5. John de Wahull (b.?, d. 10th of King Edward III)

m. Isabella (maiden name unknown)

6. Nicholas de Wahull (b.?, d. 12th of King Henry IV)

m. Margaret Foxcote

7. Thomas de Wahull

b. 1389 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Film #: 458336.

alt. birth: 1390 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Film #: 178032, pg. 279, Ordinance #:

8268.

Source 2: LDS Film #: 177938, Pg. 270, Ordinance #:

10204.

d. 9th of King Henry V

m. abt. 1410 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Films #: 458161, 458336, 457063, 2034351

to Elizabeth Chetwood

8.(A.) Thomas Wodhull

b. 1411 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Films #: 458161, 458336, and Film

451034 Ordinance #: 37828.

believe him to be the Thomas Wodhull that m. as

follows.

m. abt. 1434 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Films #: 458349, 1985318.

to Isabel Trussell

children:

9.(A.) Thomas Wodhull

b. abt. 1437 of Warkworth, Northampton,

England

Source: LDS Film #: 458349, LDS Film #:

452794 Ordinance #: 8369.

9.(B.) John Woodhul (more below)

b. 1435 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Film #: 458349, LDS Film #:

452794 Ordinance #: 37863.

9.(C.) Isabell Wodhull

b. abt. 1441 of Warkworth, Northampton,

England

Source: LDS Film #:452808 Ordinance #: 8072

Source 2: LDS Film #: 458349.

8.B. William Wodhull

b. abt. 1413 of Warkworth, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Film #: 458336, LDS Film #: 452794

Ordinance #: 8370.

Believe that 9b. was the John Woodhull that married Joan Etwell and had:

Thomas Wodhull

b. about 1461 in Thenford, Northampton, England

Source: LDS Film #: 452794, Ordinance #: 8373.

the honor of Wahull devolved upon the heir male of the family, Saiher De Wahull, son of John's uncle who died in 1250 and was succeeded by his son, Walter De Wahull, who upon doing his homage and giving security to pay 100 pounds for his relief, had living of the honor of Wahull, and the other lands of his inheritance.

He married Helewyse, daughter of Hugh de Vivon, and died in the year 1269, and was succeeded by his son, John De Wahull, who attained his majority in the next year.

Calendar of the close rolls preserved in the Public record

EDWARD I. VOL. V. A.D. 1302-1307.

To Walter de Glouoestrfia], escheator beyond Trent. Order to deliver to Hawisia, late the wife of Thomas de Wadhnll, tenant in chief, the following of his lands, which the king has assigned to her in dower: the manor of Pateshull, co. Northampton, which is extended at HI. 10*. Oil. yearly; five acres and a half of arable land in Little Wadhull, co. Bedford, which are extended at 40s. 9<7. yearly, to wit each acre at 6d.; four acres of meadow in the same town, which are extended at 16*. yearly, to wit each acre at 4s.; and 6s. 8$d. of yearly rent and a rent of five capons, price lOil., to be received from Simon de Hynewyk, a free tenant there; and 2s. Gd. yearly of rent from Felicia Peres, a cotter there.

To the same. Order to deliver to the said Hawisia the following lands, and the issues thereof since they were taken into the king's hands by reason of Thomas's death, as the king learns by inquisition taken by the escheator that Thomae and she were jointly enfeoffed of 111 acres of land, 2 acres of meadow, 6 acres of several pasture, 25s. of yearly rent from Walter Lageman and Walter le Plomer, free tenants, and of five virgates of land held in villeinage in Little Wadhull, co. Bedford, and of 20s. of yearly rent from Bichard le Lou, a free tenant, in Great Wadhull, in the same county, by John de Wadhull, father of Thomas, to have to them and the heirs of their bodies, and that Thomas and Hawisia held the lands jointly on the day of his death, and that the lands in Little Wadhull are held of the heir of John Wak, tenant in chief, a minor in the king's wardship, and the said 20s. of rent in Great Wadhull are held of the king in chief as part of the manor of Great Wadhull, which Thomas held of the king in chief at hie death by barony, doing the service of one knight's fee and rendering yearly to the ward of the castle of Bokingham 69*. at Michaelmas and 20*. 9«'. by the sheriff of Bedford for view, hidage and suit, and the king has taken the fealty of Hawisia.