Annex 7

The Pevers

A chronology of the family that held Stambourne Manor from 1242 until 1395. For the list of primary & secondary sources see the de Stanburn history.

Morant (p355) writes “1. STAMBOURNEHALL hath always been holden of the Honor of Clare by the fervice of half a knight’s fee; it is within the Duchy of Lancaster (he means in 1700; I doubt it existed in 1241) The Pever or Peyuere family [footnote I for their history & residences] were possessed of it in the reigns of K Henry III. Edward I. II. III (x) (x =’From feveral deeds’); Paulinus de Peyvre [a 3rd spelling] having obtained a grant of it from K Henry III. to whom it was escheated among the rest of the lands of the Normans (y = Placita apud Westm. 25 Edw I in Octab S Hilarii. [1297] Ex Le Neve’s mss. See above p 179] [I find p179 is EastThorp in Vol II & StaplefordTawny in Vol I; I cant anything relevant on either page though there is much about the Mandevilles in Stapleford]).

Morant then gives only the next 2 generations.

This entry seems to say that Paulinus Pever was given it by Hy III in 1242 though it belonged to Clare at that time & did not become Royal property till 1297. I guess that there is an overriding Act that gave all the Norman lands to the King from the time of the death of Wm the Bastard perhaps this 25 Edw I.

1088King Wm gave the manor of W. Ham to Ranulf Peverel; it belonged to Alfstan. I wonder whether this was one the 3 bishop’s named Aelfstan [v.s. Annex 1] or whether indeed it was our man, thus forging the first link with the Pevers.
1210-70Estimated span of Paulinus de Pever, Sewer to K Hy III, of Tuddington in Bedfordshire.

“This Paulinus was one of the commanders of the troops sent to K Hy III in Poictou. Pat. 26.
1242Hen. III. 29 Aug ” Poictou is Poitou in Acquitaine, not Poitiers that battle was 1356.

I take this Paul Peyur (the 5th spelling of the name) whose son had a head lease of the lands in the S of Stambourne, central to the de Stanburn story, recorded in Q2 of 1323 to be the same as Paulinus. There really is not enough time for it to be son named after father.
1242-60Lordship of the same, probably in absentia.
1230-90Span of William s o Paul. Reference to his having had a head-lease in 1323 does not imply that he is still alive 33 y later.
1260-90Lordship of the same.
1258 or beforeRogere Pewere [sixth variant] is witness to S 429a which transfers Bradefeld in Topesfeld & Bradecroft in Gt Yeldham in exchange for 5s rent in Stambourne. [ergo the Pevers were here then; logic suggests Pewre was Paul’s locum and died before him.]
1240-1300Estimated span of John whose son William appears in the same Q2 as Wm s o Paul; I take John to be the younger brother of Wm & both to be sons of Paulinus.
1290-1300John’s short Lordship.
1270-1330Estimated span of William s o John.
1300-30Lordship of the same. He actually grants the Stambourne Green land in 1323. The William Peyur who witnesses deed Q1 [undated; I assess 1322] is probably this same Lord of the Manor of Stambourne.
1327The Pever name does not appear in the Lay subsidy; Wm de Burstelere paid the second largest subsidy of 9s 10d ob and was probably their steward.
1290-1350There is probably a s o either Wm or John here who is the father of Thomas, f o Mary.
1330-50The putative lordship of Innominatus.
1310-70Estimated span of Thomas Pever who marries Margaret d o Sr Neal Loring.
1350-70His Lordship.
1330-95Estimated span of Mary, d o Thomas, who marries John Broughton. Morant’s (z) is “Grafton’s Geneal. fol 447.
1370-95In some form, their joint or several lordship.
1395MacWilliam hegemony begins.
XV, XVI & XVII centuries reveal no Pevers variants in the church registers.
1758Isaac Piper marries Elizabeth Walford of Stambourn.
1784Sarah Piper of Stambourne marries Wm Tomlinson.
1785There are Pipers in Toppesfield.

Return to Chapter 3 – The people