The Pye Plate: The Pye in Pyeplate #3

Hugh de Kilpeck lived from about 1076 and was still living in 1131 when he was the Censor of the Forest of Dean. There is an interesting legend concerning Hugh who went on the first crusade. A disclaimer is necessary at the very beginning because absolutely no proof or evidence of any kind has ever been authentically identified to show there is even a grain of truth to it. Hugh was supposedly captured on the crusade and held captive by the Emir of wherever he was. The Emir’s daughter fell in love with him and they had a daughter named Susan. Then the Emir’s daughter helped him to escape. He returned to England and his former life. Susan is reported to have married Gilbert Beckett, the known father of St. Thomas Beckett. This alludes to Susan Pye being the mother of Thomas. Again, there is not one shred of proof. There are several legends, in poem form, that romanticize this story. I hesitate to say it’s a complete falsehood. After all, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The story did start somewhere, but it may have changed in dozens of ways in the telling when the courts were being entertained. I have to take the side of rational thinking and believe it is merely an altered story devised to entertain the Lords and Ladies of the day and may be about anyone or may be purely fictional.

Hugh had four known sons, Hugh, John, Thomas and Henry. This second Hugh is one of the brick walls. Nothing much can be found on him, at least nothing that fits. John had at least three sons, Walter, John and Thomas. No name of his wife has been found yet. Hugh’s son, Thomas, had at least two daughters, Margaret and another whose name has not been discovered. Finally there is Henry, who inherited the lands of Kilpeck upon his father’s death. 1193 - John de Kilpeck, son of Henry, purchased the barony of Purbeck [Pulverbach], for £100; from Emma, wife of Herbert de Castello. (S) A History of Shropshire, Page, 1968, P134. [Emma d/o Reginald de Pulverbatch.] In 1200, John de Kilpeck and his heirs were granted the jurisdiction of all the forests of Herefordshire in perpetuity by King John.

A recap here: William de la Mare c. 1058 – 1114

Hugh (de la Mare) de Kilpeck c. 1076 – 1169

(Had sons Hugh, John, Thomas and Henry)

Henry de Kilpeck c. 1130 – 1183 – Inherited Kilpeck

John de Kilpeck c. 1165 – 1204 (wife’s name Julianna)

John died young leaving his wife Julianna with a minor age son, another Hugh. Hugh’s wardship was given to William de Cantilupe, Sheriff of Herefordshire, 1n 1205, until the boy reached the age of majority. Hugh came of age in 1209, however Cantilupe continued to administer the estate for some time. Between the years 1211 and 1214 King John visited Hugh de Kilpeck and William de Cantilupe several times. I have often looked into this relationship between Cantilupe and de Kilpeck. Hugh’s mother’s name was Julianna and that female name occurs in the Cantilupe family. Still, I have found neither record that shows what her last name might have been nor any other record that indicates any familial connection through blood or marriage between the two families. In 1216, Hugh de Kilpeck received orders from the king, now King Henry III, to pay his usual panage of pigs in the wood of Trivelle to Walter de Lacy to store in the castle at Hereford. In 1222, Hugh was granted the right to rebuild his house at Rokel, Wiltshire. In 1223, Hugh received letters entitling him to collect the scutage of Montgomery in five counties. In 1231 Hugh de Kilpeck and William FitzWarine were 2 of 8 barons to negotiate a truce with Llewlyn, Prince of Wales who had invaded Montgomery and Brecon. There are many more references of minor consequence that refer to Hugh de Kilpeck, thus proving his existence and demonstrating his ownership of many lands, not within the county of Hereford. Hugh lived c. 1191 – 1244 and died leaving two daughters, Isabel and Joan. Before going to that next generation, this is the place where Hugh’s sister, Joane de Kilpeck needs to be mentioned. Dates of her birth and death are not known but we do know she married Alan de Plugenet. There are a variety of spellings, but Plugenet seems the most commonly used, so for sanity sake, I will used it here. Joane and Alan had at least two children, Joan and Alan (let’s add to the confusion!!!!). Joane married Henry de Bohun but died childless. Joane’s brother Alan de Plugenet married a woman named Sybillia but no children have been found for this couple. The de Plugenets had descendancies from the de Berkeleys and the de Rochedords.

Back to Hugh. His older daughter, Isabel, married William Walerand. The younger daughter, Joan, married Philip Marmion. Isabel and William Walerand held the lands at Kilpeck.

Another recap: John de Kilpeck c. 1165 – 1204

Hugh de Kilpeck c. 1191 – 1244 His sister Joane married Alan de Plugenet

Isabella de Kilpeck m. William Walerand Her sister, Joan, married Philip Marmion

Therefore Kilpeck passed from Hugh on his death in 1244 to his daughter Isabell de Kilpeck de Walerand. No children who survived Isabel and William can be found, so the lands at Kilpeck passed to William’s brother Robert de Walerand who then granted them to his nephew Alan de Plugenet. This Alan died in 1298 and the estate passed to his son, another Alan, who died without issue in 1325. At this point, the lands passed to Joane de Plugenet de Bohun, (sister of Alan, d. 1325). In 1327 she granted Kilpeck to Eleanor de Bohun at Queen Isabella’s request and ‘in consideration of her affection.’ Eleanor became the wife of James Butler, the Earl of Ormond I. When James died in 1338 he held Kilpeck, lands in Pipard, the FitzJohn manors of his grandmother and two manors in Hampshire and Lancashire.

Based on the documents that pertain to Kilpeck, by 1327, it was no longer in the possession of any descendant of William de la Mare or Hugh de Kilpeck.