Essewelle and the Barony of Maminot, later the Barony of de Say-revised 15.3.13

After Odo’s downfall his holdings were reclaimed by the crown, and were thereafter held directly from the Crown. Ralph, ‘a noted despoiler of women’, was the brother of Gilbert Maminot, the  Bishop of Lisieux and King William’s personal chaplain and doctor as well as being a large landowner in his own right, and Ralph’s and the Bishop’s   holdings were inherited by the Maminot, also Mamignot, family and subsequently evolved into the Barony of Maminot and held directly from the Crown.

The first recorded holder of the barony was Hugo Maminot, who was succeeded by Walkelin Maminot, his son, who around 1138 had the barony taken away from him by King Stephen during  the civil war between Stephen and the Empress Matilda which lasted from 1135 until  1153 when Stephen  ended the conflict by naming Henry, the son of Matilda,  as his heir. Henry succeeded to the throne as Henry II on Stephen’s death  at Dover in October, 1154, and returned the barony to Walkelin around 1155. After Walkelin died in 1170 the barony seems to have been administered by Juliana, his widow, for some years until her death, the date of which is unclear. At some time after her death the barony passed to Galfrid de Sai (Geoffrey de Say) by way of Adelidis, his wife and an heiress of Walkelin Maminot. The exact date of Galifred’s gaining possession of the barony is unclear, but he was in full control of it by 1194 and its holdings remained in his families possession until the early 1400’s.

The barony become known as the Barony of de Say and was one of the eight baronies which owed duty of Castleguard to DoverCastle, supplying three knights for four week periods of duty. This duty was divided amongst twenty-four knights, some fifteen from Kent and the remainder from other parts of the kingdom.

Essewelle owed one knights fee under Walkelin in 1166, but unfortunately the holder of the fee is not specifically recorded. Prior to 1243 half of the fee was held by Hamo Kalkyn, and the other half by Geoffrey Conquester and William Nicola who sold their half of the fee in  January, 1243, to Rogerus de Kynardinton (Roger de Kennardington). The half of the knights fee was to be held in scutage of 42 shillings yearly, payable half at Easter and half at Christmas and in ward of DoverCastle.

Scutage was a cash payment in lieu of military service. After the siege of DoverCastle of 1216-17 by the Dauphin of France and rebellious English barons changes were made to the fabric and administration of the castle. One of the principal changes was that Castleguard, whereby the holder of a knight’s fee owed a period of military service at the castle, became Castleward rent. This discharged the holder of a knight’s fee’s from all personal service and attendance allowing the King used the money received in rent to garrison the castle with professional soldiers. The rent payment was 120 pence (10 shillings, now 50 new pence) for each period of service expected of the holder of a knight’s fee.

Soon after the sale of the half fee the Kent Rolls of 1242-3 recorded: “Hamo Colekyn, Rogerus de Kynardinton’ j. feodum in Essewelle de Willelmo de Say, ipse de domino rege”,  “Hamo Colekin and Roger de Kynardinton’, hold one fee at Esewelle from William de Say, who holds it from the King”.