PURSE CAUNDLE HISTORY - APPENDIX C1A: ALEYN FAMILY

  These C1 Appendices deal with what could be considered the prominent families resident at some time within the village (excluding the Lords of the Manor and clergy who are dealt with separately), as well as those individuals who have left their mark, or merit special remembrance. As far as possible these families will be listed in chronological order. It will be noticed that by far the majority were understandably residents, or at least owners of what was to become the manor house. None of these have been a Lord of the Manor of Purse Caundle, but until the 19th century were subject to the successive Lords' Courts.

  The name of the first such known family, of the 13th century, was spelt either Aleyn or Alayn.
  In 1275, and again in 1293/4 (21 Edward I Rot. Hund. Vol. 1, page 103; Cal. IPM. Vol III, Ed. 1, page 72, no. III), John Aleyn held of the King in chief two parts of two virgates of land, by the service of sergeancy: Ad preservand. vel logiand. canes Regis infirmos, vel laesos, ad custag. D. Regis quando D. Rex adversus feras currit in Blakemore: et per servit. reddend. 1d annuatim, ad Claudendum parcum de Gillingham - i.e. to look after Royal hunting dogs wounded when the king hunted in Blackmore, plus an annual payment of one penny [£1.50 at 2007 values] for maintenance of the fencing around Gillingham Park. He also held of the Abbess of Shaftesbury half a virgate of land, by service of paying eight shillings [£145] per annum; and one virgate and a half  of land of the Abbot of Athelney, paying yearly ten shillings [£180]. At the latter date his son Roger was aged about 23 years.
  Lady Victoria Herbert (q.v.), in a letter c. 1950 to a correspondent, said that:
'John Aleyn was at Purse Caundle in the time of Edward 1st (1272-1307), I have a "photo" at the Manor, of the deed, stating that it is his home as long as he pays 1d a year for the Repair of the paling of the Royl Park at Gillingham- "when our Ld the King hunts wild beasts in Blackmore." There are 3 original Deeds of this at the Record Office & one in Edinburgh at the Lyon Office'
1291 In Inquisitions Post Mortem were the following - though the modern-day transcriber noted the apparent discrepancies and/or inconsistencies with the names:
'Proof of age of Robert [sic] son of John Aleyn of Purscandel, made at Schireborne on Saturday next before the feast of St. Gregory the Pope [12th March], 20 Ed. I. [1292]
Roger de Wyveleshulle, being sworn and diligently examined as to the age of Roger [sic] son of John Aleyn says, that the said Roger was born at Purscandel on Monday next after the Conception of the blessed Mary, 54 Hen 3. [December 1269] and was baptised the same day in the church of All Saints of the said vill.
Witness was present the same day, and carried him from the font. In that same year after Christmas next after the said birth witness married a certain Margery in the same vill where he [she?] then dwelt with the Abbess of Schafton, and in that same year the said Margery bore him his firstborn son called Robert, who is now 21 years and more.
Henry le Chamberlang, Andrew de Paris, Henry Baret, David de Leghe, Henry de Willavintone, William de la Pole, Edmund de Lillistone, Robert de Duntone, John le Frighe, Thomas de Broneshalle, and Richard de Gillingham say that the said Roger was born on the said day and year and was baptised in the said church, and this they recollect because at that time there was a certain rector of that church of the name of Roger Cosyn, uncle of the said Roger, who immediately after the said birth caused the day of the birth of the said Roger to be written in the missal of the said church, which said writing they have often inspected.
On the Monday next after the Conception of the Blessed Mary [20 Edw. I [1291] the said Roger was aged 22 years.'
1293 Inquisition made of the lands of John Alayn on the feast of St. Augustine, 21 Edw. I [26th May 1293], by the oath of Henry Baret, Walter Thornhulle, David le Leye, Edmund de Lynlington, Henry le Frere, Robert de Donton, John Russel, Geoffrey de Thornhulle, John Lovelich, Richard Hak, John le Frye and Roger de Launceles who say that
The said John held of the King in chief on the day that he died 2 parts of 2 virgates of land in Purscandel by the service of the serjeantry of tending or sheltering [phendinandi] the dogs of the lord the King that are ill at the cost of the King when the King shall hunt the wild beasts [feras] in Blakemor, and by the service of paying yearly to enclose the park of Gillingham 1d.
The said lands are worth per ann., clear, 10s.
He held of the Abbey of Sefton half a virgate of land in the same vill, by the service of paying 8s. by the year and it is worth yearly to the said John freely 2s. He held of the Abbey of Athelenye 1 1/2 virgates of land in the same vill by the service of paying by the year 10s. 4d., and it was worth by the year to the said John freely 4s.
Roger the first born son of the said John is his next heir and is 23 years on Saturday next before the feast of St. Lucy the virgin [17th December]. He was born in the 54th year of Henry 3.
Made at Shyreborn.'
1293 In the Cartulary of the Abbey of Athelney there is mentioned:
'In the 21st year of King Edward [I] an agreement was made between Roger Aleyn of Purs-Candel and Andrew the Abbot of Athelneye concerning lands in Purs-Candel.
Witnesses: Walter de Loveny, Matthew de Fourneaux, knights; John de Haddon, Henry Baret.'
  According to Thomas Blount's Tenures of Land and Customs of Manors, 1874:
'Juliana, the wife of Fitz-Alan, held half a hide of land in Porscaundel, in the county of Dorset, in capite from our Lord the King, by serjeanty of keeping the lame (hurt or wounded) dogs, if there should be any such, as often as the King should hunt in the forest of Blakemore; and by giving one penny for enclosing the King's park of Gillingham.'
1340 'Inquisition [Post Mortem] taken before Ralph de Middelnye, escheator of the  lord the King in cos. Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall and Devon, at Shefton the 27th day of January, 14 Edw. 3 [1340], by the oath of Geoffrey de P..elepanne, Walter de Lillynton, Walter de Leyston, William de Marleberge, Adam de Wodeton, Roger atte brigge, Adam Fauntlerey, Richard Coulard, Walter Bret, Thomas Pyleprest, John Croume and Alexander Garland, who say that
Roger Alayn held in fee on the day that he died [aged about 72] half a hide of land in Purscaundel in co. Dorset, of the King in chief by serjeanty, viz. by sheltering or keeping the wounded dogs of the King when the King shall come to the forest of Blakemore at the costs of the King, and that he shall give yearly 1d [£2] at the feast of Easter to enclose the King's park of Gillingham, which is worth per ann. clear 6s. 8d. [£150].
The said Roger held in fee half a virgate of land in the said vill of Purscaundel of the Abbess of Shafton, by the service of 8s. 2d. [£185] by the year, and it is worth per ann. 40d [£75].
The said Roger also held in the said vill 1 ferling of land by the service of 5s. [£115] by the year, and it is worth per ann. 2s. 6d.
He also held there 2 a. of land of Richard Neel by the service of 1/2d. by the year, which is worth per ann. 3d.
John Alayn is the son and next heir of the said Roger and is aged 32 years and more.'
1350 'Inquisition [Post Mortem] taken at Dorchester before Thomas Cary, the King's escheator in co. Dorset, on Monday next before the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist [24th June], 24 Ed. 3, by the oath of Thomas le Brut, John de Anstye, George Quarel, John Wastre, Thomas Leycestre, Robert le Waryner, John Russel, Roger le Maistre, William Mulborne, William Symple, John Tenkere and Geo. Bernevyle, who say that
John Aleyn did not hold any lands or tenements in his mesne as of fee of the King in chief or of others on the day he died, but he held jointly with Isabella his wife, who still survives one cottage with a curtilage and 3 a. of land in Caundel Pourse of the King, paying therefor 1d. by the year, which are worth per ann. 12d. The said John died on the 4th day of Augusty last past; Elyanora and Joan, daughters of the said John are his next heirs.
The said Elyanora is aged 7 years and the said Joan 3 years.'
  Another record said that Elyanora was aged 4 years. They were to marry respectively Henry Cowlry and Thomas Petimy. Did this record mean that the Aleyn family no longer had lands of the Abbeys of Athelney and Shaftesbury, and Richard Neel? Though retaining the half virgate of land from the King, but being no longer responsible for caring of the King's hurt dogs - just a contribution towards the Gillingham park paling? At some undefined period a John Godwyne held the half a hide of land of a King, and the dog nursing duty, for which see 1285 in CHAPTER 4.
1376 There is mention of a 'Warinus Aleyn' in the first part of 49 Edw. III.
1428/9 Under 7 Henry VI, Alianor, wife of Thomas Peytevyn (presumably the husband and wife mentioned above, of Coker) released quit-claimed and warranted to William Carent Esq. of Tomer, John Fauntleroy of Dorset, John Hody, and Richard Lange, and to the heirs of Richard, nine messuages, two tofts, 36 acres of land, 25 acres 1 rod of meadow, 21 acres of woodland, 169 acres of pasture, and 12d [£25] rent on Caundell Purse, Caundell Haddon, and Ludenlynche (Lydlinch), for which they paid the said Alianor 100 marks of silver. Thus this estate passed to the Lang or Long family - see APPENDIX C1B.
1623/4 Coker was to write: "Allsoe Pour Scandell, where John Alayne helde certaine Lands, as the Wordes of the Record are, Per serjantiam, viz' quod hospitabit canes dom' regis lesses, cum rex venaret in foresta de Blackmore sumptibisque regis - [That he shall entertain the wounded Dogges of our Lord the King, when the King may hunt in the forest of Blackmore and at the expence of the King.]" He added "I wish this Age were as careful for Men as that for Dogges. His Sonne Roger enjoyed the same; as allsoe his Sonne John whose two Heires were married to Henry Cowlry and Thomas Petimy."