Sir William Howard, Justice of Common Pleas - Who was the mother of his children - Alice Ufford or Alice Fitton?

I’ve disconnected Mrs. Hereward as wife.

“Hereward” appears to be an early alias for Howard / Hayward.

And while we’re at it:

Family

From Paul Brand, ‘Howard, Sir William (b. in or before 1255, d. 1308)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Accessed 23 Sept 2005:

“There seems to be no contemporary evidence to support the later tradition that made him the son of one John Howard and his wife, Lucy Germund.”

John Howard, of Wiggenhall & Lucia Germund

Comment from Reverend William Alfred Howard

“Terrington in Norfolk is just up the road from Wiggenhall and East Winch, so is much much more likely than anywhere in Yorkshire...where Castle Howard was build 600 years later! There are churches at what is now Terrington St.Clement and Terrington St.John, but before the depopulation of Norfolk they would have been part of the town of Terrington. I had my direct 20xgreat grand-father Sir William (who married Alice Fitton, daughter of Sir Edward Fitton) down as son of Wiggenhall's John Howard b1215-1267 and Lucy nee Germond, and John as son of Robert. I have always thought that any link with Hereward the Wake was an American speculation of the wildest kind. “

Comment from Richard Chapman

“Following the revelation from the Reverend Howard that there was a Terrington in Norfolk co-located with Wiggenhall, I did a little digging in British History Online. There was fair bit relating to John Fitton, which I've now added to his profile, but there was also the following:

"In the 8th year of the reign of King John (c1207), it appears from a pleading that Godfrey, son of Godwine, held part of a fee in Tilney; and in King Henry the Third's time, Jordan Foliot confirmed by deed sans date, to his brother Sir William Foliot, (both of them sons of Sir Richard Foliot) all his land in Tilney and Islington, purchased formerly of Sir Robert de Stotevile, his uncle, with all liberties, commons, and easements thereto belonging, with 2s. 9d. rent per ann.; witnesses, Sir William Bardolf, Roger de Vaux, John de Ingaldesthorp, John Strange, and William de Tirington, Knts."

The important point here is that it establishes the fact that there was, indeed, a Sir William de Terrington. The date given here of 1207 is possibly slightly early for the Sir William de Terrington, father of Gilla, but he could have been Gilla's grandfather.”

Richard continues:

And there's even more. Going to the Tyrington Norfolk British History Online, I got the following:

"In the 7th of King John (circa 1206), a fine was levied between Ralph de Tirington, petent, and Robert de Tirington, his brother, deforciant, of lands in Terington. In the 12th of the same King, Mr. Richard de Tyrington, was a great favourite of that King to whom he gave an annuity of 20 marks per ann. for his life; and in the 34th of Henry III. John, son of Geffrey de Tirington, impleaded Adam Prudekin for the right of a way beyond the land of Adam de Terrington. (fn. 3)

William de Tyrington, in the 49th of the said reign (circa 1265), had a charter for free-warren, in his demean lands here, and in Middleton; about the same time lived Ralph de Tirington; and in the 3d of Edward I. Sir William de Tirington had wreck at sea, assise of beer and bread, and the amercements of his tenants, as he had in the 52d of Henry III. (fn. 4)

¶Ralph de Tirrington, also, held 3 virgates of land in Tirington, of the Bishop of Ely, paying 5s. 4d. per ann. and And. de Tirington, half a virgate of the Bishop in Walpole, paying 47s. 5d. per ann. in Henry the Third's reign.

In the year 1800, William Battayle, Esq. had an interest in this manor, and was patron of the free chapel of St. James belonging to it.

In 1323, one of the same name, was a commissioner to view the banks and sewers of Marshland; William Batail married, as I take it, Ida, daughter of Sir William de Tirington, and was lord in her right.

In 1338, Thomas Howard, of Wigenhale, son of William Howard, and Margaret his wife, daughter of William Noon, of Tilney, William Alisaundre, Sir John Bardolf, &c. presented to the chapel."

Richard's Note: The important thing about the above is that it proves that there was William de Terrington in the Wiggenhall area, who could have had a daughter, who married Wm Howard. There is even a very specific date of 1265 when Sir William had a charter for "free-warren". (William Howard was very much around at that time) There is also little doubt that Sir William de Terrington was a man of some means, whose daughter may very well have been a catch for the up and coming William Howard. Of interest, there would appear to have been a number of William de Terringtons, including the ones mentioned in 1207, 1265 and 1323. In the event that Wm. Howard did marry Gilla, the question arises as to what happened to her. How long were they married, did she die young, were they divorced.? I suspect an early death, childbirth, etc. There is no mention of them ever having offspring.”

——

The Reverend Howard mentioned East Winch. So I looked up British History Online for East Winch and found the following:

William Howard purchased it of Thomas de Grancourt, in the 26th of that King ( circa1298); and in the 28th of the said reign, 2 messuages 4 carucates and 60 acres of land, 50 of meadow, with 6 marks per ann. rent, in this town and Middleton, were settled by fine of Robert de Shuldham, in Easter term, on the aforesaid William, and Alice his wife.

This was Sir William Howard, the famous judge, founder of the noble family of the Howards, ancestor to the Dukes of Norfolk, &c. It appears that he resided here in the 34th of the aforesaid King, from the accounts of the chamberlains of Lynn, in the said year, when several presents were sent to him and his lady, from the corporation, for his good services, viz.

¶Item in uno carcos. bovis misso D'ne Alice Howard usq; Winch vi sol.—It. in vino p. duas vices miss. D'no Willo. Howard cum duobus carcos. vitul. et uno scuto apri xiii sol. viiid.—It. in duob; salmon. miss. D'no. Willo. Howard vigil. pasche xi sol.

This Sir William was found to hold it by the fourth part of a fee, of Richard Earl of Arundel.

He was an eminent lawyer, and before he was a judge, a counsellor retained by that corporation, with an annual pension.

Richard's note: Whilst the above ioes not mention the Terringtons, it does mentioned William Howard and his wife Alice. For those who don't know, whilst I have only referred to issues relating to the wives of William Howard, the British History Online references I have quoted has a lot more information about other members of the Howard and related families over the centuries.

William's first wife Alice Ufford was heiress

Alice Fitton