Maurice Denys (sheriff)

Due to Maurice having been in wardship, a full record of his birth and baptism is provided in the record of his proof of age inquisition dated 22 September 1431 at Tetbury, Glos., in the presence of his warder Sir Edward Stradling:[3] Maurice was aged 10 (or possibly 14) on the death of his father in 1422, and therefore deemed a minor, not having achieved his majority of 21.

As Sir Gilbert Denys was a tenant-in-chief of the king in respect of the manor of Alveston, Glos., Maurice became a ward of the crown.

Gilbert Denys had been in the service of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and had appointed the latter's son Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester as one of the two overseers of his will.

Commitment to Edward Stradlyng, chivaler, by mainprise of William Oldhalle of the county of Norfolk and William Stradlyng of the county of Somerset, of the keeping of 2/3rds of all the lands, and 2/3rds of the hundred of Langeley, co. Gloucester, late of Gilbert Denys, chivaler, who held of the king in chief by knight-service on the day of his death, the same being in the king's hand by the death of Gilbert and by reason of the minority of Maurice his son and heir.

Yet he exerted his influence over the widow Margaret, who had been urged not to remarry but rather to take a vow of chastity in the will of her husband, by procuring her as wife for his young nephew John Kemys from Wentloog, South Wales.

Thus the following entry is recorded in the Patent Rolls, dated at Westminster, 12 December 1422, only 7 months after Gilbert Denys's death:[5]

It appears that Margaret and John Kemeys resided at Siston, the place of Maurice's birth and the principal Denys manor, which forced Maurice to reside at Alveston, or possibly near to it at Olveston Court, which his father had held at his death from the Bishop of Bath & Wells.

Pardon, for 40 marks paid in the hanaper, to John Stradlyng, chivaler, and Joan late the wife of Maurice Russell, chivaler, tenant-in-chief, of their trespass in intermarrying without licence.Joan had as her dowry 1/3rd of the substantial lands of Maurice Russell, and later unexpectedly became the heiress of her brother regarding the Dauntsey lands in Wiltshire.

Paid in the hanaper has respited his homage until Whitsuntide next.Sir Edward Stradling had obtained not only the wardship of Maurice but also his marriage.

Maurice had 8 children by Alice Poyntz, including Hugh Denys (d. 1511), groom of the stool to King Henry VII (1485–1509).

Licence also for the said feoffees, after having had seisin and received the attornment of the said John Kemys and Margaret to refeoff the said Maurice and Alice, his wife, and the heirs of their bodies of the said two parts, and to grant them the said remainder under the same entail, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Maurice.Such entails were usual and required by the father of the bride to ensure that his daughter and her progeny obtained title to the estate of the proposed husband.

Since Sir Walter Denys eventually obtained Alveston, Earthcott Green and Langeley hundred, it would seem that he must have been the heir of the body of Alice Poyntz, not of Katherine Stradling, as the pedigree in the 1623 Visitation of Gloucestershire shows.

Also, the settlement of 1466, shortly before Maurice's death, does not give remainder to the heirs of the body of Alice, which might explain how Sir Walter Denys obtained the manors.

(Raymond Gorges, History of the Family of Gorges, Boston USA, 1944; The arms of Sir Guy Ferre (d. 1323), his nephew,[10] can be seen above the pedestrian gateway of Butley Priory (of which he held the advowson) where the fer de moline of his canting arms is shown in the form of a cross moline).

(Bezants are Byzantine gold coins, thought to have been very popular with the Crusaders who plundered Constantinople in 1204, not having received the previously agreed funding from the Emperor.)

They were originally canting arms of a Gurges, which is Latin for whirlpool, then c. 1300 were changed voluntarily to lozengy, or and azure, in recognition of the de Morvilles, ancestors of the Gorges.

Q. on Sir Walter's tabard appear as A chevron between 3 roses,[12] yet the arms given by Burkes 1884 for this family are quite different Argent, on a bend gules 3 martlets (house martens) vert legged or.

Conclusion: The monumental brass is likely to have been erected well after the date of the interment, so if indeed there are errors on the part of the engraver, or in the instructions given him, it may have been felt acceptable to let the matter rest, rather than incur considerable expense in having it remade.

whiche sir walter denys decessed the first day of the moneth of Septembre in the xxi yere of the reigne of kyng henry the vii (i.e. 1506) whose soules Jhesu pardon amen.