We have talked about the First Yorkshire Beaumont and this person was his close contemporary so he will come up sooner or later - I may as well say something about him!
His name was Godfrey, and his is found in context of Crigglestone and Sandal, not far from Wakefield, and in the lands of the Warenne family. Contextually this is entirely different from the Pontefract honor. It is quite likely that this person was a member of the Beaumont family which had been tenants of the Warennes mainly in Sussex and Norfolk since the late eleventh century.
In 2015 I put up a pieces[s] on the Beaumonts of Norfolk and Suffolk. I would think this Godfrey is one of the "first" family I mentioned there, or an early member of the "second."
I made the notes out of "Early Yorkshire Charters," volume 8, many years ago. I can't find the full text of the volume online, so haven't been able to check the references.
Constable of Sandal castle, between c.1206-1218
Godfrey de Bellomonte " was constable of Sandal in the early c.13 (EYC, 8, pp. 251-2, part of the note on officers and stewards of the Warennes. We do not know how long Godfrey had this role.
Confirmation by Roger son of Jordan de Stanley to Fountains dated 1206-1218. Wtss: John de Plaiz then seneschal of the lord earl Warenne, Godefrido de Bello Monte constable of Sandal, Thomas de Horbury, John de Heaton, Henry of Digton, Hugh of Rastric (EYC, 8, no.161, p.223).
Next an attestation to a deed which (rather confusingly) ended up in the Whitley Archive:
Witnesses a charter re Crigglestone
WBD/X/90 is the feoffment of one acre in Crigglestone by John, son of Hugh, cemetery keeper, to Geoffrey, son of Gregory of Crigglestone and his heirs. Property: one acre in the fields of Crigglestone. Witnesses: Godfrey of Bello monte; William, chaplain; Adam of Crigglestone; Robert of Whitley; Adam of Woodhouse; Hugh of Bretton; William, son of Robert of Crigglestone; Henry Forist; Henry of Sandal magna
Witnesses charter of the earl Warenne
A quit-claim by William earl Warenne re land at Wakefield dated to 1210 x 1225. The witness list:- Roger de Mortemer, Eustace de Es, the Hersin brothers Malveisin and Baldwin, Heliga de Mareville, William de St Martin, Hugh de Budell', Matthew de Shepley tunc seneschallo, Godefrido de Bello monte, Adam de St.Laurent, Reginald Coc, Hugh de Acra, John de Stanford clerico, Richard de Wakering clerico, Master Philip who wrote this charter (EYC, 8, no.92, p.132).
Also called "de Attell"
It seems plausible to suggest, and I believe Clay thought so, that the name "de Attel" which appears to attach to Godfrey, has to do with Atlingworth in Sussex, a place in the Downs close to Fulking, where an earlier Godfrey de Beaumont was a Warenne tenant soon after the time of Domesday Book,
For Fulking see VCH Sussex vol. 7 pp.202-3. For Atlingworth see also VCH Sussex vol. 7, p.258, but this confuses two places. The place we are concerned with is the site of former Atlingworth Barn in Portslade parish, which is "not to be confused with the Manor of Atlingworth in Brighton" (Letter, E. Holden to T. Beaumont, 20 April 1988). See http://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/id/5328722fb47fc40c360007a5
Gift and quit-claim by William son of Adam of Ossett to Ralph son of Thomas de Horbury of 5 bovates in Ossett which Ralph had held of him. Date:- 1206 x 1218. Witnesses: John de Plaiz at that time seneschal of the lord earl Warenne, lord constable Godefrido de Attell [domino constabulario Godefrido de Attell], lord Maluaisin de Hersin, Thomas son of William de Horbury, Robert de Barkeston, Adam son of Alan de Crigleston (EYC, 8, no.164, pp.228-9).
Then a time gap and a "fine" recording a land transaction
19 Henry III (?1 December 1234) - fine between Godfrey de Bellomonte and Robert de Rockley and Margery his wife, for one carucate of land in Crigleston [Crigglestone]. This means that Godfrey was transferee. Robert and Margery transferred the land to him. Philip de Wudehall was present and quit-claimed (released) his right to the land (YAS RS vol. 67, Yorks Fines 1232-46 p.22; EYC 8 p.191; YAJ 6 p.445, having been noted by Dodsworth "out of ye court Rolles belonging to Francis Burdet of Birthwayt 30 Dec. 1629").
Not the earliest!
Where this is printed in the YAJ vol. 6 p.445 a footnote -
1. states this to be earliest occurrence of the name Beaumont in Yorkshire (absolutely incorrect),
2. suggests that Godfrey may be the ancestor of the Beaumonts of Whitley (absolutely not),
3. notes that Godfrey was tenant at Criglestone of the earl Warenne, and wonders if he was therefore a descendant of Godfrey who held Fulking (plausible, and as suggested above),
4. notes that Geoffrey (sic) was the name of the third son of vicomte Ralph in the eleventh century (not in the least relevant);
5. notes that William de Bellomonte held the eighth part of a knights fee from the Earl of Lincoln in 1245 (but that is the Pontefract honor, i.e. the Huddersfield family, there is no reason to suppose any connection with this Godfrey, who is clearly a Warenne man).
A Family Tree of 1791 which remained in Wakefield
A note in my father's hand states that Godfrey was mentioned in papers belonging to Stephen Gerald Beaumont, and in a pedigree written out by R.H.Beaumont in 1791 for George Beaumont of Leeds. I remember S. G. Beaumont, a distinguished former Royal Air Force officer, and Wakefield solicitor. He visited my father on at least one occasion, about the time that he retired from practice in Wakefield and went to live at Devizes.
One last (wrong?) reference
Another note from my father. Godfrey de Bellomonte "was upheld in his claim to 10 oxgangs or 1 carucate and 2 oxgangs at Crigleton nr Wakefield as a tenant of the Lord of Sandal, William de Warenne." The source given was "WBD X I at Huddersfield, Dodsworth, YAJ, Whitaker, etc". In the WYAS catalogue today WBD/X/1 is something entirely different. I think it must all simply be an error but I leave it here in case the source materialises!
EMB 3 February 2021
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