Marriage and Wardship in the Norman Exchequer

After the Norman Conquest, the kings of England held the right to control the marriages of their vassals, and also held wardship over the widow and children of any vassal who had died. They often sold these rights for cash, which gave the buyer control of the marriage or control over the ward’s lands until he or she came of age. The records of the Exchequer include many such payments.

Alice, countess of Warwick, renders account of £1000 and 10 palfreys [the type of horse ridden by women] to be allowed to remain a widow as long as she pleases, and not to be forced to marry by the king. And if perchance she should wish to marry, she shall not marry except with the assent and on the grant of the king, where the king shall be satisfied; and to have the custody of her sons whom she has from the earl of Warwick her late husband.

Hawisa, who was wife of William Fitz Robert, renders account of 130 marks and 4 palfreys that she may have peace from Peter of Borough to whom the king has given permission to marry her; and that she may not be compelled to marry.

Geoffrey de Mandeville owes 20,000 marks to have as his wife Isabella, countess of Gloucester, with all the lands and tenements and fiefs which fall to her.

Thomas de Colville renders an account of 100 marks for having the custody of the sons of Roger Torpel and their land until they come of age.

William, bishop of Ely, owes 220 marks for having the custody of Stephen de Beauchamp with his inheritance and for marrying him where he wishes.

William of St. Mary’s church renders an account of 500 marks for having the custody of the heir of Robert Young, son of Robert Fitzharding, with all his inheritance and all its appurtenances and franchises; that is to say with the services of knights and gifts of churches and marriages of women, and to be allowed to marry him to whatever one of his relatives he wishes; and that all his land is to revert to him freely when he comes of age.

Batholomew de Muleton renders an account of 100 marks for having the custody of the land and the heiress of Lambert of Ibtoft, and for marrying the wife of the same Lambert to whomsoever he wishes where she shall not be disparaged and that he may be able to confer her (the heiress) upon whom he wishes.

EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE

Source: Edward P. Cheyney, ed., Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, vol. 4, part 3 (Philadelphia: The Department of History of the University of Pennsylvania, 1897), pp. 26–27.