1475-03-11, Westminster present

Whereas Hugh le Despencer, knight, was seised in his demesne as of fee of the manor of Bondeby, co. Lincoln, and held it of Henry IV. in chief by the service of petty serjeanty and died without issue and on his death the manor descended to Anne the wife of Edward Botiller, knight, as his sister and heir, and by reason of her nonage it was taken into the hands of the said late king, and she died in her nonage and on her death the manor descended to Edmund Skern as her kinsman and heir, viz. son of Henry son of Margaret daughter of Alice daughter of Thomas son of Matilda daughter of Peter brother of John father of Alice mother of the said Anne, and by an inquisition taken at Glamfordbrig, co. Lincoln, on 4 January, 36 Henry VI. before John Gibthorpe, then escheator in the said county, it was found that the said Hugh held the manor in his demesne as of fee of Henry IV. in chief by the service of petty serjeanty viz. by the service of carrying a white rod before the said late king at Christmas whenever he should be in the said county, and Henry IV. took the manor into his own hands on the death of the said Hugh and it was in the hands of Henry VI. at the time of the inquisition and the said Edmund was then of the age of 30 years and more, and the manor is still in the hands of the king ; the king hereby grants licence for the said Edmund to enter into the said manor as kinsman and heir of the said Anne and to hold it to himself and his heirs, saving to the king fealty and other services. By K.