Hen. III. (1237); he was probably then somewhat advanced in life, and Sir Thomas Alis was no doubt his son and successor, who was living in 1256. The next notice of the name is in a Fine levied 34 Edw. I. (1306) between Richard Wodelock, Comp. and Wm. de Rolleston and Margaret his wife, Def. of 1 mess. 2 parts of 1 carucate, and half of 20 a. meadow, and 20 a. wood, in Aldyngton, which Juliana, who was the wife of WILLIAM ALYS, held in dower. As we shall see, he was the last male Alis of Allington, and, as dates indicate, was probably grandson of Sir Thomas Alis.* By the "Book of Aid" 20 Edw. III. (1347) it appears that Walter Helyon and Margaret who was wife of William Wodelock held half a knight's fee in Aldyngton which belonged to Robert le Helyon and Will. de Rolleston and in 1316, Robert Helyon and Will. Wodelock are certified as joint lords of the township of Allington. (Parl. Writs.) By Inquis. 19 Edw. II., on the death of Isabella Helion, it appears she died seized of 1 mess. and 1 carucate in Aldyngton, which she held of the King as of his duchy of Cornwall, of the Honour of Houkham, by service of a quarter of a Knt.'s fee, which is worth per ann. £4 and 8d. and of the moiety of a water-mill+ with a fishery of the annual value of 6s. 8d., and that Thomas Helion was her s. & h. and of full age. This Tho. Helioun is rated to the subsidy for Hants, 1 Edw. III., at 58. 6d. under "villata de Aldyngton" there being 25 other names, and the total sum 34s. 6d. 34 Edw. I., Robert Helyon and Isabel his wife are Plaintiffs in a Fine of lands in Aldington. 11 Edw. II., Wm. Wodelock and Margaret his wife are Pl. in a Fine of lands in Hants. 36 Edw. III., certain parties, apparently feoffees, levy a Fine of a moiety of the manor of Aldyngton. 2 Rich. II., John Wodelock and Agnes his wife are Pl. in a Fine of lands in Burley and Bishopstoke, and of a moiety of the manor of Aldyngton. From the above notices it is clear that Isabella and Margaret were the two d. & coh. of Will. Alis; that Wm. de Rolleston was Margaret's first

1324, Roger Elys of Wigmore co. Hereford was accused of being an adherent of Roger de Mortimer and as being in communication with the emissaries despatched by the latter (Parl. Writs). The Mortimers were the feudal superiors of the Alises, and this individual was perhaps nephew of the last Wm. Alis. It is singular that considering the knightly rank of the Alises and their long residence at Allington, so very few members of the family should be found in records. One would think that younger sons and their descendants would have been numerous in the county of their birth, but from the few instances found we must conclude that they settled afar or changed their name. A charter of Adam de St. Manifeto, a contemporary of Sir Roger Alis and owner of the manor of Heckfield, co. Hants, is witnessed int. al. by Galf. Elis and Will. Elis. (Add. Ch. 684, Brit. Mus.) John Elys and Rich. Elys were two of the Jurors on the Nona Inquis. for Heghfield, temp. Edw. III. In the Subsidy Roll for Hants, 1 Edw. III., there are only 5 persons of the name, whilst at the same time in Kent there were upwards of 30. In the Domesday survey 2 mills are mentioned: one we have seen belonged to the Peverells, or was claimed by them.

husband and died s. p. that her second husband, Wm. Wodelock, had issue, John W. the joint-owner 2 Rich. II. being his son or grandson, and that, 20 Edw. III., the joint-owners were Walter Helion, son or grandson of Isabella, and her sister Margaret. 10 Hen. IV., a Fine was levied in which Wm. Oysell and Joanna his wife convey to John Fromond 100s. rent in Aldyngton and a moiety of the manor of A., and 13 Hen. IV., in a Subsidy roll for Hants, it is stated that John Strode had lands and tenements in Sherburne and Alyngton of the annual value of £20, and none other in the county or elsewhere. These probably comprised one moiety of the manor, if not both. How the two moieties passed out of the hands of the Woodlocks* and Helions is not at present known.†

ELLIS OF KIDDALL, CO. YORKSHIRE.‡

[In 1216, GULIELMUS ELLYS possessed the Lordship and House of Kid-hall; he mar. an Allingham, or some similar name.] And Burke says that "about 1218, he assisted at the siege of

* The family of Woodlock was numerous and had considerable property in the 13th and 14th centuries in Hants, Berks, and Wilts. The name seems to be Saxon. Aluric and Wislac held half a hide in Heceford (Heckfield) co. Hants in the time of Edward the Confessor and at the Domesday survey. Ric. fil. Wichtlac paid 10s. for the land and office of his father, 1131. (Pipe Roll for Hants.) Philip Wodelac, and Robert and William his brothers, are mentioned in the Excerp. e Rot. Fin. for Sussex 1272. Henry Woodlock was Bp. of Winchester 1305, and Nicholas Woodlock Sheriff of Hants 40 Edw. III. Whitelock is probably the modern synonym of the name.

+ According to the information of Henry Moody Esq. of Winchester the manor passed from the Woodlocks to the family of Wells of Bambridge, 2 miles from Allington, who owned it till the middle of the last century.

As the account of this family in No. 2, pp. 58, 59, was introduced with a warning that it "required verification throughout," and was obviously in many respects embellished; where examined, incorrect and contradictory, and therefore, as a whole, probably untrustworthy, much research has since been employed to produce as far as practicable a truthful pedigree, which though by no means complete, is as far as it goes, based on authority. It is much to be regretted that the account in No. 2 was inserted, and still more so, that originally it should have obtained a wider circulation in Burke's "Commoners" and "Landed Gentry." As it may be wondered that so inaccurate an account should have been compiled at all, it may be desirable to give some explanation of its origin in the words of the late Rev. Ellis Burroughes to the author. "My grandfather" (who mar. the heiress of the last Ellis of Kiddall) he says "had amassed a considerable quantity of old documents relative to the Ellis family, as he was very fond of antiquarian researches, and was in communication with some of the most celebrated antiquarians of the day. These papers, with many other somewhat valuable MSS., were accidentally destroyed many years since at Kiddall, at least the principal part of them, and the remainder are mixed with such an enormous pile of papers of various descriptions that I fear it would be almost impossible to sift the wheat from the chaff, if indeed any wheat there be." Then follow the Notices given in Burke and No. 2, which were "gleaned from a somewhat voluminous and extremely desultory diary made by my grandfather * which in the absence of the original documents must I fear be considered as mere assertions." These notices will in the following article be again produced, within brackets, accompanied by comments.

Newark, and served in the royal army against the Earl of Albemarle." This may be true, but what is the authority? It is probable that this Will. Elys was the first resident at Kiddall, and is the William Elyas who, 3 John, is mentioned in Yorksh. as paying 20 marcs, probably for his relief on coming of age, for it is most likely he was a younger brother of Sir Roger Alis. 3 Hen. III. there is a Fine between Will. fil. Alic', Pl. and Rob. de Lestingham Def. of 1 mess. in Middleton co. Ebor. If this should be Will. Elys,* it is likely L. was the name supposed to be "Allingham," as in a MS. it would easily be misread.

"The supposed son of William Ellis, Sir THOMAS ELLIS was slain about 1265, in a battle at Northampton" (Burke). The only confirmation met with, such as it is, of the existence of this Tho. Ellis, is in a Fine levied Mich. Term 36 Hen. III. in which Thom. fil. Elye is Pl. and Adam de Halthawe and Dyon. ux. ej. Def. of one-third of 1 mess. and 1 bovate in Hickleton. There is a will of John Elys of H. d. 1473, who might have been a descendant of Tho. fil. Elye. Sir Tho. "was father of

Sir WILLIAM ELYS who appears to have had the 'Hall and Manor of Kyddall' in 1295, and to have done good service with Edw. I. at Dunbar [21 Apr. 1296]." (Burke.) There is nothing improbable in this statement, but as no authority is given it must be taken quantum valeat. We are next told "About 1340,

Sir WILLIAM ELYS, probably son of the last Sir Wm. is mentioned among certain knights who accompanied Edw. III. to France. He died at Kiddall about 1363." This statement again is not improbable, which is all that can be said of it.

In order of time however we should have mentioned that a Sir JOHN DE ELYAS Knt. occurs 20 Edw. I.† as one of a Lancashire Jury (Plac. de quo Warr.) and that 12 Edw. III., John s. of JOHN ELYS is in the list of Esquires in the West Riding

*The Yorkshire Fines from Ric. I. to Edw. I. have been examined, without the name of Elys being once found in the interval, though half-a-dozen “fil. Elie" have been met with, which it is probable was in the North the early way of writing Elys: an example of this occurs in Madox's Form. Angl. (p. 199) where is a charter of "John Elys of Sheldon " co. Derby 24 Edw. I. the legend on the seal affixed being "Joh. fil. Elie." 3 Hen. III. there is a Fine in which Rog. fil. Elye occurs, and 11 Hen. III. one in which Elyas fil. Elie is Pl. But as these are not mentioned in connection with any known property or relatives of the Ellises of Kiddall, they may merely denote the Christian name of son and father, a very common way of writing names at early periods even of persons who had a fixed surname. Thus "fil. Elie' may mean the hereditary patronymic of Elys and Fitz Elys or simply the father's name. Consequently the family of any "fil. Elie " can never be determined unless presented with some circumstances that clearly indicate it.

† 1316, the heir of John fil. Elie was returned as one of the lords of Otterburn co. York. (Parl. Writs.)

of Yorks. bound to furnish 20 men-at-arms to march against the Scots. (Rotuli Scotia i. 527.) The latter was doubtless the lord of Kiddall, and his father John was probably the above Sir John or his son. The John who was summoned into Scotland was probably father of

THOMAS ELYS of Barwyk, who with Joan his wife, received a grant 32 Edw. III. from Henry Duke of Lancaster, of the capital messuage of Berwick in Elmett and several lands and meadows there. (Cal. of Pleadings in Duc. Lanc. ii. 119.) This Thomas* was probably father of

Sir JOHN ELYS of Kiddall Knt. It is evidently this person who, in Burke's account, it is said "took up arms against Rich. II. and fled to France, where he mar. Rosalie St. Leger or Legarde,† and died in exile, leaving a son Sir John Elys." Fortunately his will is extant, and is given at length in the "Testamenta Eboracensia" published by the Surtees Society (p. 248). It is d. 22 Oct. and pr. 7 Nov. 1398, and he probably died at Kiddall. He left no issue, and his widow's name was Joanna. He directs his chief mess. of Pomfret and all his lands and ten. of Medeley to be sold-his feoffees of Kydal and his lands and ten. at Pomfret, except as aforesaid, to convey them to Johanna his wife for life, and after her death, to Robert his br. and his lawful heirs, remainder to his three sisters, and their male heirs, remainder to his own right heirs. His chief mess. in Berwick in Elmet to his cousin Robert Thorneff, his right by inheritance in tail-his lands and ten. called Proctour Place, and his other little purchases in Berwyk, to Richard Roudon and his heirs. The rent-charge which he has of Nicol Frank,‡ to his wife Joanna for life, after, to Robert his brother and his heirs-Ten marcs to William Franke, and 40s. yearly to be paid him by his said wife Joanna, during her life. The demesnes of Berwyk which he has to him and his heirs, to his wife and after to his br. Robert.

Before proceeding with the descent of Kiddall we must notice

Sir WILLIAM ELYS Knt. of Everingham, § who Burke says was

*Thomas Elys is witn. to a release of lands in Pontefract, 11 Ric. II. and rented lands there before 43 Edw. III.

+ Some slight countenance is given to the alleged mar. with a Legarde, which was an ancient Yorkshire family, by the fact that Ralph Legard (whose grandfather John L. lived temp. Rich. II.) mar. Constance d. of Sir John ..... of

Rowell.

The Hopkinson MSS. in the Leeds Library say that Nicolas Frank mar. Hellen d. of Tho. Ellis of Kiddall, and Anne Calverley; but this is an evident error, and must mean, as this bequest indicates, Tho. E. father of Sir John.

§ There was a HENRY ELLIS Esq. contemporary of Sir Wm. and doubtless a near relative. Rich. Gascoyne of Hunslet in Leeds was a younger br. of Chief Justice G. and mar. Beatrix (not Anne as in some MSS.) d. & coh. of Hen. E. The

s. of the Sir Wm. said to have died at K. 1363. This is probable for he could not have been brother of Sir John of K. who died 1398, or he would surely have included his sons in the devise of K. in preference to his sisters and their issue. His will is given at length in the Test. Ebor. (p. 162) and is dated at Everyngham,* 10 Oct. and pr. 31 Oct. 1391. He therein directs his body to be bur. in the chancel of the church of E. He gives to his d. Joanna 200 marcs of silver for a marriage portion; in case she die unmar. to his d. Hawise, and in case of her death unmar. he gives the said 200 marcs to his sons Richard, Robert, and Stephen. After numerous pecuniary bequests, he appoints his wife Joanna and 3 others, executors. This Joanna was one of the 2 sisters and coh. of Robert grandson of BARON EVERINGHAM, and was 8 years old at his death, 44 Edw. III.; the other coh. Catharine being then aged 5, who mar. John s. of Tho. Elton Esq.,t-" among whose descendants and representatives this Barony is now in abeyance" (Nicolas, Synopsis of the Peerage).

ROBERT ELYS Esq. became the heir of his father Sir Wm. He died 4 Edw. IV., the Inquis. on his death being taken 16 March that year. This document is much defaced, but it can be made out that his heir was “... Joanna d. & h. of Agnes [which we have seen at p. 141 is synonymous with Avicia] sister and heir of the said Robert." Sir John Poucher Knt. lord of West Rasen co. Linc. mar. Agnes Elys; Joanna was their d. & h. and died 19 July 1451. (M. I. West Rasen, Harl. MSS. 6829, p. 132.) She mar. John Suthill, who died 4 May 1445 (ibid.). Their descendant, Barbara d. & h. of John Suthill Esq. of Everingham, ob. 4 Oct. 1540, and mar. Sir Marmaduke Ĉonstable Knt. who died 7 Sep. 1545, whose shield of quarterings in Harl. MSS. (1571) comprises the arms of Ellis (as of Kiddall) Everingham etc. which are also in the church of West Rasen, except that fleurs-de-lis are by mistake (in the MS.) put for crescents.

will of Rich. G. is d. 1422, and his d. Eliz. mar. Sir John Everingham (Test. Ebor. p. 403).

*Burke says "He died at St. Albans' on his way to Calais."

This was doubtless the Thomas Elton who held one knight's fee at Kirkby on the Knoll, co. Ebor., at the death of John de Mowbray, 1 Edw. III. (Inquis. p. m. ii. 6). This family would seem to be a branch of Elton of Elton co. Ches. who bore paly of 6 on a bend 3 mullets. See Ormerod's Chesh. ii. 20. In the bay window at Kiddall Hall, as will be seen presently, there is a shield, of coeval date with the window, of Ellis impaling Elton. This was doubtless a match between Henry E. of Farburne or his father, and a descendant of the above John Elton.

The will of Robert Elys of Everyngham Esq. lord of the manor there, is d. 12 March, and pr. 21 May 1463: the only person mentioned therein, is his wife Elizabeth. This must have been his second wife, as a Fine was levied 13 Hen. VI. of the manor of E. etc. by Robert Elys and Catharine his wife.