Middlemore Family Genealogy

Doomsday Book in its account of the great royal manor of Bromsgrove, of which Nortune, now King's Norton, was a berewick, states that the manor contained a wood seven miles long and four broad, as well as four eyries of hawks. It may be that it was one of these eyries which gave origin to Hawkeslow, now Hawkesley, the name of a farm in King's Norton parish, which occupies some rising ground on the north side of the Lickey Hills, from which it is distant about a mile, being half a mile east of Longbridge on the Birmingham and Bristol road. The present house is a building of no interest and comparatively modern, but it is surrounded by a large moat still filled with water, and flanked by vestiges of earthworks extending over a considerable area. From this place the family of Hawkeslowe evidently took their name. They, although holding but a small sub-manor within the great royal manor of Bromsgrove, were a family of considerable importance, and furnished a knight of the shire in several of the parliaments of Edward II and Edward III, and supplied at least three deputy sheriffs in the fourteenth century, when the Shrievalty was hereditary in the family of Beauchamp. The earliest particulars we have of the Hawkeslow family date back to the latter part of the thirteenth century.

Simon de Hauckel', of Inkbarewe, was assessed at 2s. 6d. ann. in a Worcestershire subsidy roll of about 1280.

I. Richard de Hauckeslowe of the manor of Bromsgrove and Norton, was assessed at 5s. 4d. in the same subsidy roll. The last-named is doubtless the Richard de Hamtuslowe (sic probably for Hawkeslowc), who witnessed an undated grant of land in Frankley , in the time of Edmund de Lutlynton, i.e. Littleton, who died before 1306 [Lyttel. ton Charters, No. 58], and also may perhaps be identified with Richard de Haukeslow, juror in an inquest concerning Dodderhill, 1312 [Nash, Worc. I. 340].

Presumably father of William de Hawkeslowe, of whom next, II. and perhaps of

Hugh de Hawkeslowe, M.P. for Worcestershire, 15 Edward II [1321], [Nash, Worc. Introd. 26]. We have also mention of a Hauekelegh, lord of Yedefen Loges, i.e. Edwin Loach, in 20 and 28 Edward III [Worc. Hist. SOC. I. 516 and Nash, Worc. II, 484]. In 7 Henry VII an inquisition names lands in Yedefen formerly held by Hugh Hauekelegh [Worc. Hist. Soc. I, 516], and of a fourth of a knight's fee in Teddesden [Nash, Worc. App. lxxx.]. The Court Rolls of Weoley, temp. Henry IV, mention a Hugh Hawkeslowe.

Walter de Hawkeslow (deputy) sheriff of Worcestershire, 1 Edward III [Rot. Pat. 1 Edw. III, p. 3].

Philip de Hawkeston (sic) (deputy) sheriff of Worcestershire 3 Edward III [Nash, Worc. Introd. 16].

Richard de Haukeslowe, M.P. for Worcestershire in 20 Edward II [1326] and in 1, 2, 5, 6 and 17 Edward III. Presumably the following items relate to him. Appointed Chirographer of the King's Bench, 1 Edward III [1327] [Rot. Pat. 1 Edw. III, p. 3], regranted [Rot. Pat. 2 Edw. III, p. 1] to him for life in the following year. In the same year [Rot. Claus. 2 Edw. III] John, son of Thomas atte Orchard, ac. knowledged that he owed Richard de Haukeslowe £100, and charged his land in Worcestershire with payment thereof. As Deputy Sheriff of Worcestershire [Nosh, Worc. Introd. 16] received custody of Hanley Castle, 3 Edward 111 [1329] [Nash, Introd. 16]. In 9 Edward II, had grant from Ralph Stretel of Astwood, of manor of Horseley, which, with lands in Wolverley, he regranted to Wolston, Prior of Worcester. He also granted to the same Wolston, premises in Cleeve Prior [Nosh, Worc. II. 470, I. 235]. Richard de Hawkeslowe, in Subsidy Roll i Ed ward 111 11327], was assessed at Doddenham in 3s.

II. William do Hawkeslowe assessed 1 Edward III [1327] at King's Norton in 18d., the same amount as paid by his neighbour, John de Colmore. He probably came to a violent end, for in 18 Edward 111[1344] Richard, son of William de Hawkeslowe, sued John Not of King's Norton for the death of his father [Rot. Cur. Reg. No. 68, Pasch. 18 Edw. III, m. 4]. He was succeeded by, presumably, his son,

III. Richard de Haukeslowe, whom it is not always easy to distinguish in records from his presumed kinsman of the same name, the knight of the shire and chirographer. Probably he is the Richard who attested No. 131, No. 139, No. 165 of the Lyttelton Charters. Of No. 139, 23 Edward 111 [1350] he is the second witness, and John do Middlemore is the third. In 2 Edward III [1328], Richard de Haukeslow and Nichola his wife, paid 6s. 8d. for licence to agree respecting premises in Dormeston. From the plea rolls [Mich. 7 Henry IV, m. 140 d], we learn that he and his wife had lands in Dormeston and Intebergh [Inkborough] by grant of Robert Okleye.

They had issue

i. Richard Haukeskw, who died s p.

ii. William Haukeslow, who died s-.. The deeds of the Yardley charities state that William, son of Richard and Nichola of King's Norton, was dead in 1379, leaving a widow Margery, and a successor, John de Hawkeslowe of King's Norton. Margery presumably re-married Henry de Hay of Coventry; both living in 1402-3. Henry de Hay founded a chantry in St. Michael's Church, Coventry.

iii. John de Hawkeslowe, of whom next.

IV. John Hawkeslowe of King's Norton, who was succeeded by his son,

V. Geoffrey Hawkeslowe, who was succeeded by his son,

VI. Thomas Hawkeslowe, who in 7 Henry IV [1405] sued William, son of John Russell, knight, for the lands in Dormeston and Inkborough.

He was at some uncertain date regarder of the forest of Feckenham, when John Wybbe, perhaps his father-in-law, was verderer [Nash, Worc. I. 440]. Between 1410 and 1413 he was with William Wybbe, joint patron of Hanbury [Nash, I. 555]. In 1423, as Thomas Haukslowe of King's Norton, gentleman, he was with Thomas Wybbe of King's Norton, esquire, and Thomas Ruding 0f King's Norton, gentleman, sued in a plea of debt by John Aston and Henry Skinner of Alseter [De Banco rolls, Pasch. 1 Hen. VI, m. 649]. In 1432-3, he released all right to a meadow called Spert in Bredcote [Nash, Worc. I. 120]. He married Sibell, daughter, and at last co-heir, of John Wybbe. They had issue

Anne, daughter and sole heiress who married Nicholas Middlemore, younger son of Thomas Middlemore and Isabel Edgbaston: from them descended the Middlemores of Hawkesley. Contemporary with, and very probably. related to these Hawkeslowes were:

Robert Haukeslowe, who became a secular archdeacon in the diocese of Worcester in 1419 [Worc. Sed. Vac. 392].

Richard Haukeslowe, rector of Spernor in 1434 0n the presentment of the Abbess 0f Cokhull [Worc. Sed. Vac. 441].

Matildis Hawkyslow, tenant in Evesham after 1418 [Chron. Evesham (Rolls Series), p. 307].

Nicholas Hawkeslowe, [De Banco rolls, 1 1 Hen. VIII], who married Agnes, daughter and heir 0f Alice Ippwell; seized, jure uxoris, of lands in Winchcombe and Sudeley, temp. Henry V. They had issue

John Haukeslowe, who had issue

Thomas Haukeslow, died s.p.

John Haukeslow, died s .p.

Joan.

Elgin, married William Palmer.

A notable man of the name was William Hawkeslowe, Bluemantle Pursuivant of arms, temp. Henry VI, and Clarenceux King of Arms, temp. Edward IV, who was drowned in the Spanish seas in 1476, and, 7 May, was buried at St. Mary, Somerset (sic) [Geneal. IV, 127]. Several of his grants of arms are still extant. The arms ascribed to Wybbe and quartered by Andrews of Hanbury in the 1569 Visitation of Worcestershire are: Gules, a heart between three cinquefoils or.

The arms of Hawkeslow as recorded in the Vincent MSS., and subsequently allowed to the Middlemores by the Heralds as a quartering are, Sable, a falcon argent with bells between three cinquefoils or. This coat bears a remarkable similarity to that of Wybbe, and possibly is based upon it; if so, it must have been assumed by Thomas Hawkeslowe on his marriage with the Wybbe heiress. However, from their rank in their county, the Hawkeslowes were doubtless armigerous at an early date. Possibly the more ancient arms are preserved in the seal of William Hawkeslowe, Clarenceux, which gives, Gyronny of ten within a border ermine, and for crest, a lion passant guardant.