This document appears among the Inquisitiones post mortem, though clearly he was still alive. It shows that on the 14th February, 1393, he was seised of the manor of Eggebaston, which, with the appurtenances, was of the clear yearly value of L41 6s. 8d., and of two messuages and 4oo acres of land and 60 acres of pasture in Stodley [1], of the clear yearly value of £10 14s. 0d., and £1 6s. 0d. of rent, in all £53 6s. 8d., which may be roughly estimated as equivalent to between £2,000 and £3,000 in these days.
Figure 7 STUDLEY CHURCH: THE MIDDLEMORE AISLE
E. S. Baker, Pho.
In the following year, 1397, 20 Richard II, there was a further enquiry, from which we gather that one John Pulteney claimed from Thomas Middlemore the sum of So marks; i.e., £33 6s. 8d. Only the writ is extant in this second inquest, and we are therefore in the dark as to the nature of the transaction, but as we know that John Pulteney [2]was a trustee of Thomas Middlemore's marriage settlement there, can be no doubt that the transaction, concerned some of the trust property. Later, some years after Thomas Middlemore's widow remarried Richard Clodeshale, John Pulteney. and his co-trustees brought an assize in, 1423-4, against Clodeshale, upon his wife's death, to recover their frank tenement in Eggebaston. To this Richard Clodeshale pleaded that he held the manor and its appurtenances according to the laws of England, in other words that he was tenant by the curtesy of England. In 2 Henry IV, 1400,Thomas Middelmore, Isabel his wife, and John Middelmore, probably their son and heir apparent, were defendants in a suit of novel assize brought by Thomas, son of John Porter of Egebaston.[3] In 7 Henry IV, 1405,Thomas Middlemore had license from the Crown to .found a chantry in Studley church, still called Middlemore's chapel, which may best be described in the words of Dugdale as follows
"In this [Studley] Church there hath been a Chantry founded in 7 H. 4 by Thomas Middlemore of Edgbaston, for a certain Priest to sing Masse daily at the Altar of the blessed Virgin, on the South part of the same Church, for the good estate of him the said Thomas during this life, and the health of his soul after his departure hence: as also for the souls of his Father and Mother and all the faithfull deceased. Which Chantry was endowed with eighty acres of land, ten acres of meadow, and 13s, 4d. yearly Rent lying in Studley -above mentioned: the revenues whereof in 26 H 8 were rated at £4 13s- 44 which sum in 37 H 8 was yearly received by the Priest belonging thereto, at the hands of Mr. Robert Midlemore, notwithstanding he did not duly attend here, but sung in other places at his pleasure."
From this short account we learn that, assuming the money rent of 13s. 4d.to have been permanent, the value in the time of Henry VIII of eighty acres of ploughed land and ten acres of meadow at Studley amounted to £4 per annum, say 10d. an acre for the former and 16d. for the latter. But further it is to be noted-if Dugdale's account is complete the pious founder did not specially mention his wife. Her memorial would naturally be in Edgbaston Church. Another Inquisitio ad quod damnum as to the Studley Chantry was held in 7 Edward IV, 1479, but does not give any further information. Dugdale notes that the following shields of arms were "in the east window of the south Ile of Studley Church," I. Middlemore, II. Middlemore quartering Edgbaston, III. Edgbaston. Of Thomas Middlemore Dugdale states that "he bore for his Arms partie per Cheveron argent and sable two Moor-Cocks in chief proper, and for his Crest the like Moor-Cock upon a tuft of Reedy grass," and gives as his authority Thomas Middlemore's seal then in the possession of his descendant, Richard Middlemore of Edgbaston. These arms, as already stated, obviously have reference to the last syllable of the surname, and may be compared with the canting heraldry of the black-a-moors' heads borne by the Birmingham family of Col [i.e. black]-mores. Dugdale's pedigree of the family states that Thomas Middlemore died, or was dead, in 11 Henry IV, 1409-10, and Harleian Manuscript No. 1167, which is either Camden's original Visitation of Warwickshire in 1619 or a copy largely in that herald's own handwriting, contains a pedigree of the Middlemores of Edgbaston, in which opposite to Thomas Middlemore's name is written, " Jacet sepultus in Eccl'ia de Egbaston." There is, however, no record of his tomb or any epitaph to his memory,
Figure 8 Arms in the Windows of Edgbaston Church
though the arms here shown are stated by Dugdale to have been in
Edgbaston church. Thomas Middlemore married Isabel, daughter and
heiress of Richard
Egebaston, of Edgebaston, or as it is now called Edgbaston. This is an estate of about 2,400. acres
formerly on the outskirts of Birmingham, but now included in the municipal boundaries of that city. Thomas Middlemore having pre-deceased, probably about the years 1409-10, his wife Isabella, she remarried,
taking for her second husband Richard Clodeshale, of Saltley, esq. The date of his marriage, it may be inferred from his pedigree given by Dugdale, was in
1416, and it is evident that she died about the year 1423, leaving three daughters. Richard Clodeshale there upon entered into possession of the manor of Egebaston in accordance with the now
well-known principle of law, that - under which a husband surviving his wife is entitled to a life estate in her freeholds. But probably this rule, known as
the tenancy by the curtesy of England, was not so firmly established in the fifteenth century, and we find John Pulteney and his co-trustees bringing an
assize of novel disseizin against Richard Clodeshale for recovery of Edgbaston, without however attaining their object. Richard
Clodeshale himself died in 1428, and his will, dated 7 May, 1428, was proved in August of the same year.
Richard Clodeshale, of Edgbaston, esquire; to be buried in the parish church of St. Mary, Birmingham ; 20s to that church, and 20s to the church of Aston. Residue to his executors, Thomas Paynell, his brother, John Shingler, and John Radclif.
Richard Clodeshale had issue by Isabella three daughters, of whom apparently only the youngest survived. They were
- Joan, living in 1423-4.
- Rose, living in 1423-4.
- Elizabeth, who, 4 Hen. VI, 1426, became the wife of Robert Ardern, of Park Hall in Castle Bromwich, esquire. Some notice of this ancient Warwickshire family will be found in the Appendix.
According to the petition, shortly to be mentioned, which her son John presented to the Lords of the Council, Isabella had in all eight children beside the said John. Of these, as we have seen, three were the daughters of her second husband. Of the six children of Thomas and Isabella Middlemore we have certain knowledge only of two, the ancestors of the lines of Edgbaston and Hawkesley respectively, but it is not improbable that those numbered below, iii, iv, and v, may have been their children, thus leaving one child unaccounted for
- John Middlemore, of Edgbaston, of whom next (4).
- Nicholas Middlemore, ancestor of the Middlemores of Hawkesley, of whom hereafter (44).
- Henry Middlemore, whom Sir John Pulteney and his cotrustees named as their attorney in the assize of novel disseizin which they brought against Richard Clodeshale in 1422-3. As this action was doubtless raised in the interest of the heir, John Middlemore, it would be natural to appoint a near relative.
- Joyce, who in 1438 was prioress of the small conventual house of Henwood, near Knowle, a village not far from Solihull and Tanworth. According to the Bishop of Lichfield's registers she continued as prioress until 1460. Her name also appears in the Register of the Guild of Knowle, as being ad "Anno D'ni Millesimo CCCC." But this is an obvious clerical error for 1456-7, as the entry occurs between a page dated 35 Henry VI, 1456-7, and another dated 1457. Misled by this, Dugdale has recorded a Joyce Midellmore as prioress in 1400 as well as from 1438 to 1460.
- Juliana; Dugdale states, and the Visitation of Warwickshire, 1619, agrees, that William Lisle, of Moxhull, married Juliana, daughter of Robert Middlemore, of Edgbaston. But her son, Henry Lisle, appears to have been contemporary with Richard Middlemore, the son of John, so that it seems probable that for Robert we should read Thomas.