Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 3: Cobham of Sterborough

COBHAM (of Sterborough)

Volume 3, page 353:
REYNOLD (DE COBHAM), LORD COBHAM, only s. and h. [of Reynold de Cobham (d. 1361)], b. 1348, being aged 13 at his father's death, had seizin of his father's lands and of his mother's dower lands 5 Feb. 1369/70, having pr. his age and done homage.

According to his proof of age, made 26 January 1369/70 at Lingfield, Surrey, Reynold was stated to have attained 21 at Whitsun 1369, so that - assuming that this implies he was born at Whitsun - he must have been born 8 June 1348. He was also stated to have been born at Sterborough, and baptised at "Etonbrigge" (indexed in the calendar as Edenbridge, Kent) [Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem, vol. 12, p. 374 (no 389)].

[This evidence was provided by Brad Verity in October 2003.
Item last updated: 12 November 2003.]

Volume 3, page 354:
She [Elizabeth, 1st wife of Reynold (de Cobham), Lord Cobham (d. 1403)] d. 7 Aug. 1376.

Elizabeth died 7 August 1375 (see volume 5, p. 314, note g, which includes extracts from the inquisition taken after her death).

[This error was pointed out by Jim Weber in October 2002.]

Volume 3, page 354 (as modified by volume 14):
He [Reynold (de Cobham), Lord Cobham (d. 1403)] m., 2ndly, in 1380 (pardon for m. without lic. 10 Aug.), Eleanor, widow of John (D'ARUNDEL), LORD ARUNDEL (1377 to 1379), and, according to modern doctrine, suo jure, BARONESS MAUTRAVERS, being da. of Sir John MAUTRAVERS (s. and h. ap. of John, 1st LORD MAUTRAVERS). This marriage being within the third degree, absolution for it was given by a bull from the Pope, 11 Nov. 1384, and the issue legitimated.

According to an inquisition taken 13 January 1416 at Guildford, Surrey, Reynold and Eleanor were married 9 August 1380, but later divorced and separated, 26 September 1384, before being remarried, 29 September 1384 at Trottiscliffe, Kent [Calendar of inquisitions miscellaneous, vol. 7, pp. 284, 285 (no 507)].

[This evidence was provided by Brad Verity in October 2003.
Item last updated: 12 November 2003.]

Volume 3, page 354:
SIR REYNOLD DE COBHAM, of Sterborough Castle ... 2nd(c) but 1st surv. s. and h. [of Reynold (de Cobham), Lord Cobham (d. 1403)] by 2nd wife.
Note c:
His elder br. John d. s.p.m. before 30 Jan. 1415/6. See Patent Roll of that date. V.G.

According to the inquisition of 1416, already mentioned, the elder brother John predeceased Reynold the father, and thus died before 6 July 1403; the inquisition taken after the death of their father in 1403 names Reynold as his son and heir [Calendar of inquisitions miscellaneous, vol. 7, pp. 284, 285 (no 507); Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem, vol. 18, pp. 250-254 (nos 760-770)].

[This evidence was provided by Brad Verity in October 2003.
Item last updated: 12 November 2003.]

Volume 3, page 354:
He [Sir Reynold de Cobham (d. 1446)] m., 2ndly, in or shortly before 1427, Anne, widow of Sir William CLIFFORD, da. and coh. of Thomas (BARDOLF), LORD BARDOLF, by Anice or Amice, da. of Ralph (CROMWELL), LORD CROMWELL.

Sir Reynold and Anne were married after 7 November 1421 - when, in an order to make a partition of her mother's lands, Anne was described simply as "late the wife of William Clyfford, knight, deceased" - and before 9 July 1422, when an order was made for them to have seisin of Anne's share, Reynold having done fealty [Calendar of Fine Rolls, 1413-1422, pp. 412, 413, 441].

[This evidence was provided by Brad Verity in October 2003.
Item last updated: 12 November 2003.]

Volume 3, page 355, as corrected in volume 14:
He [Sir Thomas de Cobham (d.1471); originally called Reynold in this volume] m., before 5 Nov. 1438, Elizabeth, widow of Walter, 7th Lord Fitzwalter, who d. s.p.m., 25 Nov. 1431, and was bur. in Dunmow Priory. She, who had m. previously William MASSY, King's esquire (who was living 16 May 1425), was da. to Sir John CHIDIOK, of Chidiok, Dorset [5th LORD FITZPAYN], by Alianore, da. and h. of Sir John FITZWARIN, of Caundle Haddon, Dorset, Isle Brewers, Somerset, &c. She d. 14 June 1464, and was bur. in Dunmow Priory. He d. 26 Apr. 1471, and was bur. at Lingfield. Will dat. 2 Apr., pr. 10 July 1471.

6. ANNE COBHAM ... only da. and h. She m., when very young, between 18 June and 1 Dec. 1475, Edward (BLOUNT), 2nd BARON MOUNTJOY, who d. s.p., aged 8, and was bur. 1 Dec. 1475, at the Grey Friars, London. She m., 2ndly, in 1477, Edward (BURGH or BOROUGH), LORD BURGH, and d. 26 June 1526.

Volume 14 deletes the following marriage of Sir Thomas de Cobham, inserting the marriage to Elizabeth Chidiok in its place:
He m. Anne, widow of Aubrey de VEER (beheaded with his father, the Earl of Oxford, 26 Feb. 1461/2), da. of Humphrey (STAFFORD), DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, by Anne, da. of Ralph (NEVILL), 1st EARL OF WESTMORLAND ... His widow d. Apr. 1472, and was bur. at Lingfield. Will dat. 12 Apr., pr. 2 May 1472.

The deleted marriage, to Anne, the widow of Aubrey de Vere, is stated in Complete Peerage, vol.10, p.239. It appears to be confirmed by the wills of Sir Thomas Cobham of Sterborough, dated 2 April 1471, and Anne Vere, widow, dated 12 April 1472 [abstracted in Sir N.H. Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta, pp.323-5 (1826)]. In Sir Thomas' will, he calls his wife Ann Vere, wills that his daughter Anne Cobham be in her governance and directs that his body be buried in Lingfield College. Anne Vere's will directs that her body be buried in Lingfield College, where her late husband lies, and refers to her daughter Anne.

Presumably this Anne Vere was the mother of Sir Thomas' daughter Anne. Certainly Sir Thomas' previous wife Elizabeth Chidiok was not Anne's mother, as - according to the inquisitions taken in July 1464 after her death - Elizabeth had three daughters and coheirs, Anne and Joan by her first husband, William Massy, and Elizabeth by her second, Walter, Lord FitzWalter [P.R.O. C140/14/37]. This conclusion is confirmed by the chronology - the youngest of Elizabeth's daughters must have been born by about 1431, when Walter died; Elizabeth herself died in 1464; Anne Cobham, on the other hand, was said to be aged 4 years and more at the inquisitions taken in 1471 and 1472 after her father's death [P.R.O. C140/39/58]. (The relevant extracts from these inquisitions are printed in Complete Peerage, vol.5, p.484, notes c and d.)

[NB Anne, the widow of Aubrey de Vere, was presumably born in the late 1420s or the 1430s, and was evidently much younger than Elizabeth Chidiok. This which might raise a question as to whether Anne's husband was really the younger son of Sir Reynold de Cobham (1381-1446). But his position in the pedigree is confirmed by the statement in the inquisition taken after his death, that he was the uncle and heir of Margaret, countess of Westmorland [see Complete Peerage, vol.3, pp.354, 355]]

[This error was pointed out by Tim Powys-Lybbe in November 2001.]