THE BEAUCHAMP INHERITANCE

Roger (II) de Mowbray's wife Maud, daughter of William Beauchamp of Bedford, as the eldest of the three coheirs, was assigned the site of the castle of Bedford [VCH Beds. iii. 12-13.]. Her grandson John Lord Mowbray (d. 1322) in 1316 granted the lands to his father-in-law, William de Breouse of Gower, for his life, very probably in return for Breouse's grant to him of Gower and the reversion of the lordship of Bramber. [CPR 1313-17, 467; VCH Beds, iii. 44, 262, 300-1, 329, 339. Ten days later Breouse had licence to settle Bramber on himself for life with reversion to Mowbray and Aline and their issue: CPR 1313-17, 467.]. The reversion of Wootton after Breouse's death was granted away in 1320 (below, BCM/D/2/2/1 [GC 2300]), but the rest passed to Mowbray's son and heir in 1327. Roger Lestrange's inquisition post mortem mentions holdings at Barford, as well as the manors below, and Thomas de Mowbray's inquisition of 1399 also mentions a rent of 37s. from Cople, Cardington, Great Barford, Southill, Maulden, Wootton, Ickwell and Salph End.