Hamo de Crevequer

Hamo de Crevequer (died 1263) was a Norman nobleman who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Gerinun de Holeburn was in 1263 one of a jury of twelve assembled lawfully to conclude upon an ‘inquisition into how much land ‘Hamo de Creuker’, (Crevequer) Baron of Chatham, deceased, held of our Lord the King, at Ledes’ in Kent. (York Cathedral Library).

Hamo de Crevequer took possession of his lands at Brenchley in 1217; he was succeeded by his grandson Robert. In 1264/5, Robert's lands were seized by Gilbert de Clare, 3rd Earl of Gloucester. It is recorded that from April 29, 1230, a market was held each Sunday by Hamo de Crevequer, until it was ordained by Henry III on June 30, 1233, that the market formally held in the churchyard should in future be held on de Crevequer's own land, but on a Saturday.

Hamo de Crevequer acquired property in Folkestone, Kent, England, from the barony of the family of Abrincis. Hamo refers to Matilda de Abrincis as his wife in his charter giving the advowson of the church of Alkham and chapel of Manrege to St Radegunds (Radigunds) Abbey, Bradesole near Dover in Kent in 1258 (Reference Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Rawlinson B336 Folio 174 and Dugdale 'Monasticon' p942)

His daughter, Iseuld, who was born between 1251-1286, was married to John de Sandwich. She subsequently married Nicholas Merryweather was born between 1251-1286 in Lenham, Kent, England, some time during the reign of King Edward I of England (1272-1307).

On 12 Jun 1285, Edward I inspected a charter of Robert de Crevequer, granting the Castle of Ledes the fair of Chatham. By 1380 the fair had become the king’s own right, for his wife.

By 1296 the market at Brenchley was being held by Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, and in 1312 de Clare claimed that his ancestors had held the market 'from time out of mind'.

De Clare followed Hamo de Crevequer, some years later as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. (Not currently listed on the Wikipedia list of lord wardens).

Family history

A Hamo De Crevequer was born before 1066 in Normandy. Called Sire "de Cregrave-Vecœur", he accompanied William the Conqueror to England and fought in the Battle of Hastings.^[1]

His son, the first Robert de Cregrave-Vecœuralso known as Fitz-Hamon, founded the Priory of Leeds, (Ledes) in Kent, in 1119, and had, by his wife Rohais, three sons, Adam, Elias, and Daniel, and a daughter named Gunnora.^[2]

"He was succeeded by Daniel, who, in the 12th year of Henry II, on assessment of aid for the marriage of the King's daughter, certified to the possession of fourteen knights' fees "de veteri feoffemento," and his son and successor, another Robert, was the father of Hamon", the last of his line who married to the heiress of Folkestone. (per Hasted)

Odo of Bayeux, Earl of Kent, half-brother to William I, was consecrated and instituted in 1049 as the Bishop of Bayeux by William, Duke of Normandy. Born in Normandy about 1032 he fell from grace, and was attained and imprisonerd at Rouen until the king's death, in 1087. In 1087 Hamo the Lord of Folkstone was granted the manor of Lenham, seven miles to the south east of Maidstone, lands then possessed by Mereworth (Odo).

"Hamo the Steward Also called Hamo the Sheriff. Sheriff of Kent; a judge at Penenden in case between Lanfranc and Odo of Bayeux. Holdings in Essex, Kent and Surrey."

References