A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire.

Sir Bernard Burke, LL.D.,
Ulster King of Arms
London, 1866.

Marmyon, of Marmion - Barons Marmyon.

Feudal.

(Although it is not intended that this work shall embrace personages who were merely feudal lords, the present family, as that from which the CHAMPIONSHIP OF ENGLAND is inherited, demands to be noticed.)

Lineage

At the period of the Norman conquest, ROBERT DE MARMYON, Lord of Fontney, in Normandy, having by grant of King William, the castle of Tamworth, in the co. Warwick, with the adjacent lands, expelled the nuns from the abbey of Polesworth, to a place called Oldbury, about four miles distant. "After which" (writes Sir William Dugdale), "within the compass of a twelve month, as it is said, making a costly entertainment at Tamworth Castle, for some of his friends. amongst whom was Sir Walter de Somerville, Lord of Which over, in the co. Stafford, his sworn brother, it happened, that as he lay in his bed, St. Edith appeared to him in the habit of a veiled nun, with a crosier in her hand, and advertised him, that if he did not restore the abbey of Plesworth, which lay within the territories belonging to his castle of Tamworth, unto her successors, he should have an evil death, and go to hell. And, that he might be the more sensible of this her admonition, she smote him on the s'de with the crosier, and so vanished away. Moreover, that by this stroke being much wounded, he cryed out so loud, that his friends in the house arose, and finding him extremely tormented with the pain of his wound, advised him to confess himself to a priest, and vow to restore the nuns to their former possessions. Furthermore, that having so done, his pain ceased; and that in accomplishment of this vow, accompanied by Sir Walter de Somerville, and the rest, he forthwith rode to Oldbury, and craving pardon of the nuns for the injury done, brought them back to Polesworth, desiring that himself, and his friend, Sir Walter de Somerville, might be reputed their patrons, and have burial for themselves and their heirs in the abbey - the Marmions in the chapter house - the Somervilles in the cloyster. However (continues Dugdale) , some circumstances in this story may seem fabulous, the substance of it is certainly true; for it expressly appeareth by the very words of his charter, that he gave to Osanna, the prioress, for the establishing of the religion of those nuns there, the church of St. Edith, of Polesworth, with its appurtenances, so that the consent of Oldbury should remain in that place. and likewise bestowed upon them the whole lordship of Polesworth; which grant King STEPHEN afterwards confirmed." The castle and manor of Tamworth, in Warwickshire, and the manor of Scrivelsby, co. Lincoln, were granted by the CONQUERER to this Robert de Marmion, to be held by grand serjeanty, "to perform the office of champion at the king's coronation" (the Marmions, it is said, were hereditary champions to the Dukes of Normandy, prior to the conquest of England). Robert Marmion was s. at his decease, by his son and heir, ROBERT DE MARMYON, Lord of Fontney, in Normandy, where he possessed a fortified castle, which was besieged by Geoffrey, of Anjou, in the 4th King STEPHEN, and demolished. This Robert having a great enmity to the Earl of Chester, who had a noble seat at Coventry, entered the priory there in the 8th STEPHEN, and expelling the monks, turned it into a forification, digging at the same time divers deep ditches in the adjacent fields, which he caused to be covered over with earth, in order to scure the approaches thereto; but the Earl of Chester's forces drawing near, as he rode out to reconnoitre, he fell into one of those very ditches, and broke his thigh, so that acommon soldier, presently seizing him, cut off his head. He was s. by his son,

ROBERT DE MARMION, who, in the 31at HENRY II., being constituted sheriff of Worcestershire, continued in that office until the end of the 34th year. He was also justice Itinerant in Warwickshire, and some other counties - and again sheriff of Worcester in the 1st RICHARD I. In five years afterwards he attended that monarch into Normandy, and in the 15th King JOHN he was in the expedition then made into Poictou. This feudal lord d. about the year 1217, leaving issue, by different mothers,

ROBERT, his successor.
Robert, junior, who ha the estates of Witringham and Coningsby, co. Lincoln (see Marmion, Barons Marmion, of Witrington). William, of Torington (see Marmion, Barons Marmion).

He was s. by his eldest son,
ROBERT DE MARMION, who appears to have sided with the French, when they seized upon Normandy in the beginning of King JOHN'S reign, for the murder of Arthur, Duke of Britanny; but afterwards made his peace, for in the 5th HENRY III., he had livery of Tamworth Castle, and his father's other lands. He is supposed to have returned to Normandy in twelve years afterwards, and to have d. there in 1241, when he was s. by his son,

PHILIP DE MARMION, who was sheriff for the co. Warwich and Leicester, from the 33rd to the 36th King HENRY III. In the latter of which years he was questioned for sitting with Richard de Mudnevill, and the rest of the justices, for gaol-delivery at Warwick, having no commission so to do. The next year he attended the king into Gascony; upon his return whence he was taken prisoner by the French at Pontes, in Poictou, with John de Plessets, then EArl of Warwich, notwithstanding they had letters of safe conduct from the king of France. In the 45th of the same reign this feudal lord had summons to be at London with divers of the nobility, upon the morrow after Simon and Jude's day; in which year the defection of many of the barons began further to manifest itself, by their assuming the royal prerogative, in placing sheriffs throughout different shires. In this period of difficulty Philip de Marmion, being of unimpeachabe loyalty, had, by special patent from the king, the co. Suffolk and Norfolk committed to his custody, with the castles of Norwich and Oxford: a well-judged confidence, for through all the subsequent fortunes of HENRY III, he never once swerved from his allegiance. He was present at the battle of Lewes - and his fidelity was rewarded after the royal victory of Evesham, by some valuable grants for life, and the governorship of Kenilworth Cstle. He m. Joane, youngest dau., and eventually sole heiress of Hugh de Kilpec, by whom he had three daus., his co-heirs, viz.,

JOANE, m. to William Morteyn, and d: s.p. in 1294. Mazera, m. To Ralph Cromwell, and had an only dau. and heiress, Joane, m. To Alexander, Baron Freville, whose grandson, Sir Baldwin de Freville, Lord Freville, claimed the championship in the 1st RICHARD II., by the tenure of Tamworth Castle, but the matter was determined against him in favour of Sir John Dymoke.

Maud, m. to Ralph Botiller, and d. s. p.

By a 2nd marriage, Phliip de Marmion had another dau. and co-heir, viz.,

Joane, m. 1st to Sir Thomas de Ludlow, Knt., and 2ndly,
Henry Hillary. By the former she had,

Thomas, who, by Catherine, his wife, left an only dau. and heir,

Margaret de Ludlow, who m. Sir John Dymoke, Knt., and brought into the family of her husband the manor of Scrivelsby, in Lincolnshire, by which the Dymokes have from the accession of RICHARD II. exercised the chivalrous office of Champion at the coronations of the kings of England. Our space compels us to pass over the various Champions to SIR EDWARD DYMOKE, Champion at the coronation of King CHARLES II. This gentleman, m. 21 June, 1624, Jane, dau. of Nicholas Cresey, Esq., of Fulnetby, and had, with other issue,

[From here Burke follows the line of Dymoke - omitted in this transcription except for the following:]

Upon the decease of Philip de Marmion, about 1292, his estates passed to his co-heiresses, barony and manor of Tamworth to Freville, and Scrivelsby to Dymoke.

Arms - Vairee, a fesse, gules.

MARMYON, OR MARMION - BARONS MARMION OF WETRINGTON, CO. LINCOLN

By Writ of Summons, dated 8 June, 1294, 26 January, 1297, and 26 July, 1313.

LINEAGE.

ROBERT DE MARMION, eldest son by his 2nd wife of Robert de Marmyon, 3rd feudal Lord of Tamworth, and the lordships of Witringham, and Coningsby, co. Lincoln; Dueinton, co. Gloucester; and Berwick, co. Suffolk, by especial grant of his father; and in the 16th King JOHN, he gave to the king 350marks, and five palfreys, for license to marry Amice, the dau. of Jerneygan Fitz-Hugh. After which, being in arms with there bellious barons, he obtained letters of safe conduct for coming in to the king, to make his peace. He again, however, took up arms in the baronial cause, in the ensuing reign, along with his brother William and appears to have held out to the last. This Robert acquired a large accession of landed property with his wife, Alice Fitz-Hugh, and was s. at his decease, by his son,

WILLIAM DE MARMION, who m. Lora, dau. of Roese de Dobor, by whom he acquired the town of Ludington, in Northamptonshire, and was s. by his son,

JOHN DE MARMION, who, in the 22nd EDWARD I, had summons, with other great men, to attend the king to advise upon the affairs of the realm, and was summoned to parliament as a Baron, 8 June, 1294, 26 Januar, 1297, and from 26 July, 1313,to 14 March, 1322. In the 4th EDWARD II., his lordship had license to make a castle of is house, called the Hermitage, inthe co. York. He d. in 1322, and was s. by his son,

JOHN DE MARMION, 2nd baron, summoned to parliament from 3 December, 1326 to 1 April, 1335. This nobleman was engaged in the Scottish wars. His lordship m. Maud, dau. of Lord Furnival, and had issue,

ROBERT,his successor. Joane, m. to Sir John Bernack, Knt. Avice, 2nd wife of Sir John de Grey, Lord Grey, of Rotherfield, and had issue, John de Grey, who assumed the surname of Marmion, d.s.p. in 1385.
Robert de Grey assumed the name of Marmion, m. Lora, dau. and co-heir of Herbert de St. QUintin, and had an
only dau. and heiress, Elizabeth Marmion, who m Henry, Lord Fitz-Hugh, K.G.

The baron d. in 1335, and was s. by his son,

ROBERT DE MARMION, 3rd baron, but never summoned to parliament. This nobleman being of infirm constitutuion, and having no issue, married his younger sister, Avice, by the advice of his friends, to Sir John Grey, Lord Grey of Rotherfield, upon condition that the issue of the said Sir John Grey and Avice should bear the surname of Marmion. At the decease of his lordship, the Barony of Marmion, of Witrington, fell into ABEYANCE
between his sisters (refer to children of 2nd baron), the elder of whom, Joane, Lady Bernachy, d.s.p. The younger, Avice, as stated above, m. Lord Grey, and her grand-dau., Elizabeth, m. Henry, Lord Fitz-Hugh, amongst whose representatives this barony continues in abeyance.

Arms - Vaire arg. and az., a fesse, gules.

MARMYON, OR MARMION - BARON MARMIOPN.

By Writ of Summons, dated 24 December, 1264.

LINEAGE.

WILLIAM DE MARMYON, youngest son of Robert de Marmyon, 3rd feudal lord of Tamworth, having taken a leading part in the baronial wars against King HENRY III., was summoned as a Baron to the parliament called in the king's name, by those turbulent lords, after their triumph at Lewes, 24 December, 1264, but never subsequently. His lordship appears to have d.s.p. when the barony became, of course, extinct.

Arms - Vaire, arg. and az., a feese, gules.