Sir John Folville was an member of parliament (MP) for Rutland and Leicestershire and father of
Eustace Folville, the leader of the Folville Gang. More recent research shows Farnham's Folville pedigree is flawed. The leader of the Folville gang was the issue of Sir Eustace (who died shortly before 1284) by Dame Alice.
Ancestry
The Folvilles had their seat at
Ashby Folville
Ashby Folville is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Gaddesby, in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England, south west of Melton Mowbray. In 1931 the parish had a population of 123.
History
The village of 'Ashby' w ...
, Leicestershire since at least 1137 when its lordship was held by Fulk de Folville.
The family name, ultimately derived from
Folleville Folleville may refer to several communes in France:
* Folleville, Eure, in the Eure ''département''
*Folleville, Somme
Folleville () is a commune in the Somme department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger or ...
in the French region of
Picardy
Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France.
Hi ...
, is attached to several other sites in Leicestershire, such as the deserted village of Newbolt Folville.
The family seems to have gained most their estate at the beginning of the 12th century. Several of their possessions, such as Ashby and the manor at
Teigh
Teigh is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The population of the village was 48 in the 2001 census. At the 2011 census the population remained less than 100 and was included with the civil parish ...
, were in the hands of other parties at the time of the
Domesday
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
survey, but had passed to the Folvilles by the reign of
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
(1135–1154). The family were well-established in Leicestershire by the mid 13th-century. In 1240 a member of the family donated a large sum to the church at
Cranoe
Cranoe is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The parish had a population of 35 in 2001. The population remained less than 100 and was included in the civil parish of Glooston.
The village
Th ...
.
The Folvilles were rebels during both Barons Wars; Sir William Folville (d. c. 1240) had his lands seized for his part in the
First Barons' War
The First Barons' War (1215–1217) was a civil war in the Kingdom of England in which a group of rebellious major landowners (commonly referred to as barons) led by Robert Fitzwalter waged war against King John of England. The conflict resulte ...
in 1216
and Sir Eustace Folville (murdered in 1274) was one of the knights appointed to enforce the
Provisions of Oxford
The Provisions of Oxford were constitutional reforms developed during the Oxford Parliament of 1258 to resolve a dispute between King Henry III of England and his barons. The reforms were designed to ensure the king adhered to the rule of law and ...
in 1258
and stoutly defended
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England managed by English Heritage; much of it is still in ruins. The castle was founded during the Norman conquest of England; with development through to the Tudor pe ...
after the
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham (4 August 1265) was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by the future King Edward I, who led the ...
in 1265.
Career and Life
Folville was summoned with horses and arms to a Military Council before the King's teenage
son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...
and
Lieutenant of England held at
Rochester, Kent
Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about from London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rainham, Strood and Gillin ...
in September 1297, a few days before the English defeat at the
Battle of Stirling Bridge
The Battle of Stirling Bridge ( gd, Blàr Drochaid Shruighlea) was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne ...
. John was ordered to muster at
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
for service against the Scots in December.
King Edward soon returned from his expedition to
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
and took charge of matters in Scotland and gained revenge at the
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk (''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice'' in Gaelic), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wal ...
the next summer.
In 1299 Folville helped defend
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
and was again summoned in June 1301 to join the King in his two-pronged attack which aimed to capture the whole of Scotland.
Folville served as
MP for Rutland in 1298 and 1301 and as
MP for Leicestershire from 1300 to 1306. In 1304 he was accused of breaking into the home of William Hubert of Teigh and carrying away charters and
muniment
A muniment or muniment of title is a legal term for a document, title deed or other evidence, that indicates ownership of an asset. The word is derived from the Latin noun ''munimentum'', meaning a "fortification, bulwark, defence or protection". ...
s but appears to have been excused as in 1306 he was appointed as a commissioner to enquire into progress on the building of a prison in
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
. In December 1309 he was appointed as a Justice of Leicestershire to receive complaints of violations of the
Statute of Stamford.
Folville died in 1310 and an inquisition held found that he owned Ashby Folville for the service of two
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish him ...
s.
Folville's wife Alice outlived him but found herself in trouble when she was imprisoned in
Lincoln prison in September 1332, perhaps in relation to some of her sons' activities.
Family
Folville married Alice and they had the following issue;
* Sir John Folville (1286–1327), Knight of the Shire of Leicester 1324.
Ancestor of the Woodford and Smith families who later held the manor of Ashby.
He married Mabel de la Mare, daughter and heir of Geoffrey de la Mare
[The Manors of Allexton, Appleby and Ashby Folville https://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/Vol11Allextonetal.pdf] of Ashby Mares, Northamptonshire.
*
Eustace Folville (d. 1346), credited with killing
Roger de Beler
Roger Beler was a Baron of the Exchequer and right-hand man of Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester, Hugh le Despencer and King Edward II of England, Edward II. Beler was killed by the Folville gang in 1326.
Ancestry
Beler was the son of Wi ...
in 1326 and being leader of the Folville Gang
*
Richard Folville
Richard Folville (died 1340–1) was a member of the infamous Folville Gang captained by his older brother Eustace.
Biography
Richard was the fourth of 7 sons born to Sir John Folville (died 1310) of Ashby Folville, Leicestershire. In 1321 he ...
(d. 1341), Vicar of
Teigh
Teigh is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The population of the village was 48 in the 2001 census. At the 2011 census the population remained less than 100 and was included with the civil parish ...
. Member of the Folville Gang credited with the kidnapping and ransom of
Richard de Willoughby
Sir Richard de Willoughby (c. 1290 – 14 March 1362) was an English landowner, politician and judge from Nottinghamshire, who was Chief Justice of the King's Bench for three periods between 1332 and 1340.
Origins
Born about 1290, his father ...
in 1332. Beheaded outside his church after a fire-fight.
* Walter Folville
* Robert Folville
* Laurence Folville
* Thomas Folville
All of the sons were at some time involved in rustling, kidnapping or vigilantism and were collectively known as "The Folville Gang" although they often acted independently of one another.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Folville, John
1310 deaths
English MPs 1298
English MPs 1301
People from the Borough of Melton
English MPs 1306
Members of the Parliament of England for Leicestershire