BEAUCHAMP (of Somerset) 49 writs directed '■^Johanni de Bella Campo de Somerset " i^") whereby he may- be held to have become LORD BEAUCHAMP. He was knighted with the Prince of Wales, 22 May 1306. In 1321 (14 Edw. II) he sue. to the extensive estates of his mother, which included Sturminster Marshal, Dorset, Bullingham, co. Cambridge, i^c. Governor of Bridgwater Castle, 1325. He ;«., in or before 1301, Joan, said to have been da. of ( — ) Chen- DuiT. She d. 9 Feb. 1327. (*") He d. 1336, after 20 Oct., aged 62. II. 1336. 2. John (Beauchamp), Lord Beauchamp, 2nd, but 1st surv.('^) s. and h., h. apparently after 4 Oct. 1304, when his sisters Alienor and Beatrice were living. He was aged 30 in 1336. He was sum. to Pari. 29 Nov. 1336 to 24 Feb. 1342/3, by writs directed as above. He served in the wars with France. He m. Margaret, most probably da. of John St. John [ist Lord St. John of Basing], by Isabel, da. of Sir Hugh Courtenav. He d. 19 May I343.() His widow, who had dower 24 Sep. 1343, d. 19 Nov. 1361, a month after the death of her son. III. 1343 3. John (Beauchamp), Lord Beauchamp, s. and h., to b. 20 Jan. 1329/30, at. Stoke under Hamden. He was 1 36 1. sum. to Pari. 15 Nov. 1351 to 20 Nov. 1360, by writs directed as above. He »;., before 1354/5, Alice, da. of Thomas (Beauchamp), Earl of Warwick, by Katherine, da. of Roger (de Mortimer), Earl of March. He d. s.p., 8 Oct. 1361, aged 31, when any Barony descendible to heirs general, which may be held to have existed, other cases, e.g. in the writs issued to different members of the families of Grey, Willoughby, fsJ'c.), Baronies of Beauchamp thus respectively designated, (though, of course, not Baronies " of Warwick " or " of Somerset " per se), instead of two Baronies each of the name of " Beauchamp " alone, as given in Nicolas and Courthope. See also post, note " c " next page. In Geoffrey le Baker's (contemporary) Chronicle, at the battle of Poitiers, 1356, Beauchamp of Hache is described as " Dominus de Beauchamp Somersetensis" which he was on the rendering of the writ, (ex inform. J. H. Round). G.E.C. The present Editor's view on this question is clear, simple, and decided: viz. that, as at this date there was no idea in the mind of anyone that a writ of summons could create any title at all, it is arguing about shadows to dispute as to how much of the direction of the writ was meant to be included in the supposed title. The Editor is satisfied that such words as "de Somerset," " de Warwick," etc., were mere postal addresses used for identification and distinction, though as time went on and different men of the same surname continued to be sum. to Pari, and gradually became recognised as peers, e.g. the Lords Grey of Ruthyn, and Grey of Codnor, what was originally the address became recognised and accepted as part of the title. The whole question of the effect, in historical fact, of early writs of summons is discussed in the last volume. Appendix A. V.G. (^) He was one of the Barons who, as John de Beauchamp Lord of Hache, signed the letter to the Pope in 1301. C") Register of the Abbey of Athelney. (') His elder br., William, d. v.p. (^) Copy of Will, Add. Chart. 40616.
