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Title:
Agreement between the abbot W. and convent of Holyrood on the one hand,
and Walter "Magistrum" [master] and the brethren of "Torphean" [Torphichen,
West Lothian] on the other, with regard to the dispute sent before the
ecclesiastical judges about the teinds and obventions of Ogilfas [Ogilface,
West Lothian]. By the authority of the judges, in presence of "W. de
Bosch" [William del Bois (Wood)], the king's chancellor, and other
knowledgeable men, the abbot and convent of Holyrood agree to concede to
the brethren all the teinds and ecclesiastical incomes that they used to
receive on the land of Ogilface. The brethren will hold it freely
but will give back to Holyrood Abbey every year 4 marks of silver, 2 at
the day of Pentecost and 2 at the day of St Martin. In order for this
agreement to remain unchanged and not revoked, the ecclesiastical judges,
the convent of the chapter of St Andrews and the chapter of the Hospital
of Lundon [London] signed [no names]. June 1211 - November 1224.
Ref No: GD45/13/247. Repository:
National Archives of Scotland
In 1298, during the
Battle of
Falkirk, Alexander de Welles, Master of Torphichen Preceptory, was
killed. Based
on the heraldic evidence* there is
very
little doubt that Alexander de Welles was a member of the
Lincolnshire family.
Also at Falkirk were
Adam de Welle(s) of Lincolnshire (and of the
Castle of Yester
in Lothian to whom King Edward gave
various properties - Ref No: GD45/27/141) and Philip de Welle(s)**
Alexander is said to
have been replaced as Master by Ranulph de Lindsay***. It is interesting
to note that in 1390, in Edinburgh,
Baron John de Welles, of the same family, challenged David Lindsay
(later 1st Earl of
Crawford
(2) ) to a duel, a joust on London Bridge in which Welles was unhorsed
at the third pass. The last of this Welles line was
John, Viscount
Lord Welles (2)
who died in 1499.
Any possible link
between Alexander de Welles, Brother
Richard of Welles (House of the Temple****, Perth), Walter de Welles (Aberdeen) and
chaplain Galfridus (Geoffrey) de Wellys (Aberdeen) has yet to be
established. However, it is probable that they too were English or of
English descent.
More details are included
here.
Refuge Stones on Canmore
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This is a NIR (converted to B&W for contrast) of the central
'Sanctuary stone' in the Torphichen Kirkyard. The east and west
'sanctuary stones' still stand in their original positions. It is my
thoughts that the prehistoric type stones are of much earlier origin
than the medieval Preceptory, possibly being related to the boundary
of the hillforts in the local area. |
This is a NIR of the top of the central 'Sanctuary stone' in the
Torphichen Kirkyard. Note it has a central hole or well and has been
incised with a cross. This could have been to ritualise the pagan
alter stone. It is suggested that the stone was brought down from
Cairnpapple but could have come from any of the prehistoric areas
within the local region. |
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The rear of the Witch Craigs refuge stone showing the
Cross of Lorraine. This stone was removed from its original location
which was probably from the fields just up from Haddies Walls in the
valley below.
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The Gormyre refuge stone. Just visible is the outline of part of a
cross. Originally described as a Maltese Cross, now in its poor
state of preservation, it could be interpreted as various other
forms of cross (Potent,
or Lorraine). (Until Jim took this photo it was thought that
'there is now no trace of the cross' )
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Local knowledge suggests that this large stone boulder at
the edge of a wood was one of the northern boundary refuge stones in the
area. This would have stood in the centre of the field to the rear of
Craigend House near Lochote. There are no obvious markings on the stone
and it appears to have been badly damaged when relocated. |
The western refuge stone. This is located in the Parish
boundary wall just to to the north from the fallen standing stone. The
front face and rear of the stone is incised with a simple cross.
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Jim Knowles © Jim Knowles near
infra-red |
See also:
Torphichen and the Knights Hospitaller. W.J. MacLennan*,
J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2003;33(Suppl 12):64-71.
* Professor Emeritus of Geriatric Medicine, The University
of Edinburgh and member of the EAFS survey team at
Woodend (Ogilface Castle). |
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Tomb of Lionel Lord Welles,
Methley, Yorkshire.
On the 29th March
1461 at the Battle of
Towton
(1),
near Tadcaster in Yorkshire,
Lionel Lord Welles (1)
(2)
of the Lincolnshire line was killed and his body conveyed in secret to
his tomb in
Methley
(2)
near Leeds (home of his
second wife).
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______________________________________________________________________________________________________
*
Bruce McAndrew,
Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot, 129,
663-752, (1999) (pdf) and Scotland's Historic Heraldry (2006), Boydell and Brewer Ltd:
'The
seal probably has a crusilly background, to differentiate Alexander
from the head of his house'.
George F. Black also cites references to Alexander's seal (A shield, lion
rampant, S' F' ris - Bain, II, p. 202, 558), Richard de Welles (1240), Walter de Welles (1277) and Galfridus (Geoffrey) de Wellys
(1317) in The Surnames of Scotland 1946, reprinted 1999.
**Probably of Essex as
Philip de Welles of Lincolnshire was dead by 1282/3 (J.
L. Knapp, pers. comm.).
(NB John, son of Adam
de
Welles held the manor of Theydon Garnon,
Essex Record Office: Note of Final Concord 1345/46, by service of 7s.
with inter alia, land at Epping and claimed ten. at Sutton, Lincolnshire.
John, Lord de Welles died in 1361, holding jointly with his wife the
manor, a messuage, and lands in Theydon Garnon, Epping and Theydon Bois
From: 'Theydon Garnon: Manors',
A
History of the County of Essex: Volume 4: Ongar Hundred (1956), pp.
262-269).
*** We know of no primary source indicating his
appointment.
**** The House of the Temple could refer to
the ancient site of the Temple of Mars which was situated on the site of
the present corner of High Street and Watergate in Perth. Later, it was
the site of the town house of the Mercer family. We would like to
acknowledge the information provided by Steve Connelly (Archivist, Perth &
Kinross Council Archive) relating to this property and to land owned by
the Templars in Perthshire.
We have a research
interest in the
Well(e)s families of the UK, especially
Robert Welles
(2)
of
Galphay (in the
parish of Kirkby Malzeard,
which was the lower half of the Peculiar of
Masham in
Yorkshire), who leased a substantial property there for 45
years from Fountains Abbey
(1) (2)
in 1538 (shortly before its dissolution) paying 5 marks per
annum (1 mark = 13 shillings and 4 pence = 66p). Lands in the Kirkby
Malzeard area were once the property of the
Mowbray
(Moubray / Moubrai) family, who had a castle
there just over 2km from Galphay
(which was besieged in 20 Henry II [ie 1174] by Henry, the elect
Bishop of Lincoln and soon
after pulled down along with his other castle at
Thirsk).
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