Vol 1: The Bluets - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Bluets 116
These candles required 30 lbs of wax….generally costing 7d a lb - £0 17s
6d annually 505 . This wasn't the only charge on the monastery, every year
on the anniversary of Sir John's death "the nuns are to give ½ d each to a
thousand poor people" 108 which was a yearly cost of £2 1s 6d. “This
payment was maintained until the Reformation – a payment of £2 1s 8d was
made to the poor on [the feast of] St Petronilla Virgin Mary (May 31 st )”
506
Eleanor, John‘s widow, went on a pilgrimage in 1321, her destination is not
known although it was abroad 507 .
Eleanor was able to go away as the girls were in the wardship of Maud,
Countess of Gloucester. Maud died a year later in 1322, and from her
Inquisition it becomes apparent that John Bluet actually had three
daughters. He had held the manor of Langeton, within the lordship of
Kaerlion [Caerleon] in Wales 508 ; a record of 1322 shows the Countess
Maud, the widow of Gilbert de Clare, held the wardship of the manor
by reason of the minority of Eleanor, Margaret and Joan,
daughters and heirs of John Bluet deceased, who held the
manor of the said countess as of her dowerie of the fees of
her husband. 509
Joan does not appear in any other record so far located and her fate is
unknown 510 but it is suggested that she is Margaret‘s daughter. If she
505
Talbot CH (1876) On the agreement between the abbess Johanna de Montfort
and the convent of Lacock, and Sir John Bluet, Lord of Lackham, concerning the
erection of a chapel of Our Lady adjoining the Abbey Church of Lacock AD 1315
WAM XVI p350
506
Recorded in Clark-Maxwell (1904) On the Appropriation of Lacock Abbey WAM
33 p361
507
Victoria County History Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol II p126-128
508
This is the manor which provided the money to pay William Martel the 60 sous
d‘argent seen above
509
Inquisitions Edw III dated 23 June 1322
510
It is possible that Joan died 1322 – 23