Vol 1: The Bluets - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Bluets 29
or Ralph V and is an unrecognised Bluet having previously been assumed to
have been Ralph IV or Ralph V.
Nothing else is known of him for certain but his son Ralph married
Amicia, daughter and heir of John Picard 97 . Their lands were mainly in
the Marches; they were granted the Manor of Thurcleston, in
Herefordshire, by Amicia‘s father on their marriage and in 1308 “[Ralph
Bluet‘s] wife Amicia and himself were possessors of Almay after the
death of John Picard “98 Two years previously John Picard had been
tasked with providing a levy of 100 footmen to attend the king at
Montgomery 99 . This was part of a general levy of the local area. It is
not clear from whom they held the manor; in 1310 Ralph is seen holding
from John son of Reginald 100 but the surname is not given. Ralph was
holding land in Raglan in 1315 101 ,
Ralph and Amicia were affected by the turbulent history of the early
fourteenth century; in 1321 Thomas, earl of Lancaster, Leicester, Lincoln
and Salisbury and King Edward II‘s cousin, sought to take advantage of a
climate of discontent with the king (brought about by his favouritism and
weak rule over many years) and rebelled against the King, drawing his
support from barons in Wales and the north of England
Uncharacteristically Edward II acted with a sense of purpose 102 and
97
Anon (1878) The Picards or Pycards of Straddewy (now Tretower) castle and
Scethrog, Brecknockshire Goldney & Lawrence p34, digitised at
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FH10&CISOPT
R=68552&REC=9
98
Anon (1878) ibid
99
Calendar of Welsh Rolls Edw I yrs 5 to 23 pp280-281 dated March 21 1283
100
Inquisitions Post Mortem vol V Edw II no 205 p106 IPM of John son of Reginald
deceased Hereford 4 July 3 Edw II [1310] Straddeuwy : the manor held by Ralph
Bluet for 3 knight‘s fees.
101
Inquisitions Post Mortem vol V Edw II no 538 p336 IPM of Gilbert de
Clare earl of Gloucestershire and Hertford, inquisition held at Monmouth, 27
Sept 8 Edw II [1315] Raglan 1 fee held by Ralph Bluet
102
David Carpenter felt that Edward was a less than successful king, saying at one
point the most hopeless king to sit on the English throne [Carpenter, D (2003)
The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066-1284 OUP ISBN 0-19-522000-
5 p525]