Vol 1: The Bluets - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Bluets 85
on 24 th June 1287. This council was being headed by Earl Edmund because
Edward I was in France, trying to settle disagreements over the ownership
of Sicily. William was not the only Bluet involved this time; his son John
Bluet was also in Wales in 1287, he was there with the Duke of Norfolk, his
overlord for Silchester and Lackham 368. It is noteworthy that two Bluets
were called up – this hadn‘t even happened during the major invasion of
Wales two years earlier. In the event it turned out this was because the
regents, perhaps fearing a revolt on the scale of 1282-83 was imminent,
responded with magnificent overreaction 369 and 24,000 men were
mobilised. As it turned out this was not that serious a rebellion and was all
over by the new year, but ap Maredudd remained at large until he was
betrayed by four of his own men in April 1288. He was eventually hung and
quartered at York. 370
The Bluet‘s Wiltshire land was not confined to Lackham, of course; in
common with the landowning patterns of the time there were parcels of
land spread all over the county – for example William is recorded as
holding a small amount of land 371 at Hurdecotes Ashton, somewhere
between Semington and Westbury in Wiltshire from at least 1255 to
1277. Other evidence that William owned land in many places can be
found, if needed, in an agreement of 1282, where he acknowledged in
Chancery that he owed Nicholas, son of Nicholas the treasurer of Wells,
300 marks, and that this was to be levied on his lands in Wiltshire and
Berkshire if he 372 failed to pay 373. This money was dowry so that
Summons vol 1 p250
368
Calendar of Close Rolls Edw I 1282 – 1292 p274 ―John Bluet who is in Wales
with the Duke of Norfolk until Michaelmas‖ dated Hereford 23 July
128
369
Morris, M (2008) A Great and Terrible King : Edward I and the Forging of
Britain Hutchinson London p217
370
Jenkins, GH (2006) A Concise History of Wales Cambridge p107
371
Victoria County History Wiltshire VIII p208. 2 carucates. The land was
―probably‖ held from the barony of Castle Combe
372
Morris, M (2008) A Great and Terrible King : Edward I and the Forging of
Britain Hutchinson London p217
373
Calendar Close Rolls Edw I vol 1 1279 – 1288 p 180 dated Friday after St Gegory
1282. This would have been Friday the 13th of March, as the Feast of St Gregory
(12 March) was on Thursday in 1282. This St. Gregory was the early Pope Gregory