The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Stoke Poges granted on 1331 Dec 23

Grant, for life, to John de Molyns, king's yeoman, that he shall hold his houses in the manors of Stoke Pugeys and Ditton, co. Buckingham, quit of livery of marshals of the household or other ministers of the king or magnates of the realm, so as no marshal, steward or minister shall lodge or make livery for any one therein. By p.s.
Licence for him to crenellate the dwelling houses of the said manors. (CPR)

Johannes de Molyns ... mansum ... Stoke Pogeys, Buks. (Turner and Parker)

Granted at Wells. Grant by privy seal.

Comments

add on to grant for life of the manors of Stoke Pugeys and Ditton.

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1893, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1330-34) p. 226 online copy

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms. Licentia is best translated as 'freedom to' not 'permission'.)

Significant later sources are;

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol. 3 (Cambridge) p. 211
Jens Röhrkasten, 2004, ‘Moleyns , Sir John (d. 1360)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed)
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 part 2 p. 410 online copy

Moleyns , Sir John (d. 1360)

John de Molyns, although described as the king's yeoman, was Treasurer to Edward III and was eventually knighted. His later career was an almost textbook 'robber baron'.
Moleyns (Molyns, Molines), Sir John (d. 1360), administrator and criminal, was the son of Vincent Moleyns and his wife, Isabella; he came from Hampshire, where his father had stood surety for a knight of the shire returned to parliament in 1301. His recorded career began in the royal household, as an adherent of the Despensers. In the autumn of 1325 he accompanied Prince Edward to France, and delivered a letter to the bishop of Winchester there. He married Egidia Mauduit, daughter of Sir John Mauduit and granddaughter of Robert Poges, who claimed a share of the manor of Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire. Egidia and her husband profited from the murder of Peter Poges, lord of the manor, and his heir in the autumn of 1326, and Moleyns was later indicted of this crime but acquitted, though by a jury partly selected by himself. Stoke Poges became the centre of his estates which extended over thirty-one manors and tenements at the time of their confiscation in December 1340. (Röhrkasten)

Biographical source include;

Jens Röhrkasten, 2004, ‘Moleyns , Sir John (d. 1360)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed)

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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