The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Hatch Manor House, Loddiswell granted on 1462 Sept 20

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In 1462 Sept 20, Thomas Gille, the younger, esquire (Thomas Gill) was granted, by Edward IV, (In year 2 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Haicche Arundell (Hatch Manor House, Loddiswell)

Grant, of special grace and in consideration of the good and gratuitious service rendered to the king, to Thomas Gille, the younger, esquire, of licence to build walls and towers with stone, lime and sand about and within his manor of Haicche Arundell, co. Devon, and to enclose the said manor with walls and towers, and construct on the said walls and towers battlements, crenellations, and machicolations and so hold it to him and his heirs; with further grant to the said Thomas, and his heirs, of licence to impark sixty acres of wood and forty acres of wood at Haicche Arundell, enclosing the same with palings and hedges; with further grant of free warren in all their demense lands of the said manor, and a several fishery in all their waters of the same manor. (CChR)

Granted at Westminster. Grant by King and of the said date etc. {by authority of parliament}.

Comments

Despite the royal service, crenellated house and deer park the family do not seem to have made it as gentry. The social class and pretensions are, however, fairly clear. The Gille's were probably wealthy enough and useful enough to deserve rewarding but their interests were going to be limited and local and unlikely to offend anyone of significant importance.

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1927, Calendar of Charter Rolls Vol. 6 p. 188

(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. 695
Higham, R. A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol. 46 p. 142-9

Thomas Gille (1425-1485)

Hatch was owned in the mid-late C15 by the Gille family of merchants, who operated out of Dartmouth and were also privateers (licenced pirates). Thomas Gille obtained a licence from the crown to fortify his manor house at Hatch and to enclose two deer parks, one of which can be identified in the valley to the south of the farm. (Devon Rural Archive)

Thomas Gille, ship owner and merchant. In 1450 recorded as a royal official involved in collecting money borrowed from the greater clergy in south-west England. Junior of four commisioners sent to arrest various "troubles" in Devon and Cornwall in 1452 (CPR p. 541). MP Totnes 1442, Dartmouth 1467-8 and ? Totnes 1470-1. controller of customs in Exeter and Dartmouth 1448, 1461. Escheator Somerset and Dorset 1460-1. Water bailiff of Dartmouth and deputy Butler port of Exeter forlife from 1461. other such posts in South West.

Biographical source include;

Wedgewood, J.C., 1936, History of Parliament Biographies of the Members of the Commons House 1439-1509 (HMSO) Vol. 2 p. 375-6

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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