Catalogue description THE PRAYERS INHERITANCE

Strixton (Northants.) was the ancient patrimony of the Prayers (or de Pratellis) family, held by them since the 12th century. [Bridges, Northants. ii. 197; VCH Northants. iv. 55.] It passed from William de Prayers (temp. Ric. I) to his son and heir Henry, who acquired the lands held in dower by Felicia widow of William Fauconberg, and then to Henry's successor Henry (II) de Prayers, who held a quarter of a fee there of the earl of Warwick in 1296. The younger Henry is said to have married Sarah, a daughter of Norman de Beaumont, and acquired Dorsington in her right [Bridges, Northants. ii. 197.] but while there are several charters concerned with the Beaumont family in Dorsington there is no evidence for the suggestion and, indeed, Henry (II)'s wife is not named and appears in none of the charters. Moreover, in 1316 it was Henry's uncle Thomas de Verdon who was named as lord of Dorsington [Feud. Aids, iv. 267.] Henry died in 1322 and was succeeded by his son Thomas (d. 1328 x 1339), [Some sort of settlement of Dorsington and Strixton was made in 1328 when feoffees granted the manors to Thomas.] who left a widow Alice (fl. 1339), and Thomas by his son Sir Henry (III) (d. 1346 x 1348). That Henry's wife was called Sarah, and when their son Thomas (II) de Prayers died without issue between 1388 and 1391 the family lands passed to his sister Alice, wife of Baldwin de Drayton. [Bridges, Northants. ii. 197. It has been suggested that Baldwin's wife Alice was the daughter of Richard son of Thomas (II) de Prayers: VCH Northants. iv. 55. It is unlikely, however, that Alice, who was married by 1357, was the granddaughter of Thomas (II), who was still active in 1388. Richard son of Thomas de Prayers was one of four brothers of Henry (III), the others being John (cf. below, BCM/G/3/1/42 [GC 3805]), Thomas and William: Bridges, Northants. ii 197. There is on evidence that Richard was concerned with the manor of Dorsington.]

Most of the charters are concerned with Dorsington; Strixton is represented by relatively few, possibly because George Shirley sold it in 1588.