EvidenceGeoffrey is mentioned in at least nine of a series of records of the
Court of the King’s Bench. This
was the highest criminal court in England, conducted within the king’s immediate purview though not always in his actual presence. This Oyer and Terminer was a retrospective inquiry into the bitter feud between the Pilkington and Savile/Stansfield families. The offences included theft, assault, murder, arson of a church with a member of the Stansfield family inside, mob behaviour featuring 500 men in "warlike array", and the ejection of Geoffrey from his home and lands and continued unlawful retention of them.The content of these records cannot be reproduced here at this time for copyright reasons but, for those who wish to pursue further information, the specific catalogue references and dates of the offences are listed below. The dates given are the dates on which the offences occurred and not the date of the record. The inquiry itself did not begin until 1478.
4 May 1469 National Archives KB9/349/140
10 Aug 1470 National Archives KB9/349/5
20 Jan 1471 National Archives KB9/349/8
c1474 National Archives KB9/349/89
29 May 1474 National Archives KB9/349/182
3 Nov 1474 National Archives KB9/349/32
12 Nov 1474 National Archives KB9/349/85a
11 Nov 1477 National Archives KB9/349/174
20 May 1478 National Archives KB9/349/41
30 May 1481
Grant by Thomas Clyn (?) of Clyfton to Geoffrey Stansfeld, gent., Thomas ------, William --aynson of Horburye, John Clay of Clifton, and Jacob Kent, chaplain of messuage, tenements, etc., lately had from John Palden, vicar of Myrfeld, in Clyfton. Witnesses: Thomas Brooke, John Bradelle, Richard Clakebron (?).
(Deeds relating to Clifton KM/139)
15 Mar 1482 (fragments) Grant by ------ Cosyn, son and heir of William Cosyn, lately deceased, to John Sayvile, of a messuage in Clifton, lately had of the feoffments of Geoffrey Stansfeld. Witnesses, Robert Taylor and others.
(Deeds relating to Clifton KM/140)
Between 1484 - 1489
Trespass: close
Plaintiff: Stansfeld, Geoffrey
Defendants: Halsall, James, of Hertyshede, yeoman; Elizabeth his wife; Glover, Ughtred, of Hudersfeld, yeoman; Lawe, Robert, of Mirfeld, husbandman; Bentley, Lawrence, of Heptonstall, yeoman; Laburn, Robert, of Eland, Halifax, chaplain (
CP40/895 f.420).
24 July 1502 Marriage settlement written at Stansfeld.
Geoffrey Stansfield to James Stansfield & Ellen Passelew.
Grant and indenture by Geoffrey [Galfridus] Stansfeld, Esquire, to James Stansfeld and Elene Paslewe daugher of Alexi [Alexander] Paslewe, granting them Hartshead haule [hall] which is currently occupied /held by Agnes late the wife of Radi [Radulphus] Stansfeld (from the original record).
1503 at Soureby (Sowerby) Geoffrey Stancefeld pays 2s-6d heriot on the death of his brother James (Jacobus)
.
(Wakefield Court Rolls)
1505 Geoffrey Stansfield plaintiff re trespass.
(
Below) Finally, below is Geoffrey's
Inquisition Post Mortem dated 14 Nov 1508 in which
Edward Stansfeld, first son of Richard, is named as trustee as he was Geoffrey's nearest relative apart from his sons who could not be trustees as they were beneficiaries.
(Calendar of IPMs & other analagous docs Hen VII Vol 3)
