After the reinstatement of Repton Priory and Prior John Young, in 1537, the 99-year Lease of Calke issued to John Preste, became a legally binding document.[1] The fact that the first 59 years were prepaid made it an extremely valuable target of greed in the following years.
All seemed well until 1538 when Thomas Cromwell took Repton Priory for the second and final time. [2]
John Preste, having lent funds to help with the reinstatement of Repton, had put both his and his family’s lives in danger by showing his support for the Catholic faith.
To be safe, they had to leave London and go to the country; Calke was the obvious place, far away from London. The thought was in Tudor times ‘Out of sight out of mind’.
Before leaving London, John passed his other property holdings to his son-in-law Arthur Devonshire, [3] also a Master Grocer, for safekeeping and similarly with his Apprentices. [4]
While at Calke, John converted the Priory into a Tudor house now named Calke Manor for his wife Alice and daughter Frances. They remained there in hiding until Thomas Cromwell was beheaded in July 1540.
Now safe, John returned to London to continue his grocery business but kept Calke Manor as his main residence until he died in October 1546.
When John Preste died in October 1546, Frances, his youngest daughter, (believed to be about 8 years old), became the next legal owner of the lease of Calke.
The will’s wording was to ensure that only Frances would benefit from owning the lease and not her Husband when she gets married.
(It was the routine practice in Tudor times, for a husband to ‘take over’ his wife’s property holdings on marriage).
With Alice named as his Executrix, John’s will states –
“The remainder of the pre-paid period and the 40-year balance of the Calke Lease are left to my youngest Daughter – Frances and her Heirs”
Because of her young age, John states that his wife Alice has custody of Frances and is to act as her Guardian until she is of age or married.
Also, he states that if Alice wishes to remain at Calke Manor, she is to pay rent of £13.6s.8d. per annum and be responsible for all necessary repairs.
This shows that Alice had properties in her name, which John had left untouched.
John also left Frances the Lease of a farm Mantelles, plus 1/3 of his monies after debts and funeral. Alice is set to receive 1/3 and the final 1/3 to perform his last wishes. [5]
What happened next – see how the story unfolds below…
All changed on 12th January 1547 when Alice remarried. Her new husband was Richard Blackwall – a Lawyer of The Inner Temple, London. (1517c – 1568) [6]
Richard Blackwall was a senior knight in Derbyshire due to his connections, rather than land. He was also a Justice of the Peace. A legal opponent described him as ‘greatly friended and allied’ within the shire and accused him of exploiting this advantage to pervert justice at the Assizes. Blackwall was very ambitious and used his knowledge of the Law for his own advantage, even if it meant being underhand by twisting the facts. He enjoyed the power and standing it gave him over others.
When he married Alice, he took his ‘Rights of Marriage’ and acquired Calke with the grand Tudor House, a prepaid lease giving great wealth, with land and permissions.
The tenants of Calke were issued 21-year leases, with the dues to be paid to Blackwall. [7]
With his household established there, he took on the role of ‘Lord of the Manor’ of Calke. He had status and income, so he was happy to be registered as the owner of Calke in Elizabeth I Pardon Rolls, in 1559. [8]
It didn’t appear to bother him that the legal leaseholder of Calke was his step-daughter Frances who was entitled to the estate income and status.
Perhaps it was the realisation of what kind of man she had married and his treatment of Frances that prompted Alice to make a short will in February 1548, making Richard Blackwall her Executive, then stating that her first husband John Prest’s will was to be honoured, and that Richard should be a good father to her daughter Frances. [9]
However, Alice stood no chance against the likes of Richard Blackwall, as a woman had no standing in those days – unless later, you were (say) – Bess of Hardwick or Elizabeth I.
One can imagine Richard Blackwall as the archetypal pantomime villain. Even his name fits. (If you were watching a Pantomime, you’d ‘BOO’ every time Richard came on stage – as he was selfish and not at all a caring stepfather to Frances.) Even in his own will dated July 1567, he states that “no good thing dwelleth in my flesh and nature depraved” and that he was “a slave to the devil and damnation”. [10]
Are things about to improve for Frances when in December 1557 she marries William Bradbourne of Hough, son and heir to Sir Humphrey Bradbourne (a friend of Richard Blackwall)?
Unfortunately, nothing changed for Frances as Richard retained the Lease and continued to take all the income from Calke Manor.
Can things get any worse? – What comes next for Frances – a Court Case, which Richard Blackwall technically, can’t afford to lose.
Next article – Lichfield Consistory Court, Lichfield Cathedral – Was this marriage legal?
(Information: You will note several variations to the spelling ‘Preste’. Each variation detailed will reflect those used in the original documents
References
[1] DRO – D2375/D/D/12/11 (D2375M/286/4/1-2) – Derbyshire Record Office, Matlock.
[2] Repton Priory – dissolution 1536 – british-history.ac.uk/vch/derbs/vol2/pp58-63
[3] TNA C 78/2/87 – The National Archives, Kew. (Judgement 1541 when trying to retrieve properties)
[4] Index of Freeman 1345 – 1645 – Guildhall, London.
[5] TNA – PROB 11/31/310 – also transcript Derbyshire Wills 1393-1574. No. 51 – Derbyshire Record Society – 1998
[6] History of parliamentonline1509-1558/member/blackwall-richard-1517-68
[7] TNA PROB 11/50/84 – Will of Richard Blackwall makes reference to 21-year leases issued to his Tenants at Calke.
[8] Elizabeth’s HATHI TRUST – Ref.189
[9] TNA PROB 11/44/274 – also transcript Derbyshire Wills 1393-1574. No. 83 – Derbyshire Record Society – 1998
[10] TNA PROB 11/50/84 – also transcript Derbyshire Wills 1393-1574. No. 97 – Derbyshire Record Society – 1998
