Shortly after his father`s death at the Battle of Northampton on 10th July 1460, his son William, Francis`s uncle, made a suit to King Henry VI to be allowed to enter his lands. To be allowed so, he arranged for a proof of age to show he had already attained his majority. This was done on 14th September 1460 and delivered to the king on 20th September 1460. Shortly afterwards, William was allowed to enter his inherited lands and possessions.
The full text of this proof of age, translated into English, reads like this:
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Proof of age of William Beaumont, knight, Lord Bardolph, son of John, lately Viscount Beaumont and Elizabeth his wife, deceased, cousin and heir of Joan, Lady Bardolph, namely, son of Elizabeth, daughter of the aforementioned Joan, and cousin and heir of Anne, who was the wife of Reginald Cobham, knight, namely, son of Elizabeth, daughter of the said Joan, sister of the same Anne, in this inquiry, shortly put together [1], made and taken at Folkingham, 14th day of September, in the sixth regnal year of King Henry [2].
In the presence of Richard Fishburn, eschaetor [3] of the said Lord King in the county of Lincoln, by virtue of the aforementioned escaetor immediately, by oath twelve good and lawful men of the aforementioned county below. Namely:
Thomas Claymond, armed man, aged 46 years and more, sworn and examined on the majority [4] of the aforementioned William Beaumont, knight, he says that the aforementioned William Beaumont, knight, was born at Edenham in the earlier mentioned county and was baptised in the church of the same town, on the feast of St. George the Martyr, in the 15th regnal year of the current King, and whose godfathers were the abbot of Crowland [5], and Bartholomew Brokesby and godmother of William was Anne, wife of William Poter, knight. He was 22 years on the feast of St. George the Martyr last past, before the taking of evidence [6].
And asked how he knows, says on the same feast of St George the Martyr the aforementioned William was born, the same Thomas was sent by John, Lord Beaumont, for which the aforesaid Thomas was delayed, to see to preparations in the said church, and his lord afterwards attested that the second said lord [7] went to the said church and there discovered colourful silken and exquisit vestiments everywhere at the font of the said church, which was also adorned with some cloth of gold of red and pleasing colours, and Robert Wilbraham, armed man, John Trenthall, and a number of other servants of the said Lord Beaumont, father of the aforementioned William, discovered the same, which the aforesaid Robert Wilbraham and John Trenthall themselves said to be true; that the aforementioned William was born on the said feast of St George. Which also means they well remember that the same William was 22 years on the feast of St George last past.
Thomas Walcote of Pykworth, aged 60 years and more, sworn and examined on the majority of the aforementioned William Beaumont, [8] that he is over age, the day, year and location of the birth of the aforesaid William tally with the earlier mentioned Thomas Claymond. And asked how he knows, says he saw the abbot of Crowland, godfather of the aforesaid William, perform in his office [9] the baptism of the same William, at the time the same William was baptised, which also means he well remembers that the same William was 22 years on the feast of St George last past.
Thomas Bowett, aged 50 years and more, sworn etc. [10], says that he himself was present and saw Anne, godmother of the aforesaid William, lift the said William from the sacred font at the time. Which also means, etc. [11]
John Robinson of Kirkeby, aged 60 years and more, sworn etc., says that he himself saw Margaret, lately the wife of William Armine, carry the aforesaid William to the church at the aforementioned baptism, on the same feast of St George on which the said William was baptised. Which also means, etc.
Henry Everard of Lavington, aged 48 years and more, sworn etc.says that he himself carried a flaming torch [12] before the body of the aforesaid William from the aforementioned church of Edenham to the manor of Grimsthorpe, on the same feast of St George on which the said William was baptised. Which also means, etc.
Simon Messingham of Sandringham, aged 69 years and more, sworn etc. says that he himself carried one pair of gilded, covered, basins from the manor of Grimsthorpe to the aforementioned church of Edenham, for the washing of the hands of the godfather [13] and godmother of the aforesaid William after the baptism of the said William, on the same feast of St George on which the said William was baptised. Which also means, etc.
Walter Bassett, aged 46 years and more, sworn etc. says that Robert his firstborn son was born on the same feast of St George, which etc. [14]
John Trussel, aged 53 years and more, sworn etc. says that he himself on the feast of St George carried carried two robes, called Carpette [15], spread out before the font of the said church of Edenham on the feast the same William was baptised. Which also means, etc.
Henry Curwyn, aged 51 years and more, sworn etc. says that he himself sold John Lord Beaumont a palfrey of white colour for 10 pounds at Grimsthorpe on the same feast, which etc.
John Newyk, aged 68 and more, sworn etc. says that he himself bought from John Lord Beaumont, father of the aforesaid William, ten acres of wood for 10 pounds, 3 shillings, four pennies, on the same feast, which etc.
Thomas, body servant [16] of the abbot of Crowland, aged 48 years and more, sworn etc. says that at the time he was the abbot`s body servant and rode with the aforementioned abbot to Grimsthorpe on the same feast. which etc.
John Newton, aged 59 years and more, sworn etc. says that on the same feast of St George Simon Selle, father of the aforementioned John, was buried in the church of Edenham, which etc.
Dated at Folkingham, the aforesaid 14th day of September, the abovementioned year of the Lord King.
(One source for the text in the original Latin, but typed, to be found here.)
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[1] This presumably means that it was put together at short notice, only two months after the death of William`s father, rather than the inquiry itself was short, as it has the normal form and length.
[2] 1460 was actually the 38th year of Henry VI`s reign, and calling it his sixth was probably a mistake that happened during a transcription.
[3] The Latin text says "Escaetore".
[4] Literally, "over age".
[5] When William was born, the abbot of Crowland was John Litlington.
[6] That is, 23rd April 1460.
[7] This second lord is not actually named.
[8] Strangely, a verb is missing here, but it should probably be "says", as in all other statements.
[9] His office of priest, not godfather.
[10] From that point on, the text no longer repeats all the formalities.
[11] As above.
[12] There is a spelling mistake in the original text, but it clearly means "torch".
[13] It says "godfather" in the singular, despite William having had two godfathers, as mentioned above. Presumably, it means there was one basin for his godmother and one for his godfathers.
[14] The formalities are shortened even more.
[15] The name for those cloths probably comes from the French "carpette".
[16] Literally, servant for his hands.
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