Michael Linton's Bayeux Tapestry: 1066 - A Medieval Mosaic and Puzzles

Mortiuale :

for Martival or Martivaus. This family bore Argent, a cinque-foil Sable, pierced of the field, and held Noseley in Leicestershire of the Earls of Leicester "by an annual acknowledgment of a rose flower." It was probably, as well as their own bearing, in honour of the rose or cinquefoil of their suzerains the Beaumonts. Ralph de Mortivall, in the time of King John, witnesses a charter of the last of, these Earls; and, in a previous generation, William de Mortivall had granted some lands to St. Mary's Abbey at Leicester with their consent. Anketill Martivaus was Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1240 and 1241; and Sheriff of Leicester in 1258. "His son, Sir Anketill, founded a chantry in the chapel of his mansion house at Noseley, which was afterwards enlarged by his son Roger to a collegiate church."—Nichol's Leicestershire. This little college was founded in honour of the Ascension of Our Lord and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin; "which festivals had been ever the especial favourites of Roger de Martival from his attaining years of discretion." He became a churchman, having entered Merton College in 1280, and been the donor of several valuable MS. to its library; and was first Archdeacon of Leicester, then Dean of Lincoln, and lastly, Bishop of Salisbury from 1315 to 1329. Fuller includes him in his list of "Worthies;" and says, "Now seeing Bishop Godwin hath nothing more of him than his name and date, it is charity further to inform posterity that he was the last heir male of his house, and founded a college at Nowsley." His heiress was his sister Joyce, married to Sir Robert de Sadyngton of Sadyngton in Leicestershire some time Chancellor of Ireland; and their daughter Isabel brought Noseley to one of the Hastings family. Leland's account is somewhat different: "Noseley longid to the Blaketes: and an Heire general of them about Edward the 3. Tyme was married to Roger de Martevalle that founded the little College of Noseley. This Noseley and other Landes thereaboute cam onto 2 Doughtters of one of the Mortevilles, whereof one was married onto Hugh Hastinges, the other was a Nunne, and alienid much of her Parte." This may have been a younger sister of Isabel de Sadyngton, whose husband was not Hugh, but Sir Ralph de Hastings, Sheriff of York and Governor of York Castle in 1377.