The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. II.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Foluile : from Folleville, in Picardy. The town of Ashby-Folville and the (now depopulated) hamlet of Newbolt-Folville in Leicestershire owe their names to this family, whom we find seated at Ashby in the reign of Stephen. From Fulk de Folville, who was living there in 1137, the pedigree is regularly traced to Sir William, who sided with the revolted barons in 1216; and whose son Sir Eustace "was one of those who, after the battle of Evesham, so stoutly defended Kenilworth Castle against the King in 1265; notwithstanding all which he was suffered to compound for his estate and received the King's pardon." Three Folvilles served as knights of the shire for Leicester during the reign of Ed. II. In 1326, another Eustace, "with two of his brothers, having been threatened by Roger le Beler, one of the justices itinerant, they took the law into their own hands, and barbarously murdered the judge in a valley near Reresby. This Eustace died in 1347, and is traditionally supposed to be represented by a monumental figure in Ashby Church."—Nichols. He appears to have received no punishment: the King "gave pardon for this and other trespasses." The principal line ended with four brothers, sons of Sir John de Folville and his wife Mabel, daughter and sole heir of Sir Geoffrey De la Mare. The eldest, again Sir John, was childless, having "wedded an old ancyant lady of Yorkshire that was the wyfe of the Lorde Marmion; and he might dispende yearly by her vii C. marks. And they kept a worthy household and a greate at Ashby-Folville. And the said Sir John was a knight of the good Duke of Lancaster, and the said Duke would come and lie at Ashby many divers times when it pleased him; and he gave Sir John xx marks of fee yearly." Geoffrey, the second brother, died early in life, and left two daughters; Mabel, his heiress, who was in ward to John of Gaunt, and married to John de Woodford, and Alice, the wife of Edmund Kinvile of Norfolk. Sir Christopher, the third, also died before his time, leaving an only child, Margaret, married to Sir John Browe, a knight of Cheshire mentioned in the reign of Richard II., and Sir Matthew, the youngest, knight of the shire for Leicester 31 Ed. III., was never married. "After the decease of Sir Christopher, his widow Margaret" (her maiden name is omitted) "was in household with Sir John her husband's brother, and was mickel cherished with him, and was with him when he died; and there she imagined false deeds and let write them, and ensealed them with his hand when he was dead, for she had the seal of his arms, and all his deeds and evidences that belonged to all the lordships that Folville were ever enheryte in England." It was of course for her own daughter that she schemed to obtain the inheritance that rightfully belonged to her niece Mabel de Woodford; and her son-in-law Sir John Browe maintained the "false feoffment" she had made with such fraud and subtilty that "therefore," continues the family chronicler, "I verily suppose that she be in Hell. Nevertheless, she made confession, ere she died, to the Abbot of Croxton, kneeling on both her knees, asking mercy and forgiveness of all the wrongs and disherison, that lay on her." These Folvilles bore Party per fesse Argent and Or a cross moline Gules.