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

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Harewell : Hareville in Leland's list. "The name of Harivel," says M. de Gerville, "is very common in Normandy. It is synonymous with Haridelle, still found in our modern dictionaries. 'Harivels,' or 'harivilliers,' are frequently seen at our fairs; they are persons dealing only in 'harins' or 'haridelles,' small or inferior horses, leaving the trade in riding horses and animals of a superior quality to the regular horse dealers." There exists, however, an aristocratic family named Le Harivel, that is found in Normandy as early as the fifteenth century, and once possessed several important fiefs, such as Sourdeval, Beaumanoir, Maizet, Gonneville, Flagy, &c. It furnished proofs of its nobility in 1463, and in 1671 was again declared Estre noble par charte de franc-fiefs. The Le Harivels bear Gules, three roses Or, two and one; and may have derived their name from Hareville, Arnouville, or Harunville, which is mentioned in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of the twelfth century.

In England, John de Harewell was chaplain to Edward the Black Prince, Chancellor of Gascony, and Bishop of Wells. He lies buried before the altar of St. Calix in Wells Cathedral. Dugdale tells us that he was the son of another John de Harewell, and brother to Roger, who "towards the latter end of Ed. III. and beginning of Ric. II.'s time married Maud de Standford of Wotton in Warwickshire. Which Maud became her brother's heir, and possesst all those his lands; whereunto by marriage of severall heirs, and otherwise, her descendants made so fair an addition, as that they were rankt amongst the superior gentry of this Shire." Her great-grandson, William de Harewell "was a trusty friend of the House of Lancaster (as it seems) for, upon the re-gaining of the Kingdom by King Henry VI., he had the custody of this county and Leicestershire; and before the end of that his Shirivealtie, fought stoutly on King Henry's part at Barnet field: in which battail being taken prisoner, he was thence carried to Windsor Castle, whereupon also his lands were seized by the King, and bestowed on Humphrey Stafford. But after a while, through the solicitation of his kinsman John Leighton, made with John Talbot, then Earl of Shrewsbury, he was released from his imprisonment and restored to his lands: for which favour the said Earl had first XI li that the same John Leighton promised to give for obtaining his enlargement and lands, and XL marks more which he exacted over and above." William's two grandsons were the last heirs-male. Thomas, the elder, died s. p. before 1511: and William was a priest. Their four sisters thus became coheirs; and Wotton-Waven fell to the share of Agnes, who was the wife of John Smyth, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, and great-great-grandmother of Sir Charles Smith, created in 1643 Baron of Wootton-Waven and Viscount Carrington "in consideration of his fidelity to King Charles I."

William de Hareville, a cadet of this house, was Lord of Besford in Worcestershire 15 Hen. VI., and his descendants continued there for five generations. One of them served as High Sheriff of the county, and Sir Edmund Harewell, who sold the place in the sixteenth century, is called "an excellent justice and a learned gentleman." The line ended at about the same time as the parent house: Roger Harewell being the last male heir. The Harewells bore Argent on a fesse wavy Sable three hares' heads Or.—Nash's Worcestershire.

A Cecilia de Harewell, and her son Robert are mentioned in 1202 in Oxfordshire (Rotuli Cancellarii): but I cannot find that the name occurs there again.