The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. II.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.
Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Musett : in Duchesne's list, Muffet: Leland gives it Muschet, which is the more correct version. This family bore Argent two bars between six leopards' faces Gules, three, two, and one. William Muschet held of the Bishop of Ely in 1165 (Lib. Niger), and was Sheriff of Cambridgeshire 2 Ric. I., as was William "filius John Muschet" 6, 9, 11, and 12 Ed. III. Muschetts, a small manor still held under the Bishop of Ely, retains their name. Adam de Muschet, about 1240, held under Robert de Waledom at Great Peatling in Leicestershire (Testa de Nevill). John Musket was Lord of Heccecomb, Somersetshire, in 1316 (Palgrave's Parl. Writs). Robert Muschett of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire, Ralph Muskett of Hertfordshire only, in the time of Edward I. (Rot. Hundred.). At the same date "Dominus William Muschett" was a considerable proprietor in Kent, and held land in Huntingdonshire (Ibid). Roger Mushett gave some land at Benney to the Preceptory of Temple Rothley. (Mon. Angli.) In Dorsetshire, John Muskett held in Winterborne-St. Martin 20 Ed. III., and during the same reign Gerard Muschet married Joan, daughter of Ralph Brett, Forester of Blackmore, and sister and heir to another Ralph, but left only a daughter.—Hutchins' Dorset. The name occurs in Scotland from a very early period, but was there used as a familiar form of Montfichet. "The corruption of names, arising from a tendency to abbreviate, and to adopt leading sounds, is conspicuous in the following instances, some of which occur in the Ragman Roll [1]—Montfichet is transformed into Muschet, Montalt into Mouhat or Mowat: Vache into Veitch, Baddeby into Baptic, Vermel into Wermel, Grosseteste into Grozet."—W. Chambers.