Family
 William de Dene 1) 2) 3)Son of William de Dene and N.N.. Died ± May 1319 1) Notes: William held the manors of Great and Little Dene in the county of Gloucestershire, his family having lived in Dene and St Briavels for many generations William likely served in de Bohun's army - his two brothers both received bequests following de Bohun's death in 1322. In addition William held the manor of Lasborough, brought to the "de Dene" family by his mother. Married/ Related to: N.N. Child: 1.  Isabel de Dene 4) 5)Born ± Apr 1319 1) Notes: Coheiress to her father's manors of Great and Little Dene. Isabel was a ward of the King following his death. However, Hugh le Despencer, the elder, entered the manor of Lassebergh by force, in the name of wardship, and subsequently demised the manor to Geoffrey de Westone and it eventually ended up with the crown following Hugh's forfeiture. William de Dene's heirs subsequently attempted, unsuccesfully, to reclaim the manor from the Crown. Evidence for Isabel and Ralph's marriage is somewhat circumstantial: Inheritance of Dene Manor from the de Dene family to Margaret de Abenhall Ralph being married to an Isabel heiress. Isabel being heiress to her father Reginald attempted to hold wardship of Isabel (though went to King) Both owned land in Dene including shares of the manor Close connections between William de Dene and Reginald de Abehale (evidenced by recorded feets of fine, close rolls etc.) Responsibilities with respect to the Forest of Dene being passed from the de Dene to the de Abenhall family | |||
Sources
1) Source: Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward II "William de Dene...His daughters, Joan aged 5 years, and Isabel aged one month, are his next heirs...Memorandum of evidences why the wardship of the said lands and marriage of the heirs ought to belong to the king, with transcript of a charter from Roger, earl of Hereford, to William de Dene, which is in the charge of Rennaud de Habehale alias de Abehale who is tenant of a moiety of the manor of Dene."Dated: 28 May 1319. External Linkhttps://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol6/pp86-98. Reference: C 134/61/27 (Data from direct source)
2) Source: Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward III "Ralph de Abenarle, knight...Abbenale..service of keeping the king’s wood in the forest of Dene...He died on Thursday, the eve of St. Lawrence, 21 Edward III. Margaret, his daughter, aged 5 years at the Annunciation last, is his presumptive (sub postos) heir; Isabel his wife is pregnant, and so the jury cannot say who is his heir." Service of the forest of Dene passed to Ralph de Abenhall via William de Dene's daughter.. External Link
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol9/pp1-13. Reference: C 135/83/13 (Data from secondary evidence)
3) Source: Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward III "William de Dene...Lassebergh. The manor (extent given), held of Sir Hugh le Despenser, late earl of Winchester, by service of a knight’s fee...Upon scrutiny of the rolls and memoranda of the exchequer, it was found in the roll of Memoranda of 5 Edward II that William de Dene, son and heir of William de Dene, held all his lands and tenements in Great Dene of the king in chief...and that he gave the late king 10s. 6d. for his relief for the said lands; and in like manner the said William, his father, was charged with his relief for the same lands in the year 32 Edw. I; and in like manner Henry de Dene, his grandfather, was charged with his relief for the aforesaid lands in the year 15 Edward I."Dated: 1327. External Link
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol7/pp11-22. Reference: C 135/2/13 (Data from direct source)
4) Source: Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward III "Ralph de Abenarle, knight...Abbenale..service of keeping the king’s wood in the forest of Dene...He died on Thursday, the eve of St. Lawrence, 21 Edward III. Margaret, his daughter, aged 5 years at the Annunciation last, is his presumptive (sub postos) heir; Isabel his wife is pregnant, and so the jury cannot say who is his heir.". External Link
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol9/pp1-13. Reference: C 135/83/13 (Data from secondary evidence)
5) Source: Chancery: Inquisitions Post Mortem, Series I, Edward III "Margaret, daughter and heir of Ralph de Abbehale...Writ de etate probanda on the petition of Laurence Greyndore, who has married the said Margaret...she was born at Abbehale and baptized in the church there on Friday before Easter, 15 Edward III, so that she was 17 years of age and more on 4 May last...Writ to the escheator to enquire whether the infant, whereof Isabel, late the wife of Ralph de Abbehale, was pregnant at the time of her said husband’s death...The said Isabel bore a daughter, Helen, who died on the fourteenth day after her birth."Dated: 12 October 1358. External Link
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol10/pp356-383. Reference: C 135/141/3 (Data from direct source)