2101624Robert Cheyne, born circa 1304, is the son of 4203248William Cheyne and 4203249Margaret Shurland, as stated in an inquisition post mortem made in 1334 after the death of his brother William.1
On 18 February 1332 2101624Robert received a pardon for "his outlawry in the county of Sussex for non-appearance in the court of King's Bench to answer touching a plea of trespass of Robert le Mareschal [...] on account of which outlawry he is now imprisoned in the Marshalsea." 2
2101624Robert inherited properties in Shurland and Patrixbourne from his brother,3 who in turn had inherited them from their parents and grandparents.1 His Shurland manor may have been at coordinates N51.40753 E0.86513, where Shurland Hall (built several centuries later to replace the earlier structure) now lies. 2101624Robert also inherited property at Ufton,3 part of which he later sold.4
2101624Robert fought for England during the Hundred Years' War. A record dated 25 June 1345 notes that his usual duties as a tax-collector had been re-assigned by power of attorney, since 2101624Robert was "about to set out with the king in his present progress upon the sea, in the company of William [de Clinton] earl of Huntingdon." 52101624Robert likely fought for the entire Crécy campaign,6 although his attendance is explicitly noted only for the final siege of Calais.7 The most memorable battle of the campaign was at Crécy, summarized in the video below.
A record dated 8 April 1348 describes 2101624Robert as a knight from Kent,8 important enough to earn a lifetime exemption from jury duty, involuntary appointment to various civic roles, etc.9 A record dated 1 March 1351 again describes him as a knight and compensates him for traveling to Westminster to attend a session of Parliament.10
2101624Robert died on 7 November 1362.3 Some reference works assert that he was killed when his horse fell on him,11,12 although I have found no contemporary evidence to support this assertion. The day after his death, the local escheator was ordered not to "intermeddle further" in 2101624Robert's properties, apparently pending further investigation into 2101624Robert's estate holdings.13 An inquisition post mortem the following spring mentions his properties at Shurland and Patrixbourne (mentioned above) and Ufton (which was near Tunstall), and that he left behind sons 1050812Richard (age 10) and Roger (age 6).3
Online genealogies that include 2101624Robert often cite Douglas Richardson's Royal Ancestry as a source, but without specifying which original, underlying record(s) support(s) their assertions. Therefore, below I've copied Richardson's entry for 2101624Robert in full.11
10. ROBERT DE CHEYNE (or CHEYNEY), Knt., of Shurland (in Eastchurch) and
Patrixbourne, Kent, Kent, Knight of the Shire for Kent, Knight of the Shire for Wiltshire, 2nd son,
born about 1304 (aged 30 in 1334). He married an unidentified wife, ___. They had two sons,
Richard, Knt., and Roger. In 1332 he was pardoned outlawry for non-appearance in the King's
Bench to answer a plea of trespass brought by Robert le Mareschal against him and his brothers,
William and Peter. He was heir in 1333 to his older brother, William de Cheyne, who was killed at
the Battle of Halidon Hill against the Scots. He fought at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. SIR
ROBERT DE CHEYNE is said to have been killed in 1362 by his horse falling on him (IPM dated
1364/5.)
Hasted Hist. & Top. Survey of Kent 6 (1798): 248. Clutterbuck Hist. & Antiqs. of Hertford 1 (1815): 133 (Cheyney ped.).
Sussex Arch. Colls. 25 (1873): 108-111 (Cheyney ped.); 65 (1924): 20-53. Arch. Cantiana 14 (1882): 169-170. Benolte et al. Four Vis. of Berkshire 1532, 1566, 1623 & 1665-6 2 (H.S.P. 57) (1908): 102-105 (Cheney ped.: S4 Robert Cheney of Sherland in ye Ile of Sheppey in Com. Kent brother & heire 30 : yeares old ob : 38 : Ed: 3 [1364-5]."). Misc. Gen. et Heraldica 4th Ser. 3 (1910): 313-317. Year Books of Richard II 5 (Ames Found. 8) (1937): 14-19. VCH Sussex 7 (1940): 114.
Sources Cited:
1: Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem and Other Analogous Documents Preserved in the Public Record Office, Volume VII, Edward III (London, 1909), page 416. The key phrases are "William de Cheyny, son and heir of the said William and Margaret," and "Robert de Cheyny his brother, ages 30 years and more, is his next heir."
2: Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office, Edward III, Volume II (1330-1334), page 252.
3: Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem and Other Analogous Documents Preserved in the Public Record Office, Volume XI, Edward III (London, 1935), pages 240-241.
