HILTON, Sir Robert

The connexion between Hilton and the important Lincolnshire knight, Sir Thomas Cumberworth*, was probably even closer than suggested in the earlier biography.1 The Commons 1386-1421, iii. 379-81. There it is assumed that the Katherine ‘Comberworth’, described in the will of our MP’s widow as her ‘sister’, was Joan’s sister-in-law, namely Katherine, widow of Joan’s brother, Sir Marmaduke Constable (d.1404) and sister of Sir Thomas. It is, however, at least as likely that she is describing her blood sister, and thus that the Katherine, whom Sir Thomas married in 1400, was Joan’s sister, Katherine Constable.2 Hatton’s Bk. of Seals ed. Loyd and Stenton, 489. If so four marriage alliances were made between the families of Hilton, Constable and Cumberworth within a short period of time: our MP married Joan Constable; one of her sisters married Cumberworth, her eldest brother, Marmaduke, married one of Cumberworth’s sisters, and their younger brother John (d.1407), married our MP’s sister, Maud.

With respect to Hilton’s career there is little to add to the earlier biography. Early in the reign of Henry IV he was summoned to appear before the royal council to answer to a petition of Edmund Sandford. Sandford had complained that Hilton, acting on behalf of Ralph Lascelles, had thrown down various of his closes at Escrick (East Riding) and, even after a royal injunction to desist, had continued damaging his property. This was clearly a property dispute – both Sandford and Lascelles had manors in Escrick – but there is no evidence to show why our MP intervened.3 SC8/231/11515; VCH Yorks. (E.Riding), iii. 20.

Hilton’s daughters were contracted in his lifetime, presumably when their prospects of inheritance were already clear. Isabel was a widow by the time of her father’s death. Her husband, Robert Hildyard of Scalby, from a Yorkshire family of lesser status than the Hiltons, died in 1428, leaving at least two sons by her.4 In his will of 23 Aug. 1428, Hildyard named our MP, to whom he bequeathed his crossbow, as supervisor, and his mother-in-law, Dame Joan, to whom he bequeathed a ‘librum Gallicum de Romancia Rosae’, as executrix: Test. Ebor. iv (Surtees Soc. liii), 12n. Her sister made a better marriage to (Sir) John Melton*, son and heir apparent of Sir John Melton (d.1455) of Aston (near Sheffield). In Easter term 1432 Dame Joan brought an action against her two daughters and her surviving son-in-law for dower in the manors of Swine and Winestead, but it is likely that the suit was collusive. She certainly appears to have borne her daughters no ill-will for she made generous bequests to them in the will she made in the following August.5 CP40/685, rot. 264d; Test. Ebor. ii (Surtees Soc. xxx), 23-25. Although Sir Robert’s younger brother, Sir Godfrey, laid claim to the manor of Swine, his claim was defeated. At the assizes at York held at York on 30 Aug. 1434 the daughters won damages of 100 marks against him, and the manor descended to the Meltons.6 CPR, 1429-36, p. 275; JUST1/1542, rot. 17.