Sir Hugh le Despenser Lord of Loughborough

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Grant to Geoffrey le Despenser that, when Hugh his brother shall die, he shall keep the manor of Ryhall\emdash which Hugh had of the King's gift\emdash and the lands which Hugh held of the Earl of Chester in. Chester County and elsewhere, till the age of the sons and heirs of the said Hugh: 23 Feb. Grant to Hugh, s. and h. of Hugh le Despenser, for his father's faithful services, that he might marry where it should seem best: same date. [Patent Roll, 22 Hen. III, m. 9]. The elder Hugh probably died on 23 Feb.; he was certainly dead before 30 May following. [Idem, m. 5]. He had obtained Ryhall ann Belmesthorp by various grants from 22 Aug. 1227 to 23 June1233 [Charter Rolls, 11 H. III, p. 2, m. 4; 14 Hen. III, p. 2, m. I schedule; 17 Hen. III, m. 3: Patent Roll, 14 Hen. III, p. 2, m. 2: Close Roll, 17 Hen. III, m. 8: Ancient Deeds, A, no. 3208], and had inherited Arnesby\emdash and doubtless other manors named above\emdash on the death of his eldest br., Thomas Despensar', to whom he was heir, in or before Oct. 1218 [ine Roll, 2 Hen. III, m. 2] Thomas was s. & h. of another Thomas le Despenser, for (1) Thomas Dispensator gave to Stephen de Segrave with Roese his daughter in free marriage a rent of 2s. in Burton', to them and the heirs of their bodies, (2) Hugh Dispensator_confirmed to Stephen de Segrave and Roese sister of the said Hugh, and the heirs of their bodies, a virgate of land in Barwe in free marriage. [Segrave Cartulary, Harl. MSS., no. 4748, f. 11 r and v]. As Round [op. cit., p. 304] has already observed, Elyas Dispensator was one of three persons enfeoffed in Arnesby by Hugh de Beauchamp [Testa de Neville_, p. 88], and must therefore be an ancestor of this family. It may be finally remarked that a great number of the charters of the Earls of Chester which passed in the earlier part of the 13th century are witnessed by a Thomas or by a Hugh Dispensator, or by both. It follows that this family must have taken its name from the office of dispenser to these Earls, or possibly to the Lacys, Constables of Chester.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, Vol. IV, footnote (c) (Despenser), pp. 259-261