Note: Roger also contributed the articles "The Beeby or Beby name in Medieval Leicester" and "Researches about the Name and Village of Beeby"
This research does not progress any family history work, as there are no proven links between the Village name and the Family name. It is just for interest.
Source:
The Roll of the Mayors of the Borough , and the Lord Mayors of the City of Leicester. 1209-1935. by Henry Hartopp F.R.Hist.S. A copy is to be found in the Leicester and County Record Office. The entries are copied exactly as written.
Page 18/19. 1362 THOMAS de BEEBY (Mercer) Members of the Beeby family, originally from the town-ship of the name, were settled at Leic. in the 12th Century. The above mayor, an opulent mercer, probably a son of John de Beeby 1307, was enrolled a brother of the gild merchant in 1334-5; was again Mayor 1368 and M.P. for the borough 1351, 1355, 1360 and 1361. He died in 1383 and if his wishes were carried out was buried in St Martins Church (now the Cathedral). His will, the earliest civic record of its kind extant, dated in 1382, was proved in the Consistory Court of Lincoln, 16 February 1384, a copy being entered in the Episcopal registers there. (Leicester was at that time part of the See of Lincoln Cathedral)
By it he directed that 300lbs of wax should be burnt around his body and afterwards distributed to parish priests to use at masses. He left legacies to St Mary’s Altar in Beeby Church, money for the repair of the bridges in Leicester and to several gilds. By Agnes his wife, who survived him, he does not appear to have left issue.
Ancient arms of Beby or Beeby, as recorded by Nichols. Gules, a cross moline argent. There is a coloured plate of this. (A red shield with a silver upright cross with flared ends)
Then comes a strange entry in brackets.
"(King Edward III came again to Leicester, and rested at the abbey)"
1368 THOMAS de BEEBY (2) Mayor for the second time.
1385 HENRY de BEEBY (Mercer) Parentage unknown, but perhaps a son of Roger de Beeby of Leicester 1354, and presumably a relative of Thomas de Beeby, Mayor in 1362. In 1380 he was a warden of the Gild of Corpus Christi, was again Mayor in 1394 and MP for Leicester in 1391, 1394 and 1395. The Beeby descendants were living here at a much later date.
(That final intriguing statement and the one earlier about the Beeby’s coming from the township of that name, could lead on to further research…why did the Hartopp the writer of this Roll of Mayors make these statements?)
Note: The half timbered C14 Guildhall in Leicester was built for the Corpus Christi Guild and is worth a visit. It is open as a Museum.
R.T.Beeby January 2003