the priesthood. Other men from the parish who took the same first step were John: and William de Suthayse, on the same day in 1325, John ate Crouch and John Tenaunt, on another day in the same year, Henry Mendecourt, in 1326, John de Yidele, in 1335, John Bere, Robert, son of Robert le Clerk, John Launce and John, son of Thomas de Wolcumb, all on the same day in 1338, Alexander de Yedelegh, in 1345, and Henry Clerk, in 1348.²⁸
   Several, at least, of these men came from families who were important landowners in Ash. John and William do Suthayse were of the family at South Ash Manor. The name ‘de Yedele’ or ‘de Yedeleg’ appears in 1226, so that John do Yidele and Alexander de Yedelegh were of a family that had been at Idleigh since at least the earlier part of the thirteenth century. That it was a family of standing is indicated by the fact that one of its number,

John de Idelegh, was amongst the trustees entrusted by Sir John de Cobham with the task of providing from the de Cobham estates an endowment for the college at Cobham that he had founded in the year 1362.²⁹
   Another Ash landowner of the fourteenth century was one John Martyn. Little is known of him, indeed rather less than of his maidservant, a young woman called Marion, who was a leading participant in a series of events in the year 1348 that must have been meat and drink for the local gossips. According to her story, she had agreed to marry a certain John Hancock, who had then jilted her for Margaret, daughter of Felicia Peucompe, a lady perhaps of superior social standing. Marion’s revenge was sweet; when the banns were called for John and Margaret’s wedding, she forbade them. That caused quite a furore and led to a trial of the issue in Rochester cathedral,