Research Notes:
Complete Peerage states, [1]
Welles or Welle(a)
Ravemer, Rademer or Ragemer, tenant of Gilbert de Gant in Claxby St. Andrew, Withern and Well, Lines, when Domesday Book was compiled, d. before 1115-18, when he had been suc. by his sons (unnamed).(b)Walter, s. of Ragemer, held of Walter de Gant in 1115-18.(c)
William, s. of Walter, witnessed deeds of the Gant family in the middle of the 12th century.(d ) In 1166 he was tenant of Simon, Earl of Northampton, for 6 1/5 knights' fees (e) and he made gifts to the abbey of Louth Park and to the priories of Sempringham and Greenfield, Lincs.(a) He m. (___), sister of Gilbert (de Gant), Earl of Lincoln, da. of Walter de Gant, by Maud, da. of Stephen, Count of Brittany.(b) He d. before 1198.(c)
(a) For the early ped. of this family (1086-1283), by W. O. Massingberd, see Lincs N. and Q., vol. vi, pp. 54-57. For the later period (1242-1421) see that by Commander S. N. Smith, R.N., in Misc. Gen. et Her., 5th Ser., vol. ix, pp. 44-48. Cf. also "Notes on the Hist. of Well," by the Rev. E. H. R. Tatham, in Assoc. Arch. Soc, Rep., vol. xxx, pp. 343-66; Dudding, Hist. of Saleby with Thoresthorpe, pp. 77-84; Dudding, Hist. of Afford with Rigsby, pp. 18-36; "The Descent of the Manor of Ellington," in Arch. Aeliana, 4th Ser., vol. v, pp. 1-12; and Canon C. W.
Foster, Aisthorpe and Thorpe in the Fallows, pp. 27-32. Although the Ist Lord was sum. to Parl, as Adam de Welles, the name was usually spelt Welle until the close of the 14th century, when Welles was adopted both by the 5th Lord and for the place from which he drew his title. See Tatham, p. 354.
(b) Domesday Book, vol. i, ff. 355, 355b; Lincs Domesday and Lindsey Survey, Lines Rec. Soc., pp. 111, 254. In Domesday Book his name appears twice as Rauemer and once as Rademer; in the Lindsey Survey 3 times as Ragemer.
(c) Lincs Domesday and Lindsey Survey, pp. 242, 254. A notification (c. 1125-30) by Maud, da. of Stephen, Count of Brittany, wife of Walter de Gant (cf. p. 437, note "b" below), is witnessed by Rachmar, s. of Gilbert (Early Yorks Charters, ed. Clay,
vol. v, p. 342; cf. Round, Feudal England, p. 189). The unusual name Rachmar suggests that Gilbert was a yr. s. of the D.B. tenant.
(d) Genealogist, N.S., vol. xv, pp. 161, 223; Farrer, Early Yorks Charters, vol. ii, pp. 451, 455; vol. iii, p. 189. He also witnessed a deed of Robert de Tateshal (Stenton, Danelaw Charters, p. 123).
(e) Red Book Exch., Rolls Ser., pp. 382-83. He also held ¼ knight's fee of Hamon Peche (Idem, p. 366).
(a) Cal. Charter Rolls, vol. iii, p. 248; Dugdale, Mon., vol. v, p. 580; Genealogist, N.S., vol. xvi, pp. 78-79.
(b) Rot. de Dominabus, P.R.S., pp. 5, 9, 11; see ante, vol. vii, sub Lincoln [1147-48], and vol. xii, pt. 1, p. 646, sub Tateshal.
(c) In 1191 and during the years 1194-97 William's name is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls, while in 1198 Robert, s. of William, was answering for his father's debts (Pipe Roll, 3 Ric. I, p. 20; 6-9 Ric. I, passim; 10 R i c I, p. 54). William had a br. Humphrey, who left male issue (Genealogist, N.S., vol. xvi, pp. 78—79; Lincs N. and Q., vol. vi, pp. 54-55).
[1] George E. Cokayne and Geoffrey H White, ed., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 12, part 2, Tracton to Zouche (London: St Catherine Press, 1959), 436-437.