Notices of the Ellises of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from the conquest to the present time

16
these being their ancient arms, and other circumstances, to have
been a branch of the Wiltshire family of Cerne, who, as un-
doubtedly a branch of the Venus, would bear leopards' faces or
fleurs de lis.
But to return to the Marshals. In a charter 1 of John, son of
Gilbert (le Marshal), by which he gives to Hugh de Raleigh (pro-
bably his brother) the manor of Nettlecombe, in Somersethire,
" Elias, son of Robert/' occurs as a witness. 2 This Robert was
doubtless Robert de Venuz, presumed uncle of John, son of
Gilbert. His son's name being Elias, confirms the probability,
with the preceding circumstances, of a relationship with William
Alis. We afterwards meet with an Elias le Marshal, in Kent
and Hants, and temp. Edward II., John Marshall marries Con-
stance, daughter of John de Venuz. This same family of Marshall
are, at an early period, met with as landholders in Kent, in that
county spelling their name Marescal or Mascall. A branch of
this family settled early in Sussex, and bore six fleurs de lis
within a bordure engrailed. Six fleurs de lis are also the arms
of Lenham, of Lenham in Kent, of whom, temp. John, there was
an Elias de Lenham. The arms of the family of Hamsted are
three fleurs de lis on a bend between three escallops ; this family
may have been a branch of the Marshalls who were owners of
Hamsted-Marshall in Berkshire. The arms borne by the Mar-
shalls Earls of Pembroke, sons of John, son of Gilbert le Marshall,
were a bend fusilly, which were also those of the family of
Raleigh. This coat was no doubt derived from Geoffrey le
Marshall, or De Bee, of the family of Crispin, who bore lozengy ;
and, as Gilbert took his father-in-law's arms and office, he pro-
bably married the elder coheiress. His paternal arms would be
retained by other members of the family, and these, as we shall
have reason to see hereafter, were doubtless the fleurs de lis
borne by the Mascalls. 3 By the Pipe Roll of 31 Henry I., it
appears that John, son of Gilbert the Marshall, paid a sum of
1 Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, ii. 163.
2 The witnesses, in early deeds, were generally the near relatives of the
parties.
3 Geoffrey de Bee held a manor in the parish of Willian, co. Herts, at
the Domesday Survey. This afterwards came to the family of Peyver.
(Clutterbuck's Herts, ii. 526.) A pedigree of this family is there given,
deriving them from Roger le Poer, Bishop of Salisbury. This is not correct ;
they bore a chevron between three fleurs de lis or charged with them, as
appears by the Roll of the Battle of Boroughbridge, temp. Edward II.,
where two knights of the family were present : they were a branch of the
family of Peyforer, of Kent, who bore six fleurs de Us, as did also their
presumed relatives, the Lenham s of that county, who, it is believed, were
a branch of the Marshalls, which accounts for the descent of property
mentioned.