The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. I.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Caperoun : from chaperon, or hood.^[1] Robert Caperon is mentioned in 1194 (Rotuli Curiae Regis): and another of the name in the reign of Henry I. (Rotuli Magnus Pipae.) in Berkshire. Walter Caperun was of Cumberland 3 John (Rotulis Cancellarii). In 1312 Nicholas Caperon was one of the burgesses returned for Huntingdon; and in 1327, Peter Caperon, refusing to obey the Commissioners of Array, the Sheriff of Sussex was commanded to take him into custody. Palgrave's Parl. Writs. Alexander Caperun, of Colne in Essex, appears in a deed of 1263. Roger Caperon, of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1189-90 (Rot. Pip.) John Caperon was rector of Rendlesham, in the latter county, in 1349: and "an old monument in the chancel of the church is supposed to have been erected to his memory. By his will he bequeathed his body to be buried before the image of St. Gregory, and gave 40s. towards making a tabernacle for the said image, and 10s. for erecting a cross, at the division of the King's highway, between Tunstall and Rendlesham."—Page's Suffolk. William Caperon was of Hertfordshire 1153-58 (Rot. Pip.). Many of the name appear in the Rotuli Hundredorum of Edward I.; where we find John and Robert Caperun in Kent; Nicholas and Stephen in Huntingdonshire; Alicia and Sibill in Bedfordshire, and Thomas in Oxfordshire. In Lincolnshire William Chaperun held Coleby by Royal grant in 1242, when "the jurors of the wapentake of Boothby found as follows: Willielmus Caperun tenet in Coleby tarn in dominico quam in homagis XIX. carucatas terre exdono d'ni Regis de terris Normannorum, sed nescitur per quod servicium tenet."—Stapleton's Rotuli Scaccariae Normanniae. The name is still found in Northamptonshire, where the Caprons of Stoke Doyle are now seated at Southwick Hall, near Oundle.

Three Caprons are entered in the Liber Niger, Jordan, of Umberley, holding two knights' fees of old feoffment of the Earl of Gloucester in Gloucestershire; Henry, holding part of one of Henry de Scaliers in Cambridgeshire; and Alan, holding the fourth part of one of Walter de Wahull in Bedfordshire. Again, we meet with this ubiquitous family in Herefordshire. William Caperon held some land at Mawardyn by the serjeanty of keeping the gate of the Castle of Hereford, and of having twelvepence a day of our Lord the King.—Plat. Coron. 20 Ed. I.

1. ↑ "The ancient family of Quaife, of Kent and Sussex, have a tradition that their ancestor came into England with the Conqueror, and that he was called 'Coife,' because he wore a hood in battle, instead of a helmet. Now caperoun is the old French for chaperon, a hood, which renders it exceedingly probable that the individual named in the Battle Abbey Roll and the person referred to by the tradition are identical."—Lower.