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FEUDAL BARONAGE

cate of land in Briercliffe and 30 acres of wood in Rowley.[1] To Adam de Blackburn, his clerk, he gave the moiety of the church of Blackburn, which Adam's ancestor Richard had held, and the benefice which the said Richard held in the church of Whalley.[2] To Robert son of Henry he gave half the vill of Ribchester in thegnage for 7 shillings yearly, reserving the advowson of the church.[3] His wife's name was Isabella,[4] in one place named Sabina,[5] of unknown parentage, by whom he had no issue. She afterwards married Gilbert de L'Aigle.[6] Robert died on 21 August, 1193, shortly before the commencement of John's rebellion, and was buried in the abbey of Kirkstall.[7] With his death terminated the old line of Lacy. His two honours of Clitheroe and Pontefract passed at his death to the daughter of his aunt, Albreda, wife of Robert de Lisours, named after her mother who died in 1166. The younger Albreda had married before 1142 Richard fitz Eustace, constable of Chester in right of his mother, who died before 1163,[8] leaving issue John, constable of Chester, who predeceased his mother. In the account of the barony of the constable of Chester it has already been shown that Albreda, the relict of Richard fitz Eustace, after the death of Robert de Lacy, released to her grandson, Roger, constable of Chester, the honours and estates which had descended to her upon the death of her kinsman in 1193, the fee of Sprotborough being reserved to her for life with remainder to her son William fitz William, to hold of Roger and his heirs by the ancient service of eight knights' fees.[9] Under this settlement the honours of Pontefract and Chitheroe passed to the line of the constables of Chester, who assumed the surname of Lacy, and eventually became earls of Lincoln of that line.


THE BARONY OF MONTBEGON[10]

There is ample evidence of the creation of this fee soon after the Conquest in the references in Domesday to manors held by Roger, the man of

  1. Towneley MSS. Chetham Lib. C 8, 8.
  2. Coucher of Whalley (Chetham Soc.), 76.
  3. Duchy of Lanc. Misc. Ptf. 1, No. 36, m. 7.
  4. Coucher of Kirkstall (Thoresby Soc.), 196.
  5. Mon. Angl. v. 515b.
  6. In 1209, Roger, constable of Chester, was demanding against them lands held by her in dower which she was considered to have forfeited by her second marriage. Abbrev. Placit. (Rec. Com.) 65b; Chartul. of Pontefract (Yorks. Rec. Soc.), xxii. In 1194 John de Birchin brought a plea of land against Isabella de Lasci, Rot. Cur. Reg. (Rec. Com.) i. 127. Isabella survived until 1234. Excerpta e Rot. Fin. (Rec. Com.), i. 269.
  7. Mon. Angl. v. 533b; Duchy of Lanc. formerly Cl. xxv. A.A. 8 (7).
  8. See the barony of Widnes, p. 299.
  9. Lanc. Fines, Lanc. and Ches. Rec. Soc. xxxix. i. See above, p. 300.
  10. Dugdale, Baronage, i. 618b. In this county the lands belonging to this barony included—
    Hornby cum membris:—Arkholme with Cawood, Tunstall, Cantsfield, Melling with Wrayton, Wennington, Hornby with Farleton, Wray with Botton, Roeburndale; containing 28½ carucates of land and originally held in demesne.

    Croston cum membris:—Croston, Mawdesley, Bispham, Tarleton; containing 10¾ carucates of land and held in demesne until circa 1200.

    Tottington cum membris:—Tottington Higher End, Tottington Lower End, Musbury, Walmersley cum Shuttleworth, Bury, Elton, Birtle cum Bamford, Ainsworth, Great Lever, Heap, Pilsworth, Hopwood, Thornham, Middleton, Tonge, Alkrington, Chadderton; containing approximately 12 carucates of land, and held by the service of 2 knights.

    In Lincolnshire lands lying in the following townships belonged to this barony:—Northorpe, Southorpe, Thonock, Dunstall, Laughton, Scotton, Yawthorpe, Tealby, Walesby, Otby, Market Rasen, South Kelsey, Waddingham, Stainton, Thornton le Moor, Holton le Moor, Nettleton, Elsham, Clixby, Howsham, Cuxwold, Blyton, Tydd Gote, Sutton, Fleet; these lands were held by the service of 5 knights.

    In Suffolk:—Monewden; held by the service of 1 knight.

    Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 400, 405, 411; Lancs. Inq., Rec. Soc. Lanc. and Ches. vol. 48, pp. 59-60.

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