Percy Bailiff's Rolls
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PERCY BAILIFF'S ROLLS OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY iPublisbcb for tbc ~odctrr b!J ANDHE,vs & co., ~ADLEH ~TREl(T, DURHAil LONI>ON: BEHNAHl> l~UAHlTCft Ll'L>., 11 GHAFTON STREET, NE\Y BONI> STREET 1!)21 At a Meeting of the Council of the SunTEES SocrETY, held in Durham Castle, on Tuesday, March 4th, 1919, the President (Mr WILLIAM BROWN) in the Chair,- " It was resolved that Mr J. C. HODGSON should edit a ~eries of Percy Bailiff's Rolls of the fifteenth century." CONTENTS PAGE . HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION IX BAILIFF'S ROLLS OF THE FOURTH EARL OF NORTH- UM BERLAND 1 HOUSEHOLD ROLL OF THE SEVENTH EARL OF NORTH- UMBERLAND 96 OBSERV ATIONS AND NOTES ON 'fHE BAILIFF'S ROLLS 103 INDEX 121 INTRODUCrrION As the history of the Percies is writ fair on our Island's story, and is told in detail in Fonblanque's Annals of the House of Percy, this Introduction to the series of the Bailiff's Rolls of their northern estates shall be limited to an account of when and how these estates were acquired. The nucleus of the Northumberland estate was, and still is, the barony of Alnwick, which, with its dependent manors of Alnwick, Alnmouth, Alnham, Bilton, Cawledge Park, Charlton, Chatton, Denwick, Lesbury, Longhoughton, Swinhoe, and Tuggal, was purchased by Henry de Percy from Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham, 19th November 1309, having previously belonged to the Vesci family. The charter is printed in the Percy Ohartulary, p. 241.1 The sale was confirmed by Act of Parliament in the following year. The barony of Warkworth, with its dependent n1embers of Wark worth, Acklington, Birling, and High Euston; the manor of Rothbury, with its me111bers Newtown, Snitter, and Thropton; the manor of Corbridge; the manor of Newburn, with its members Newburn, Butterlaw, Wal bottle, and Whorlton, can1e into the possession of the Percies on the death of John de Cla vering without issue male, on the 18th January 1332 2 ; the reversion having been granted by Edward III. on the 1st March 1327 /8 to Henry Percy in lieu of the hereditary custody of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and an annuity granted to him for n1ilitary service. The charter is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 154. W arkworth Castle, on sweet Coquet-side, rather than Alnwick on the n1ore sluggish Aln, was by predilection the hon1e of the £a1nily for so111e generations.3 A n1e1nber of the barony of l\'.Iitford, the 1nanor of Thirston was purchased by John cle Vesci of Alnwick, circa 1275, fron1 the heiress of the fa1nily of Bertra1n of l\'Iitford. Early in the fourteenth century, there were disputes between the heirs of Ay1ner cle Valence, Earl of Pen1broke, as lord of the 1nanor of Felton, and Henry de Percy; and, ptmding a decision in the court, Thirston was taken into the hands of 1 . Surtees Society publication, No. 117. 2 For an informing account of the financial dealings between the Crown and John de Cla vering, see new History of 1V orthum berlancl, vol. x. p. 83. 3 New History of R ortlmmberland, vol. v. pp. 32-52. IX X FIFTEENTI-I-CEN'rURY BAILIFF'S ROLLS the Crown. The Percies substantiated their clai111, and, on the 24th Septeinber 1334, Henry de Percy had licence to enfeoff John de Crayk, parson of Spofforth, with a n1oiety of the town of Thirston with other and larger estates ; and Henry de Percy, on the 18th lVIay 1368, died seisecl of the 1nanor. 1 Other lands in Thirston were acquired through the 1narriage of Sir Tho1nas Percy with Eleanor, sister and coheiress of George Harbottle, who, in her widowhood, by deed dated 3rd Nove1nber 1538, agreed with her sister Dame Mary Fitton to partition, under whiGh agreement the Harbottle lands in Thirston fell to Danie Eleanor Percy. 2 No lordship or n1anor in Northumberland has a more interesting origin or early history than Beanley, in the parish of Eglingha1n, given by Henry I. to Gospatric. The original charter is not extant, but its terins are recited in a confinning charter of Stephen, made at York, circa 1135. It granted the lands of Winnoch the hunter-to wit, the six manors of Beanley, Brandon, Branton, Harehope, Hedgeley, and Titlington-to Gospatric, brother of Dolphin. This grant has been regarded, and is sometimes officially described, as the barony of Beanley. It was not held by knight's service or any other service incidental to a barony, but in Grand Serjeanty. The holder was to be 'inborwe ' and 'utborwe,' otherwise 'inborg' and 'hutborg,' between Eng land and Scotland. These tenns have been . explained variously; but the late Rev. Willia111 Greenwell-than who1n no one was more competent to forn1 an opinion on the subject-thought that the true meaning was that the owner of the fee should act as insurety and outsurety for the peaceful and honest intention of persons passing to and fro between the two countries.3 Earl Patric having withdrawn his allegiance in 1335, Beanley was forfeited and ca1ne into the king's hands. On the 19th February 1335, Edward III. made a general grant to Henry de Percy of all of Earl Patric's forfeited fees in North umberland, which grant is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 302. Talbot's lands in Tyndale, co1nprising l{ielder and Walwick Grange, n1en1bers of the barony of Wark-on-Tyne fanning part of the liberty, or regality, of Tyndale, belonged to John Co1nyn of Ba<lenach,4 who died 24th June 1315. He was succeeded by his 1 The deed of conveyance from the Lady Agnes Fitz-VVilliam to ,vmiam de Burnton is printed in the Percy Ohartulary, p. 265; that from William de Burnton, who acted as a trustee, to ,John de Vesci, on p. 2i52 ; and the Royal Licence of 24th September 1334, on p. 171 of the same work. 2 New History of .1Yorthumberland, vol. vii. pp. 297, 299, 300, 301. 3 New H i8tory of X ortlrnmberland, vol. vii. pp. :30, :n, 85, 86. 4 On the 5th December 1267, ,John Comyn had licence from Henry III. to crenelate his camera at Tarset. From this tower or fortified manor-house the Scottish noble endeavoured to protect his lands in the lawless district of North Tyndale. OF THE EARLS OF NORTHUMBERLAND XI two sisters and coheirs, Joanna, wife of David Strathbolgy, Earl of Athol, and Elizabeth, wife of Richard Talbot. The Countess of .Athol's great-granddaughters Elizabeth and Philippa of Strathbolgy, r(~spectively 1narried to Sir Tho1nas Percy and Sir Ralph Percy, two of the younger sons of the first Earl of Northu1nberland, ulti111atcly succeeded to a purparty o± John Con1yn's lands. By purchase, or hy some fa1nily agree1nent, the Talbot purparty was acquired by Hotspur, the eldest brother of Thon1as and Ralph Percy, who was killed at the battle of Shrewsbury, 22nd July 1403. Hotspur dying in rebellion, his lands, coin prising ,v alwick Grange and the Talbot lands in Tyndale, came into the hands of the Crown. Probably Ta] bot's lands were an1ongst the lands restored, 2 Henry V., to Ilotspur's son. They were certainly in the possession of his grandson, who died in 1461. 1 · A 1nen1ber of the barony of Alnwick, Lucker was held in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by a family of knightly rank, talring their na1ne fron1 the place. David de Lucker died on Sunday, 21st August 1379, seisecl of two third parts of Lucker, the ren1aining third being held in dower by Christina, widow of his uncle, John de Lucker. His heir was his uncle, Henry de Lucker, who, having been concerned in the killing, in 1362, of John de Coupland, one of the \f\T ardens of the Marches, had after,vards joined in open rebellion and had fled into Scotland. He had in consequence been proclain1ed an outlaw in the 1nonth of January 1365, and his inheritance escheated to the Percies as overlords of the barony.2 Gilbert U1nframville, third earl of Angus-having survived his only son Robert de Umframville, who had 1narried Margaret, daughter of Henry, third Lord Percy of Alnwick, and died without issue married again, taking for his wife Maud de Lucy, daughter and sole heir of Sir Tho1nas de Lucy of Cockerinouth and Langley. Having, on 5th July 1375, obtained the necessary royal licence, he 1nade a settle111ent, on the 16th August following, of the castle and barony of Prudhoe and other estates to hi1nself ·and his wife and thP hefrR of his bodv, with ren1ainder to Henrv Percy, first Earl of Northun1berla.nd. ~ u After the death of the aged Earl of Angus in 1381, the widowed Countess beca1ne second wife of the Earl of N orthun1berland, ,vho then becan1e seisecl fure uxor1:s until her death in 1398, when he be ca1ne seisecl in fee tail under the settle1nent of 1375.3 With the barony 1 Hartshorne, Feuclal and 1llilitary Antiquities of iYorthumberland, pp. 258, 260 Cf. pedigrees of Strathbolgy, new History of Northumberland, vol. vii. p. 236. 2 New History of N orthnmberland, vol. i. pp. 234, 239. 3 Bate~, Border-Holds, pp. 202, 203. xii FIFTEENTH-CENTURY BAILIFF'S ROLLS of Prudhoe the Earl of Northu1nberland acquired the dependent 1nanors of Prudhoe, Barrasford, Birtley, Hedley, Ingoe, Kirkwhelping ton with Ovingha1n and other estates. The barony of Langley, on the South Tyne, con1prising the 1nanors of Langley, Allerwash, Fourstones, Haydon, Warden, and Wyden, with the outlying 111anors of Blenkinsop and Fetherstone, was held in the twelfth century by the Tindals, and was carried in n1arriage through the Boltebys to the Lucies of Cockermouth.