INTRODUCTION

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 Chartulary, p. 241.1 The sale was confirmed by Act of Parliament in the following year.

The barony of Warkworth, with its dependent members of Warkworth, Acklington, Birling, and High Buston; the manor of Rothbury, with its members Newtown, Snitter, and Thropton; the manor of Corbridge; the manor of Newburn, with its members Newburn, Butterlaw, Walbottle, and Whorlton, came into the possession of the Percies on the death of John de Clavering without issue male, on the 18th January 13322; 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 military service. The charter is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 154. Warkworth Castle, on sweet Coquet-side, rather than Alnwick on the more sluggish Aln, was by predilection the home of the family for some generations.3

A member of the barony of Mitford, the manor of Thirston was purchased by John de Vesci of Alnwick, circa 1275, from the heiress of the family of Bertram of Mitford. Early in the fourteenth century, there were disputes between the heirs of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, as lord of the manor of Felton, and Henry de Percy; and, pending 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 Clavering, see new History of Northumberland, vol. x. p. 83.

3 New History of Northumberland, vol. v. pp. 32–52.

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the Crown. The Percies substantiated their claim, and, on the 24th September 1334, Henry de Percy had licence to enfeoff John de Crayk, parson of Spofforth, with a moiety of the town of Thirston with other and larger estates; and Henry de Percy, on the 18th May 1368, died seised of the manor.1 Other lands in Thirston were acquired through the marriage of Sir Thomas Percy with Eleanor, sister and coheiress of George Harbottle, who, in her widowhood, by deed dated 3rd November 1538, agreed with her sister Dame Mary Fitton to partition, under which agreement the Harbottle lands in Thirston fell to Dame Eleanor Percy.2

No lordship or manor in Northumberland has a more interesting origin or early history than Beanley, in the parish of Eglingham, given by Henry I. to Gospatric. The original charter is not extant, but its terms are recited in a confirming 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 ' andutborwe,' otherwise inborg' and 'hutborg,' between England and Scotland. These terms have been explained variously; but the late Rev. William Greenwell-than whom no one was more competent to form 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 came 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 Northumberland, which grant is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 302.

Talbot's lands in Tyndale, comprising Kielder and Walwick Grange, members of the barony of Wark-on-Tyne forming part of the liberty, or regality, of Tyndale, belonged to John Comyn of Badenach, who died 24th June 1315. He was succeeded by his

1 The deed of conveyance from the Lady Agnes Fitz-William to William de Burnton is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 265; that from William de Burnton, who acted as a trustee, to John de Vesci, on p. 252; and the Royal Licence of 24th September 1334, on p. 171 of the same work.

2 New History of Northumberland, vol. vii. pp. 297, 299, 300, 301. 3 New History of Northumberland, vol. vii. pp. 30, 31, 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.

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, respectively married to Sir Thomas Percy and Sir Ralph Percy, two of the younger sons of the first Earl of Northumberland, ultimately succeeded to a purparty of John Comyn's lands. By purchase, or by some family agreement, the Talbot purparty was acquired by Hotspur, the eldest brother of Thomas and Ralph Percy, who was killed at the battle of Shrewsbury, 22nd July 1403. Hotspur dying in rebellion, his lands, comprising Walwick Grange and the Talbot lands in Tyndale, came into the hands of the Crown. Probably Talbot's lands were amongst the lands restored, 2 Henry V., to Hotspur's son. They were certainly in the possession of his grandson, who died in 1461.1

A member of the barony of Alnwick, Lucker was held in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by a family of knightly rank, taking their name from the place. David de Lucker died on Sunday, 21st August 1379, seised of two third parts of Lucker, the remaining 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 Wardens of the Marches, had afterwards joined in open rebellion and had fled into Scotland. He had in consequence been proclaimed an outlaw in the month of January 1365, and his inheritance escheated to the Percies as overlords of the barony.2

Gilbert Umframville, third earl of Angus-having survived his only son Robert de Umframville, who had married Margaret, daughter of Henry, third Lord Percy of Alnwick, and died without issuemarried again, taking for his wife Maud de Lucy, daughter and sole heir of Sir Thomas de Lucy of Cockermouth and Langley. Having, on 5th July 1375, obtained the necessary royal licence, he made a settlement, on the 16th August following, of the castle and barony of Prudhoe and other estates to himself and his wife and the heirs of his body, with remainder to Henry Percy, first Earl of Northumberland. After the death of the aged Earl of Angus in 1381, the widowed Countess became second wife of the Earl of Northumberland, who then became seised jure uxoris until her death in 1398, when he became seised in fee tail under the settlement of 1375.3 With the barony

1 Hartshorne, Feudal and Military Antiquities of Northumberland, pp. 258, 260 Cf. pedigrees of Strathbolgy, new History of Northumberland, vol. vii. p. 236. 2 New History of Northumberland, vol. i. pp. 234, 239.

3 Bates, Border-Holds, pp. 202, 203.

of Prudhoe the Earl of Northumberland acquired the dependent manors of Prudhoe, Barrasford, Birtley, Hedley, Ingoe, Kirkwhelpington with Ovingham and other estates.

The barony of Langley, on the South Tyne, comprising the manors of Langley, Allerwash, Fourstones, Haydon, Warden, and Wyden, with the outlying manors of Blenkinsop and Fetherstone, was held in the twelfth century by the Tindals, and was carried in marriage through the Boltebys to the Lucies of Cockermouth. As has been already stated, Maud, daughter and sole heir of Sir Thomas Lucy, married, first, Gilbert Umframville, third Earl of Angus, and secondly, Henry Percy, first Earl of Northumberland. Dying without issue of either marriage, her paternal inheritance descended to the Earl of Northumberland's issue by a former marriage. The barony of Langley followed the fortunes of the Percy estates until after the attainder of the seventh earl in 1569. It was not re-granted to the Percies, but was granted out by the Crown on lease to the Carnabys and others. In 1632 it was purchased by Sir Edward Radcliffe of Dilston, whose son was created Viscount Langley and Earl of Derwentwater.1 Again forfeited to the Crown in 1715, it was granted in 1749 to the Governors of Greenwich Hospital, who in 1882 sold the castle and estate of Langley to Mr Cadwallader John Bates, reserving the mineral and other manorial rights.1

The manor of Fawdon, being a member of the ancient confederacy styled the Ten Towns of Coquetdale, was also a member of the barony of Alnwick, of which it was held, circa 1076, by Robert cum barba of Umfreville, the founder, in England, of the family of Umframville. By him it was subinfeuded to the Batailles, from whom it was acquired, perhaps in marriage, before the year 1276, by Sir William Douglas, whose possession was greatly resented by the Umframvilles. In the month of July of that year, he was attacked in his manor-house of Fawdon by a band of Redesdale men, headed by Gilbert de Umframville. Dying about the year 1274, Sir William Douglas was succeeded by a son of the same name, who, alternately rebelling and submitting, was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and died in prison in 1297 or 1298. Subsequently the Umframvilles gained, or regained, possession of the place. Fawdon probably passed to the Percies with Prudhoe under the provisions of the Earl of Angus's marriage settlement.

2

The manors of Shilbottle, Guyzance, Rennington, and Broxfield, all within the barony of Alnwick, which had been given to Richard 1 Arch. Ael., 2nd ser., vol. xiv. pp. 44, 53, 55. 2 Cf. History Berwick. Nat. Club, vol. xxiii. p. 360.

Tyson, a younger son of Gilbert Tyson, lord of Alnwick, were carried by his great-granddaughter Beneta, or Bona, Tyson in marriage, circa 1198, to William de Hilton, a baron of the Bishopric. About the year 1395 Henry, first Earl of Northumberland, acquired these manors from Robert de Hilton, to whom he gave in exchange Bolton Percy, Wharram Percy, and Carnaby in Yorkshire.1

The manor of Newham in Bamburghshire, otherwise Newham Comyn, was held of the Vescis, Lords of Alnwick, by Walter de Bataille, who came to the Conquest of England with Robert cum barba Umframville, from whom he received Netherton in Coquetdale. In 1209 the manor of Newham was in the possession of Gunnora de Valoignes, niece and heiress of Geoffrey de Valoignes of Bennington in Hertfordshire. It was carried in marriage with Gunnora's granddaughter, Isabel de Mandeville, to David Comyn, who, circa 1230, held Newham as half a knight's fee of ancient feoffment. In 1355 Eufemia, wife of William de la Beche, daughter and heir of Edmund Comyn, conveyed her rights to Sir John de Coupland and Joan his wife. In 1372 Dame Joan de Coupland, in her widowhood, procured a licence to grant the manor of Newham to Sir Richard Arundel, from whom, or from whose heirs, the estate passed, in 1411, to the Thorntons of Netherwitton.2 As is well known, the Thorntons were descended, although not legitimately, from the famous Roger Thornton, the founder of the Domus Dei of Newcastle, whose superb monumental brass is still the chief treasure of All Saints Church in Newcastle. About the year 1450 Newham was acquired by Henry, third Earl of Northumberland, although his possession was contested in 1462 by Roger Thornton.

The manors of Ellingham and Newstead, representing the northern portion of the barony of Gaugy, were forfeited to the Crown by John de Clifford, who was associated with Henry de Lucker, and other men in the district, in the murder on 20th December 1362, on Bolton Moor, of John de Coupland, one of the Wardens of the Marches. In 1366 both manors were granted to Joan de Coupland, the murdered man's widow, who conveyed them to Sir Richard Arundel. The property was dismembered by the trustees of his brother, Sir John Arundel, who died in 1379, portions coming into possession of the Earl of Northumberland, Sir Robert Ogle, and John Heron. Sir Robert Ogle's portion was given in marriage, in 1424, with his daughter Margaret Ogle, to Sir Robert Harbottle. Heron's portion was also acquired by Harbottles. About the year 1528 Sir Thomas Percy 1 Percy Chartulary, p. 457; new History of Northumberland, vol. v. p. 420. 2 New History of Northumberland, vol. i. pp. 270, 272, 273.