FEUDAL BARONAGE
THE growth of the present county of Lancaster out of the debatable lands lying on the borders of the ancient kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria, and Cumbria, has been touched upon under the Introduction to the Domesday of Lancashire, where indications of the formation of the later baronies have been slightly traced; but no account of these baronies would be complete without a few words upon the origin and early history of the honour of Lancaster, which extended, from the time of its creation, into eight counties, besides embracing the whole of what is now Lancashire. The Domesday fief of Roger of Poitou, after undergoing some modification after 1086, and again after 1102, became the main constituent of the honour of Lancaster, also known during the twelfth century as the 'honour of Count Roger of Poitou.' The creation of this honour, by consolidating and establishing the redistribution of north-western England, made between 1086 and 1090, decided the boundaries of this and the adjoining counties, casting once for all into this county Furness and Cartmel,[1] which geographically belong more properly to Westmorland; the parish of Warton, which had belonged to Kendal; Lonsdale and Amounderness (or 'Lancaster,'[2] as these districts were frequently described), which had been surveyed in Domesday under Yorkshire; and 'the land between Ribble and Mersey,' which, although a distinct region from Cheshire[3] in Domesday, had been surveyed as a district attached to that county.
In 1102 the honour of Count Roger fell by forfeiture into the hands of Henry I. The question at once arises. What were then the component parts of that honour? Did it comprise the fief which Roger had held before the survey was made, or had the changes of 1086—1090 carved out the entire fief which was afterwards known as the honour of Lancaster? A charter of Roger to the abbey of Sées, dated 1094, throws some light upon the question. In it Count Roger bestows on the brethren of that house the churches of Heysham and Preston in this county, of Stainsby in Derbyshire, of Cotgrave and Crophill in Nottinghamshire, of Weekley in Northamptonshire, of Kelsey, Weilingore, Navenby, and Boothby in Lincolnshire, and the church of St. Peter in Lincoln.[4] Four of these manors, Weekley,[5] Wellingore,
291
- ↑ On 17 January, 1258, writs of military summons were issued to the marchers of Cartmel and Kendal in common with those of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland. Close R. 22 Hen. III. m. 12 d.
- ↑ When itinerant justices were assigned in 1176 to visit the counties of England in six circuits, 'Loncastre' was one of those comprised in the sixth circuit. Rog. Hoveden (Rolls. Ser.), ii. 88. In 1179, when justices were assigned to hear the complaints of the people, 'Inter Rible et Meresee' and 'Loncastre' were included in the last of the four circuits. Ibid. ii. 191.
- ↑ In the confirmation charter of Henry I. to Pontefract Priory, Whalley, Clitheroe, Colne, and Burnley are described as lying in 'Cestreschira.' Chartul. of Pontefract, Yorks. Rec. Soc. xxv. 102.
- ↑ Chartul. of St. Martin of Sées, 103b. The church of St. Peter belonged to 'Albert' in Domesday. (Dom. Bk. i. 336b). This was probably one of the churches of Albert Grelley, tithes of which were given to St. Martin of Sées. It was given to the priory of Wenghale, in Lincolnshire, a cell of St. Martin of Sées, probably founded before 1086 by Roger of Poitou, who gave to it one carucate of land in Kelsey. Rot. Hundred. (Rec. Com.), i. 328, 370.
- ↑ V. C. H. Northants, i. 307b.
