Page:VCH Rutland 1.djvu/231

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POLITICAL HISTORY thus appear that Isabella's rights in the county consisted merely, like Eleanor's, of the annual receipt of X^io, though no mention is made of this in either grant; in each case it was the 'county' that was granted. Ralph held Rutland until 1209, when according to the presentment of a jury in 1275 he was deprived for hanging a harmless lunatic.*' We should not have expected an act of cruelty to appeal to John as a reason for taking such a step ; but such was the tradition two generations later. His place was taken by Robert de Braibroc, sheriff of Northamptonshire, who accounted as custos of Rutland.*^ The loss of Normandy compelled English landholders who also held in Normandy to choose between surrendering their English estates and giving up the lands they held in Normandy, and this had its effect in Rutland. Walkelin de Ferrers, who is said to have gone on crusade with Richard I and to have been present at the siege of Acre,*' was still in possession of Oakham in 1 1 96-7.*' He is said to have been succeeded by his son Hugh, but the last Ferrers who held Oakham was Henry,'" who gave it up on the loss of Normandy, and it was granted in 1207 to Roger Mortimer, who had married his sister Isabella." William de Humez was another landholder in Rutland who disappeared from the county for the same reason.'^ Of those who remained unaffected by this change, Richard d' Umfraville held Hamble- ton, Robert Mauduit held Barrowden per camerariam, Robert Gresley, William Foleville, and the heir of Richard White held of the honours of Lancaster, Leicester, and Nottingham, respectively ; Ernest continued to hold two carucates by his service as a balistarius, in which capacity he may have been with John at the siege of Rochester in 121 3. It was in 121 2 that the first military levy was made on the county of Rutland, as distinguished from the service due by tenure, 100 men with axes being required to go to Chester, presumably for service in Ireland." When the troubles of John's reign came to a head, the men of Rutland were almost unanimously on the side of the barons. The list given by j Geoffrey de Ferland in 12 16 of those in arms against the king includes the ! following knights : — Thomas de Hotot, Henry Murdac, Walter and Thurstan de Montfort, Robert and William Mauduit, Richard d'Umfraville, Geoffrey d'Ermenters (' Darinters '), Robert Gresley (' Gretley '), John de Fraisnet (' de Fretneya'), Lambert Bussi, Alan 'de Ganineya,' Simon of Lyndon, Robert de Ros, William ' de Giney,' Hamo the Falconer, William Foleville, Earl David (of Huntingdon), Robert Basset, Constantine Mortimer.'* None of these, however, took a very striking part in the struggle. " Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 49. " Pipe R. 1 2 John. " Ralph de Diceto, 0/>. Hist. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 79. Possibly, however, this is an error for William, Earl Ferrers, who died at the siege, but who is not mentioned by Ralph as present. " Red Bk. o/Exch. (Rolls Ser.), 103. '" Pipe R. 5 John. ■■' Rot. de Oblatis et Finibus (Rec. Com.), 416. Mortimer held Oakham as one knight's fee, the other half-fee being held by Hamo the Falconer; Red Bk. of Exch. 535 (12 10-12). See also Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 49, which states that William the Conqueror (sic) gave Oakham to Hugh [de Ferrers], and that Hugh's successors held it until Normandy was lost, when they rose against John. " Ralph de Normanville held two knights' fees of Earl Warenne, which he had formerly held of William de Humez, and there were other smaller holdings ; Red Bk. loc. cit. " Rot. Lit. Claus. (Rec. Com.), i, 131. " Rymer, Foedera, i, 144. For the identifications, see Red Bk. of Exch. 103, and Pipe R. 22 Hen. II (Pipe R. Soc), 55. The list gives also the following servientes : — Michael de Hanvill, Robert son of Bernard, Hugh ' the butler,' Richard of Foxton, Bartholomew of Pilton, Henry, Richard and ' Motte ' de BeviU (? = Boyville). 171