I. Carta de fundatione Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe per Johannem Constabularium Cestrie.

NIUERSIS sanete matris ecclesie filijs tam pre- sëtib} quam futuris, Johës* cöstabularius Cestrie salutë. Sciatis me dedisse et hac presenti carta mea cöfirmasse Deo et sanete Marie et Abbati atq. monachis de Stanlawe ad cöstru- endä Abbathiä ordinis Cisterciensis, ipsum locu Stanlawe, quë mutato

* John, the pious founder of the abbey of Stanlawe, was the fourth in descent from Nigel, the first constable of Cheshire, and baron of Halton. The descents are,

I. Nigel, who was Constable of Cheshire in fee, "as it were after the manner of

Lord High Constables of England, so was he to the Earl of Chester. We now call the like office Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire." He bore gules, a pale, fusillé, or. He left issue,

1. William, his successor.

2. Richard.

II. William, son of Nigel, constable to Randle le Gernons, fourth earl of Chester,

founded a priory at Runcorn, A.D. 1133, 33 Henry I. He left issue,

1. William, his successor.

2. Agnes, married Eustace Fitz-John.

3. Maud, married Aubert de Grellei.

2 ¿Tiî. De -taní.-iuje, etr.

nomine Benedictu Locu vocari volumus, et villam unä que vocatur Staneyä, et alteram villä que vocatur Mauricas Eston, cu omib} ptinëtijs earu, in bosco, in plano, in pratis, in pascuis, in vijs, in semitis, in aquis, in piscarijs, in mariscis, in molëdinis, et in omnib} alijs aisiamëtis suis, liberas et quietas ab omi terreno seruicio et seculari

III. William, the son of William, removed the canons of Runcorn to Norton,

temp. Stephen, and dying in Normandy s.p., was succeeded by his brother- in-law,

IV. Eustace Fitz-John, fourth baron of Halton, and constable of Cheshire in

right of Agnes his wife. Randle le Gernons, earl of Chester, restored to him, temp. Stephen, " totum honorem qui fuit Willielmi filij Nigelli con- stabularij Cestrie in rebus et dignitatibus omnibus, et ipsum Eustachium constituisse hereditario constabularium et supremum consiliarium post me super omncs optimates et barones totius terre mee." He was slain in battle against the Welsh, A.D. 1157, 3 Henry II., and was succeeded by his son,

V. Richard, fifth baron of Halton, and constable of Cheshire. He married Al-

brcda, daughter and heir of Robert de Lizores, and uterine sister (or cousin, see p. 75) to Robert do Lascy, baron of Pontefract, who made her his heir; undo illa, post Roberti de Lascy mortem, utramq. hereditatem, fraternam, (consisting of sixty knights' fees) de Lascy, et patcrnam de Lizores occu- pavit. Richard, baron of Halton, had issue by Albreda his wife,

1. John, his successor.

2. Robert, of the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.

3. Mary, married Robert de Aldford.

4. Aubry, married Henry Byset.

Richard, baron of Halton, ob. ante 24 Henry II., and was succeeded by his son,

VI. John, sixth baron of Halton and constable of Cheshire," fundator loci bene-

dicti," A.D. 1178, 24 Henry II. He married Alice, sister of William de Mandeville, and had issue,

1. Roger, his successor.

2. Eustace de Cestria.

3. Richard de Cestria.

4. Geffrey.

5. Peter.

6. Alice.

He died at Tyre, A.D. 1190, 2 Richard I., and was sncceded by his son,

VII. Roger, seventh baron of Ilalton, and constable of Cheshire, vir magni-

ficus et bellicosus, surnamed by the Welsh, "Hell." On the death of his kinsman, Robert de Lascy, A.D. 1194, he assumed the surname of

2Ttt. De î-taulаuje, etc. ."

exactione, p salute anime mei, et patris mei, et matris mee, et uxoris mee, et omiu antecessoru et heredu meoru in purä et ppetuä elemo- synä. Cöcessi quoq. eis in ppetuä elemosynä quietätiam thelonei in

Lascy; and 5 Richard I., A.D. 1 1.95, afine was levied between himself and his grandmother, Albreda de Lizores, " de tota terra que fuit Roberti de Lasci," viz. of the fees of Pontefract and Clithero. He purchased from Robert Bus- sel the barony of Penwortham, to hold of John, king of England, and his heirs, in capite; for which he acquitted the said Robert Bussel of three hun dred and ten marks before the king. He married Maud de Clare, by whom he had a daughter, married to Geoffrey, dean of Whalley, and a son, Robert, a quo, Constables of Flamborough; and, dying in the feast of St. Remigius, 1st October, 13 John, A.D. 1211, was succeeded by his son and heir,

VIII. John de Lascy, eighth baron of Halton, and constable of Cheshire. He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of the eldest son of Saher de Quincy, earl of Winchester, Robert do Qnincy, and Hawise, sister and coheir of Randal Blundeville, earl of Chester and Lincoln, who granted the latter earldom to his sister Hawise; and on her death without issue, Henry III., by patent dated November 23,1232, regni sui 17, granted the earldom of Lincoln to John de Lascy and the heirs of his body by the said Margaret his wife.

John de Lascy, earl of Lincoln, ob. 22d July, 24 Henry III., A.D. 1240, and was succeeded by his son and heir, Edmund. He also had a daughter, Maude, who married Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester, whose descend ants became the representatives of the family. His widow, Margaret, mar ried William Marshall, earl of Pembroke, and survived him. See post, p. 131.

IX. Edmund de Lascy, baron of Halton, and constable of Cheshire, who, dying

before his mother, was probably never styled earl of Lincoln. He married Alice, daughter of Marquis Salaces in Italy, and dying Juno 5, 1258, 42 Henry III., was succeeded by his son and heir,

X. Henry de Lascy, the "great and good" earl of Lincoln, and constable of

Cheshire, vir illustris in concilio, strenuus in omni prœlio, et in omni regno ornatissimus. Ho is thus described in the " Siege of Carlaverock,"

l e bon Comte tte ÇHtlinlr Henry the good earl of Lincoln,

Qc urnfetrssr rmbrasSr et a tale burning with valour, and, which

<£ eП Й0П raer le Я dauberame, is the chief feeling of his heart,

Msnani le eírfj«ele primerame. leading the first squadron.

And after naming William le Marshall, Hugh Bardolph, Henry de Grey

4 2Tй. оc Sianlatoc, ete.

emptione et vëditione omiu reru suaru p totä terrä meä, neenö et quietätiä thelonei de pprio blado suo in molëdinis meis. Dedi etiá eis mesuag. unu in villa Cestrie cu omib} edificijs suis quod habui in via ecclesiam sancti Michaelis similiter in purä et ppetuä elemo- synä, cu omib} libertatib} et liberis consuetudinib} suis. Et quando ego et heredes mei voluerimus in domo prenominata placita nostra tenebimus et ad expensas nostras hospitabimur. Hec vero o!ñia pre nominata ego Johës et heredes mei erga Regë et comitë Cestrie de piñi terreno et forësi seruicio quod ad predictas terras ptinet warät et

Robert de MontaIt, Thomas de Malton, William le Vavasour, and John de Hodleston, the poet proceeds:

ST estaient Ira rrlritrmrnt These were tbe retinue of the good

Яи boU Comte, et аи bien ame. and well beloved earl.

He received from King Edward the town of Denbigh, and took in conse quence the title, dominus de Ros et Roweynok. He married, A.D. 1256 Margaret, daughter and heir of William Longespee, and had issue,

1. Edmund.1 . . ,. . .

„ -, j-who both died m their mfancy.

2.

3. Alice.

4. Margaret, who died young.

The earl died at his house at Lincoln's Inn, at cock-crowing, 5th February, 1310, 4 Edward II., and was succeeded by his sole surviving daughter, XI. Alice, who had married, œt. 0, in her father's life, the king's nephew, Thomas Plantagenet, earl of Lancaster, Leycester, and Derby, seneschal of England, the eldest son and heir of Edmund Plantagenet, surnamed Crook- back, the son of Henry III. On her marriage, the Lascy estates were settled, in default of heirs of their bodies, on the said Edmund Flantagenet and the heirs of his body. Thomas, earl of Lancaster, was beheaded at Pontefract, March 22, 1321, 14 Edward II., and died without issue. On his attainder, the estates were seised, 15 Edward II., into the hands of the king, but were granted by Edward III. to the heir under the entail, viz. to Henry, earl of Lancaster, the eldest son and heir of Henry, the second son of Edmund Plantagenet.

After the death of Thomas, earl of Laneaster, his widow, Alice, married first, Eubulo le Strange, and secondly, Hugh le Frenes, and died at Bolyngbroke A.D. 1348, ;>/t. 68, without issue by any of her husbands.

¿Ttt. o e *tat»laüje, etc. 5

acquietabimus et contra oiiies alios homines in omib} et ubicuq. warät manutenebimus et defëdemus. Et quicuq. häc meä elemosinä de- struere vel minuere voluerit destruat cu Dñus et eius maledictionem et omiu sanctoru et meä habeat. Häc autë elemosinä dedi et cöcessi liberam et quietä atq. honorificä sicut ulla elemosina liberius vel quietius atq. honorificetius dari potest. Anno ab incaraatiöe dñi m° c° Ixxviij°. Huius autë donationis et confirmationis testes sunt isti Robtus decanus de Donyngton, Nichus psona de Marishm, Rad. sacados de Sallowe, Sym. sacMos de Eston, Greg. sac'dos de Castello, Gaufridus monachus de Parco, Sym. monachus de Cuberm9, Henr. Byset, Johes de Danuilla, Martinus Angeuinus, Hugo de Dutton, Johes fil. Thurstani, Ran. fil. Gilbti, Gilbtus fil. Ran., Matheus fil. Johis, Johes fil. Aflr., Rie. ff'yton, Willus fil. Rici, Rob. venator, Ad. de Dutton, Hugo suus frater, Rob. fil. Rogeri, Rog. Burdon, Gaufr. de Meryng., Willus Benuenu, Ric. de Cheyle, ffuleo dispensator, Henr. de Aylnton, Petrus de Sandal, Willus clicus de Cambrebek, Osbtus marescallus, Willus Legatus, apud Donyngton.