310 Theory as to the Origin of the Crosses 



On the banks of the Irthing close to the Roman wall, in the country 

 which we now associate with the genius of Sir Walter Scott,. Robert 

 de Vaux son of Hubert de Vaux, lord of Gillesland, founded the priory 

 of Lanercost for regular canons of the Order of St. Augustine. Tra- 

 dition places the foundation in 1169, Avhich agrees with the evidence 

 of the earliest charter of the house. . . . The grantor assigned to God 

 and St. Mary Magdalene of Lanercost and to the regular canons there 

 the lawn (landa) of Lanercost between the ancient wall and the Irthing 

 and between, eic. . . . certain lawns by bounds as ' Gille son of Bueth ' 

 held them. . . . 



In several of these charters, when he had occasion to refer to his 

 territorial title, he reverted to the old phrase employed by Henry II 

 in the original enfeoffment of his family and repeated by himself in his 

 foundation chartei', ' infra baroniam quam dominus rex Henricus Anghe 

 dedit patri meo et mihi in terra que fuit GiUe filii Bueth.' Few of the 

 religious houses founded by subjects in the northern counties can point 

 to a patron more distinguished in personal qualities than Lanercost, 

 for Robert de Vaux, immortalized by Jordan Fantosme, his contem- 

 porary, was a valiant soldier, a great judge, a prudent statesman, and 

 a munificent benefactor of his church and country. The example he 

 set was infectious, for his family, kindred and descendants rank fore- 

 most among those who contributed to the prosperity and welfare of the 

 priory. ... In common Avith the other religious houses of the county, 

 the small proprietors were as forward in making bequests according to 

 their station as the great magnates.^ 



The manor of Buchecastre is mentioned in No. 109. It lies about 

 7 miles due north of Lanercost and is the northernmost part of the County 

 of Cumberland, touching Scotland on the northwest and Northumberland 

 on the east and northeast. Here was a Roman station, not far from 

 the Maiden Way, and in the church is the famous Saxon Runic Cross. 

 The castle, of later date than the time of Gille son of Bueth, probably 

 occupies the site of the castle where the family of Bueth resided, and 

 where Gille son of Bueth held the district until his death. ^ 



1 Victoria Hist. Cumb. 2. 152-3. 



2 Prescott, p. 197. The name of Bewcastle is given as Buthecaster in 

 1249 [Victoria Hist. Cumb. 2. 125), Bothecastre in 1299-1300, 1357-8, castle 

 of Bothe in 1401 [Cal. Doc. Scot., ed. Bain, Vol. 4, nos. 2, 585, 1776), Bewe- 

 castell in 1488 [ibid., no. 1542). 



The following items with respect to the Bewcastle church are extracted 

 from Curwen's paper (see p. 97, above). Referring to the early period, 

 he says (p. 245) : ' The low narrow quaint old church with rude walls and 

 thatched roof [this must be conjectural] would become by degrees of greater 

 importance and be rebuilt at the lord's instigation in the prevaiUng Early 

 Enghsh style [1189-1272, Parker], as is stiU noticeable in the triple east- 

 (98) 



