A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



Oliphant. Guhs three 

 crescents argent. 



connected with Northamptonshire in 1 201.^1 It was 

 another Walter, probably, whose land in Lilford was 

 in 1216 committed to Ralf de Trubleville.'''* This 

 Walter was a man of considerable importance in 

 Scotland, holding the office of justice of Lothian and 

 being constantly in attendance on the king." He 

 presented to the church of Lilford in 1228" and 

 he^^ and William'^ Oliphant were dealing with lands 

 in Lilford and Wigsthorpe in 1 232. In 1 242-3 the heir 

 of Walter Oliphant (as though Walter were dead) is 

 said to hold one fee in Lilford 

 of the Earl of Albemarle of 

 the Honour of Huntingdon." 

 This heir was apparently David 

 Oliphant, one of the magnates 

 of Scotland, who in 1244 was 

 returned as holding one fee in 

 Northamptonshire of William 

 de Forz, Earl of Albemarle, 

 and Christine his wife.'* It 

 would seem that this David 

 was dead without issue before 

 1266 when Walter de Moray 



(Moravia), apparently one of his heirs, presented to 

 the church of Lilford.'* Divorgilla his widow, 

 described as Lady of Lilford, held the manor of 

 Lilford for life by gift of Walter de Moray, who 

 reserved the advowson of the church.*" Divorgilla 

 Oliphant gave to Divorgilla daughter of Sir Walter 

 Montfichet (Montefi.xo) all the lands in Armiston 

 which she held by gift of Roger Wallenger, with re- 

 mainders to Divorgilla Montfichet's brothers Laurence 

 and John.2' In 1287 William Montfichet, Lord of 

 Kirgill (Kirkhill) in Scotland, and heir of the Lady 

 Divorgilla Oliphant, Lady of Lilford, granted the 

 lands he had received from her to Laurence son 

 of Sir Walter de Montfichet, his kinsman, with rever- 

 sion to John son of the said Laurence.^^ Jn 1296 

 Divorgilla claimed the advowson of the cliurch of 

 Lilford against William son of Walter de Moray, and 

 the King presented because the lands of Scottish 

 magnates iiad been taken into his hands.*' However, 

 in 1299, the presentation was quashed as having been 

 made in error, the patronage belonging to William de 

 Moray.** In 1300 the manor and advowson of 

 Lilford were conveyed by William de Moray to 

 Anthony Bek, the famous Bishop of Durham,*^ and 

 he bequeathed them at his death in 1 3 10 to his great 

 nephew Sir Robert de Willoughby, first Lord 

 Willoughby of Eresby, and Margaret his wife, daughter 

 of Edmund Lord Deyncourt,*' Sir Robert being son 

 of Alice wife of Sir William de Willoughby and 

 daughter of John Bek of Eresby, brother of the bishop.*' 

 Sir Robert de Willoughby obtained confirmation of 

 his title** and in 1316 was returned as holding Lilford 



Willoughby. Or a fret 

 azure. 



and its members.*' He died in the same year seised, 

 jointly with his wife Margaret, of the manor and 

 advo\vson held of John de Britanny as of the Honour 

 of Huntingdon by the service of one knight's fee, his 

 heir being his son John aged 15 years.^ John de 

 Willoughby confirmed a grant of the manor for life 

 to William de Willoughby and in 1330 was called 

 upon to justify his claim to soc and sac, tol and theam, 

 infangenthef and outfangenthcf, free warren, view 

 of frank-pledge, freedom from 

 pontage, tolls, sheriff's aids, 

 etc., in Lilford.^' John de 

 Willoughby was returned as 

 holding half a knight's fee in 

 Lilford in 1346.** He was 

 present at the battle of Crecy 

 in that year and died in 1 349.^ 

 He was succeeded by his son 

 Sir John de Willoughby, tliird 

 Lord Willoughby, who settled 

 the manor of Lilford and its 

 member Hockington in 1361.^ 



He took part in the battle of Poitiers and died 

 in 1372, having settled the manor on his son 

 Robert, fourth Lord Willoughby, and Robert's second 

 wife Margaret, daughter of William Lord Zouche 

 of Haringworth.^ He re-settled the manor and 

 advowson in 1376** and in J384 he and his wife 

 Margaret granted the advowson to Sir John Holt and 

 others.^' He died seised of the manor in 1396 and 

 was succeeded by his son William, fifth Lord Willough- 

 j,y_38 William died in 1409 leaving a son Robert, 

 sixth Lord Willoughby.^ The manor of Lilford 

 had, however, been settled for life on Joan widow of 

 William, who after his death married Henry, Lord 

 Scrope of Masham, and later Sir Henry Brounflete. 

 She died in 1434,** when Robert sixth Lord 

 Willoughby succeeded. He was engaged in the wars 

 in France, being present at Agincourt, and died in 

 1452. His heir was his daugliter Joan, the wife of 

 Richard de Welles,'" seventh Lord Welles, who was 

 summoned to Parliament in her right as Lord 

 Willoughby, retaining this title apparently after her 

 death in 1460. The paternal estates of her husband, 

 forfeited by the attainder of his father Lyon or Leo, 

 Lord Welles, slain at the battle of Towton, where he 

 fought on the Lancastrian side, were restored to him 

 in 1464-5, and in 1468 he obtained full restitution 

 in blood and honours. But in 1469 he, his son-in-law 

 Sir Thomas Dymock, and his son and heir, Sir Robert 

 de Welles, were all beheaded near Stamford, in 

 consequence of the latter's participation in the 

 Lincolnshire rebellion.** The heir of Sir Robert de 

 Welles (whose execution followed that of his father) 

 was his sister Joan, who, being then the childless 



" Curia Reg. R. ii, 73. 



" Farrer, !oc. cit. 



'* Bain, Cat. Doc. Seoll. 144, 139. 



" Bridgci, Hill. Northanli. ii, 242. 



" Feet uf F. Northanti. caie 171, file 

 15, no. 285. 



'• Ibid. no. 284. 



" Bk. of Fees, 938. " Farrer, loc. cit. 



" Bridgei, loc. cit. 



" Farrer, loc. cit. 



" Buccleuch Deedi, F. 1, 2, 4, 5. 



" Ibid. 



••Bain, Cal. Doc. Scoll. ii, 725; Cal. 

 I'ai 1292-1301, p. 184. 



" Ibid. 444; Bain, op. cit. 1104. 



" Feet of F. Northanti. 28 Edw. I, 

 c«ie 175, file 58, no. 3S6. 



" Cal.I'al. 1307-13, p. 375. 



" G.E.C. Ciimflfie I'etrage, viii, 141. 



"Chart. R. 4 I'dw. II, m. 1, no. 10; 

 Cal. Chan. 1300-26, p. iSi; Cal. Pat. 

 '3°7"'3i P- 375 ) cf. I'lac. /Ibbrev. (Rec. 

 Com.), 31 1. 



■• Feud. /liJi, iv, 28. 



•" Chan. Inq. p.m. 10 Edw. II, no. 78 ; 

 Cal. Ing. Ed. II, vi, no. 60. 



•' Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 575-6- 



228 



'• Feud. /liJs, iv, 449. 



" Bridges, op. cit. ii, 241. 



•' Marl. Ch.irt. 58, A. 48. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 46 Edw. Ill (iit 

 noi.),78. 



•• Harl.Chart. 58,0.9, 20. 



" Feet of F. Northanti. 7 Ric. II, caie 

 178, flic 87, no. 60. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 20 Ric. II, no. 54. 



•' Ibid. II lien. IV, no. 29. 



«" Ibid. 12 Hen. VI, no. 43. 



*' G.E.C. Complete Peerage. 



" Ibid ; Rolls of Pari, vi, 14511, 287a. 



