A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



church.''* William Peverel died in 1114'^ and was 

 succeeded by his son William, who was a strong sup- 

 porter of King Stephen. He was taken prisoner at 

 the Battle of Lincoln in 1 141, when his lands were 

 forfeited but were restored to him in 1 143. In 1 153 

 Henry Fitz Empress granted to Ranulf Earl of Chester, 

 on condition of his support, great possessions, in- 

 cluding aU the fee of William Peverel, except 

 Higham." The grant never took effect, but some 

 nine months later Ranulf Earl of Chester died, poi- 

 soned, it is said, by WiUiam Peverel. On the accession 

 of Henry to the throne as Henry H, Peverel, to avoid 

 punishment, became a monk, probably at Lenton 

 (co. Notts.). His lands were seized by Henry H in 

 1 155" and Higham Ferrers was for a year and a half 

 farmed by Froger, archdeacon of Derby.'* In 1157 it 

 was granted, probably for life, to Robert de Ferrers, 

 second Earl of Derby, who had married Margaret, 

 daughter and heir of William Peverel, her brother 

 Henry being then apparently dead.'^ After the 

 death of Robert in or about 1159, Higham Ferrers 

 was granted in 1 161 to WiUiam, the King's brother, 

 who died in 1164.** The manor remained in the 

 King's hands until 1 189, when King Richard I 

 granted it to his brother, John Count of Mortain.^i 

 John farmed it to William de Sancte Marie 

 Ecclesia,*- later Bishop of London,*' and after- 

 wards to WiUiam Briwerre.** In 1199 WiUiam de 

 Ferrers, fourth Earl of Derby, son of WiUiam 

 and grandson of Robert, second Earl of Derby, 

 purchased for 2,000 marks from King John the 

 manor, hundred and park of Higham Ferrers and cer- 

 tain other lands, at the same time relinquishing what 

 claim he had through his grandmother, Margaret 

 Peverel, to the other lands of WiUiam Peverel.** 

 William de Ferrers died in 1247 and was succeeded by 

 his son William fifth Earl of Derby. As a favourite 

 at the Court of Henry III he received many grants 

 of privileges, including the right to free warren in 

 Higham Ferrers in 124S, a yearly fair in 1250 and the 

 erection of a borough in 1251.** 



He died in 1254 and was succeeded by his son 

 Robert sixth Earl of Derby, then under age and in the 

 custody of Edward, the King's son. He came of age 

 in 1260, when he joined the Baronial party. In 1264 

 he was sent to the Tower and his lands were seized by 

 the King, but in the following year he was pardoned 

 on paying a heavy fine. A few months later, how- 

 ever, he again joined the rebel forces and was taken 

 prisoner at Chesterfield in 1266 and his lands were 

 a second time taken into the King's hands.*' In 

 the same year Henry III granted all the Earl's pos- 

 sessions to his son, Edmund Earl of Chester, who 

 was created Earl of Lancaster in the following year.** 

 Under the Dictum of Kenilworth Robert de Ferrers 



could redeem his lands on payment of seven years' pur- 

 chase, and he evidently made an attempt to regain 

 them, for in 1269 Edmund was ordered to restore 

 them.*' An .igreement was reached whereby Edmund 

 and his heirs were to hold the estates until Robert 

 should pay the sum of ^^50,000 for their redemption.'*' 

 Although Robert and his son John de Ferrers made 

 several attempts to obtain possession of their patri- 

 mony they never succeeded. 



Edmund Earl of Lancaster died seised of Higham 

 Ferrers in 1296.*! His son and heir Thomas Earl of 

 Lancaster, being taken prisoner at the Battle of 

 Boroughbridge, was beheaded in 1322 when his lands 



mm 



\A7T7 



Ferrers, fairy or and 

 gules. 



Lancaster. Enghiiid 

 with a label of France. 



were seized by tlie Crown.*^ Higham Ferrers was then 

 granted to Aylmer de Valence Earl of Pembroke'* 

 who died in 1324''' and his widow, Mary de St. Pol, 

 exchanged her rights here for other lands.'* On the 

 accession of Edward III in 1327 Henry, brother and 

 heir of Thomas Earl of Lancaster, was restored and 

 was succeeded in 1 345 by his son Henry who was 

 created Duke of Lancaster in 1 35 1. He died on 24 

 March, 1360-1, leaving two daughters, Maud, the 

 elder, who married firstly, Ralf Earl of Stafford, and 

 secondly, William Duke of Bavaria, but died child- 

 less in 1362 ; Blanche, the younger daughter, at the 

 age of eleven became the first wife of John of Gaunt 

 son of Edward III. The manor of Higham Ferrers 

 seems to have been settled on Blanche," who at her 

 sister's death became sole heir to her father's great 

 estates. In 1362 John of Gaunt was created Duke of 

 Lancaster. Blanche died in 1369 and John in 1399 

 when he was succeeded by their son Henry of Boling- 

 broke who later in that year ascended the throne as 

 Henry IV when the lands of the Duchy of Lan- 

 caster, including Higham Ferrers, merged in the 

 Crown. Higham Ferrers is still part of the Duchy of 

 Lancaster," although it was included in the jointures 

 of the Queens Consort of Edward IV, Charles I, 

 Charles II and James II.'* 



Lands in Higham Ferrers forfeited to the Crown 

 on the attainder of Francis Lord Lovel of Tichmersh, 

 after the battle of Bosworth were granted by 



" y.C.H. Nortbanti. i, 336A. 



'* Complete Peerage (New Ed.), iv, 762. 



'* Cott. Chart, xvii, 2. 



" Ibid. 



'• Hunter, Great Roll of the Pipe 

 (Rec. Com.), 42 ; Red Ull. of Excheq. 

 (Rolli Scr.)ii, 681. 



'• Complete Peerage^ loc. clt. 



'° Farrcr, op. cit. i, 203. 



" Hunter, Great Roll of the Pipe 

 (Rec. Com.), p. 97. 



•• Fjrrcr, loc. cit. 



•■ D. N. B. 



" Farrer, loc. cit. 



" Fine R. i John, m. 23 ; Hardy, 

 Rot. de Oblal. et Fm. p. 3 ; Pipe R. 

 I John, m. 2d. 



"• Cal. Chart. 1226-57, pp. 332, 350, 



" Complete Peerage (New Ed.), iv, 198, 

 203. 



"' Cal. Pat. 1266-72, p. 22, 127. 



" Ibid. p. 336. 



•° Coram Rcge R. Mich. 2 and 3 Edw. I, 

 m. 6. Tiic Countcia of Derby »ccnii to 

 have held Higham in 1275, probably ai 

 dower ; Rot. Hund. (Rec. Com.) il, 4, 10. 



" Cal. Inq. Edw. I, iii, no. 423. 



268 



" Abhrev. Rot. Orii>. i, 264 j Cal. 

 Fine R. iii, 105. 



" Cal. Pat. 1321-4, pp. 87, 113. 



" Cal. Inq. vi, no. 518. 



"■Cal. Pal. 1327-30, p. 37; 1334-8, 

 p. 250; 1338-40, p. 242; Cal. Clou, 

 1327-30, p. 109. 



w Feet of F. Div. Coi. V.:iU. 35 Edw. Ill, 

 no. 78 j Ca/. /'<«. 1361-4, p. 118. 



•' /hti Priv. and I.or. 1 Vict. cap. II. 



•" Feet of F. Div. Co«. Trin. 15 Edw. IV, 

 no. 102, ; I'at. R. 5 Chas. I, pt. 15, no. 6j 

 24 Cha>. II, pt. 9, no. I ; I Jaa. II, pt. 17, 

 no. I. 



