FEUDAL BARONAGE 



with remainder to her younger son, William fitz William, by her third 

 husband, William fitz Godric, 1 to hold of Roger de Lacy by the ancient 

 service of eight knights. In 1194 Lacy accounted of 43 1 5-r. of the scutage 

 of his honour of Pontefract for the king's ransom, 8 and the year following, 

 in consequence of the agreement made with his grandmother, Albreda, gave 

 the king a fine of 2,000 marks for livery of Robert de Lacy's honour of 

 Clitheroe, with the lands and castles, except the castle of Pontefract, which 

 the king retained in his own hand. 8 In 1196 he was excused the scutage 

 due from 8j knights' fees of the honours of Clitheroe and Widnes for the 

 second scutage of Normandy,* but paid the quota due from his Yorkshire 

 fees. 6 He was, however, excused the quota due in that county for the 

 third scutage of Normandy, 8 and the year following had acquittance to the 

 same scutage for his 8 J fees in this county. 7 Between 1 200-1 205 he obtained 

 three royal charters. The first restored the land which Guy de Laval and his 

 predecessors had held since the time of King Stephen, representing twenty 

 knights' fees of the honour of Pontefract. 8 For this Roger proffered a fine of 

 500 marks, which was not discharged until 1207.' The second granted to 

 him the manor and soke of Snaith, to hold for the service of one knight. 10 The 

 third granted to him a fair with liberties to be held yearly at Clitheroe on 

 the feast day and on the morrow of St. Mary Magdalene. 11 ' The constable 

 of Chester was a notable figure in both English and Norman affairs in the 

 early years of John's reign. He was one of those barons who sw r ore fealty 

 to the king at Northampton, before the chancellor and justices, immediately 

 after his accession. 13 On 16 September, 1199, he was in the king's retinue 

 at Bourg le Roi, in Maine, 13 and in 1 200 was sent to escort William the Lion 

 to Lincoln, and was present when the Scottish king did homage there to 

 John on 22 November. 14 In 1201 King John sent him, in company with 

 William Marshall, earl of Striguil, each attended by zoo knights, to restrain 

 the king's enemies in the marches of Normandy. 16 During the progress of 



1 The Rev. Joseph Hunter, in his South Yorkshire (i. 334), mentions a transcript, preserved among Hugh 

 fitz William's MSS. of an agreement made between William fitz William and Roger de Lacy, at Darrington, 

 in 6 Ric. I. respecting money to be paid in consideration of the agreement of 1194 quoted above. In a suit 

 with Alex, de Crevequer touching lands at Hopton, near Mirfield, he is described as ' Willelmus filius Willelmi 

 filii Godrici ' (ibid). He had a brother described as ' Thomas filius Willelmi filii Godrich 'in 1225: Close R. 

 (Rec. Com.), ii. 74, 81. 



* Pipe R. 6 Ric. I. Ebor. 



8 Ibid. 7 Ric. I. Ebor. 



4 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 94. He appears not to have acknowledged half a knight's fee in Appleton, a 

 recognition of which Agnes Bonetable had sought against John, constable of Chester, in 1182 (ibid. 47), and 

 with her husband, Richard de Venables, sought against Roger in 1199 (ibid. 1 06). 



6 Pipe R. 6 Ric. I. Ebor. 

 Pipe R. 8 Ric. I. Ebor. 



7 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 98. 



8 Duchy of Lane. Misc. Ptf. i. No. 36, m. 3. In 1203 the knights and free tenants of the fees late held 

 by Guy de Laval in England, belonging to the honour of Pontefract, were commanded by writ to be sub- 

 missive to the constable of Chester (Pat. R. i. 26). 



Rot. de Oblat (Rec. Com.), 26, 74 ; Pipe R. 4 John, Ebor. 



10 Chart. R. (Rec. Com.), 152 ; cf. Red Book of Exch. (Rolls Ser.), 490. 



11 Duchy of Lane. Misc. Ptf. i. No. 36, m. 3. 



13 Hoveden (Rolls Ser.), iv. 88. 

 18 Chart. R. (Rec. Com.), 23*. 



14 Hoveden (Rolls Ser.), iv. 140, 142. 

 18 Ibid. iv. 163. 



3 OI 



