FEUDAL BARONAGE 



favourably inclined to the young constable, remitted part of his fine. 1 During 

 the greater part of the years 1213 and 1214 he appears to have been with 

 the king in Poitou. 2 Nevertheless, in 1215 he joined the confederate barons, 

 and was one of the twenty-five appointed to see to the observance of the 

 Great Charter. 3 On the last day of 1 2 1 5 he had a safe-conduct to make his 

 peace with the king, who was anxious to secure his service, 4 which being 

 done, the next day he had warrants to the sheriffs of cos. Northumberland, 

 York, Nottingham and Derby, Lincoln, Leicester, Northampton, and Oxford 

 for the restoration of his estates ; 6 and three months later, having pledged his 

 fealty to the king, 6 was commissioned to bring three other Yorkshire barons 

 to the king for pardon, 7 and at the end of April had letters of protection to 

 visit his estates in seven counties. 8 During the summer of 1216 he was in 

 attendance upon the king, but soon after withdrew himself, and in Sep- 

 tember his land of Naseby in Northamptonshire was delivered to Ernald de 

 Amblevill. 9 In the meantime his castle of Donnington had been destroyed 

 by the king's order, 10 whilst he also shared in the excommunication imposed 

 upon the confederate barons by Innocent III. 11 



After Henry's accession he had letters of safe-conduct on 27 April, 1217, 

 to William Marshall to treat about his pardon, 13 and in August following his 

 estates were restored to him. 13 In November he was commissioned to conduct 

 the king of Scots and Robert de Ros from Berwick to the king. 14 The 

 following year (1218) he accompanied the earl of Chester to the Holy Land, 

 and was present at the siege of Damietta. 16 As far back as March, 1215, he 

 had taken the cross. 18 After his return to England towards the end of 1220, 

 he obtained the king's approval for levying an aid from his Oxfordshire tenants 

 towards his expenses in the crusade. 17 He led the Lancashire forces which 

 were engaged in February, 1221, in the reduction of Skipton Castle, then held 

 against the king by the party of William of Aumale, 18 and the year following 

 was one of the justices appointed to see to the perambulation of the forests in 

 cos. York and Nottingham. 19 At the end of 1223 he joined the earl of 

 Chester in the opposition to the government by the justiciar, but the earl, 

 being threatened with excommunication, surrendered his castle, whereupon 

 his constable did the same. 20 Six months later he assisted to quell the rebellion 

 of Falkes de Breaute, and was with the king in June and July at the siege, 

 and probably at the capture, of Bedford castle. 21 In October the king made 

 him a present of a valuable goshawk. 22 In May, 1225, he was appointed to 

 escort the young Roger Bigod, who had married the king of Scots' sister, to 



1 Close R. (Rec. Com.), 151^. His sureties were twenty knights. By 26 July, 1214, he had found 

 further sureties, viz., his brother Roger and four of his principal vavassours, and obtained possession of 

 Donnington Castle. Ibid. 167, 169 ; Pat. R. li<)b. 8 Chart. R. (Rec. Com.), 196-201^, pass. 



s Stubbs, Select Charters (ed. 1870), 298. * Pat. R. (Rec. Com.), i6z. 



5 Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 245. 6 Rymer, Feed. (Rec. Com.), i. 137. 



1 Pat. R. (Rec. Com.), 176. 8 Ibid. 179. 9 Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 289. 



10 Matth. Paris, Chron. majora (Rolls Ser.), ii. 171. " Ibid. ii. 1 66. 



U Pat. R. 1216-25, 112. 13 Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 318. 



i* Rymer, Toed. (Rec. Com.), i. 149 ; Pat. R. 1216-25, I22 - 

 ' Matth. Paris, Chron. majora (Rolls Ser.), ii. 230. 



16 Gervase of Cant. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 109. " Pat. R. 1216-25, 284. 



18 Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 474^, 546^. i Ibid. 503^. 



so Matth. Paris, Chron. majora (Rolls Ser.), ii. 260-1 ; Stubbs, Constitut. Hist. ii. 36 : cf. Pat. R. 

 1216-25, 481. 



21 Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 606, 6106, 635. 22 Ibid. 627, 652*. 



i 305 39 



