FEUDAL BARONAGE 



realm, in which capacity he was present at the Parliament of Brigham. 1 In 

 November, 1290, he was given extensive power to inquire of and punish 

 those guilty of homicides and depredations throughout the realm. 2 Early in 

 1291 he made preparations to go abroad, 8 but in June was in the king's service 

 in Scotland. That year he was present at Norham, and in 1292 at Berwick, 

 during the deliberations relative to the Scottish succession.* The same year 

 he was one of those appointed to decide on the claims of William de Ros and 

 John de Vaux ; 6 and was one of the executors of the will of Eleanor, the late 

 queen consort." At this time, having lost both his sons by unfortunate acci- 

 dents, 7 he resigned to the king his lordships of Ponterract, 8 Clitheroe, Halton, 

 Denbigh, and other lands, which the king afterwards granted to him and to the 

 heirs of his body, with remainder to Edmund, earl of Lancaster, the king's brother, 

 and the heirs of his body. 9 Two years later ( 1 274) his possessions in the counties 

 of Chester and Lancaster and elsewhere were settled upon him for life, with 

 remainder to Thomas, son of Edmund, earl of Lancaster, and Alice his wife, 

 only daughter of Henry, and the heirs of their bodies, with remainder to 

 Thomas's right heirs. 10 The earl of Lincoln was sent in May, 1293, to 

 Philip of France to treat for peace, and about the merchant ships of Normandy 

 which had recently been captured by the English. 11 In June, 1294, he 

 obtained a charter for a market and fair at Burnley, and free warren in his 

 demesne lands of Penwortham, Tottington, and Cliviger. 13 The same year, in 

 October, he was on his way to Gascony, but whilst still at Portsmouth was 

 recalled by the outbreak of war in North Wales. On 1 1 November, whilst 

 proceeding to the relief of his castle of Denbigh, he was defeated by his own 

 Welshmen with great slaughter, himself escaping with difficulty. 13 He was 

 occupied in the Welsh war until May, 1295. On 14 January, 1296, he 

 sailed from Plymouth with the earl of Lancaster on his way to Gascony. 

 After pillaging St. Matthieu, near Cape Finisterre, they landed at Blaye in 

 mid-Lent and marched against Bordeaux, which they unsuccessfully besieged. 

 On the death of the earl of Lancaster on 5 June Lincoln was chosen to 

 succeed him as the king's lieutenant by the voice of the whole army. He 

 defeated Robert of Artois before Bourg-sur-Mer, and besieged Aux for seven 

 weeks in July and August with great vigour, but was at length forced to retire 

 to Bayonne. In February, 1 297, the citizens of Bellegarde, then besieged by 

 the French, appealed for assistance. The earl marched out to their aid, but 

 was defeated and forced to retreat once more to Bayonne. However, in the 

 summer he made a successful raid towards Toulouse, which lasted until 

 Michaelmas. He then retired to Bayonne for Christmas, and about Easter, 

 1298, returned to England. 1 * On 15 May, 1299, Prince Edward appointed 



1 Cal. Pat. R. 1281-92, 372 ; Bain, Cal. of Docs. Scotland, i. 159, 163, 171. 



3 Ibid. 1281-92, 408. 3 Ibid. 410-2, 420 



* Will. Rishanger, Chron. (Rolls Ser.), 253-4. 6 Ibid. 266. Cal. Pat. R. 1281-92, 476-8. 



7 His eldest son Edmund was drowned by falling down a well at the Red Tower in Denbigh Castle, 

 and his second son John was killed by falling from a tower at Pontefract Castle. Cott. MSS. Cleop. C. iii. 

 328^; Leland, I tin. v.6i. 



Cal. Pat. .1281-92,512. Duchy of Lane. Misc. Bks. No. 1 1, ff. 37 d, 69 d. 



1 Dugdale, Baronage, ii. 104 ; Fine R. 20 Edw. I. mm. I, 7 ; Chart. R. 21 Edw. I. No. 29 ; 22 Edw. I. 

 Nos. 2-4. 



11 Tho. Walsingham, Hut. Angl. (Rolls Ser.), i. 43 ; Ypodigma Neustriae (Rolls Ser.), 190. 



Duchy of Lane. Misc. Bks. No. n, f. 25. 



13 Cal. Pat. R. 1292-1301, 87, 116 ; Tho. Walsingham, Hist. Angl. (Rolls Ser.), 1.48. 



14 Diet. Nat. Biog. xxxi. 374, from the Chron. (Rolls Ser.) ; Nicolas, Caerlavcmk, 95. 



309 



