FEUDAL BARONAGE 



large additions thereto. We have already stated that at the date of Domes- 

 day he held lands under Roger of Poitou in cos. Lincoln, Norfolk, and 

 Suffolk, and that he probably succeeded to Nigel's estates in Manchester not 

 long after the date of the survey. 1 It is evident from the wording of Roger's 

 charter to St. Martin of Sees in 1094, that Albert Grelley then held a con- 

 siderable estate under him. 3 He did not share in the forfeitures of 1102 or 

 1 1 06, but by Henry's favour retained his former estates, and perhaps received 

 some addition thereto, so that upon the creation of the honour of Lancaster 

 he apparently became the largest tenant of the honour with a fee held by the 

 service of 1 2 knights, which his descendant held in 1 1 87," of which 5 J knights 

 represented the service due from Manchester, with its members. He seems 

 to have been still living between 1115 and 1 1 1 8 as the tenant under 

 Stephen, count of Mortain, of Hainton, in Lindsey, 4 where he had been tenant 

 of Roger of Poitou in Domesday. To about the same date we must ascribe 

 the grant by ' Albertus Gredle, senex,' of one knight's fee in Dalton, Par- 

 bold, and Wrightington to Orm son of Ailward in marriage with Albert's 

 daughter Emma, and another grant by ' Albertus Gredle, senior,' to the same 

 Orm and Emma of one carucate of land in Ashton-under-Lyne. 6 



Robert Grelley, son of Albert I., was apparently tenant in chief of 

 Nettleton and Goltho, in Lindsey, between 1115 and 1118," which he had 

 no doubt received from Henry after the fief of Erneis de Burun fell into the 

 king's hand. He was a witness to Stephen's foundation charter to Furness 

 in 1 1 27- 7 Three years later he was engaged in a suit in co. Notts with 

 Serlo de Burgh, and in another suit in co. Lincoln with his chief lord, 

 Stephen, count of Mortain. 8 In 1 134 he and his son Albert II. founded an 

 abbey of Cistercian monks from Furness at Swineshead, in Lincolnshire, 

 endowing it with the site and lands in cos. Lincoln and Nottingham, 

 including in the latter county the church of Cotgrave and all the land they 

 had there, and in this county the mill of Manchester. 9 Robert appears to 

 have survived until after 1153, for he was one of the witnesses to William, 

 earl of Warenne's charter of confirmation to Furness 10 in 1 154 or 1 155, so 

 that we are probably correct in attributing to him the grant of Heaton in 

 Lonsdale, the remaining part of Ashton-under-Lyne, and other land, to Roger 

 son of Orm (son of Ailward), which was confirmed by his son Albert II. 

 some few years later, 11 as also were Robert Grelley's gifts to the brethren and 

 nuns of St. Mary at Haverholme in Lincolnshire. 13 He died soon after 1 154, 



times ' grediller,' signifies to shrivel, as parchment does when placed too near the fire. Cf. Littr, Diet. 

 Franfuise, s.v. 'grele' and 'gresiller.' Possible, but less probable, derivations are from 'greslet,' 'grailet,' old 

 French, signifying slim of figure ; or on account of harshness of voice, from ' Greille,' ' instrument qui rend un 

 son aigu,' which also appears in the variants grelsle, gredle, greille (Ducange, Glossary, ed. 1887, ix. 225^). 



1 P. 281 above. 3 Ibid. 8 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 64. * Greenstreet, LMtey Survey, 22. 



6 Exch. K.R. Kts. fees, , m. 5. The evidence as to the date of this infeudation, and the identity of 

 the grantor with Albert -I. rests upon the fact that Albert Grelley II. did not succeed his father, Robert, son 

 of Albert I. until after 1154, whilst William, son of Roger son of Orm, grandson of Orm son of Ailward, was 

 in possession of his inheritance before 1 1 84, and apparently attested the important charter of the division of 

 Furness Fells about 1163. (Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 311, 403, 442 ; cf. Furness Comber (Chetham Soc.), 318, 

 346.) Professor Tait finds difficulty in accepting this identification, on the ground that ' Albertus senior,' 

 elsewhere refers to Albert Grelley II., and also upon some other grounds ; Medieval Manchester, 127-130. 



6 Lindsey Survey, 17, 22. Robert Grelley II. held the land in Nettleton in 1212 in chief; Testa de NeviU 

 (Rec. Com.), 347. 



7 Coucher of Furness (Chetham Soc.), 186. 8 Pipe R. 31 Hen. I. (Rec. Com.), 31, 114. 

 9 Man. Angl. v. 337 ; Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, ed. Throsby, i. 167. 



10 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 306. U ibid. 403. 1* Lansd. MS. No. 207, A. 207. 



327 



