A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



neighbouring parts. The rest of the country was a scene of anarchy and 

 feuds between rival nobles. Of the great men of Staffordshire Robert de 

 Ferrers, the third and surviving son of Henry de Ferrers the Domesday 

 commissioner, raised a body of men from the country round his castle of 

 Tutbury and from Derbyshire to assist in defeating the Scots at Northallerton 

 in 1 1 38," and for his valour was made an earl by Stephen. It should not be 

 forgotten that the creation of earls by both Stephen and Maud was an 

 expedient for strengthening their respective parties, and it is possible that 

 the frequent changing of sides which marked the struggle may have been 

 caused by the desire of these newly-created nobles to obtain confirmation of 

 their titles from both competitors. 64 



One staunch supporter in Staffordshire Stephen had in the person of 

 Robert Marmion, the lord of Tamworth Castle." When the king was taken 

 prisoner at Lincoln his estates were given by the victorious Maud to Sir 

 William de Beauchamp, but Sir Robert was loyal in spite of adversity, and 

 fighting against the Earl of Chester at Coventry met his death by a curious 

 accident. Matthew Paris describes him as a warlike man, 68 who had expelled 

 the monks of Coventry from their church and made a castle of it, and falling 

 into one of the ditches which he had dug for its protection, he broke his 

 thigh and was dispatched by a common soldier as he lay helpless. 67 



Ralph Paynel of Dudley, the son of Fulke Paynel, who is thought to 

 have married Fitz Anculf s heiress, fortified the castle against Stephen, who 

 besieged it, and ' having burnt the country around and taken a great booty of 

 animals, he went on against Shrewsbury Castle.' 68 Gervase Paynel, too, 

 Ralph's son, held Ludlow against the king. 



The evils of ' uncurbed feudalism ' during Stephen's reign of anarchy 

 made the law and order enforced by Henry II additionally welcome. His 

 activity in carrying out his reforms caused him to exercise a close superin- 

 tendence over his officers, and between 1155 and 1 157 he was three or four 

 times in Staffordshire. In 1158 he came to Tamworth with a considerable 

 train, among whom was Thomas Becket the chancellor, and they were the 

 guests of Robert Marmion at Tamworth Castle. But the great measures 

 which were the glory of Henry's reign found no favour with the baronage, 

 who saw their own influence limited by them, and in 1173 they formed a 

 vast conspiracy, finding in the discontent of the king's sons a sufficient 

 pretext. The revolt, though unsuccessful in 1173, was renewed next year. 

 But Henry had the support of the Church, the towns, the mass of the people, 

 and the new official class, and by August the rebellion was over and the 

 castles of the rebels were surrendered one by one with little resistance, among 

 them being Tutbury. 69 Robert de Ferrers had assisted in the burning of 

 Nottingham, and was then besieged by the Welsh at Tutbury, but on the 

 approach of Henry's army he went to Northampton and there submitted to 



a Dugdale, Baronage, i, 259. M Stubbs, Const. Hist, i, 391. 



55 This Robert was the son of Roger Marmion, who had probably been given the forfeited estates of Robert 

 Dispensator by Henry I. 



M Cbron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 177. 



57 Dugdale, Baronage, i, 376. Round, Feud. Engl. 195, does not allow the disinterestedness of Robert 

 Marmion ; he says, ' in their rivalry for Tamworth the Marmions embraced the cause of Stephen, and the 

 Beauchamps that of Maud, their variance being terminated under Henry II by a matrimonial alliance.' 



58 Flor. of Wore. Cbron. (Engl. Hist. Soc.), ii, no. 

 " Roger of Hoveden, Cbron. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 65. 



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