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PRINCIPAL LANDOWNERS IN CORNWALL, temp. King John. 



By WILLIAM SINCOCK. 



Before we endeavour to get a clear view, through the mists 

 of nearly seven centuries, of the men who then composed the 

 gentry of the county, it will be useful to compare the information 

 afforded by the two scutage-rolls with each other. 



Eobert de Cardinan, by far the greatest landholder, is, in 

 both of these, stated to hold 71 knights' fees. These appear to 

 have been the same which were held by Eobert Fitz-William, 

 in 1165; and it is evident from this, and other circumstances, 

 that he married the heiress of Fitz-William. In the Liber 

 Niger, Fitz-William is said to hold 20 of his knights' fees under 

 Walter Hay. In the scutage-roll (A), Walter Hay is said to 

 hold 20 knights' fees in right of Agnes, his wife. Eeginald de 

 Valletort, in Eoll A, is stated to hold 51 fees; in Eoll B they 

 have increased to 59. Half of the fees which had belonged to 

 Eiehard de Lucy are said to have been held, 8th Eichard I, by 

 Geffrey de Lacell (probably Lucy). Eobert Fitz- Walter is 

 stated, in Eoll B, to have been possessed of 11 knights' fees, 

 which had belonged to his uncle, Eichard de Lusti (Lucy). Nine 

 other knights' fees of the same fee, are said, in the same roll, 

 to have been held by Eobert Peverel. In Eoll A, Nicholas 

 Fitz-Geoffrey is said to have held 10 knights' fees, being, no 

 doubt, son of Geoffrey Fitz-Baldwin, who held the same number 

 in 1165; and it seems to have been the same property which, 

 according to Eoll B, was held by Thomas de Middleton de 

 honore de Middleton. These fees, we believe, eventually became 

 the property of the Grenville family by marriage with the 

 heiress of Middleton. William de Botreaux continued to hold 

 12 knights' fees in the reign of Eichard I as his ancestors had 

 done in that of Henry II. Eobert de Tintagel in Eoll B holds 

 5 knights' fees, which were held in Eoll A by Gervas Fitz- 

 William, his father. William Fitz-Eichard in Eoll A holds 5 

 fees, but in Eoll B Eichard Fitz-Eichard holds only 1 fee and 

 a third with the heir of William de la Eoche. William de 



