A THIRTEENTH CENTURY SEAL OF ROGER DE CARSINGTON. 1 69 



which in Domesday is rendered Ghersintune, and in all pro- 

 bability it was an offshoot of the family of de Hopton of Hopton. 

 The name of de Kersinton, as is also that of de Hopton, is 

 territorial. These two townships are adjoining manors, and 

 were probably owned by the same lord (as they are to-day), 

 who was de Hopton. The estates would be divided when a 

 younger son became owner of Carsington and took the 

 territorial name for his own ; thus starting a new family. It 

 was quite usual for the younger sons to assume a territorial 

 description for their branch of the family. At first he would 

 be known as " de Hopton de Kersinton " — we have evidence 

 of this in a fine of 1324, in which "William de Hopton de 

 Kersynton " was plaintiff* — and gradually de Hopton would 

 be dropped and de Kersinton only retained. 



The branch would probably break off from the family of 

 de Hopton about the beginning of the thirteenth century. In 

 proof that the Kersinton in question was Carsington in this 

 county we have mention in a fine of 1313 of Robert le Porter 

 de Kersinton (for Carsington), Wirksworth. An early reported 

 record of the family name of de Kersinton alone is a deed 

 of Henry son of Ranulf de Alsop, illustrated in vol. viii., 

 p. 100, of this journal, which is witnessed by Adam, William, 

 Walter Nore and Reginald de K'sint (for Kersinton). From 

 its palaeography this deed, which is undated, has been assigned 

 a date of about the middle of the thirteenth century, but it 

 may be a little later. It is probable that the "William, son 

 of Adam de Kersington," who with his father witnessed this 

 deed, may be the " William de Hopton de Kersynton " who 

 in the fine of 1324, mentioned above, was plaintiff against 

 Henry, son of Robert de Alsop, concerning a messuage and 

 lands at Carsington. 



In 1302, Nicholas, son of Richard de Hopton, was plaintiff 

 in a fine for certain lands at Carsington. He was probably a 

 younger brother of Adam de Kersinton. This Nicholas, it is 

 suggested, was the Nicholas de Kersinton who was Rector of 



* See vol. xviii., p. 16, of this Journal. 



