THE ORIGIN OF THE SHIRLEYS AND OF THE GRESLEYS. 1 63 



will, therefore, give, in his own words, his contention to the 

 contrary. The chapter from which I have just quoted opens 

 as follows : — 



The Albinis of Cainho, although holding but a small interest in Derby- 

 shire (four fees given by Henry Ferrars before Domesday with Amicia, 

 his daughter), exerted a very strong influence upon Derbyshire history, 

 partly because they aided the re-settlement of the Montgomeries in this 

 county, and also because they originally held under Ferrars the whole of 

 the Gresley territory (p. 164). 



Here is the point at issue, the fons et origo malt, 

 Mr. Yeatman insists on dislodging Sir Robert Gresley's 

 ancestors to make room for his " Albinis " as holders of " the 

 Gresley territory " ; and he is full of wrath against the Gresley 

 pedigree for standing in the way of this contention, and 

 against myself for accepting (like others) that pedigree. 



In his Preface he is not even content with installing the 

 " Albinis " at Gresley, but asserts that " several distinct families 

 — Albini, Montgomery, Seale, and others ( ! ) — as they- severally 

 settled upon the lands, had used the territorial designation," 

 but I cannot find in the text itself any attempt to prove that 

 any family but that of Albini had previously used the name 

 of Gresley. Of the Gresley estates he definitely states 

 that — 



At Domesday, and at the time of the Red Book of the Exchequer (in 

 Henry II.), they were held by the Albinis, who here were styled, occa- 

 sionally, de Gresley — of course from the Castle of that name — the caput 

 of their small Barony (p. 118). 



In spite of what is mere assertion, however confident and 

 persistent,* we shall find — 



(1) That Mr. Yeatman is unable to produce one scrap of 

 proof that any Albini ever possessed either Gresley or 

 Drakelowe ; 



(2) That his belief is inconsistent, on his own showing, with 

 the Albini pedigree; 



(3) That he is unable to explain how they came to lose 

 the territory he asserts them to have held. 



His whole contention will be found to rest on one argument, 

 * See pp. ix., 118, 123, 124, 126, 127, r36, 164. 



