THE ORIGIN OF THE SHIRLEYS AND OF THE GRESLEYS. 1 69 



fiercely attacked by Mr. Yeatman is duly set forth as fact in 

 Mr. Madan's book? No one can read that book without 

 knowing this ; and, indeed, it will be evident to those who 

 look at the above quotation that it does not impugn the 

 descent in any way whatever; it merely states that, as is 

 naturally the case at that remote period, we cannot amplify 

 the pedigree by dates and " personal traits." Mr. Yeatman, 

 however, has his own explanation " why Mr. Madan could 

 find no personal traits of any of them, or of their deaths or 

 births," namely, that " these, if anywhere, would be found at 

 Cainho, their chief residence in England."* Alas ! if only 

 Mr. Madan had guessed that his " Gresleys of Drakelowe " 

 in the twelfth century were really Albinis of Cainhoe he would 

 doubtless have hurried off to Bedfordshire to look in the 

 parish register for the dates of their births and deaths, and 

 to gather their " personal traits " from the lips of the oldest 

 inhabitants. 



But let us be serious, and consider Mr. Yeatman's main 

 contention against the accepted pedigree. I say "accepted," 

 for later in his book my critic makes this awkward admission : — - 



If the consideration of the connection of the Albini family with Derby- 

 shire compelled the author to discuss the unsound views of Mr. Round, 

 much to his regret, for unfortunately they appear to be held in common 

 with other writers, for some of whom the author has sincere respect, f etc. 



That contention, peculiar to my critic, is that the William 



fitz Nigel and his son Robert of the 1166 return^ were Albinis, 



the former being son of Nigel de Albini of Cainhoe, who 



obtained the four fees they held of Ferrers by marrying a 



daughter of Henry de Ferrers, the Domesday baron. 



It is on pp. 281-2 of Sec. ii. that Mr. Yeatman deals with 



William Fitz Nigel and Robert, his son. He there asserts 



that — 



There is no doubt about one, at least, of the manors (Catton) held by 

 this knight, nor any about his indentity (sic), for Domesday records that 

 he held Catton (Chetune), and the Baron St. Amand obtained it as one 

 of the co-heirs of Robert fil Nigel, Lord of Cainhoe. 



* Sec. vii., p. 127. 

 \IMd., p. 186. 

 X See p. r62. 



