180 THE ORIGIN OF THE SHIRLEYS AND OF THE GRESLEYS. 



away, under a special entail, to the Countess of Loudon. And 

 so vanishes Mr. Yeatman's claim.* 



Having now at length disentangled the web, we may sum 

 up most concisely the definite conclusions reached by placing 

 side by side the early pedigree of the Gresleys of Drakelowe 

 and of the Albinis of Cainhoe. 

 Gresley. 



Nigel (de 



Stafford) 



Held several 



manors under Henry 



de Ferrers and also 



held three Staffs. 



manors under the 



bishop of " Chester " in 



1086. 



I 



William Fitz 



Nigel (alias 



William de 



Cyesley) 



temp. Henry I. 



I 



Robert de 



Gresley 



Held 4 knight's 



fees under William 



de Ferrers and also 



held (three Staffs. 



manors as) 1 knight's 



fee under the Bishop 



of "Coventry"* in n 66. 



" Albini." 



Nigel (de 



Albini) 



Held the Cainhoe 



barony in chief 



and also held 



Catton under Henry 



de Ferrers in 1086. 



Henry de 



Albini* 



temp. Henry I. 



Robert de 



Albini 



Held the Cainhoe 



barony in chief 



and also held (Catton 



knight's fee under William 



de Ferrers in 1 166. 



a quo Gresley 

 of Drakelowe. 



* The see had changed ils name. 



a quo St. Amand. 



* It is not absolutely proved that 

 he was the son of Nigel, but I see 

 no reason to doubt it, and Mr. 

 Yeatman accepts it. 



Strictly in accordance with these conclusions, we find, on 



Mr. Yeatman's own showing, Robert de Albini and Robert 



de Gresley entered separately among the Earl de Ferrers' 



knightly tenants in n77,t the former heading the list in virtue 



of his exceptional position as being himself a great baron as 



well as a tenant of the Earl. And they are similarly entered 



* The Abneys of Measham, co. Derby, are of the male line of the old 

 Abneys of Willesley, but the family (as above) obviously derive their 

 name from Abney, the " Habenai " of Domesday, and have nothing 

 to do with "Albini." 



t Compare Sec. ii., p. 282, and see Pipe Roll, 23 Hen. II. Ed. Pipe 

 Roll Society, p. 61. 



