A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



under the 'Dictum de Kenilworth.' * Between 1266 and 127 1, during the 

 shrievalty of John de Cantsfield, William the butler and Richard his brother 

 attested an important agreement made between the abbots of Shrewsbury and 

 Deulacres, touching the vills of Norbreck and Little Bispham.' In Hilary 

 term, 1276, the burgesses of Warrington complained in the King's Bench 

 that William the butler was distraining them to render toll, tallage, and aids 

 and to perform other customs and services than those which they and their 

 ancestors had hitherto done, and to sell fish taken in their free fisheries in 

 Mersey at a less price than they sold to others, contrary to the terms of the 

 charter of hberties granted to them and their ancestors by William the 

 butler, his grandfather, and they sought redress.' The complaint was 

 renewed before the justices at Lancaster in 1292, when William the butler 

 confirmed the charter of liberties mentioned below.* On 7 November, 1 277, 

 he obtained a charter for a weekly market at Warrington on Friday, and for 

 a fair yearly for eight days, on the vigil, the feast, the morrow of St. Andrew 

 the Apostle, and five following days.° In 1277 he took part in the 

 campaign against the Welsh* and again in 1282, when he was a com- 

 missioner for the levying of 1,000 Lancashire men to serve in the Welsh 

 war.^ In 1285 he obtained a charter transferring the weekly market at 

 Warrington from Friday to Wednesday and the annual fair from 29 November 

 — 6 December to the vigil and feast of the Translation of St. Thomas the 

 Martyr, and five following days (6—13 July). He likewise obtained a charter 

 of free warren in his demesne lands of Sankey, Penketh, Warrington, and 

 Laton, in this county, in Cropwell-Butler, co. Notts, and in Eccleshall, 

 Foleshill, and Summercotes, co. Warwick ; ' pontage for four years upon 

 goods passing over Warrington bridge,' and again for five years in 1305 and 

 13 ID for Warrington and Sankey bridges.'" In 1287 he was again in Wales," 

 and in June that year was summoned with other magnates to attend the 

 council at Gloucester," while in 1291 he was summoned to Norham with 

 other knights of the northern counties to attend the king with horse and 

 arms against the Scots." In 1292 he established his title to market, fair, and 

 gallows at Warrington, and to wreck of the sea in Laton,'* and on 22 July in 

 the same year granted a charter of liberties to his men of Warrington." In 

 1294 he was summoned to attend the king at Portsmouth, about to set forth 

 to prosecute the campaign against the French in Gascony," and was further 

 summoned to Parliament as a baron by writs of 8 June, 1294," 23 June, 

 1295, 26 August, 1295," 26 January, 1297, and 6 February, 1299.'* He 

 was summoned in October, 1297, to be with horse and arms at Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne on the day of St. Nicholas following to take part in the war in 



1 Stubbs, Constit. Hist. edit. 1880, ii. 105. ' Reg. of Salop Ahhey, penes W. Farrer, No. 270. 



* De Banc. R. No. 13, m. 75 d. The charter there referred to has not been preserved. 



* Beamont, yinnals of Warrington, 102. ' Chart. R. 13 Edw. I. pt. 2, No. 97. 

 « Cal. Pat. R. 1272-81, 220. 7 Palgrave, Mil. Writs, 222, 228. 



8 Plac. de quo war. (Rec. Com.), 386. ' Cal. fat. R. 1281-92, 229. 



10 Ibid. 1301-7, 334 ; 1307-13, 236. " Ibid. 272. 



13 Rep. on Dig. of a Peer, App. i, 52. i' Ibid. 54. 



1* Plac. dequowar. (Rec. Com.), 386. There was a wreck at Laton in 1296 ; Cal. Pat.R. 1292-1301, 216. 

 1' Beamont, Annals of Warrington, 102-1 13. 

 ^' Pari. Writs (Rec. Com.), 260 ; Rep. on Dig. of a Peer, App. i. 57. '^ Annals of Warrington, i 16. 



18 CokaTne, Comp. Peerage, i. 382)1. The writs of 1294 and 1297 are not considered as regular 

 summonses to Parliament. See also Rep. on Dig. of a Peer, i. 78. 



19 Pari. Writs (Rec. Com.), i. 79. 



342 



