POLITICAL HISTORY 



and the sheriff Gilbert Fitz Reinfred, baron of Kendal and lord of Warton 

 and Nether Wyresdale, who presented no accounts in 1214.^^'' Lacy and 

 Montbegon were among the twenty-five barons appointed to see Magna 

 Carta executed. With the others they were subsequently excommunicated 

 by Pope Innocent, and their estates were transferred by John to his own 

 supporters. Gilbert Fitz Reinfrid's son William of Lancaster, with two 

 of his knights, fell into John's hands at the capture of Rochester in 

 November, 121 5, and his father had to abjure the Great Charter, sur- 

 render his castles, and proffer a fine of 12,000 marks to obtain their 

 release and his own pardon."' Most of the other Lancashire barons 

 submitted to John while he was in the north early in 1216, but some 

 at least did not recover their lands until the general pacification in the 

 next reign."* 



The king committed (30 January, 1216), the custody of the castle and 

 county of Lancaster to his staunch supporter Ranulf de Blundeville, earl of 

 Chester."^ For eight years the office of sheriff of Lancaster was vested in 

 the powerful earl, who was also sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire, and but 

 for his absence on crusade (1218—20) would probably have succeeded the earl 

 of Pembroke as regent for the young Henry III."^ On his return he headed 

 the opposition to Hubert de Burgh, who had taken the place that might 

 have been his, but finding himself outmatched gave up (30 December, 1223) 

 the royal castles in his possession. The custody of the castle and honour, 

 with the sheriffdom of the county, were transferred to his brother-in-law, 

 William de Ferrers, earl of Derby, in whose hands they remained until the 

 end of 1227,"^ when Henry, now of age, put an end to this interim arrange- 

 ment, and henceforth appointed sheriffs from the chief tenants of the county."^ 

 Ferrers' connexion with Lancashire was destined to be soon revived in a 

 different form. In 1229 Ranulf of Chester became the owner of a great fief 

 in the southern part of the county, for on 1 8 October in that year the king 

 gave him the whole of the royal demesne between Ribble and Mersey — i.e. in 

 the three wapentakes of West Derby, Salford and Leyland, for that of Black- 

 burn belonged entirely to the Lacys — with the profits of the said wapentakes 

 and feudal superiority over all tenants in them, at the nominal annual rent of 

 a mewed goshawk or 40s."' The practical effect of the grant was to place 

 Ranulf in three out of the four wapentakes of ' Between Ribble and Mersey ' 

 in the same position as that occupied by his grandfather, Ranulf Gernons, in 



"' Apparently he was superseded for a time. In April, 1 2 1 4, Reginald of Cornhill was custos of Lanes, 

 and Surrey (Rot. Claus. i, 142^), but Gilbert afterwards rendered an account for this year ; Lanes. Pipe R. 249. 

 During the crisis the castles of Lancaster and West Derby were placed in a complete state of defence at a cost 

 of nearly ^^250 ; the former was supplied with 10,000 crossbow quarrels; 140 footmen, 10 horsemen, and 

 the crossbowmen received ^i^Z ; ibid. 250. 



'" Lanes. Pipe R. 252, 258. Over ^6,000 was still owing in 1246 ; Pipe R. Henry de Redman of 

 Yealand was also among the defenders of R.ochester ; Lanes. Pipe R. 259. 



'" Ibid. For the successive dispositions of Grelley's estates see Tait, Mediaeval Manehester, 138. 



■" Rot. Pat. \6\a. The rest of the honour was added by 13 Apr. ; ibid. 176^. 



^^ Doyle, Offieia/ Baronage ; Diet. Nat. Biog. 7,289. ^^ sheriff of Lancaster he farmed the county, 

 taking all revenue from demesne after payment of the ancient farm of ;£2O0 and the increment on certain 

 manors imposed under John, amounting to ^^14 a year. 



'" Ibid. ; Baines, Hist, of Lanes, (ed. Croston), i, 47. 



'" Ferrers was 'custos' not 'firmarius' of the county, receiving a fixed salary of ^100 a year ; Pipe R. 

 10 Hen. III. His successor Adam de Yealand was only paid ^^40 ; ibid. 12 Hen. III. 



"' Lanes. Final Cone, i, 112. The sheriff was consequently excused ^80 a year and his salary wab 

 reduced by one half; Pipe R. 14 Hen. III. 



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