A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



de Harcla, the warden of the West Marches (whose victory at Boroughbridge 

 had been rewarded with the earldom of Carlisle), despairing of the defence ot 

 the kingdom in Edward's hands, had made a secret treaty with Bruce."' 

 Harcla bought support for his new pohcy in Lancashire, which was within 

 his sphere of command. His brother-in-law. Sir Robert de Leybourne, 

 sheriff of the county in 1322, was afterwards arraigned on a charge of induc- 

 ing Sir William de Clifton and others to swear to maintain the warden's 

 undertaking, which ' would be to the King's honour,' and John de Harring- 

 ton is said to have acted as his agent in Furness, securing for him the support 

 of Sir Edmund de Nevill, Sir Baldwin de Gynes, and many others.""' 



On 21 February, 1323, Edward ordered the levies of several adjoining 

 shires to be ready to enter Lancashire in a few days, while Oliver de Ingham 

 was to enter the county with the Cheshire men at once."* Four days later 

 Harcla was arrested at Carlisle and hanged as a traitor. John Darcy, sheriff 

 of Lancashire, had already been commanded to arrest all confederates of the 

 Scots in that county."'' 



To avert the possibility of another such crisis Edward concluded a 

 thirteen years' truce with Scotland and spent the whole summer and autumn 

 in Yorkshire and Lancashire, ' punishing disturbers of the peace, especially 

 leaders of the county who oppressed the common people and ordering the 

 law of the land to be observed.'"' He entered Lancashire on 2 October from 

 Skipton, whence he despatched orders for the arrest of Bradshaw and 

 Holland,"" and ordered a judicial inquiry into the disorders of the county 

 from the beginning of the reign to be held at Wigan in his presence."' Ten 

 days were passed in the hundred of Blackburn until the court at Wigan began 

 its labours, when he removed to Upholland (Robert de Holland's forfeited 

 manor) close by. From 23 October he moved about between Liverpool, Ince, 

 and Holland with a brief visit (1—3 November) to Halton across the Mersey."' 

 Leaving the county on 6 November he reached Nottingham two days later. 



The reversal of Thomas of Lancaster's attainder by Parliament on 

 7 March, 1327, restored his titles, with the county and most of his other 

 estates, to his younger brother Henry, who had taken an active part in the 

 deposition of Edward."*" His Lancashire demesne lands were, however, 

 seriously diminished by the grant, which the then all-powerful Queen Isabella 

 had a month earlier secured for her life, of the honour of Clitheroe and lord- 

 ships of Penwortham, Rochdale, and Tottington."*^ Lancaster was not in a 



™ Bain, Cal.ofDix. Scot, iii, 148 ; Diet. Sat. Biog. xxiv, 318. "* Coram Rege R. 254, m. 45 </. 



•" Cj/. Pat. 1 32 1-4, p. 247. The explanation offered was that the Scots were about to invade it. 



'"Ibid. p. 245. 



"* Hen. de Blaneforde, Ciron. (Rolls Ser.), 1 39. By his orders William de Herle and Geoffrey de Scrope 

 held an inquirj' at Preston in August into recent disorders in Lancashire ; Assize R. 425. 



"" Ca/. Pat. 1321-4, p. 343. 



'" The proceedings of the court as recorded in Coram Rege R. 254 (supplemented by Assize R. 425) 

 furnish most detailed information on the state of the county in this period. The justices dealt mter alia with 

 murders and homicides, confederacies to disturb the peace, exactions from towns to leave them unplundered, 

 favours shown by those who arrayed men for the king's wars in passing over the strong and choosing the weak 

 conspiracies to make false indictments and procure false acquittals, and maintenance by officers of great lords 

 of causes not concerning their lords ; ibid. m. 40 d. 



^ Colkct. Arch. (Brit. Arch. Assoc.), i, 1 40. ''" G.E.C. Complete Peerage, v, 6 ; Diet. Nat. Biog. xxvi, 100. 



'" Cal. Pat. 1327-30, p. 69. She also had the castle and borough of Pontefract and the district of Bow- 

 land which had belonged to Thomas. Her Lancashire estates, with Bowland, were reckoned to be worth 

 £j^oo a year. She surrendered them to Henry's son on i December, 1348, after the death of Alice, 

 countess of Lincoln ; Ducliv of Lane. Misc. Bks. xi, fol. 11. 



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