The manor appears to have been, from an early period, connected with the
dignity of the Earldom of Lincoln. Ranulph, an illustrious nobleman,
marrying Lucia, widow of Roger de Romara, sister, and heiress of Morcar,
the Saxon Earl of Northumberland and Lincoln, delivered the estates,
amongst which was this lordship, to Henry the first, for the dignity of
the Earldom of Chester. Against this, William de Romara, son of Lucia by
her former husband, appealed to the king, but in vain. William however
strengthening by his interest the rebellion in Normandy which had been
raised by Robert, the eldest son of the conqueror and brother of the
king; Henry, to appease his wrath, and obtain his favor, was in the
twenty-second year of his reign, induced to restore to him the estates of
his mother Lucia, and invest him with the Earldom of Lincoln. After
this, exchanging certain lands in Normandy with Robert de Tillol for the
lordships of Hareby, Enderby, and Hundleby, parts of this soke, William
was invited by the security of the situation, to erect his castle at
Bolingbroke. About the same time asserting the rights of the Empress
Maud, in her contentions with Stephen for the throne, he greatly
contributed to her early successes, particularly at the siege of Lincoln.
By his wife Maud, the daughter of Richard de Redvers, he had issue a son
named William, who married Hawise daughter of Stephen Earl of Albemarle;
but dying in the life time of his father, the estates descended to his
son, also called William. This William, the third of that name, to
further improve his fortress, and add to the advantages of its situation,
procured from Simon Briton, who also held lands in these parts, remission
of all his claims in the whole marsh of Bolingbroke, and from Jeffrey
Fitz Stephens, the superior of the Knights Templar, a full release of
their interest in all the fens belonging to this manor, and its soke,
which William de Romara his grandfather had given to them.
This last mentioned individual of the family of Romara died without
issue, and in him the male line of the family ceased; which appears from
Gilbert de Gaunt, after being a suppliant prisoner when fighting on the
side of Stephen at the siege of Lincoln, and compelled by the first
William de Romara to marry his daughter Hawise, becoming in her right
possessor of this manor, and receiving also the Earldom of Lincoln.
Gilbert de Gaunt, died in the second year of the reign of Henry the
second, and left issue, two daughters, Alice and Gunnora; the former of
whom was married to Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Huntingdon, who is said to
have enjoyed, during her life time, the Earldom of Lincoln, and with it
this lordship. Alice as well as her sister Gunnora dying without issue,
their uncle Robert de Gaunt, though unallied by blood, became their heir,
and possessed himself of these estates. Gilbert his son succeeded him;
but joining the cause of the barons against King John, and afterwards
against his son and successor, Henry the third, he was defeated at
Lincoln, taken prisoner, and these estates conferred upon Ranulph de
Meschines, surnamed de Blundeville, Earl of Chester, who being third in
descent from Ranulph Earl of Chester, by his wife Lucia, the widow of
Roger de Romara, had, independent of the claims on his sovereign for
aiding in firmly establishing his family on the throne, a natural right,
superior to that of the family of de Gaunt. Ranulph de Blundeville dying
without issue, his sisters became his co-heiresses; but he had during his
life time assigned by charter to one of them, named Hawise, the Earldom
of Lincoln, and with it this manor and castle.
Robert, son and heir of Sayer de Quincy, Earl of Winchester, marrying
Hawise, left issue, a daughter, Margaret, who was married to John de
Laci, a descendant of the Barons of Pontefract. John de Laci received
from Henry the third a charter of confirmation of the Earldom of Lincoln,
and the inheritances which he possessed by his wife Margaret de Quincy.
Edmund his son dying before his mother, did not inherit the Earldom,
though he received the tertium denarium of the county. He left issue,
Henry, John, and Margaret, the former of whom succeeded to this manor and
the Earldom of Lincoln; and is said to have been the most exalted
nobleman of his time. He is stated to have been illustrious in counsel,
undaunted in the fight, chief among the warriors of his country, and in
fine, the brightest ornament of the reign. {68} His sons dying young, he
bequeathed by will all his possessions to the heirs of Edmund
Plantagenet, in case of failure of issue by his daughter Alice. Thomas,
Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund Plantagenet, marrying Alice, held in her
right, the estates of her father Henry de Laci, who, on his death bed,
desirous that his son in law should be ennobled not only by the attendant
riches, but also by the influence of his example, enjoined him to devote
his power to secure the liberties of his country. But the proud and
resolute spirit of the Earl of Lancaster needed no such injunctions to
spur him on to action. Indignant that Hugh de Spenser should enjoy the
favor of his sovereign, Edward the second, he after effecting the
destruction of Piers Gaveston, broke out into open rebellion: defeated
however at Boroughbridge, he was ignominiously put to death at his castle
of Pontefract, and his estates forfeited to the crown. The inheritances
which were, as has been before noticed, the right of his wife, were still
reserved to her: but having borne an indifferent reputation for chastity;
following the impulses of her amours in the life time of her late
husband, and after his death marrying without the consent of the king to
Eubold le Estrange; the king, with whom but trivial pretences were
sufficient for abridging the powers of any individual allied to his
haughty relatives of the house of Lancaster, seized for this breach of
fealty, or homage, all the inheritance which she held of the crown in
chief, among which were this manor, and that of Denbigh, and conferred
the whole on his favorite Hugh de Spenser.
Henry, brother of Thomas the late Earl of Lancaster, procured in the
first parliament after the accession of Edward the third, a remission of
the forfeited estates of the family; and upon the death of the countess
Alice, the wife of his late brother, her honors and splendid inheritances
devolved to him, partly by the will of her father Henry de Laci, and
partly by reason of a render made by him to Edward the first, and a
re-grant by charter from that monarch to the heirs of Henry de Laci, with
remainder to the heirs of Edmund Plantagenet.
Henry Earl of Lancaster died without male issue, but left two daughters
Maud and Blanche; the former of whom married William of Bavaria, and left
no issue; but Blanche became the sole heir of her father, and married
John of Gaunt, who, by reason of the inheritances, was created Duke of
Lancaster. By her he had issue, at the castle at this place, the
celebrated Henry of Bolingbroke; upon whose accession to the throne, the
whole patrimony, through the line of Lancaster, became invested in the
crown; and in his reign was counted one of the manorial possessions of
the king, denominated honors.