OF THE

FIFTEENTH CENTURY

Published for the Society by

ANDREWS & CO., SADLER STREET, DURHAM

LONDON: BERNARD QUARITCH, LTD.,

11 GRAFTON STREET, NEW BOND STREET

1921

459288

At a Meeting of the Council of the SURTEES SOCIETY, held in Durham Castle, on Tuesday, March 4th, 1919, the President (Mr WILLIAM BROWN) in the Chair,

"It was resolved that Mr J. C. HODGSON should edit a series of Percy Bailiff's Rolls of the fifteenth century."

INTRODUCTION

As the history of the Percies is writ fair on our Island's story, and is told in detail in Fonblanque's Annals of the House of Percy, this Introduction to the series of the Bailiff's Rolls of their northern estates shall be limited to an account of when and how these estates were acquired.

The nucleus of the Northumberland estate was, and still is, the barony of Alnwick, which, with its dependent manors of Alnwick, Alnmouth, Alnham, Bilton, Cawledge Park, Charlton, Chatton, Denwick, Lesbury, Longhoughton, Swinhoe, and Tuggal, was purchased by Henry de Percy from Anthony Bek, Bishop of Durham, 19th November 1309, having previously belonged to the Vesci family. The charter is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 241.1 The sale was confirmed by Act of Parliament in the following year.

The barony of Warkworth, with its dependent members of Warkworth, Acklington, Birling, and High Buston; the manor of Rothbury, with its members Newtown, Snitter, and Thropton; the manor of Corbridge; the manor of Newburn, with its members Newburn, Butterlaw, Walbottle, and Whorlton, came into the possession of the Percies on the death of John de Clavering without issue male, on the 18th January 13322; the reversion having been granted by Edward III. on the 1st March 1327/8 to Henry Percy in lieu of the hereditary custody of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and an annuity granted to him for military service. The charter is printed in the Percy Chartulary, p. 154. Warkworth Castle, on sweet Coquet-side, rather than Alnwick on the more sluggish Aln, was by predilection the home of the family for some generations.3

A member of the barony of Mitford, the manor of Thirston was purchased by John de Vesci of Alnwick, circa 1275, from the heiress of the family of Bertram of Mitford. Early in the fourteenth century, there were disputes between the heirs of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, as lord of the manor of Felton, and Henry de Percy; and, pending a decision in the court, Thirston was taken into the hands of 1 Surtees Society publication, No. 117.

2 For an informing account of the financial dealings between the Crown and John de Clavering, see new History of Northumberland, vol. x. p. 83.

3 New History of Northumberland, vol. v. pp. 32–52.

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