Читать книгу History of the Fylde of Lancashire онлайн

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The rebellious and ungrateful conduct of Roger de Poictou ultimately led to his banishment out of the country, and the forfeiture of the whole of his extensive possessions to the crown. The Hundred of Amounderness was conveyed by the King on the 22nd of April, 1194, being the fifth year of his reign, to Theobald Walter, the son of Hervens, a Norman who had accompanied the Conqueror. “Be it known,” says the document, “that we give and confirm to Theobald Walter the whole of Amounderness with its appurtenances by the service of three Knights’ fees, namely, all the domain thereto belonging, all the services of the Knights who hold of the fee of Amounderness by Knight’s service, all the service of the Free-tenants of Amounderness, all the Forest of Amounderness, with all the Venison, and all the Pleas of the Forest.” His rights “are to be freely and quietly allowed,” continues the deed, “in wood and plain, in meadows and pastures, in highways and footpaths, in waters and mills, in mill-ponds, in fish-ponds and fishings, in peat-lands, moors and marshes, in wreck of the sea, in fairs and markets, in advowsons and chapelries, and in all liberties and free customs.” Amongst the barons of Lancashire given in the MSS. of Percival is—“Theobald Walter, baron of Weeton and Amounderness,” but, as Weeton never existed as a barony, it is clear that the former title is an error. The “Black Book of the Exchequer,” the oldest record after the “Domesday Book,” has entered in it the tenants and fees de veteri feoffamento[21] and de novo feoffamento,[22] and amongst others is a statement that Theobald Walter held Amounderness by the service of one Knight, thus the later charter, just quoted, must be regarded as a confirmation of a previous grant, and not as an original donation. He was an extensive founder of monastic houses, and amongst the abbeys established by him was that of Cockersand, which he endowed with the whole Hay of Pylin (Pilling) in Amounderness. He was appointed sheriff of the county of Lancaster by Richard I. in 1194, and retained the office until the death of that monarch five years afterwards. His son, Theobald, married Maud, sister to the celebrated Thomas à Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, and assumed the title of his office when created Chief Butler of Ireland. The family of the same name which inhabited Rawcliffe Hall until that property was confiscated through the treasonable part played by Henry Butler and his son Richard in the rebellion of 1715, was directly descended from Theobald Walter-Butler. The Butlers of Kirkland, the last of whom, Alexander Butler, died in 1811, and was succeeded by a great-nephew, were also representatives of the ancient race of Walter, and preserved the line unbroken. Theobald Walter, the elder, died in 1206, and Amounderness reverted to the crown.