History of the Fylde of LancashirePorter, John (Writer on the Fylde of Lancashire)
History
History of the Fylde of Lancashire
Porter, John (Writer on the Fylde of Lancashire)
Lancashire (England) -- History
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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