General Notes

Richard de Grey, of Codnor, co. Derby, the eldest son, having adhered toKing John, had the lands of John de Humez, in Leicestershire, and Simonde Canci, in Lincolnshire, two of the rebellious bars, conferred uponhim; and in the 10th Henry III [1226] he was made governor of the Islesof Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, and Sarke, of which, in the 36th of thesame king, he had a grant, in fee farm, for 400 marks, to be paid yearlyinto the king's exchequer. In which year the king, intending a pilgrimageto the Holy Land, and causing the bishops of Worcester and Chichester topreach a similar course to the people, although, generally speaking, thediscourses of the prelates had but little effect, this Richard, and John,his brother, came forward, which so pleased the king that he embracedthem in his arms, kissed them, and called them brothers. In a few yearsafterwards (42nd Henry III) [1258], we find Richard de Grey constable ofDover Castle and warden of the Cinque Ports, and being both diligent andtrusty in those offices, discovered much treasure which the Poictovins(the in high favour with the king) ha read to convey into France. "Butabout this time," says Dugdale, "there being no little contest touchingAthelmure, the king's brother, by the mother, then elect bishop ofWinchester, divers of the great barons opposing him, in regard he was ofthat party against whom they took high exception for misleading the kingand consuming the wealth of the land. Whereupon he fled to Rome and, byfalse suggestions, procured the pope's letters for his institution, whichwere sent by Walescho, a grey friar, who landed at Dover. The barons grewso incensed that they forthwith sent Hugh Bigot, then justice of England,thither to inquire by what authority he was suffered to come on shore;who went to this Richard (then constable of the castle), and said, 'Haveyou been trusted by the people of England, as a faithful warden of theports, and suffered this person to land, without our knowledge, to themanifest violations of your oath? We think you not only unworthy of thisplace any longer, but to be farther questioned for so great atransgression tending to the public damage of the whole realm,' andthereupon took the custody of the castle and of all the ports into hisowns hands." Subsequently to this period, Richard de Grey arrayed himselfunder the baronial standard and, being with his son John in the arms ofyoung Simon de Montfort at Kenilworth, was surprised in the night-time bya party from Prince Edward's army, and taken prisoner with several otherbarons. For this reason his lands were seized upon by the crown but wereafterwards restored upon the payment of a fine under the decreedenominated "Dictum de Kenilworth." Richard de Grey m. Lucia, dau. andheiress of John de Humez mentioned above, and (with two daus., Agnes, m.to Sir William Fitz-William,; and Isabel, m. William, son of Henry deFauconberg), had a son, John, who m. Lucy de Mohun. [Sir Bernard Burke,Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd.,London, England, 1883, p. 248, Grey, Baron Grey, of Codnor, co. Derby]

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Richard de Grey, of Codnor; Warde Guernsey and Jersey 1226 and 1254,Sheriff of Essex and Herts 1239, Steward of Gascony c1248 and 1253; sidedwith Simon de Montfort in the Baron's War 1258 on; Keeper of Dover Castleon behalf of the baronial party, Keeper of Rochester after Battle ofLewes 1264; later taken prisoner by Henry III and his lands wereconfiscated but these were shortly afterwards restored to him. [Burke'sPeerage]