General Notes

BARONY OF FITZWILLIAM (I)

SIR RALPH FITZ WILLIAM, of Grimthorpe and Hildreskelf, co. York, son and heir of Sir William FITZ RALPH, of the same (who was living in July 1269) (g), by Joan, daughter of Sir Thomas FITZ WILLIAM, of Greystoke, Cumberland. He was about to go to Wales on the King's service in July 1277 and July 1287. On 6 August 1296 the King took his homage, and he had livery of the lands of his younger brother, Gilbert fitz William. On 17 August 1297 John fitz William of Greystoke had licence to enfeoff him of the manor and whole barony of Greystoke, the manors of Dufton, Westmorland Ulgham, and John's purparty of the manor of Morpeth, Northumberland,. Crossthwaite, co. York, and Coniscliffe, co. Durham, with the advowsons of churches pertaining thereto. Next year, 8 April, he had licence to enfeoff the said John fitz William of the premises, for life, with reversion to himself, in fee. He was appointed a Captain for the defence of Northumberland against the Scots, 12 July 1297, and a Keeper of the march of Scotland in that county, 18 October following. He was Constable of Scarborough Castle, 3 October 1297 to 23 February 1300/1. He was at the battle of Falkirk, 22 July 1298, and at the siege of Carlaverock in July 1300.

The name of his 1st wife is unknown. He married, 2ndly (royal licence, 1 November 1281, for a fine of 100 marks, Margery, widow of Sir Nicholas CORBET (who died before 25 December 1289), and 2nd daughter and coheir of Sir Hugh DE BOLEBEK, of Angerton, Doddington, Styford, Shotley, and Heddon, Northumberland, by Tiphaine, his wife: she was aged 21 and more in 1262.

He was summoned for Military Service from 6 April 1282 to 20 August 1316, to Military Councils, 14 June 1287 and 16 September 1297, to attend the King at Salisbury, 26 January 1296/7, and to Parliament from 24 June 1295 to 16 October 1515, by writs directed Radulpho filio Willelmi, whereby he is held to have become LORD FITZWILLIAM. As Radulphus filitis Willelmi dominus de Grimthorp' he took part in the Barons Letter to the Pope, 12 February 1300/1. On 7 July 1303 he obtained licence that he might be enfeoffed, in fee, of the reversion of that one-fourtb part of the manors of Angerton, Heddon, &c., which Walter de Huntercombe held by the courtesy after the death, s.p.s., of Alice his wife [3rd daughter and coheir of Hugh de Bolebek abovenamed) his own wife, Margery, was then recently deceased, s.p. With 10 men-at-arms, he was in the Army of Scotland under Aymer de Valence, from Easter to Michaelmas 1306. He had livery 31 October 1306, after the death (2 September 1306) of John fitz William of Greystoke, of the manors, &c., of which John had enfeoffed him, and which he had regranted to John for life, with reversion to himself in fee: the King having taken his homage for the manor and barony of Greystoke, the manor of Ulgham, and the purparty of the manor of Morpeth, all of which were held of the King in chief by military service. In October 1307 he was in the retinue of John, Earl of Richmond. On the death of Walter de Huntercombe, he had livery, 6 July 1313, of a moiety of the before-mentioned one-fourth part of the manors of Angerton, Heddon, &c., but provisionally, his claim being disputed. As an adherent of the Earl of Lancaster, he was pardoned for any part he had taken against Piers de Gavastone, 16 October 1313. He was appointed Captain and Keeper of the town of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and the whole county of Northumberland, 4 January 1314/5, Captain and Keeper of the city of Carlisle and the march of Scotland in Cumberland, 23 March following, and a Keeper of the county of York against the Scots, 4 July 1316, all during pleasure. He died 11 February 1316/7, and was buried in Neasham Priory. [Complete Peerage V:513-6, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(g) Both William and his wife, Joan, were living at this date.  William was son and heir of Ralph fitz William, who had livery of the lands which his father had held in Grimthorpe and Hotham of the King in socage, and of those in the bishopirc of Durham, 9 Feb 1226/7, the King having taken his homage; his father, William fitz Ralph died before 26 Aug 1218. William was son and heir of Ralph fitz Ralph, of Grimthorpe, who was living 1 Dec 1189.  Ralph fitz Ralph (who left a widow Emma) was son and heir of Ralph fitz William, who was living in 1130, son and heir of William fitz Ulf.

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John de Greystock, 1st Baron Greystock, d. without issue in 1305, when he settled his manor and barony of Greystock upon his cousin, Ralph, son of William Fitz-Ralph, Lord of Grimthorpe, in Yorkshire, husband of the baron's aunt, Joane; his brothers and uncles being then all dead, without male issue.

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Ralph FitzWilliam, in the 10th Edward I [1282], paid a fine to the king of 100 marks for license to marry Margery, widow of Nicholas Corbet, and dau. and heir of Hugh de Bolebec; and in the 24th of the same reign [1296], as brother and heir of Geffrey Fitz-William, of Yorkshire, had livery of the said Geffrey's lands upon doing his homage. This nobleman was much engaged in the wars of Scotland, and in the 7th Edward II [1384], we find him governor of Berwick, and joined in commission with John, Lord Mowbray, and others, in the wardenship of the marches. He was the next year governor of Carlisle, and founded a chantry at Tinemouth for the soul of John, Lord Greystock, his kinsman,m and all his ancestors. His lordship d. in 1316, having had summons to parliament as a baron, under the designation of "Ralp Fitz-William," from 23 June, 1295, to 6 October, 1315. He was s. by his 2nd but eldest surviving son, Robert Fitz-Ralph. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 254, Greystock, Barons Greystock]