General Notes

On the Barony of de L'Isle [Burke's Peerage]

Meanwhile in 1357 a Gerard de Lisle, second cousin of the Robert mentioned above and grandson of another Gerard who had acquired the Berkshire manor of Kingston Lisle from his mother, was called to Parliament by writ.  He thus became according to later doctrine Lord (Baron) Lisle [the Barony de Lisle of the aforementioned Robert existed until 1428, making two Baronies named the same].  As has been remarked elsewhere, the absurdity of two peers of Parliament with identical titles existing simultaneously is one of the strongest arguments for supposing early writs of summons were no intended to create heritable titles of honour.  This 1st Lord Lisle of the 1357 creation also fought at Crecy, as well as in other battles of the Hundred Years War.  The 1357 peerage descended to two sole heiresses in succession, who by a later doctrine would have been deemed baronesses in their own right.  With the death of the second sole heiress any barony created by the writ of 1357 would have been deemed by later doctrine to have fallen into abeyance.  In 1823 a descendant of this second sole heiress, Sir John Shelley Sidney, 1st Baronet, unsuccessfully petitioned the House of Lords to terminate the abeyance in his favour.

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BARONY OF LISLE (I)

GERARD DE LISLE, son and heir, was aged 23 years and more in February 1326/7, and 40 and more in 1350. In March 1326/7 the escheator was ordered not to meddle with the lands, as the father held nothing in chief. He was a Knight in 1327. he was summoned for military service in December 1334 and March 1334/5; to a Council 20 June 1358, and to Parliament 15 December 1357, by writs directed Gerardo de Insula or del Isle, whereby he is held to have become LORD LISLE. In 1333 and 1335 he was engaged in the Scottish wars, in the latter year under Richard, Earl of Arundel. In 1359 he had a dispute with his mother as to the presentation to Stowe church, Northants, but admitted that it was not his turn; he also complained of trespass on his park at Stowe. In June 1340 he was going beyond seas with the Earl of Arundel, and was engaged, as a banneret, in the French camaign of 1346-1347, fighting at CrÈcy in the Earl's division. In 1347 he succeeded to his mother's inheritance, and, according to modern doctrine, became LORDTEYES. He made an agreement, 5 March 1349/50, to accompany the Earl of Arundel with 30 men-at-arms for 100 marks per annum, receiving £100 before leaving England. In September 1350 he had licence to make a pilgrimage to Rome, with 7 horses. In 1351 he had livery of the manor of Bracken in Kilnwick, part of his mother's inheritance. In August 1354, as Gerard de Insula, dominus de Stowe, he agreed to the appointment of the Pope as arbitrator in the dispute with France. In September 1359 he was again engaged in the French wars.

He married, 1stly, in or before 1330, Eleanor, whose parentage is unknown. She was presumably dead in or before 1347 (a). He married, 2ndly, before 3 July 1354, Elizabeth, widow of Edmund (DE ST. JOHN), LORD ST. JOHN, of Basing (died a minor, 1347), who held several manors in dower. For a fine of £100 he was pardoned for marrying her without licence. He died 9 June 1360, holding the manor of Kingston Lisle of Robert de Lisle of Rougemont by the service of one knight's fee and a pair of gilt spurs or 6d. His widow married Sir Richard PEMBRUGGE, who survived her. She died 16 September 1362.  [Complete Peerage VIII:50-1, XIV:443, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(a) When it was reported that Margery, widow of Nicholas de la Beche, had been joined in wedlock to Gerard de Lisle, but had been carried off from Beaumes Manor, near Reading, by Sir John de Dalton and others.  Gerard was appointed to arrest the marauders, and, fearing bodily harm in the attempt, was authorized to bear arms.  This marriage appears to have been projected only, for Margery married Dalton.