General Notes

BARONY OF FITZALAN (I)

SIR BRIAN FITZ ALAN, of Bedale in Richmondshire, Askham Brian in the Ainsty, Bainton, Heworth, &c., co. York, Bicker and Graby, co. Lincoln, son and heir of Sir Alan Fitz BRIAN, of Bedale, &c. (who was slain shortly before 17 May 1267) (d), by Agnes, said to have been daughter of Sir Randolf FITZ HENRY, of Ravensworth in Richmondshire. He was on the King's service in Wales in 1277 and 1287. On 1 May 1285, being about to go beyond seas on pilgrimage, he had letters of protection for two years. He was appointed a Guardian of Scotland, 13 June 1291. He was Constable of the castles of Roxburgh and Jedburgh from 4 August 1291 to 18 November 1292, and of those of Dundee and Forfar until the same day. On 20 September 1291 he had licence to crenellate his house at Killerby. He was present at the assemblies held at Berwick in October and November 1292, to discuss the various claims to the Crown of Scotland, and, as a Guardian of Scotland, was one of those commanded, 18 [not 19] November 1292, to give seizin of that kingdom to John de Balliol. On 12 July 1297 he was appointed a Captain for the defence of Northumberland, and, on 18 October following, a Keeper of the march of Scotland in that county. He was constituted Keeper of Scotland at a salary of 2,000 marks a year, 18 August 1297. He was at the battle of Falkirk, 22 July 1298, and at the siege of Carlaverock in July 1300. He was summoned for Military Service from 6 April 1282 to 7 November 1302, to a Military Council, 14 June 1287 to attend the King at Salisbury, 26 January 1296/7, and to Parliament from 24 June 1295 to 22 January 1304/5, by writs directed Briano filio Alani, whereby he is held to have become LORD FITZALAN. As Brianus filius Alani dominus de Bedale he took part in the Barons' Letter to the Pope, 12 February 1300/1.

He m. 1stly, Muriel: she died before 8 November 1290. He married, 2ndly, before 2 July 1297, Maud. He died 1 June 1306, and was buried in Bedale Church. His widow was living 10 April 1340. She was buried in the Church of the Black Friars at York.

His coheirs were his two daughters. (1) Agnes, aged 8 in 1306. Her marriage was granted, 10 May 1306, to Sir Miles de Stapelton, of Carlton, co. York, and she married, before 15 December 1317, Gilbert de Stapelton, a younger son of the said Miles: he died before 23 June 1324: she married, 2ndly, Sir Thomas de Sheffeld, of Sheffield, Wadsley, Owlerton, &c., co. York: they both died before 3 November 1348. (2) Katherine, aged 6 in 1306. She married before 27 December 1317, as 1st wife, Sir John de Grey, of Rotherfield Oxon, Sculcoates, co. York, and Duston, Northants [Lord Grey of Rotherfield]: she died before 7 August 1328, and was buried in the Church of the Black Friars at York: he, who was born at Rotherfield 29 October and baptized there 1 November 1300, died there 1 September 1359, aged 58. The ages of the two coheirs having been proved, the escheator was ordered to liberate their purparties of their father's lands, 15 and 27 December 1317, respectively. Among their representatives any hereditary Barony, that may be supposed to have been created by the writ of 1295, is in abeyance. [Complete Peerage V:639-44, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(d) Pardon to Payn le Keu of Brandesburton for the death of Alan de Bedale, as it appears by inquistion made by Richard de Middleton that Payn killed Alan in self-defence: 17 May (Patent Roll, 51 Henry III, no. 18). York: Agnes late the wife of Alan fitz Brian gave half a mark for an assize taken before Richard de Middleton. Alan was son and heir of Brian fitz Alan (living 17 July 1242), who married Alice, daughter of Gilbert Hansard, of Evenwood and Hurworth-on-Tees, co. Durham. Brian was son and heir of Alan fitz Brian (who died before Michaelmas 1189), by (--), Lady of Bainton, one of the four sisters and coheirs of Geoffrey Haget, and daughter of Bertram Haget, both of Wighill, Bainton, and Healaugh, co. York. Alan was son and heir of Brian fitz Alan, 'brother of Conan, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond.'

Note: The last part of note (d) above enclosed in ' (single quote marks) is supposed to be replaced by 'living 1242. See also C.T. Clay, "Origins of the FitzAlans of Bedale", Yorks. Arch. Soc. J., vol xxx, 1931, pp. 281-90; "Early Yorks. Families", Yorks. Arch. Soc. Rec. Set, vol 135, 1973, p. 27.' according to updates by CP XIV:324. The trouble that I have (along with others--see e-mail below) is that the "living 1242" doesn't seem to make sense. I am sticking with the original until this is clarified.

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The following e-mail was received from Chris Phillips, medievalgenealogy.org.uk, in response to my query about the "correction of CP, Vol 14, p. 324":

Dear Jim

Sorry - it sounds as though I was misunderstanding your original message on this. I don't actually own a copy of vol.14, but from what you say, vol.14 actually makes the Brian in generation [1] survive till 1242, as well as the Brian in generation [3]?

That does sound like a blunder. It looks as though "1242" probably comes from the Close Roll, 26 Henry III reference given earlier for generation [3], but it can hardly refer to both grandfather and grandson.

I have just been looking at the archives, and I see there was some discussion of this in June 1999, when Dave Utzinger suggested it might be a misprint for "1142", and Cris Nash thought it was through confusion with Brian the grandson.

So I'll note that down as a probable error in volume 14.

I've copied Cris Nash's 1999 message below, just in case there's anything useful for you in it.

Thanks again

Chris

=========================================================================
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 01:36:30 +0100
From: Cristopher Nash <enraq@csv.warwick.ac.uk>
To: GEN-MEDIEVAL-L@rootsweb.com
Message-Id: <l03102803b393397ac112@[137.205.97.11]>
Subject: Re: CP XIV: Brian fitz Alan
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>In CP XIV:324 there is an important correction to note (d) in CP V:393
>based on two works by C T Clay which which seems to have the effect of
>disconnecting the Fitz Alans of Bedale from the family of the duke of
>Brittany. But the entry in CP XIV goes on to remark that Brian was living
>in 1242. I think this has to be a printing error for 1142. Any comments?

Richard -- Not having XIV in front of me, a bit confused about this, since
CP had accepted this old argument of the first of the Clays for over half a
century (see X, 781n, which as I recall is pubd 1945). Perhaps the
confirmation of the earlier C.T.Clay argument [Early Yorkshire Charters, V,
pt 2, 196-227 (espec.the alternative genealogy, 200-205) & Yorks Arch
Journ. vol. 30 (1930-1), 281-90] in a 1973 publication by Sir Charles Clay
[Early Yorks Families (York Arch Soc Series, vol. 135 [1973]), 27]
convinced the ed. of CP XIV that the thing ought to be underlined. About
the 1242 date gaffe - a puzzle. But Brian FitzAlan the grandson of Brian
son of Scolland (and not s. of Alan, Count of Brittany) - is commonly given
as having d. 1242 - perhaps the apparent slip is owing to an inadvertent
omission of 2 generations in a line or two. Seen worse, no? (At least
this one had the advantage of being obvious.)