General Notes

REFN: 4902AN
Alias:<ALIA> /Helle/
By right as oldest son of John De Lacy (of Magna Charta, signatory), Rog
er De Lacy, Baron of Pontefract and of Halton, Justicar of Ire land, Const
able of Chester and Lord of the Honors of Pontefract, becameimmortaliz
ed in the annals of medieval warfare for his bravery, fortitude and endura
nce. He married Maud De Clare and left by her two sons, John the Earl of L
incoln and Roger. His mother, Alice De Vere was sister to William de Maude
ville, Earl of Essex. John, his father was in charge of Dublin, Irelan
d, in 11 81, during the period that Hugh De Lacy was Governor (Lord Palant
ine) of Ireland. He died in the crusade of 1190 at Tyre. Prior to his dea
th John De Lacy founded Stanlaw Abbey and the hospital of Castle Deningt
on about 1172. Roger was stated by many accounts to be the most remarkab
le man of his day and by the Welsh, his inveterate foes, was styled "Rog
er Hell" for his fierce spirit during his Castle Defiance against the Ki
ng of Normandy, Philip Augustus. He waged a ruthless war against the Wels
h, his very name striking fear into the men of Cambria. Robert II De La
cy had fought by the side of King Henry II and his son, Prince John, in No
rmandy. For this service, the King forgave a debt of old Henry De Lacy, w
ho had refused to pay for Henry I's tax for his daughter's "wedding". Ther
efore, when Robert died in 1194, there was nothing to s tand in the w
ay of confirming Pontefract to John De Lacy. And thus, after an illustrio
us career, John then passed on the Honors to his son, soon to be, Roger "H
ell". Roger exerted great energies developing the Baronage (Pontefract) a
nd prospered. He ensured that it was well maintained, administered and flo
urishing. He employed at minimum a steward, general manager, a bailif
f, a cook whose name was Ranulf, a dispenser, two chamberlains and a chap
el overseer. Although Roger De Lacy obtained Pontefract in 1194
after Robert II De Lacy, his grand uncle, and then John De Lacy, his fath
er has passed, it was not unti l 1204, that Roger De Lacy officially was c
onfirmed with the Honor of Pontefract, after the Normandy Campaign in whi
ch Roger held the Castle Gaillard at bay from the Norman army of King Phil
ip of France. Upon the death of his fath er John, Roger accepted his right
ful claims to the honors of Pontefract with great pride and upon this inhe
ritance, the Chancellor of England entrusted hi m with the custody of cast
les Thickhill and Nottingham. By this action the Chancellor unwittingly co
ntributed to the deaths of two of the King's knights. The two warriors h
ad conspired against Roger and the Chancellor to surrender the castles ba
ck to King John. Roger's fierce De Lacy spirit engaged, he ordered them ha
nged forthwith. In revenge of this aggressive action by the Baron, John th
en ordered Roger's lands ransacked and plundered. Afterward, in 1199, Rog
er warily swore fealty to King John upon his ascension to the throne. Fr
om that time forward, Roger and the King remained in high favor, one wi
th the other. In November 1200, Roger was chartered by King John to esco
rt William the Lion of Scotland to Lincoln and was then ordered prese
nt in court when William gave tribute and allegiance to King John. Lat
er in 1201, Roger was summoned to command 100 knights alongside of Willi
am Marshall, the
Earl of Pemb roke, to defend Normandy and all of John's Norman possessio
ns against the aggression of the King of France. Intrigue pervaded the cou
rt of the King behind the scenes involving the politics of the day, mediev
al though it was. King John was not very popular among the established Bar
onies in England, during his reign, partly because of the internal Royal f
amily politics as we have come to know of it, and also because the King d
id not appear to be overly
concerned with whether or not people liked him at all.
Roger de Lacy was the constable of Chester. Under the banner