General Notes

REFN: 7024AN
Walter De Laci and Ilbert De Laci came into England with the Conqueror,
but i n what degree allied, if at all, has not been ascertained. Walter de
Laci was one of the commanders whom William the Conqueror sent into Wales
to subjugat e the principality and, being victorious, acquired large
possessions there, i n addition to those already obtained as his portion
of the spoil of Hastings. He was killed in April, 1084. Walter De Laci
left three sons, Roger, Hugh, a nd Walter, a monk in the abbey of St.
Peter's, at Gloucester. [Sir Bernard Bu rke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited,
and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd, London, 1883, p. 309, Lacy,
Earls of Lincoln]
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Dugdale cites him falling from the scaffolding while building a new
church, but there is no 11 th or 12th century authority for this. [Brian
Tompsett, Directory of Royal Ge nealogical Data, University of Hull, Hull,
UK, "Electronic," royal06061]
The Conqueror and His Companions
by J.R. Planché, Somerset Herald. London: Tinsle y Brothers, 1874.
Lacie, now called Lassy, the place from which this great Nor man family
derived its name, is on the road from Vere to Auvray. Of its earli er
lords we know nothing, and Wace's "Cil De Lacie" and "Le Chevalier de
La cie," do not enlighten us. Neither do we receive much assistance from
his Fre nch or English annotators, who refer us to Dugdale and the English
genealogis ts.
From them we learn that a Walter and an Ilbert De Lacy were certainly
pr esent at Senlac, though how related to each other they have no
evidence, nor can we venture to suggest which was the "Sire De Lacie" of
the poet, and whic h "the Chevalier," if we are to consider them two
distinct personages. That t hey were brothers, however, is fairly
presumable, from the fact that the moth er of Ilbert De Lacy, Emma, is
named in a charter, and Walter had a daughter Emma, named according to
custom after her grandmother. No particular deed of arms is attributed to
either; but the Sire De Lacie is named as one of a part y of seven or
eight knights who charged the English in company, "fearing neit her prince
nor pope. Many a man did they overthrow, many did they wound, and many a
good horse did they kill." As early as the third year of William's rei gn,
1069, Walter De Lacy was sent into Wales with William Fitz Osbern and
o ther tried soldiers, against the people of Brecknock, led by their
Prince of Wales, Rhys ap Owen, Cadogan ap Blethyn, and Meredith ap Owen,
whom they atta cked and defeated with great slaughter.
Subsequently he assisted Wulstan, Bish op of Worcester, and Urso d'Abitot,
then sheriff of that county, in preventin g the passing of the Severn by
the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk, with the ob ject of effecting a
junction of their forces.
His death, however, was not on the field of battle, nor was he shorn a
monk in some abbey according to a pr evalent custom of the period.
Having founded the Church of St. Peter at Herefo rd, and taking much
interest in the building, when the work was nearly finish ed, he mounted a
ladder to inspect some portion of it, when his foot slipping , he fell and
was killed on the spot (6 kalends of April, 1084).
He was buri ed in the chapter-house of the Cathedral at Gloucester, to
which Emmeline, hi s wife, for the health of his soul, gave five hides of
land at Duntesborne.
By this lady, whoever she was, he left three sons, Roger, Hugh and
Walter, th e last a monk in the Abbey of St. Peter at Gloucester; and two
daughters, Erm eline and Emma.
Dying before the compilation of Domesday, we cannot be certain what was
his reward in lands and honours for the services he had rendered hi s
sovereign; but in that precious record we find his son and successor,
Rog er, in possession of ninety-six lordships, sixty-five of which were in
Glouce stershire, besides four carucates of land lying within the limits
of the Cast le of Civia, which King William had bestowed o