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A78478
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Certaine observations touching the two great offices of the seneschalsey or high-stewardship, and high-constableship of England.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing C1713; Thomason E122_23; ESTC R5060
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13,081
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16
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he was one of our high Seneschals and dying without issue of his body in the yeere of our Lord God 1204. was buried in the Abbey of Preux neere Leicester leaving his two sisters to be his heires between whom the whole inheritance was divided in the daies of K. Iohn Amicitia the eldest sister was married to Simon of Mountford yonger brother to Almarick Earle of Eureux in Normandy And Margaret the yongest was wife unto Saher of Quencie whom K. John made Earle of Winchester unto whom she brought the one halfe of the Earldome of Leicester and of the honour of Hinckley and among other Lands the Mannor of Grobye Quitwicke Shepeshend Hales Brackly South-Keston Timisbury and Chimnomere Simon of Mountford according to the Law and custome of the Land was in the right of his wife being the elder sister made Earle of Leicester and high Seneschall of England in the daies of K. Iohn but he enjoyed not long those honours being for his contumacy and disobedience both he and his children shortly after banished the Land and his honours and possessions bestowed on Earle Randolph of Chester who held them a great time except onely the Patronage of the Abbey of Preux neere Leicester and the Office of the Stewardship of England which the King kept in his own hands This Earle Simor a great warriour was head and leader of the yong French King Lodowicks Forces fighting against the Albigenses about the City of Tholose where he was after shine These Albigenses because they began to smell the Popes treachery and to controle the inordinate proceedings and discipline of the See of Rome the Pope therefore accounting them as people hereticall excited the French King to lay siege against the said City of Tholoso to expugne those Albigenses his enemies But such was the mighty protection of God fighting for his people against the might of man that the French could doe no good with all their Engines and Artileries against the City but were forced to retire with great losse of people among whom this Earle Simon of Mountfort generall of the Army to whom the Pope had given a little before the Earle of Tholosas Land was slâ—iâ— with a stone before the gate of the City in the yeere of our Lord God 1219. as likewise was a brother of his besieging of a Castle neere unto Thotosa at the same time he left two sons of great fame Earle Altâ—arick of Mounfort Constable of France that was taken prisoner in the holy Land and after his redemption in returning homeward dyed at Idruntum in Italy Anno 1241. And Simon the yonger that after obtaining the good grace and favour of K. Henry the 3. whose sister he married was restored to the Earldome of Leicester and to the integrity of his fathers lost honours patrimonies in England a man was he of great courage and renown well experienced in the wars in matters of government for long time had he been Seneschall and Governor of the Countrey of Gascoigne for the King of England his brother in Law which of his own accord he resigned contrary to the Kings mind that greatly desired to reteine him in good affection towards him both because he was a man of great power wise and valiant and for that the French laboured to make him their Seneschall but such was the Earles hap that in the new begun variance between K. Henry and his Nobles for not observing the Laws of the Land especially such new decrees as had been made at Oxford for the expelling of strangers out of the Realm he was chosen chiefe Captaine and leader of the Nobility and for the time so much prevailed in the enterprize that the King was by them taken in the battaile neere Lewes in Sussex together with his eldest son and the King of Romans his brother howbeit Edward the Kings eldest son escaping out of their hands renewed the war and at Evesham in battell slew this Earle Simon and delivered his father from the hands of his enemies in Anno 1265 which was the 48 yeere of the raigne of K Hen. 3. Those that tooke part with Earle Simon were disinherited and their Lands given to such as stood with the King divers fled the realâ—â—e and amongst them Simon and Guy and the other sonnes of this Earle which escaped into France leaving no posterity in this Land The King afterward gave the Earledome of Leicester to his yonger son Edmond that was the first Earle of Lancaster and to his heires which ever afterward contâ—nued in the house of Lancastâ—r who beare the title of Leicesters Earledome and withall held and enjoyed the office of the high Stewardship of England untill the same with all other the honours Lands and hereditaments thereunto belonging was united to the Crowne in the daies of King Henry the 4. being of that stock till that now of late it pleased the most Noble and vertuous Priâ—cesse Qâ—eene Elisabeth our gratious Soveraigne to revive the honour and title of Leicesters Earledome in the person of the right noble Lord Robert of Dudley younger brother and heire to the right noble Lord Ambrose Earle of Warwick and Viscount Lisle both sonnes to the high and mightie Prince John late Duke of Northumberland lineally descended and heire in bloud of the bodies of Robert of Beaumount Earle of Mellent auncestour to the before-mentioned Earles of Leicester and of Hen. of Newborough Earle of Warwick Ancestour to the Earles sonne both brethren as before hath been declared and living in the time of the Norman conquest as more plainly is shewed by Pedegrees deduced Thus much declared by way of preface or ingression to the matter in hand and to shew that the office of High Stewardship of England hath heretofore passed inheritably in diverse families as other great Offices have done It remaineth now to declare what these Stewardships are with the authorities and prerogations to them belonging and to produce such notes and observations as are extant touching the same And to begin with the chiefest Seneschall the Seneschalsey or Stewardship of England as it is not to be doubted of but that it took beginning from the Normans and was by them first established in this land after their great conquest and victory over the English Saxons in the yeare of our Lord God 1066 by their example of their home government in Normandy where the Duke had under him for his chiefest Officer a Seneschall or Steward so cannot the right of this office be better or in briefer sort described then by setting downe of the Dukes Steward faithfully in such sort as it is to be seene written in the old customary booke of the Duchie of Normandy in these words following In times past there was to wander throughout Normandy a certaine Justicieâ— greater then these before mentioned who was called the Princes Seâ—eschall or Steward he was wont to perfect and amend that which the other Justiciers had left undone he kept the Prince his land the
CERTAINE OBSERVATIONS TOVCHING The two great Offices of the Seneschalsey or High-Stewardship and High-Constableship of ENGLAND LONDON Printed for L. Chapman Octob. 17. 1642. CERTAINE OBSERVATIONS TOUCHING The two great Offices of the Seneschalsey or High-Stewardship and High-Constableship of ENGLAND THe Seneschalsey or High-Stewardship of England is known to be the greatest Office in England by reason of the authority it hath over all other Officers which since the Norman Conquest hath long continued by descent inheritably in the Family of the ancient Earles of Leicester was after translated to the house of Lancaster and by K. Henry the fourth of that stock when he had obtained the Crown was incorporate into the same as all other the honours Lands and hereditaments of that house were For the plainer manifestation thereof it will serve wel to the purpose before the Office it selfe be described to shew the first institution thereof and to recount in order the succession of the Officers whilst it passed inheritably It is therefore to be understood that amongst the persons of chiefest account which entred this Kingdome with D. William of Normandy and were assistant unto him in the conquest thereof one Hugh Grauntmesuell a Baron of Normandy was of special reckoning whose father Robert of Grauntmesuell one of the chiefest Noblemen of all Normandy reteined at home with him for his own comfort and for the preservation of this stock the elder of them named Robert who succeeded him in all the inheritance of Normandy but sent with the Duke his second son called Sir Hugh of Grauntmesuell who so demeaned himselfe in the enterprise that when by conquest and strong hand the whole Kingdome was subdued by the Normans their Duke regarding the good service of those that adventured and laboured with him forgot not the praiseworthy desetts of this Nobleman whom therefore he rewarded liberally with sundry great Territories and portions of Land in many shires of the Realm as namely with those great Lordships Peberworth Merestone Quenington Weston and Wileot in Glocestershire with divers Lands in Ferendow Meristow Thorp Welington Staverton Mereford Newbottle Middleton Sutton Biveld Wodeford Edgdow and Ceroilton in Northamptonshire with Wichingston and Hinkley in Leicestershire with divers Lands in Edwolton and Sandy-acre in Nottinghamshire and with Ley in Suffolke as appeareth by the record in the Exchequor commonly called Domesday Moreover he made him high Seneschal or Steward of the whole Kingdom according to the Norman usage a dignity never heard of in this Land before did further advance him in marriage with a great Lady inheretrix of sundry possessions named Adalisa or Alice on whom he gat two daughters his heires the elder of them called Petronelle or Pernell was married unto Robert Earle of Leicester surnamed auecles blanches maines that is Robert with the white hands that was the son of Robert le Rossa Earle of Leicester who was son unto Robert of Beanemount Lord of Pont Adomare and Earle of Mellent in Normandy brother to Sir Henry of Newburgh the first Earle of Warwicke after the Conquest unto whom the said Pernell brought the one moyity of her fathers possessions and withall for increase because she was the eldest daughter together with the honours of Hinckley the Office of Seneschalsie or Highstewardship of England which were not partable as the other inheritances were The yonger of the said Sir Hugh Grauntmessuels daughters called after her mother Adalisa was given in marriage unto one Roger Bygot a Norman with the other moyity of her fathers possessions unto whom she bare divers sons and daughters from the eldest whereof named Hugh Bygot that was the first Earle of the East-Angles of this family containing Norfolk and Suffolk the other Bygots that were after Earls of Norfolk are lineally discended between which two families contention had often been about the Office of Stewardship whereof in this place to note what is set down in the record of the Exchequer called the red booke is not impertinent to this purpose where it is said that on the Sunday before Candlemas-day in the 20 yeere of the raigne of K. Henry the son of K. Iohn commonly called K. Henry the third at the Coronation of his wife Q. Elenor that was the Earle of Provinces daughter Simon of Mountford then Earle of Leicester and high Steward of England lineally descended of the before-named Parnell being ready the day of the Coronation to execute his Office of Highsteward which by right appertained unto him was forbidden and gainsaid by Roger Bygot then Earle of Norfolk who being descended from the before named Adalisa the yonger of Sir Hugh Grantmesuels daughters alleaged that it was his right to exercise that Office which controversie as also divers others then moved was heard judicially before the King unto whom Earl Simon replying answered that it was true that contention had been heretofore moved between their Ancestors for the same matters in the daies of King Iohn the Kings father which was compounded and pacified for the service of ten Knights or rather ten Knights fees given by the Earle of Leicester unto the Earle of Norfolk who therefore released all his title and right to the Highstewardship Whereunto because Earle Roger of Norfolk alleaged that there rested of these Knights feet two and a halfe to be assigned unto him Earle Simon made answer that he might well recover them with the Arrerages by the Laws of the Land in the Kings Court and ought not therefore to hinder him in the execution of his Office seeing he acknowledged the former accord and by vertue of the same was already in quiet possession of seven Knights fees and a half And so was Earle Simon by the Kings own doom and sentence admitted to the quiet exercise of the Seneschalsie at the same Coronation And now to return where we left Robert Earle of Leicester that wedded Dame Parnell was high Seneschall or Steward of England and was the man for whose greatnesse of stomacke the walls of the Town of Leicester were rased to the ground because he took part with the yong King Henry against his father K. Henry the second as histories make mention begat on her sons and daughters and after in K. Richards daies the first warring in the holy Land was slain at the siege of Acon in the yeere of our Lord God 1190 whose eldest sonne Robert suâ—mmed after his mother Fitz-Parnell was after his death Earle of Leicester and high Steward of England of whom many worthy acts are by histories remembred both of his prowesse in the field and fidelity to K. Richard the first with whom he continued as a most faithfull companion during the Palestine wars was partaker of his evill fortune by being taken there prisoner compelled to pay for his redemption 1000 Marks of Silver and therefore constrained to sell his Castell of Plasey in Normandy But to be briefe and not to stay upon the Narration of these things It serveth onely to the purpose to note that