This webpage contains notes which are an outgrowth of research discussed further on other webpages, especially:

• The Lancasters of Westmorland including the Barons of Kendal

• Notes on Lancaster related surnames

• Lancaster DNA surname Project summary

• The Lancasters of Sockbridge, Crake (Craik) Trees etc.

Be careful not to assume that the below information is all proven to a highly convincing level! Please contact me if you have questions, advice, or if you wish to use this as a source for your own research.

Generation 1

Walter de Lancaster

The father of Robert de Lancaster is known to have been named Walter de Lancaster because he is named in 1277 and 1292 (see below). From the 1277 document we know furthermore that Walter became a tenant of Sir Roger de Lancaster of Rydal. In this case it seems reasonable to conclude that Walter is the same one mentioned in 1246, when William de Lancaster III, Baron of Kendal died.

Upon his death bed William is said to have granted his brother Roger de Lancastre of...

200 acres of land of his demesne in Patterdale worth 4l. yearly, and of one Mill worth 60s., and of herbage and pannage worth 14s. yearly, and of the farm of free tenants to the value of 18s. 10d.

The said Roger has the service of Gilbert de Lancastre, who holds by knight's service by the tenth part of one knight's fee.

And the service of Walter de Lancastre, who holds by knight's service, by the tenth part of one knight's fee.

Also the said Roger de Lancastre of the whole forest of Westmorland, except Fusedale and Swartfell, and the head of Martindale, which the said Roger held before of ancient feoffment.

The said earlier enfeoffment of Martindale also still exists, and is reproduced by Ragg, along with several latter documents concerning disputes over the details between Roger and the heir of Gilbert.

Can we assume from all this that Walter de Lancaster possessed land in Patterdale? Perhaps we should not assume this because in a 1256 concord signed between Roger and Gilbert, Gilbert's 1/10 seems to be made up of two components: 1/20th in Hartsop, which is in Patterdale, but also 1/20th in Sockbridge, which was presumably not part of the Patterdale grant.

If Patterdale was the place where Walter lived then it would seem reasonable to suggest that he might be a member of the Sockbridge family of Lancasters, because their founder, Gilbert de Lancaster, had been granted a large part of Patterdale (at least the higher Hartsop part).

On the other hand Gilbert had a brother Jordan. Might he have inherited some smaller part of Patterdale? Two sons of Jordan, Gilbert and Roger, appear to have been alive until the mid 1200s in Great Strickland.

A Walter de Lancaster appears in a charter held by Fountains in York made at Lancaster by Gilbert son of Roger Fitz Reinfrid. It is estimated to have been made 1209-1212, so this might be too early for the Walter we are seeking.

In about 1241-42, a Walterus de Lancastria appears in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland and Westmorland, along with Thomas de Lother (Louther?).

For reasons I can not check or follow, Farrer and Curwen put the following entries into their "Records of the Barony of Kendal" under their entry for Strickland Roger, for the year 1235:

• Roger de Lancastre held a 10th and a 20th part of a knight's fee of the barony of Kendale; Testa, 412. [There were at least 3 Rogers: Roger mentioned above who was a half brother of William III, Roger de Lancaster in Sockbridge, and Roger de Lancaster son of Jordan who mentioned in a case in Strickland, probably in Morland, mentioned in the Westmorland Feet of Fines for 1246/7.]

• Walter de Lancastre held a 20th part of a knight's fee of the same barony; ib.

Finally, a William, son of Thomas, son of Walter de Lancaster was a plaintiff in Lancaster in 1292. Might Thomas have been a brother of Robert? When Gilbert the son of Jordan de Lancaster died in Strickland (I do not know which Strickland) in 1256, the two men who had to come to an agreement about it where a Thomas de Lancaster and a Ralf de Shireburn alias Schypton.

Generation 2

Robert de Lancaster

The father of John de Lancaster of Howgill was Robert de Lancaster, although some transcriptions of old documents name him as Roger.

Indeed, a whole web of reasoning gives the following theory, which is very common, but I believe incorrect:

1. John de Lancaster of Howgill took over Rydal and Loughrigg from the better known Sir John de Lancaster of Grisedale, Stanstead, etc, after his death. (Other properties went to other people.)

2. Sir John de Lancaster of Grisedale certainly had a brother Roger, whom he left the use of some property for his lifetime only. This clause implies that Roger either had no heirs himself to be looked after, or that they were taken care of in some other way. (In the event Roger died ten years before his brother John, and no heir is known for sure. (John de Lancaster of Rainhill is sometimes said to be a son.)

3. Therefore John of Howgill is said to be Roger's son, and the nephew and heir of the earlier and very well-known John de Lancaster.

However:

1. Ragg, in his 1910 De Lancaster article pointed out that it remains strange that none of the many documents surrounding the death of Sir John de Lancaster and his wife Annora mention anything about who is heir. Ragg presumed that John of Howgill must have been illegitimate.

2. Indeed we can go further and say that the documents do not show any different treatment of John of Howgill than any of the other people who were taking over the divided possessions of Sir John. (Ranulph de Dacre got the site of the manor of Barton; Michael son of Robert de Haverington was to get Witherslack and lands in Ulverston and the Furness fells; and various others received possessions in Durham, Northumberland, Cambridgeshire and Essex.)

3. The documents which are said to mention John of Howgill's father being a Roger, for example in the Patent Rolls of 8 Edward III, according to the transcription of John F. Curwen, actually said "Robert". The only Roger reference I have not been able to cross check in some way is the seeming will of John de Lancaster of Howgill in 1353/4. In the only transcription I know, by Ferguson, he is described as Johannes filius Rogerii quondam de Lancastre.

In contrast, William Farrer realized that the father of John de Lancaster of Howgill was Robert, and claimed to have found evidence for him as yet another brother of John of Grisedale. Ironically however, this was itself a misreading, this time reading "Robert" for "Roger" in a record concerning Barton and Witherslake. This was clearly Lord Roger de Lancaster of Rydal, the father of Sir John de Lancaster of Grisedale and Stanstead (see other webpage).

I have published a short article on this question in Foundations, the journal of the Foundation of Medieval Genealogy, July 2007.

I propose that the first mention of John de Lancaster of Howgill is in the patent rolls of 24 Dec 1314, when John son of Robert de Lancastre of Holegille (which was a common spelling for Howgill) was pardoned for the murder of John de Helton. Can it be any coincidence that a John, son of Robert de Lancaster, went to court, about 1312, in Helton under the Lyth, concerning a claim that he had disseised William de Helton of a parcel of land (Assize Roll 993)? And in 1292 Robert de Lancaster, together with Richard de Musgrave, was summoned on a charge of infringing the rights of one John de Helton in Murton. Robert was actually imprisoned, but Richard paid a fine to get himself and his men released.

This Lancaster family, with it's seeming feud against the Heltons, is known to Ragg, and he suggests that Robert was an important freeholder under Richard de Musgrave in Murton. In 1300, Robert acted as a legal representative in the defence of Christiana de Musgrave in a case brought by Hugh de Lowther concerning rents in Killington and Great Musgrave (which Hugh won).

Robert de Lancastre was apparently not only interested in lands in Murton and Helton. In 1292, the same year he first appears in an action of Richard Musgrave, Robert de Lancaster, here named as a son of Walter, was involved in a case concerning Milburn (the parish which contains Howgill Castle) in 1292 (Assize Roll 987). Specifically, he claimed that Robert de Veteripont had handed over 10 acres of land in Milneburne to Shap Abbey while he was under age, and in the custody of Veteriponte doe to his father's death. From the relevant records it can be determined that the land in involved was Milburn Grange, next to Howgill Castle.

The earliest sighting Ragg claims for this Robert was in 6 Edward I (1277) concerning the question of services claimed by Robert's overlord, Sir Roger de Lancaster of Rydal.

Generation 3.

John de Lancaster of Holgill or Howgill.

He was assigned as a justice of the peace in 1332 (Edward III, vol. 2, p. 292 and Edward III, vol. 2, p. 286). He was also called upon to muster men for war in 1324 in Aquitaine/Gascony. He represented Wesmorland in Parliament in 1327 and performed many other functions. Ragg (p.425) says John was in the campaign against Scotland under Andrew de Harcla in 1314.

At Westminster on March 21, 1332 he was appointed as one of 4 keepers of the county of Westmorland, "pursuant to the statute made in the present Parliament, to arrest all disturbers of the king's peace therein and to hear and determine the trespasses whereof they are indicted".

In 1338 he was commissioned as part of a group of men trying to fix the boundaries of Westmorland.

It is not known how John acquired Howgill castle.

As mentioned above, John acquired Rydal and Loughrigg from his namesake, the son of Roger de Lancaster of Rydal. He also appears to have received Glencoyne, as this was held by Roger de Lancaster of Rydal at his death in 1291 and is later named as a possession of the Lancasters of Howgill on several occasions, as is nearby Deepdale. However I have not yet proven that Glencoyne was held by Roger's son John, nor by John of Howgill. The Calendar of Close Rolls also mentions tenements in Hutton Roof

He acquired Skirwith, just over the county border in Cumberland, from the de Daventre family, though the transaction was heavily questioned. See document ref. no. WD RY/BOX 92/37 and further citations in Ragg.

m. Elizabeth, widow of William de Ros of Kendal.

Generation 4.

Richard de Lancaster. He was involved in the acquisition of Skirwith with his father, but is otherwise unknown. Perhaps he died young.

William de Lancaster. d. 6 Oct 1361. (Will made after 8 Sept 1361. Proved 3 Nov 1361.) Inq. Post Mort. exists. Lands included Skirwith, Rydal, Hogill and Milburn (under Roger de Clifford) plus tenements in Deepdale.
m. Aline de Gernet of Caton. Died about 1370. Inquisition exists. She had at that time 1/3 of Rydal, Depedale, and the manors of Holgill, Milburn and Skirwith.

Generation 5.

Sir William de Lancaster. Born at Caton on the Monday before Michaelmas in 18 Edward III, and was 17 and unmarried when his father died. To Ireland in 1360s. Proved his age in 1366 (Inquisitio exists), and was 26 or more in 1370 after his mother died. Sheriff of Westmorland 1380. Steward of the King's lands in Penrith and Sowerby in Cumberland 1382. d. 1398.

Paid 3s. 4d. rent for the right to fish in Rothmer, 1390-1394.

Or as per Ragg, he died 1398 "possessed of half the manor of Caton, and half Littledale and Priest Hutton in Lancashire; of the manor of Rydal, and lands in Depedale and Glencoin; of the manors of Milnburne and Holgill, and of parts of Kirkbythore." Skirwith is part of Cumberland and would have been in a different inquisition. Or did his brother Richard survive and keep it?

It is interesting that the lands in Glencone and Depedale were held of Robert Graybroke, bishop of London, by service of 1/12 of a knight's fee. According to the inquisition at his mother Aline's death Deepdale was held of the heirs of William de Lancastre, once lord of Kendal.

m. Christiana. Held dower until she died in 1406 of half Caton, half Priest Hutton and probably other tenements outside of Lancashire. Knock Shalcock does not yet appear to belong to this family.

Generation 6.

William de Lancaster of Yanwath?
Pardoned for murder 1394? The patent rolls mention, 8 January 1394, at Westminster. "Pardon to William de Lancastre, son of William de Lancastre, knight, for the death of Nicholas Dobson, killed at Schallyng in Skirwith on Wednesday the feast of St. Barnabas in the fifteenth year." Steve Hissem seems right to say that this does not look like the act of the 50-year old elder William. (Steve also mentions a death date of 1407, but I am not sure of the source.)

What could also be the same William (or could it be the son of John? see above):
...after the death of John (below) two of the heirs in line to inherit were John and Christopher, sons of William de Lancaster of Yanwith, and his brother Christopher. Yanwath had been the only part of Barton which was not held in their peak of power by the de Lancasters. It had gone from Greystoke who held it of Clifford, to the Threlkelds and Lancasters. In 1408, William de Lancaster of Yanwath was granted a market there. Around about the same time, according to Ragg (De Lancaster), he must have married Elizabeth de Threlkeld, who (in his de Threlkeld) he claims to have been the sister of Margaret who married John de Lancaster above - thus making it more likely that the William involved is the brother of this John. William and John could be just a relatives through marriage and surname, but...

In 6th Henry VI (1426/7) when John of Howgill's line ended, the Lancaster part of Yanwath went entirely to the Threlkelds, implying that John had taken over William's part, and that John and William were closely connected (p.100 of The Border Antiquities of England and Scotland, 1814, by Walter Scott, Luke Clennell, and John Greig). Also note that there was a William in Eamont Bridge, part of the same manor as Yanwath, in 1476 and 1477. See www.rainbeaux.net/sandfordhistory/SandfordsofWestmorland.doc although he was perhaps a member of the nearby Sockbridge family.

Robert de Lancaster, brother of John below. Known for sure only because his son is mentioned in records concerning John. However, in a PRO document probably after 1413, William Louther (Lowther), esquire, master forester of Inglewood forest "and the other foresters of Inglewood forest request that John and Robert de Lancaster, William de Beaulieu, John and Roland de Cliburn and William de Lancaster be ordered to come before the council and answer concerning their hunting of the King's game in the forest".

John de Lancaster d. soon after 1427? 1433? Was 30 or older when his father died.

Apparently acquired Knock Shalcock in nearby Long Marton from the Rookby family, who had it after the Bovilles. See Curwen. His family were used as an example by Robin Storey in his book about the collapsing legal system in the time of Henry VI, "The End of the House of Lancaster".
John complained about the violent plundering of the Thornburghs in SC 8/24/1174 in 1421. And to quote Storey:

"The second time he was at Westminster, John Lancaster reported a narrow escape from assassination in the summer of 1421, when he was visiting Roland Thornborough's widow in Mauld's Meaburn. Five sons of William Thornborough then came to the house with the worst intentions, bringing with them swords and Carlisle axes, those indispensible instruments of north-country homicide. These weapons they hid under their beds in the chamber where they were to spend the night with Sir John, but he was able to frustrate their plan to kill him as he slept. The Thornboroughs next took some of Lancaster's cattle and in September disturbed a session of the peace at Appleby, effectively threatening the jury with death if any charges were made against them."

See also C 1/12/193 of 1433 wherein "Robert Crakanthorp, J.P. in co. Westmorland" accuses "William Thornburgh, of Meaburn, Oliver Thornburgh, of Celsheved, William son of Robert Lancastre, of Great Strickland (Stirkeland), Katherine wife of John de Lancastre, knt. and others" of "Riots and lying in wait in the forest of Whinfell (Whynwell) for petitioner on his return from a session at Appleby". Storey explains that the enquiry which he had been trying to conduct probably had its roots in 1424 when he had to intervene in a fracas when Katherine led a large force including Henry Threlkeld and William Thornborough to attack the house of John Cliburn, firing a thousand or more arrows from dawn to midday when they were pursuaded to lift the siege "wounding him and his children and intimidating his tenants". Katherine eventually had Cliburn imprisoned.
In August 1438, one Roland Thornborough was eventually pardoned for the death of this Robert Crackenthorpe, but another Robert Crackenthorpe, perhaps his son, married John's daughter Elizabeth and became an heir to their estate. Storey presumes this was the same Crackenthorpe, and that the Thornboroughs and Lancaster continued to harrass her after his death. For Elizabeth see below.
The inheritance did not go smoothly. Documents from 1425 leaving possessions to the male line resulted in a 1435 fine. His 4 daughters were eventually paid 20 pounds each for their moiety in Yanwath by Sir Henry Threlkeld. WD RY/BOX 92/90 of 1443 mentions his manors passed on via a gift to several clerics: Rydal, Deepdale, Glencoyne, Howgill and "Knoksalcok". Christiana and Margaret were to share Deepdale, Glencoyne, Howgill and Knok Shalcock (Knock near Howgill and Brampton); Elizabeth and Isabella, Rydal and Loughrigg. However (see below) it may not have turned out this way. John and Katherine apparently also had belongings in Blencarn, Cumberland.
Feuding amongst these families continued after the Lancaster line ceased to be so important. 9 November 1447 there is an indenture concerning the "vareances querels and debates" between the Threlkelds and Thurnburghs. This was presided over by Thomas of Haryngton, perhaps a relative of John de Lancaster's son-in-law. William de Thornburgh had to pay Henry de Threlkeld for "the tene of Maudes Meuburn" and "a gowne of blak". Both sides had to "release all manner of accions personels" to the other.
m1. Margaret de Threlkeld. Daughter of William de Threlkeld and his wife Margaret. Ragg in his de Threlkeld article cites W Jackson, Cumberland and Westmorland papers, vol ii, p.126. She is perhaps the reason for the family's link with Knock in this time. What about Yanwath? The de Threlkelds had held one third of Yanwath, and Ragg says these were taken over by William de Lancaster of Yanwath who had married Margaret's sister Elizabeth. Yanwath and Knock had long before been passed together to Alice, daughter of Ivo son of Forne son of Sigulf, founder of the Greystokes. Alice married Edgar Dunbar. According to Ragg it seems that two Threlkeld sisters married two Lancaster brothers. On the other hand Nicolson and Burn say that Knock came to the Lancasters through a marriage of John to Joan Rookby. It seems clear that a deal was made to make sure the Threlkelds would get Yanwath after John's death. See http://books.google.com/books?id=0qsKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3
m2. Katherine (Katrina) who Ragg feels certain to be a second wife, possibly related to the Thornboroughs. In 1422 the Inquisitio Post Mortem of John de Clifford showed that she and John held part of the manor of Brougham together. In 1435 William Thornborough was in possession of it. William and his wife Elianor were given entail by John and Katherine in 1427, for messuages in Strickland Ketel, Campton Cundale, Kellet, and Brougham.
Children, probably to Margaret:-

Christiana Lancaster

m. Sir Robert de Haryngton

This couple seem to have had lands in Preston Patrick and Caton, which may perhaps have come from their Lancaster inheritance.

Margaret Lancaster

m. Sir Matthew Whitfeld, Sheriff of Northumberland 1434. It seems that at first Mathew Whitfield and Thomas le Fleming divided Rydal and Loughrigg between them, but that the Flemings bought out the Whitfield moiety.

Elizabeth Lancaster. In 1439 Elizabeth complained against the actions of John de Lancaster of Holgill (her late father? or his heir of Yanwath? - presumably the former), his brother Christopher, and William Thornborough of Selside and his brothers, against her late husband Robert in Rydal and Deepdale. Her Inq. Post. Mort. seems to be one of 2 Edw IV (1463/3).

m. Robert Crackenthorpe of Newbiggin, who thereby received the Manor of Howgill. 

Isabella Lancaster

m. (1409) Thomas le Fleming, who thereby acquired the Manors of Coniston and of Rydal. She perhaps later married John Wharton?

Generation 6.

First, putting aside the daughters already mentioned, there seems to have been a son of John de Lancaster of Howgill:

William Lancaster.
Ragg mentions that John de Clifford had a suit against "William, son of John de Lancaster, knight, of Holgill". He broke into Clifford's forest in Whinfell and carried away crops etc worth 40 marks. (Ragg cites de Banco, Hillary, 3 Henry V, which would be 1415 or 1416). Presumably he died young, before 1425.

Next, the family was also perhaps continued by the sons of William de Lancaster of Yanwath.

There is no further mention of Yanwath Lancasters, but there are further mentions of William and Christopher of Deepdale, which had also been a property left by John de Lancaster of Howgill.

John de Lancaster of Yanwath. A potential heir, and also a named accomplice of his seeming grandfather or uncle John.

A 1450 document D HG/113, seems to make this John lord of Deepdale in Barton?

Christopher Lancaster of Yanwath. A potential heir, and also a named accomplice of his apparent grandfather or uncle John.

There was also a Christopher Lancaster of Depedale who married one of the Sockbridge Lancasters. In 1518-1529 he was involved in a case C 1/520/46 relating to deeds for land in Kirkby Thore, versus three couples of the families Hoton, Middylton and Sandford. In that account he is called a gentleman and a son and heir of William Lancastre.

Note that in 1533-1538, John Lancaster, grandson and heir of John Lancaster, esquire, was a sewer of the King's chamber, v. William, lord Dacre concerning a mortgage of land called 'Glencone' to Thomas, lord Dacre. (Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary C 1/841/10.) This must be Glencoyne, also long held by the Howgill Lancasters.

[1536] 31 Aug., 28 Hen. VIII. Bond from Henry Barton of Ormished, gent., to William Lancaster of Deppedall, gent., in 201., respecting the sale of a tenement in Patriksdall.

Thirdly there was a son to John's brother Robert...

William Lancaster. Son mentioned in Cal. Pat. R. 1435, P. 455 and various other documents associated with the passing of John Lancaster of Howgill. According to appeals to the Lord Chancellor about the Lancasters and Thornboroughs he was associated with Great Strickland.

Could another William in this family also have been settled in Over-Hartsop? In 1425 William de Lancaster of Hertsop is named as last in line after the above possible heirs. In 1471, a period in which Christopher of the Sockbridge Lancasters clearly held Nether-Hartsop, a dispute between a group of Lancasters and Thomas Sandford mentions both a Chrisopher de Lancaster of Nether Hartsop and, and one of Over Hartsop. It is however difficult to find room for more Williams in this family tree!

Hartsop is close to Deepdale, which was held by the Howgill Lancasters.