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water called Stock-Gill-Beck divides it from the
parish of Winandermere. It is a manor within the barony of
Kendale, but not held under it, and was granted by Margaret
de Brus (or Bruce) to Roger de Lancaster, a natural son of
William de Lancaster, Baron of Kendale. This Margaret de
Brus was grand-daughter to the said William, and I have seen
a copy of the original grant: I shall not, however, insert
it, as it contains, like many others, not much more than the
boundary marks.
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Rydale came into the family of the Flemings by the marriage
of Sir Thomas le Fleming of Coniston in 1420, with
Isabel, second daughter of Sir John de Lancaster of
Howgill-Castle in this county. Mr Burn has employed
23 folio pages in tracing this family, most of which he
copied from the manuscripts of a Sir Daniel Fleming of
Rydale, Dr Fleming, bishop of Carlisle, and several
others of the Flemings of Rydale.
The first, says he, "was Michael le Fleming, commonly called
also Flandrensis. He came with William the Conqueror, and
had lands given him by William de Meschiens," and adds,
"that he was of a great family, and of especial favour; for
when Stephen of Boulogne, (afterwards King of England,)
built Furness Abbey, he granted all the lands in Furness
thereto, except those of Michael Fleming; and that Pope
Eugenius confirmed the same grant with the same exception."
Of this family there have been several public and valuable
characters, who have married into some of the first families
in the kingdom; as the Nevil, Brandon Duke of Suffolk,
&c. others forfeited their estates, as most of the
northern Barons did at one time or other. I shall here
transcribe an indenture made between Ralph Lord Greystoke
and John Fleming, Esq; of Rydale-Hall: I cannot, however,
find any tradition of the particular occasion upon which it
was made: It runs as follows:
THIS indenture, made the 9th day of December in the 7th year
of the reign of King Edward the IV. betwixt Rauf Lord
Greystoke and Wemm on the ton party, and John Fleming
Esquire the todir party, wittness, that the said John is
reteined and behest with the said Lord for terme of his
life, as well in were as in peace, against all manner of
men, except his legeance. The John taking yearly of the said
Lord four pounds of lawfull money of England; and in the
time of were, such wages as the king giffs to such men of
such degree, and he go with the said lord. And the said John
to take his said fee be the hands of the receiver of
Greystoke, that is, or shall be, that is to say at
Whitsuntide and Martynmas. And if the said John go with the
said Lord over the sea, or into Scotland, and then it happen
the said John Fleming, or any of his servants, to take any
prisoners, that then the said Lord to have the third and the
third of thirds. And if it happen that the said Lord send
for the said John, to come to him and to ryde with him to
London, or for any other matter, that then the said Lord to
pay for his costs, and to give him bouche court for him and
his feliship. In witness hereof, ayther party to the partyes
of these indentures enterchangably hath set to their seales,
wretyn the day and yere aforesaid.
By the above the reader will form some idea of border or
knight-service, and that the Knights and Esquires held their
estates of the Barons by that service, and were under the
necessity of keeping in pay a certain number of men, ready
at all times for war. The wages of Knights and Esquires were
not generally paid in money as appears from the above, but
in certain portions of land: Coin they had little, as will
appear by the following story, taken likewise from the same
family of Flemings.
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