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Barony of Copeland |
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Barony of Egremont |
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Barony of Allerdale above Derwent |
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| county:- |
Cumbria (Cumberland) |
| locality type:- |
barony |
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| evidence:- |
old text:- Clarke 1787
placename:- Barony of Copeland and Derwent Fells
item:- feudal tenure; land tenure
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| source data:- |
Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland,
and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith,
Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.
 goto source
Page 93:- "..."
"It may be expected by my readers, that I should say something more of the Barony of
Copeland and Derwent-Fells; as we leave it here and shall not enter it again, I shall
endeavour to satisfy their curiosity."
"King William, commonly called the Conqueror, after his conquest of Cumberland, gave
it as a kingdom to one of his followers, (viz.) Ranulph Meschiens a Norman, he gave
him, besides, men and arms to defend himself and his property, from foreign invasion,
and the turbulent inhabitants, who were fond of liberty. Ranulph, being in peaceable
possession for a while, began to disperse his army, and plant them at different parts
of the country, for the better improving of agriculture. He gave to his friends and
officers, as was customary in those times, certain portions of land, which were generally
on the borders of his kingdom, being such as he apprehended there would be the most
trouble in keeping; reserving to himself the middle part, (viz. the Forest of Inglewood.)"
"Some say that here began the feudal tenure in England, but Cambden believes it was
introduced by the Romans. I shall give it in his own words, page 533, (quoting Lampridius,
he says) "Cum enim Alexander Severus, Imp. (ut est apud Lampridium) sola quae hostibus
capta erant limitaneis ducibus et militibus donaset, Ita ut coram"
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goto source
Page 94:- ""essent, si haeredes illorum militarent, nec unquam ad privatos pertinerent existimans
attentius eos militaturos, si etiam sua rura defenderent.""
""When the Emperor Alexander Severus had given the lands he took from his enemies to
his captains and soldiers of the border, with a design that they should always be
present to observe the natives lest they should take arms, he made this condition,
that these lands were never to be put into the hands of those from whom they had been
taken; as he imagined that they would fight the more obstinately if they had their
own country to defend.""
"Ranulph gave to his brother, William Meschiens, Copeland and Derwent-Fells, which
included all the lands West from hence to the sea, beginning near Ravenglass, from
thence proceeding to Borrowdale-head, where the river Derwent has its source, which
then flows and continues its name past Ouzebridge and Cockermouth, until it falls
into the sea at Workington. This William Meschiens built a house near the middle of
this estate, upon a hill near to a little rivulet called Egre or Egen, which was called
Egre-Castle or Egremont-Castle; its situation commands a view of a great part of the
Irish Channel, and he made choice of it, perhaps the better to observe the Irish and
Scots invaders, expecting his brother would take care of the other side. William likewise
granted several mesne manors to his vassals, to be holden of him as of his castle
of Egremont. The inheritance of Copeland, after a few descents, came to the Lucys,
and by marriage was often divided and often united, (for a more particular account
of which see Nicholson and Burn's Cumberland.) From the Lucys it came to the Percys
Earls of Northumberland, by the marriage of Henry the first Earl and Matilda Lucy,
the heiress of this estate: though she had no children by him, she gave him the whole
estate, upon condition of his quartering the arms of Lucy with that of the Percys.
Cambden p.522."
"It continued in the family of the Earls of Northumberland till the Lady Elizabeth
Percy, sole daughter and heiress of Joceline Percy, the eleventh Earl of Northumberland,
married Charles Seymour Duke of Somerset. He had a son who succeeded him, viz. Algernon
Duke of Somerset, who in 1749 was created Baron of Cockermouth and Earl of Egremont,
with remainder to his nephew Sir Charles Wyndham, unto whom the Cumberland estate
came. On the death of Algernon Duke of Somerset in 1750, the said Sir Charles Wyndham
succeeded as Earl of Egremont and Baron of Cockermouth; on the death of Charles George
Wyndham the present Earl of Egremont succeeded."
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| evidence:- |
old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions)
placename:- Barony of Copeland
placename:- Barony of Egremont
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| source data:- |
Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England,
Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition
by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
Page 179:- "..."
"The great barony of Copeland lies between the rivers Darwent and Dudden and the sea,
and was granted by Ranulph de Meschines to his brother William, who seated himself
at Egremont castle, and caused the name of the barony to be changed from Copeland
to Egremont, which it retains to this day."
"Within this great barony and forest are divers manors and knights' fees, manors of
themselves holden of this castle. ..."
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hearsay:-
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Created by Henry I in dividing up the new County of Carlisle ie Cumberland.
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Ferguson, Richard S: 1890 &1970 (reprinted): History of Cumberland
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