THE nobility of this family, in right of the heiress of Roos, whom they married in the reign of Henry VI. is as old as the conquest.

a

C

With regard to their descent in the male line, it is the opinion of the famous Camden, and other antiquaries, that this family had denomination from a place of their own name, b and in all probability from the village of Manor, near Lanchester, in the bishopric of Durham; it being evident, that the ancestors of his Grace the Duke of Rutland were of great note, for many ages past, in the northern parts of this realm.

"Though none of this family arrived to the dignity of peerage, until the reign of King Henry VIII." says Dugdale, " yet were they persons of great note in Northumberland for many ages before: for in 25 Henry II. Henry de Maners paid lxxx marks d for livery of his father's lands in that county."

"e

But this Henry is not mentioned in the following pedigree. The first of this noble family, that occurs, isf Sir ROBERT de Manners, Lord of the manor of Ethale (now Etall), in Northumberland, father of GILES de Manners, whose son ROBERT was father of another GILES, who had a son, Sir & ROBERT de Manners, who married Philippa, daughter of Sir Bartholomew de

a Remains, p 122.

b It is somewhere mentioned in the Percy pedigree that they took their name De Maneriis, as stewards of the manors of that great family. But this. might be said to gratify the Percy claims of superiority.

c Index Villaris, p. 231.

d Rot Pip. 25 Hen. II. Northumb.

e

Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. p. 296.
f Mr. Edmondson's Baronagium Genealogicum.
Ex Lib. MS. Genealog. in Bib. Lambeth, p. 112, 113.

Mont Boucher, Knight, and had issue Sir ROBERT de Manners, his son and heir, who had to h wife Hawise, daughter of Robert de Muschamp, Baron of Waldye, and by her was father of EuSTACE de Manners, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Hugh Proffia, Knight; their son and heir was Sir ROBERT de Manners, Knight, who in the reign of Henry III. was a witness to the charter of Alexander, King of Scots, to Sir William Swinburne ; and in 5 Edward I. was summoned to meet the King at Worcester, on the Octaves of St. John Baptist, with horse and arms to go against Llewellen, Prince of Wales, and his adherents, according to the service he owed for two knights fees in the county of Northumberland; but being infirm, Sir Robert Talebois served for him. This Sir Robert Manners espoused Agnes, daughter of Sir David Coupland, Knight, and had issue another Sir ROBERT Manners, who was not knighted before 1278, 6 Edward I. for in that year the King directing his præcipe (dated at Westminster, June 26th) to the sheriff of Northumberland, to constrain all persons in that county, who held 201. per annum, or a knight's fee of that value, in chief, to take upon them the order of knighthood at Christmas, he was then returned among others who had not been knighted.

He married Helen, daughter of Alan or Adam de Heton, and by her had four sons, Robert de Manners of Barrington, in Northumberland, who died without issue; William de Manners, who then became heir; Sir John de Manners, and Adam de Manners, who both deceased without progeny. William de Manners, above mentioned, married Ellen or Jennetta, daughter of David Baxter of Derby, and departed this life, A. D. 1349, leaving a son, Sir Robert den Manners.

Which Sir ROBERT de Manners, in 17 Edward II. was returned into chancery among the principal persons of the county of Northumberland, who were certified to bear arms by descent from their ancestors. And in 1 Edward III. signalized himself in the defence of Norham Castle, whereof he was governor; of which Mr. Barnes, in his history of Edward III. page 5, gives this account: "The Scots, encouraged by former successes, and despising King Edward's youth, on the very night of that day

h MS. Baronage by Sir H. St George, Knt.
i Inter Cart. D Will. Swinburn, Bart.

k MS. in Bibl. Anstis, Ar. Notat. B. 5. p. 102.
Geneal. in MS. præd.
m MS. Baron, prædict.
- Mr. Edmondson's Baronagium prædict.

whereon King Edward was crowned, intended to take Norham Castle, between the marches of England and Scotland, by surprize; and so well they managed their design, that about sixteen of them had already mounted the walls. But the captain, SIR ROBERT MANNERS, being warned of the matter before hand, by one of his garrison, who was a Scotsman, had so well provided to receive them, that of those who had mounted, he took five or six, and put the rest to the sword, their companions below upon this disappointment retiring."

In 2 Edward III. he was " constituted one of the conservators of the truce made with the Scots, for all hostilities to cease in the county of Northumberland from January 25th, till Midlent Sunday, with power to punish all infringers of the same.

In 8 Edward III. the King appointed him to take seisin of the county of Selkirk, and of the King's forest of Selkirk and Etrick; and grants him the P custody of the premises, and of the sheriffdom of Selkirk, and wardenship of the forest of Selkirk and Etrick. And the year following, for his services against the Scots, he had a grant of two parts of the town of Paxton, which came to the King by the forfeiture of Alexander de Chesholme, and a third part of the royalty of Bradewater near Tweed.

In 14 Edward III. he served in parliament for the county of Northumberland; and he with Lord Thomas Grey, of Werk,' were commanders of those forces which encountered and defeated the Earls of March and Sutherland; who, taking the advantage of King Edward's being at the siege of Tournay, destroyed the country almost as far as Durham.

In 15 Edward III. the Kingt grants licence to his beloved and faithful subject, Robert de Manners, to strengthen and embattle his dwelling house at Ethale, in Northumberland, with a wall made of stone and lime, and to hold the same to him and his heirs for ever. And on April 3d that year, in consideration of" his fidelity, probity, and circumspection, was commissioned with others, to treat with David de Bruce and his adherents about a peace. On May 20th, next year, he was nominated in another commission for preserving the truce with that* prince; and on December 1st, that year, 1342, he was, with others, empowered to punish violators of the truce.

In 17 Edward III. y being governor of Norham Castle in the county of Northumberland, the King orders the sheriff of Berwick upon Tweed to enter on the lands of such persons in those parts, who were not resident there for the defence of the kingdom; but, that Sir Robert de Manners, having been in the castle of Norham a considerable time, for the safeguard of the same, and the parts adjacent to Scotland, should be exempted from any seizures of his lands. The same year this Sir Robert de Manners was appointed one of the guardians of the marches in Northumberland, and other parts of Scotland, to the East, with power to redress such grievances as had happened contrary to the truces agreed on with Scotland. In 1346, when King David, by the solicitation of Philip VI. the French King, had broke the truce, whilst King Edward was besieging Calais, and with a great army had wasted the county of Northumberland, and come as far as Durham, Sir Robert de Manners was among those nobles and others who raised forces to resist him, and on October 17th, gave him that great overthrow at Nevil's Cross near that city, called by our historians the battle of Durham, wherein King David himself was taken prisoner; and Sir Robert de Manners had no small share in the honour of it: for the same year the King signified his commands to him, that for the avoiding the escape of prisoners taken in that battle, and elsewhere in the North, his pleasure was, that they should be carried to the Tower of London; and therefore orders him to deliver to the constable of the said Tower, before the feast of the Epiphany, William Baily, and all such prisoners as were in his custody.

C

He died on Monday the eve of Michaelmas day, in 1355, leaving John de Manners, his son and heir, a year and three weeks old. Aliva (or Joane) his wife, daughter and heir of Sir Henry Strother, of Newton Glendall, Knight, survived him; it being found, by inquisition taken at Newcastle upon Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, on Thursday before St. Bartholomew's day, anno 1358, that the said Robert was seised of a fulling-mill, and one carrucate of land in Ethale, the which he granted fifteen days before his decease to John de Wyrkfall, vicar of Neuton, for ever; to the intent he settle the same on the

Rot. Scot. 17 Ed. III. m. 5. a Barnes's Ed. III. p. 381, 382. Esc. 29 Ed. III. n. 26.

z Rymer's Foed. tom. v. p. 367, 396. b Rymer's Foed. tom. v. p. 533, 534. Ex Stem. præd.

• Esc. 32 Ed. III. n. 44.

said Robert and Aliva, and the heirs of the said Robert: but the said Sir Robert died before the said settlement could be perfected, viz. Monday before Michaelmas day, 29 Edward III. whereupon the said John continued in possession six weeks after his decease, and then enfeoffed the said Aliva therein for her life, with remainder to the right heirs of the said Robert. They also found, that the premises were held in chief of the King, by the service of a fourth part of a knight's fee, the mill yearly worth 40s. and the land 13s. 4d. and that it was not to the prejudice of the King, if be granted the same to the said Aliva for life.

Which Aliva died on August 3d, in 36 Edward III. as appears by inquisition taken at Berwick, July 3d, 37 Edward III. whereby the jury found that she held no lands within the King's dominions in Scotland, but that she held for life, as the inheritance of the heir of the said Robert de Manners (under age, and in the wardship of the King) a third part of the manor of Paxton in the county of Berwick, and a third part of the fishery in Tweed water (belonging to the said manor) of the prior of Durham: that the said third part of the lands used to be worth yearly five marks, though then worth no more than forty shillings that the third part of the fishery in time of peace was worth twenty marks yearly, though then no more than 107. That John de Manners, son of the said Robert and Aliva, was eight years of age, and that John del More, of More, Lanc. late the husband of the said Aliva, received the issues and profits of the third part of the lands and fishery of the aforesaid manor.

Also, by inquisition taken at Alnwyk, Sunday before St. Luke's day, anno 36 Edward III. the jury found, that the said Aliva held for life (as the inheritance of the heir of the said Robert) one carrucate of land in the said town, as her dower, as also a third part of the manor of Ethale, whereunto belonged a capital messuage, then in ruins (being probably demolished by the Scots) three husband lands in the hands of tenants at will, paying yearly 40s. and three husband lands lying waste (as untenanted) the herbage whereof was worth 13s. 4d. per annum. The rents of the cottagers were yearly worth 9s. a third part of a water mill annually worth 20s. And the premises are held of the King in chief by Knight's service. Also, that she held in dower 4s. per annum issuing out of a husband-land in Cossay. Which JOHN, son and heir of the said Sir Robert Manners, • Ibid.

f Esc. 37 Ed. III n. 118.