"Know all, who are, and who shall be, that I Avicia daughter of Cecily de Romelli, do grant, and by this my Charter do confirm, to God and to the Blessed Mary, and to St. Cuthbert of Embsay, and to the regular priests who serve God at that place, the Mills of Harewood, which my Mother Cecily gave to the aforesaid priests in pure charity, &c., for the salvation of my own soul, and for the salvation of the soul of my Father William Meschines, and of my Mother, and of my successors: These being witnesses; Lord William son of Duncan, Alice my sister, William de Curci my son, and many others." These Mills were situated nearly at the head of the lake. They were transferred with the rest of the property to Bolton Abbey at its translation, and that they formed no unimportant part of it, may be inferred from their frequent mention in the Compotus of the Abbey. In the year 1324-5 I find the following entries: "The mill lands in Harewood paid £12;" and in another place, “paid for the repairs of the mill dam at Harewood £10 3s. 2d. and the expenses of the Prior superintending the work £20." They formed an appendage to the estate, until comparatively a modern period. John Boulter, Esq., rebuilt one of them in the early part of the last century. One (probably the last) was pulled down in 1775, when I imagine the lake was enlarged, and in the back part of the Head Gardener's House, there is a stone inserted in the wall, evidently removed from this mill, with the following inscription : "This mill was rebuilt by John Boulter, Esq., A D. 1706.” PEDIGREE OF THE ROMELLIS. OBERT DE ROMELLI, Lord of Skipton and Harewood, had issue: Cecily, married to William de Meschines, Earl of WILLIAM DE MESCHINES and Cicily his wife had issue:- Matthew, died without issue. Alice, married to Fitz Duncan, Earl of Murray, Avicia, married to William de Curci of Stoke Curci, Although the next Lords of Harewood were descended from the youngest of these two daughters, yet the family of the eldest, Alicia, must not be passed over in silence, as many of the future Lords were descended from this marriage. She had by her husband Fitz Duncan, an only daughter Cecilia, married 1st to Alexander Fitz Gerald; and 2ndly to William le Gros, Earl of Albemarle, one of the most remarkable men of that period. He commanded the Royal Troops at the Battle of the Standard at Northallerton in 1138, and in reward for the great valour displayed by him on that occasion, King Stephen advanced him to the Earldom of Yorkshire. He was distinguished among the Anglo Norman Barons for his liberality towards the various religious orders, having founded a Cistercian Abbey at Edenham, in Lincolnshire; another at Meaux, in Yorkshire, not far from his Castle of Skipsey; a Monastery of Black Canons at Thornton upon Humber; and a Hospital at Newton. He was also the founder of the ancient and stupendous Castle of Scarborough. He died 25 Hen. 2, A.D. 1179. From this eminent and illustrious man is descended a long line of distinguished names, which form no inconsiderable item in the early history of the Lords of Harewood. A curious circumstance respecting the foundation of the Abbey of Meaux, is related by Dr. Whitaker from the chronicle of Fountain's Abbey. 66 William le Gros, Earl of Albemarle, for some good reason, no doubt, having vowed to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but being prevented by his corpulency from fulfilling his vow, one Adam, a Monk of Fountains, told him that if he founded a Monastery, it would do as well as his pilgrimage. Adam was a man of great skill in building religious houses, as well as in choosing proper situations for them, and of no less address in obtaining those situations when chosen. Traversing the extensive estates of the family, in order to fix upon a proper situation, he was struck with the charms of a valley embosomed in aged woods, adorned by native pools, and surrounded by fertile fields. In the midst of this charming landscape arose a gentle elevation, called Mount St. Mary. The Monk stopped and began to prophesy. Fixing his staff deep in the earth, he exclaimed: This is the place that shall be called the vineyard of Heaven, and the gate of life! Have ye not heard, my brethren, what the prophet foretold concerning the building of the house of the Lord? In the last days, the mount of the Lord's House shall be prepared on the top of an hill. These words I have been revolving all this day in my mind; and now I find that, by the especial appointment of Providence, an house for the Lord is to be erected on this very mount,' In this favourite retreat, the Earl having already begun to enclose a park, he presumed to demur at the monk's choice; but Adam was inflexible, and told him it was profane to dispute any longer the prophecy announcing the will of Heaven. The land was assigned, and the Abbey of Meaux* was immediately built upon the spot. THE DE CURCIS AND FITZ GERALDS. The Manor of Harewood next passed into the hands of William de Curci, eldest son of William de Curci and Avicia de Romelli. He confirmed the grants made by his mother and grandmother to Bolton Abbey. "Know ye that I, William de Curci, have given to St. Mary Bolton, the Mill of Harewood, of the gift of Cecily my grandmother, and of the grant of my mother Avicia."-Har: Mss. 802. He had an only daughter, Alice, his heiress, who married Waryn Fitz Gerald, Chamberlain to King John. She was possessed in her own right of the Manor of Harewood, and Stoke Curcy in Somersetshire. In the 6th of King John, A.D. 1205, that monarch granted to Waryn Fitz Gerald, free warren † in Harewood, and one fair there every year for three days, to be held on the first three days in July, also a market to be held every Monday for agricultural produce. Waryn Fitz Gerald had an only daughter, Margery, his heiress, who was married twice; 1st to Baldwin de Redvers, or Ripariis, eldest son of the Earl of Devonshire; and 2ndly to Fulk de Breant. * Meaux in Holderness, seven miles north of Hull, + See Addenda. D PEDIGREE OF DE CURCI, OR COURCY OF HAREWOOD. ROBERT COURCY, Baron of Stoke Courcy, and Privy Counsellor to King William Rufus, mar...... daughter of had issue: ........... William, Sewer to King Henry I., died without ROBERT, Sewer to King Henry II., and Witness to Abbey. ROBERT CURCI, second son of Robert and h. to his brother William, mar...... daughter of ............ had issue:— ROBERT. ROBERT CURCI, son and h. of Robert, mar...... daughter of but died without issue. This Robert was slain ............ in Ireland. WILLIAM CURCI, brother and h. of Robert, mar........... daughter of ............ had issue: JOHN. Alice, married to Waryn Fitz Gerald. * JOHN CURCI, son and heir of William, died without issue, so his sister became his heiress. This John conquered Ulster in Ireland for King John, who constituted him Governor thereof. He gave a yard land with his body to the Monks at Esseby. WARYN FITZ GERALD was witness to King John's Charter * Camden says, "John Curci conquered Ulster in Ireland, whom nature framed for magnanimitie, gravitie, and all other vertues, a great person and a noble; the record and testimonie of whose approoved valour, is to be fetched out of the ancient Annals of Ireland." "Warin Fitz Gerald had a Tryal at the Azzizes at York against the Canons at York about the presentation of a Vicar to Harewood Church and cast them, the Jury finding that William Curci did present the last parson, which trial was the 10th of John."-Hopkinson Mss. |