THE ROMELLIS. During this reign, that is previous to A.D. 1087, the King gave Harewood, with the honour of Skipton, and other large estates in Yorkshire, to Robert de Romelli, who (according to Gab: de Moulin) belonged to an ancient and considerable family in Normandy, and who came to this country with his royal patron. He had an only daughter Cecily, who married William de Meschines, Earl of Chester, who thus became Lord of Harewood. This William and Cecily his wife in A.D. 1120, founded a Priory at Embsay, 2 miles east of Skipton, to the honour of the Virgin Mary and St. Cuthbert. It was endowed with the Church of the Holy Trinity at Skipton, and its Chapel of Carlton, to which Cecily added after her husband's death, her Lordship of Kildwick with the mill and soke* thereof, likewise certain lands at Stratton and Harewood. "Know all that are to come, that I Cecily de Romelli have given to St Mary and St. Cuthbert of Embsay, and the Monks, my mills of Harewood, for the souls of my Lord William Meschines, and Rafe and Matthew my Sons."-Har: Mss. vol. 802, fol. 10. * Soke or Soc, signifies power or liberty to minister justice and execute law, also the circuit or territory where such power is exercised; whence the law latin word soca is used for a seignory or lordship enfranchised by the King, with the liberty of holding or keeping a court of his sockmen. The word soc also means a plough; whence socage, that is a tenure by which tenants held their lands, to plough the land of their lords with their own ploughs, and do other inferior services of husbandry at their own charge -Jacob's Law Dictionary. Cecily de Romelli had by her said husband, two sons before mentioned, who both died without issue; and two daughters co-heiresses,-Avicia, married to William de Curci, Steward to the household of Henry I; and Alice, married to Fitz Duncan, Earl of Murray, nephew to Malcolm, King of Scotland. The former had for her moiety, the Manor of Harewood with its various dependencies and other considerable estates; and the latter the Skipton Manor, with its dependencies. The family in fact seems to have been one of great wealth, in possession of vast estates, and in consideration of this, the daughters retained their own family name of Romelli, even after marriage. The large tract of land in Craven called Romald's Moor, or Romelli's Moor, evidently derives its name from this opulent family, and formed a part of their extensive property. Avicia, the wife of William de Curci, removed the Priory which her mother had founded, from Embsay to Bolton, A.D. 1151. The following legend is the traditionary cause of this removal. In the deep solitude of Bolton Woods, the River Wharf suddenly contracts itself to a rocky channel scarcely four feet wide, called the Strid, where its pent up waters dash through with a rapidity, proportioned to their confinement. It was here that young Romelli, the only son of Avicia, attempting to jump over with a greyhound, the animal suddenly hung back, and drew his unfortunate master into the torrent. He sprang in glee,—for what cared he That the river was strong, and the rocks were steep? And checked him in his leap. The boy is in the arms of Wharfe And strangled by a merciless force; For never more was young Romelli seen Owing to this unhappy event, the afflicted parent removed the Priory to the nearest available spot, to where this fatal accident had occurred. The Priory was accordingly removed, and there it flourished for many generations; and there its venerable ruins, magnificent in decay, are still to be seen, one of the sweetest spots in England. This legend cannot however be implicitly believed. Dr. Whitaker imagines that it may refer to one of the sons of the first foundress, both of whom died young, but not to the son of Avicia. It is supposed by many, that this story was an invention of the monks, in order to remove the Priory from the bleak and cheerless heights of Embsay, to the warm and sheltered seclusion of the valley. This event has been immortalized by two of our greatest poets, Wordsworth and Rogers. Previous to the death of this son, and while the Priory was at Embsay, Avicia de Romelli confirmed to the Canons there, the Mills at Harewood, which had been granted to them by her mother Cecily. This deed with its translation is as follows. "Sciant omnes qui sunt, et qui venturi sunt, quod ego Avicia filice Cecilæ de Romelli, concedo et presenti carta mea confirmo Deo et beatæ Mariæ, et Sancto Cuthberto de Embsay, et Canonicis ibidem Deo servientibus, Molendinam de Harwode, quam mater Cecily dedit predictis Canonicis, in puram elemosinam, &c., pro salute animæ meæ, et pro salute animarum patris mei Willielmi Meschini, et matris meæ, et successorum meorum: His testibus, Domino Willielmo filio Duncani; Alicia sorore meæ; Willielmo de Curci filio meo, et multis aliis." "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. ROBERT 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 |