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Birth:          ABT 1176 Halton Castle, Runcorn, Cheshire, England
Death:          1 Oct 1211 Pontefract, Yorkshire, England

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_de_Lacy_(1170%E2%80%931211)
Roger de Lacy (1170–1211), 6th Baron of Pontefract, 7th Lord of Bowland, Lord of 
Blackburnshire, 7th Baron of Halton and Constable of Chester (formerly Roger le 
Constable) was a notable English soldier, crusader and baron in the late 12th and 
early 13th centuries.
Family and Provenance[edit]

Roger de Lacy was also known as Roger FitzJohn (son of John, constable of Chester)
[3] and during the time that he was hoping to inherit his grandmother's de Lisours 
lands as Roger de Lisours.[4] He was the son of John FitzRichard (son of Richard), 
Baron of Halton, Lord of Bowland, Lord of Flamborough and Constable of Chester. 
Roger became Baron of Pontefract on the death of his paternal grandmother Albreda 
de Lisours (-aft.1194) who had inherited the Barony in her own right as 1st-cousin and 
heir to Robert de Lacy (-1193), 4th Baron of Pontefract. In agreements with his 
grandmother Roger adopted the name of de Lacy, received the right to inherit the 
Barony of Pontefract and its lands, and the lands of Bowland, and Blackburnshire. He 
gave up all claims to his grandmother's de Lisours lands. He also gave his younger 
brother Robert le Constable the Flamborough lands that he had inherited from his 
father. He married Maud (or Matilda) de Clere (not of the de Clare family).

Service to Kings Henry, Richard and John[edit]

Robert de Lacy failed to support King Henry I during his power struggle with his 
brother and the King confiscated Pontefract Castle from the family during the 12th 
century.[5] Roger paid King Richard I 3,000 marks for the Honour of Pontefract, but 
the King retained possession of the castle. He joined King Richard for the Third 
Crusade.

Accession of King John[edit]

At the accession of King John of England, Roger was a person of great eminence, for 
we find him shortly after the coronation of that prince, deputed with the Sheriff of 
Northumberland, and other great men, to conduct William, King of Scotland, to 
Lincoln, where the English king had fixed to give him an interview. King John gave de 
Lacy Pontefract Castle in 1199, the year he ascended the throne.

Military service[edit]

Siege of Acre[edit]

Roger was the Constable of Chester, and joined Richard the Lionheart for the Third 
Crusade. Roger assisted at the Siege of Acre, in 1192 and clearly earned the favour 
and the trust of King Richard as a soldier and loyal subject as judged by his 
subsequent service.

Château Gaillard[edit]

King Richard reconquered some castles along his Norman border from Philip II of 
France in 1196 and de Lacy was likely in his retinue. In 1203, de Lacy was the 
commander of the Château Gaillard in Normandy, when it was besieged and finally 
taken by Philip, marking the loss of mainland Normandy by the Plantagenêts. Under de 
Lacy's command the defence of the castle was lengthy, and it fell only after an 
eight-month siege on 8 March 1204. After the siege, de Lacy returned to England to 
begin work reinforcing Pontefract Castle.

Siege of Rothelan[edit]

In the time of this Roger, Ranulph, Earl of Chester, having entered Wales at the head 
of some forces, was compelled, by superior numbers, to shut himself up in the castle 
of Rothelan (Rhuddlan Castle), where, being closely besieged by the Welsh, he sent 
for aid to the Constable of Chester. Hugh Lupus, the 1st Earl of Chester, in his charter 
of foundation of the Abbey of St. Werberg, at Chester, had given a privilege to the 
frequenters of Chester fair, "That they should not be apprehended for theft, or any 
other offense during the time of the fair, unless the crime was committed therein."[6] 
This privilege made the fair, of course, the resort of thieves and vagabonds from all 
parts of the kingdom. Accordingly, the Constable, Roger de Lacy, forthwith marched to 
his relief, at the head of a concourse of people, then collected at the fair of Chester, 
consisting of minstrels, and loose characters of all description, forming altogether so 
numerous a body, that the besiegers, at their approach, mistaking them for soldiers, 
immediately raised the siege. For this timely service, the Earl of Chester conferred 
upon De Lacy and his heirs, the patronage of all the minstrels in those parts, which 
patronage the Constable transferred to his steward; and was enjoyed for many years 
afterwards.[6]

High Sheriff[edit]

He was appointed High Sheriff of Cumberland for the years 1204 to 1209.[7]

Death and succession[edit]

Roger died in 1211, and was succeeded by his son, John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of 
Lincoln.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id=I01911
Note:
Roger de Lacy, constable of Chester, assisted at the siege of Acon in 1192 under the 
banner of the lion-hearted Richard, and shared in the subsequent triumphs of the 
chivalrous monarch. At the accession of John in 1199, he was a person of great 
eminence, for we find him shortly after the coronation of that prince deputed with the 
sheriff of Northumberland and other great men to conduct William, King of Scotland, to 
Lincoln, where the English king had fixed to give him an interview, and the next year 
he was one of the barons present at Lincoln, when David, of Scotland, did homage 
and fealty to King John.

In the time of this Roger, Ranulph, Earl of Chester, having entered Wales at the head 
of some forces, was compelled by superior numbers to shut himself up in the castle of 
Rothelan, where, being closely besieged by the Welsh, he sent for aid to the 
constable of Chester. Hugh Lupus, the 1st Earl of Chester, in his charter of foundation 
of the abbey of St. Werberg, at Chester, had given a privilege to the frequenters of 
Chester fair, "That they should not be apprehended for theft or any other offence 
during the time of the fair, unless the crime was committed therein." This privilege 
made the fair, of course, the resort of thieves and vagabonds from all parts of the 
kingdom. Accordingly, the constable, Roger de Laci, forthwith marched to his relief at 
the head of a concourse of people then collected at the fair of Chester, consisting of 
minstrels and loose characters of all descriptions, forming altogether so numerous a 
body that the besiegers, at their approach, mistaking them for soldiers, immediately 
raised the siege. For this timely service, the Earl of Chester conferred upon de Lacy 
and his heirs the patronage of all the minstrels in those parts, which patronage the 
constable transferred to his steward, Dutton, and his heirs; and it is enjoyed to this 
day by the family of Dutton.

It is doubtful, however, whether the privilege was transferred to the Duttons by this 
constable or his successor. The privilege was, "That, at the midsummer fair held at 
Chester, all the minstrels of that country, resorting to Chester, do attend the heir of 
Dutton, from his lodging to St. John's Church (he being then accompanied by many 
gentlemen of the country, one of them walking before him in a surcoat of his arms 
depicted on taffeta, the rest of his fellows proceeding two and two, and playing on 
their several sorts of musical instruments."] When divine service terminates, the like 
attendance upon Dutton to his lodging, where a court being kept by his steward, and 
all the minstrels formally called, certain orders and laws are made for the government 
of the society of minstrels.

Roger de Lacy was s. by his son, John de Lacy, constable of Chester. [Sir Bernard 
Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., 
London, 1883, p. 310-311, Lacy, Earls of Lincoln]

-------------------------

The following was given in a post-em from Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT 
yahoo.com (I orginally had Roger's death date as "bef. 1196"):

died: 
1211 [Ref: ES III:709, Holloway p15] 
Jan 1212 [Ref: Mg Crt Barons, Turton] 

buried: Jan 1212 [Ref: Turton] place: Stanlow Abbey [Ref: ES III:709] Stanlow [Ref: 
Turton] Having died in 1212 Roger was interred at Stanlaw Abbey, of which along with 
Fountains he was benefactor. [Ref: Lacy Homepage 
http://www.gengateway.com/genealogy/roger.htm] 

Jim, there is an extensive well sourced bio at the above Lacy website. 

Holloway = Naomi D. Holloway, "The Genealogy of Mary Wentworth, Who Became the 
Wife of William Brewster", Oct 1969, LDS Film 1738313

Mg Crt Barons = Carr. P. Collins Jr., "Royal Ancestors of Magna Carta Barons, The 
Collins Genealogy", 1959 

Misc. info: 
Crusader, Earl of Lincoln, Baron of Halton and Pontfract, Constable of Chester [Ref: 
Holloway p15] 
Baron Lacy, Lord of the Castles of Halton and Pontefract [Ref: McBride2 citing 
Burke's p118-120, CP VI p498-503, Wurts p47-70]

1193: succeeded to the Lacy property on the death of Robert de LACY in 1193-4, and 
soon afterward assumed the name LACY [Ref: W. Paley Baildon, "Baildon and the 
Baildons: A History of a Yorkshire Manor and Family" p350 LDS Film 1441042]

Constable of Chester, Lord of Pontefract, Buried in Stanlow Abbey. [Ref: Utz 5 Jan 
1999 citing: W.E. Wightman, *The Lacy Family in England and Normandy, 1066-1194, 
genealogical chart following p 260]

Sidney Painter (Studies in the History of the English Feudal Barony) did a [preliminary] 
study of baronial incomes between 1160 and 1320 (chapter VII). Of fifty-four barons 
he tallied figures for during a part of that period, Roger de Lacy, constable of Chester, 
had the highest income in England at his death in 1210 (800 pounds per annum). Next 
was William, Earl of Gloucester at 700 pounds, Robert, Earl of Leicester, at 560 
pounds, and then Earl William de Mandeville at 504 pounds per annum. So this would 
explain, in part, why John de Lacy was vaulted to the peerage when the opportunity 
presented itself without much dispute. The palatine Earl of Chester only had an annual 
income of 327 pounds per annum in Henry II's reign. [Ref: Dave Utzinger 5 Jan 1999 
msg to SGM. NOTE: Should be attributed to Paul Reed, 10 Jan 1998--see correction 
by Curt below]

Regards, 
Curt

Jim,
As has been pointed out by Peter Stewart in Sept. 2005 on SGM I misattributed this. 
While Dave did repeat the above in his msg of 5 Jan 1999 I was in error in not 
checking his sources. Please change the (original) source for the above to "[Ref: Paul 
Reed 10 Jan 1998 msg to SGM, Subject: Re: John de Lacy]"

I apologize for my oversight that caused SGMers to think it was your mistake.
Curt

Parents
FITZ RICHARD John (ABT 1150 - 11 Oct 1190)
DE VERE Alice (Adeliza) (ABT 1152 - AFT 1190)

Siblings
DE LACY Roger (ABT 1176 - 1 Oct 1211)

Marriage To DE CLERE Maud (Matilda) ()
    m.  

Notes


Children by DE CLERE Maud (Matilda) 
DE LACY John (ABT 1192 - 22 Jul 1240)

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