By his wife Maud, the daughter of Richard de Redvers, he had issue a son named William, who married Hawise daughter of Stephen Earl of Albemarle; but dying in the life time of his father, the estates descended to his son, also called William. This William, the third of that name, to further improve this fortress, and add to the advantages of its situation, procured from Simon Briton, who also held lands in these parts, remission of all his claims in the whole marsh of Bolingbroke, and from Jeffrey Fitz Stephens, the superior of the Knights Templar, a full release of their interest in all the fens belonging to this manor, and its soke, which William de Romara his grandfather had given to them.
This last mentioned individual of the family of Romara died without issue, and in him the male line of the family ceased, as appears from Gilbert de Gaunt, after being a suppliant prisoner when fighting on the side of Stephen at the siege of Lincoln, and compelled by the first William de Romara to marry his daughter Hawise, becoming in her right possessor of this manor, and receiving also the Earldom of Lincoln.
Gilbert de Gaunt, died in the second year of the reign of Henry the second, and left issue, two daughters, Alice and Gunnora; the former of whom was married to Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Huntingdon, who is said to have enjoyed, during her life time, the Earldom of Lincoln, and with it this lordship. Alice as well as her sister Gunnora dying without issue, their uncle Robert de Gaunt, though unallied by blood, became their heir, and possessed himself of these estates. Gilbert his son succeeded him; but joining the cause of the barons against King John, and afterwards against his son and successor, Henry the third, he was defeated at Lincoln, taken prisoner, and these estates conferred upon Ranulph de Meschines, surnamed de Blundeville, Earl of Chester; who, being third in descent from Ranulph Earl of Chester, by his wife Lucia, the widow of Roger de Romara, and sister of Morcar the Saxon Earl of Lincoln, had, independent of the claims on his sovereign for aiding in firmly establishing his family on the throne, a natural right, superior to that of the family of de Gaunt. Ranulph de Blundeville dying without issue, his sisters became his co-heiresses; but he had during his life time assigned by charter to one of them, named Hawise, the Earldom of Lincoln, and with it this manor and castle.
Robert, son and heir of Sayer de Quincy, Earl of Winchester, marrying Hawise, left issue, a daughter, Margaret, who was married to John de Laci, a descendant of the Barons of Pontefract. John de Laci received from Henry the third a charter of confirmation of the Earldom of Lincoln, and the inheritances which he possessed by his wife Margaret de Quincy.
Edmund his son dying before his mother, did not inherit the Earldom, though he received the tertium denarium of the county: he left issue, Henry, John, and Margaret, the former of whom succeeded to this manor and the Earldom of Lincoln; and is said to have been the most exalted nobleman of his time. He is stated to have been illustrious in counsel, undaunted in the fight, chief among the warriors of his country, and in fine, the brightest ornament of the reign. [69] His sons dying young, he bequeathed by will all his possessions to the heirs of Edmund Plantagenet, in case of failure of issue by his daughter Alice. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund Plantagenet, marrying Alice, held in her right, the estates of her father Henry de Laci, who, on his death bed, desirous that his son in law should be ennobled not only by the attendant riches, but also by the influence of his example, enjoined him to devote his power to secure the liberties of his country. But the proud and resolute spirit of the Earl of Lancaster needed no such injunctions to spur him on to action. Indignant that Hugh de Spenser should enjoy the favor of his sovereign, Edward the second, he after effecting the destruction of Piers Gaveston, broke out into open rebellion: defeated however at Boroughbridge, he was ignominiously put to death at his castle of Pontefract, and his estates forfeited to the crown. The inheritances which were, as has been before noticed, the right of his wife, were still reserved to her; but having borne an indifferent reputation for chastity, following the impulses of her amours in the life time of her late husband, and after his death marrying without the consent of the king to Eubold le Estrange, the king with whom but trivial pretences were sufficient for abridging the powers of any individual allied to his haughty relatives of the house of Lancaster, seized for this breach of fealty, or homage, all the inheritance which she held of the crown in chief, among which were this manor, and that of Denbigh, and conferred the whole on his favorite Hugh de Spenser.
Henry, brother of Thomas the late Earl of Lancaster, procured in the first parliament after the accession of Edward the third, a remission of the forfeited estates of the family; and upon the death of the countess Alice, the wife of his late brother, her honors and splendid inheritances devolved to him, partly by the will of her father Henry de Laci, and partly by reason of a render made by him to Edward the first, and a re-grant by charter from that monarch to the heirs of Henry de Laci, with remainder to the heirs of Edmund Plantagenet.
Henry Earl of Lancaster died without male issue, but left two daughters Maud and Blanche; the former of whom married William of Bavaria, and left no issue; but Blanche became the sole heir of her father, and married John of Gaunt, who, by reason of the inheritances, was created Duke of Lancaster. By her he had issue, at the castle at this place, the celebrated Henry of Bolingbroke; upon whose accession to the throne, the whole patrimony through the line of Lancaster became invested in the crown, and in his reign was counted one of the manorial possessions of the king, denominated honors.
THE CASTLE.
On the south side of the town is the scite of the castle, which is now only to be distinguished by the traces of its foundations, encompassed by a moat.
The seclusion of this spot amongst steep hills, with only an opening to the level country, southward, rendered it in the early mode of warfare a desirable situation for a place of defence, since it was at all times secure from the emergencies of a sudden surprise. The advantages of such a situation were not overlooked by William de Romara, who about the early part of the reign of king Stephen, erected his castle at this place.