Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle

by J. Conway Walter

We have yet another landowner named as connected with this parish, of scarcely less note than Ilbert de Lacy.

As we have observed in our “Records” of other parishes, Eudo, son of Spirewic, and Pinso, were two Norman sworn brothers in arms, who came over with the Conqueror, and did him such good service that William granted them “the manor of Tattershall with the hamlet of Thorpe and the towne of Kirkeby,” beside some 24 other lordships; Eudo to have tenure directly from the King, and Pinso under St. Cuthbert of Durham. They subsequently divided these possessions between them, Pinso taking those further away, while Eudo seated himself at Tattershall. On his death there, he was succeeded by his son, Hugh Fitz Eudo, commonly called “Brito,” or “The Breton,” who founded the neighbouring abbey of Kirkstead, A.D. 1139. He had in Kirkby 1 carucate (120 acres) of land “in demesne,” with 8 acres of meadow and 80 acres of woodland interspersed with pasture, very much as “Kirkby Moor” is still. He had also in Tumby another carucate, in his own occupation, with villeins and bordars, and two soc-men, i.e., free tenants, on 75 acres; also 20 acres of meadow, one fishery and a half, two mills, and 370 acres of woodland, forming the “Tumby chase.” He had also lands in Waddingworth and Wispington, which were within the jurisdiction of Kirkby; in the latter two parishes he halved the land with the Bishop of Durham, who also (as we have seen) had a slice of Kirkby.

With these several important personages connected with this parish, it naturally also acquired a more important position than the villages around, justifying the term “town of Kirkby,” given to it in old records (Dugdale’s “Baronage” vol. i., p. 439).

Of subsequent owners of Kirkby, and its appurtenances, Tumby, Fulsby, and Toft, we are not able to give a connected series, but there is evidence enough to enable us to form fairly safe conjectures, concerning several of them.

The ownership of the de Lacys continued, with one brief interruption, for some generations. Hildebert was succeeded by his son Robert Henry, but he, as Camden relates (“Britannia,” p. 712), taking part in the battle of Tinchebray, Sep. 28, 1106, against Henry I., in favour of Robert, Duke of Normandy, on the victory of Henry, was deprived of his possessions, which were given to another Norman, Henry Travers (Dugdale’s “Baronage” vol. i. p. 99), and afterwards to Wido de Laval, who held them till the reign of Stephen; when that King restored to the said Henry his possessions once more. His two sons Henry and Ilbert dying without issue, the estates in 1193 passed to their half sister, on the mother’s side, Albreda de Lisours. She married Richard Fitzeustache, Constable of Chester; which family subsequently took the name of de Lacy, and (as has been already stated) became Earls of Lincoln. The estates continued in this line till 1310; when Henry de Lacy, having no male issue, left his property to his daughter Alice, who married Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. He joined a conspiracy against Edward II., and being defeated in the battle of Boroughbridge, in the West Riding of Yorkshire (March 16, 1322), was beheaded on a hill near his Castle of Pontefract [106]; being, it is said, led out to the spot, by way of disgrace, “on a lean horse,” by an official, named Gasgoyne; which name also, somewhat curiously (as will be seen hereafter), is connected with Kirkby. A change in ownership now appears; in the family of Bec, or Beke. In the 13th century one of them Walter Bec was Constable of Lincoln Castle, under Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, A.D., 1275 (“Hundred Rolls,” vol. i. p. 312). But 80 years before this, a Final Concord, of 27 Nov. 1197, gives the following agreement, “on the 2nd day after the feast of St. Katharine” between Walter, son of Walter Bec, plaintiff, and Richard, Abbot of Kirkstead, as to a wood called Langhace, and other land “in the field of Kirkebi which is upon Bayne,” within the Court of the said Abbot, whereby Walter “quitclaims all his rights to the Abbot and Convent” for which they give him 4 marks (£21 13s. 4d).

By another Concord, on the octave of St. Michael (Oct. 6, 1226), between William Bec, plaintiff, and Henry, Abbot of Kirkstead, tenant of certain lands, in Kirkby, the Abbot acknowledges the lands to be “of the right of the said William, which his father also had, to have and to hold (them) to him and his heirs for ever, of the Abbot, and his successors, rendering to them 6d. by the year, for all service”; and for this William quitclaims all his rights to the Abbot, and his successors.

Another Concord (p. 220), shows that in 1227, Walter Bec had lands in Kirkeby, Tattershale, and Thorpe, which he granted to Robert de Tateshale; for which the latter was to “render £20 13s. 4d. yearly, at Kirkby upon Bayne, and to do the service of one knight” (“Architect S. Journal” xxiv. p. 34).

By another deed, in the same year, 1227, “three weeks from Easter day” (May 1st), between Walter Bec, plaintiff, and Robert de Tateshale, touching right of warren on the lands of the said Walter, in Kirkby, Tateshale, and Thorpe, concerning which Walter complained, that Robert unjustly, and without warrant, caused warren in the said lands, which rightly are of the fee of the Bishop of Durham, an agreement is made that Robert shall give an exchange of lands: whereupon Walter grants to Robert “all his lands in Kirkeby, Tateshale, and Thorpe, in demesnes, homages, rents, an services of free men, within the said manor, rendering £21 13s. 4d., by the year, at Kirkeby on Bayne, and the service of one knight’s fee”; and for this Robert gives him 10 marks (£6 13s. 4d.) The head quarters of the Becs were at Lusby; Henry Bec, of Lusby, being father of the Walter Bec, already named as Constable of Lincoln Castle. They were strong in church influence; Thomas Bec, son of the said Walter Bec, being Bishop of Lincoln, 1342–1346; while another Thomas Bec, a cousin, had been Bishop of St. David’s, 1280–1293; and another cousin, Anthony Bec, was Bishop of Durham, and so connected with Kirkby, as Lord Superior, 1283–1310.

In a Harleyan charter (45 H. 12) in the British Museum we find the following, “To all sons of Holy Church, Walter Bec, son of Henry Bec, greeting. Know that I have granted and quitclaimed to the monks of Kirkstead, the manure of their 300 sheep of their fold of Kirkby. Also I quitclaimed to the same the toll of my corn, which now they are accustomed to grind, according to the tenor of their charter &c.” Witnesses, Richard, Dean of Horncastr, Henry de Langton, Nicholas Bec, Henry Bec, and others.

Another name now appears among owners of Kirkby. The Willoughbys and the Becs inter-married, and by a Feet of Fines (Lincoln file 68, 32; 30 Ed. I.) Robert de Wilgeby grants to John Bec, for life only, certain lands in “Kirkeby next Bayne,” and 37 other parishes, with mills, advowson of benefices, 9 fees of knights, &c.; after his decease the said properties to revert to the said Robert and his heirs, quit of the heirs of the said John.