DELAWARE

The family sprung from this noble Norman, became of great consideration, and had summons to parliament, temp. EDWARD I., EDWARD II., EDWARD III., and RICHARD II. Sir Roger de la Warr, the third Baron, son and successor of John la Warr, one of the commanders of Cressy, shared himself in the glory Poictiers, and took a leading part in the capture of the French king. With reference to this exploit, it is recorded that much contention took place, as he defended himself with great valour; and the pressure upon him becoming great, such as knew him cried out, "Sir, surrender, or you are dead;" where- upon he yielded, according to Froisard, to Sir Dennis Morbeck, a knight of Artois, in the English service; but being forced from that captain, more than ten knights and esquires claimed the honour of taking the royal prisoner. Among these, the pretensions of Sir Roger la Warr, and Sir John Pelham (ancestor of the Pelhams, Dukes of Newcastle, and of the Lords Yarborough and Pelham) having been acknowledged the strongest, Lord de la Warre had, in commemoration of so valiant an exploit, the crampet, or chape, of the captive prince's sword; and Sir John Pelham had the buckle of a belt as a memento of the same achievement. His lordship continued for several years after Poictiers in the French wars, and acquired in every campaign an augmentation of renown. His only daughter Joanna, sister and heir of Thomas, 5th Lord Delawarr, married Thomas, 3rd Lord West, and had a son and successor Reginald, Lord West, who was summoned to parliament as Lord Delawarr in 1427. This nobleman performed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, 19th Henry VI., and died in 1451. It is related of his great grandson, Sir Thomas West, K.G., 9th Baron in the Rolls of Parliament, 2 EDWARD VI., that having no issue, he adopted his nephew, WILLIAM, son of his half-brother, Sir George West, and that the said William, impatient to inherit, had prepared poison to dispatch his uncle, which so highly incensed his lordship, that he complained to parliament, and William was in consequence disabled to succeed to his uncle's honours or estate, but had an allowance of £350 per annum. His lordship died 1554, when the BARONIES or DE LA WARR AND WEST fell into abeyance between the daughters and co-heirs of his brother, Sir Owen West, and finally amongst the descendants of MARY, the eventual sole heir. In a few years after, his disinherited nephew, WILLIAM WEST, having served in the English army at the siege of St. Quintin, in Picardy, was knighted at Hampton Court, 5th Feb. 1563, and created at the same time, Lord de la Warre. He had also, by act of parliament, in March following, a full restitution in blood, and was direct ancestor of the present noble family of DE LA WARE, with its derivative branch, the WESTS of ALSCOTS PARK, co. Gloucester.

--(This name appears on the Battle Abbey roll)