LACY

Two distinguished members of this ancient family, namely, Walter de Lacie, and Ilbert de Lacie, came into England with the Conqueror; but it has not been ascertained in what degree of relationship they stood to each other. WALTER was one of the Commanders whom WILLIAM sent into Wales to subjugate the principality; and being victorious, he acquired large possessions there, in addition to those already obtained, as his portion of the spoil of Hastings. These, vastly augmented by royal favour, and extensive grants in Ireland, descended, in the course of time, to Walter de Laci, "vir inter omnes nobiles Hiberniae, eminentissimus," whose grand-daughters and co-heiresses were Maud, wife of Peter de Geneva, and Margery, wife of John de Verdon. ILBERT DE LACI, the fellow soldier, if not kinsman, of Walter, had, from his Royal Master, a grant of the castle and town of Brokenbridge,Yorkshire, which he afterwards denominated, in the Norman dialect, Pontefract. From him sprang the De Lacys, Constables of Chester, and Earls of Lincoln, whose last male-heir, Henry de Lacy, third Earl of Lincoln, and 'jure uxoris' Earl of Salisbury, one of the most eminent noblemen of his time, died in 1312, "at his mansion-house, called Lincoln's Inn, in the suburbs of London, which he himself had erected," leaving an only daughter and heir ALICE, Countess of Lincoln and Salisbury, who married, first, Thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster, secondly, Eubold de Strange, and thirdly, Hugh le Frenes; but died without issue. The curious privilege, "the patronage of the minstrels," which was enjoyed by the Duttons, had its origin in the services of Roger de Lacy, Constable of Chester (great grandfather of the last Earl of Lincoln.) In his time, 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 Rothelaw, where, being closely besieged by the Welsh, he sent to De Lacy, Constable of Chester, who 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 aid, the Earl 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. The privilege was - "that at the Midsummer Fair, held at Chester, all the minstrels of that country resorting there, do attend the heir of Dutton, from his lodging to St. John's Church (he being then acccompained by many gentlemen of the country), one of them walking before him in a surcoat of his arms depicted on taffata; 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 formerly called, certain orders and laws are made for the government of the society of minstrels." --(This name appears on the Battle Abbey Roll).