De la Valet or Lanvallei.

A baronial name: in the Rotuli Curiae Regis of 1199 both spellings are given. This was a Breton family. "Lanvallei is near Dinant. Ivo de Lanvallei was living in 1082, and another Ivo was Seneschal of Dol, in the time of Henry I."—The Norman People. In the beginning of Henry II.'s reign, William de Lanvallai held a barony in Essex, and "was," says Dugdale, "one of the Witnesses to the Recognition made by the King touching the People's Rights and Liberties" in 1163. His signature, as "Willmus de Lanvalet," is also affixed to the King's charter to Nuneaton Priory (Mon. Angl.). He was Warden of the Forest of Essex under Coeur de Lion; but for some offence or other his lands and goods were seized by the Crown, and he was compelled to pay a fine of one hundred marks for their recovery. The year after King John's accession, he disbursed a further sum of two hundred marks to obtain the custody of Colchester Castle, and the Wardenship of the Forest, that he had held in the former reign. He died in 1210. His son William married the daughter of Alan Basset, who paid a handsome price for the alliance, as it appears that in 1212 this Alan "gave to the King C marks, and an excellent palfrey, that the Heir of William de Lanvallei might take his Daughter to Wife." William II. succeeded his father as Constable of Colchester in 1215, but joined the revolted barons the same year. By his energy and action he was soon foremost in their ranks, being one of the Council of twenty-five appointed to govern the realm. He made his peace with Henry III. in 1216, and died the following year, leaving a young daughter named Hawise as his sole heir. Her wardship was granted to Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent; and she was by him given in marriage to his son John, to whom she brought the barony of Lanvallei. It passed to their son John, who had only daughters. The heiress herself died in 1249, and lies buried with her parents in the Chapter-house at Colchester. The Lanvalleis bore Gules a lion passant Or.

But though the baronial line expired in 1217, the name is found nearly one hundred years afterwards. There certainly existed junior branches that are ignored in Dugdale's curt pedigree. John de Lanvallei is mentioned in 1201 (Rot. Cane.); Ralph de La Valeie, or Lanvallei, of Berkshire both then and in 1199 (Rot. Cur. Regis). "William de la Valeye of Widmarpole, in 1284, passed three acres of land there to Nicholas de Widmerpole and Maud his wife."—Thoroton's Notts. "In 1311 John de Bernevill received the wardship of lands at Baryngton belonging to the infant heir of Rowland de la Valeye, deceased."—Woodward's Hampshire.

-- Cleveland