ROGER DE LELAY, son of Hugh and Christiana, was probably the third son, though Dodsworth puts him in the second place.

He gave land at Bramhope to Kirkstall Abbey (charter LI), and half the mills of Leathley to S. Leonard's Hospital, York (charter LVIII).

This last gift was confirmed by Agnes his widow, in 42 Henry III, 1257-8 (charter LIX).

WILLIAM DE LELAY, the fourth son of Hugh and Christiana, is mentioned in Dodsworth's pedigree, where it is stated habuit terras in Baildon. The following deed, copied by Roger Dodsworth from the evidences of Sir Edward Plumpton on the 27th of February, 1633, relates to this property:

Willelmus filius Hugonis de Lelay dedit Nigello de Plumptone et heredibus suis firmacionem stagni de molendino suo de Hidle in terra mea de Baildona, reddendo xij denarios annuatim, etc. Testibus, Nigello filio Radulfi de Stokeld, Hugone filio Ypoliti, Roberto de Plumpton. Carta 27.2

Translation.

I, William son of Hugh de Lelay, have given permission to Nigel de Plumpton and his heirs to fix the dam of his mill of Idle on my land of Baildon, paying 12d. yearly.

Dodsworth added in a marginal note that Hugh son of Hippolite was living in the fifth year of Richard I, 1193-4, and in the eighth year of John, 1206-7. Nigel de Plumpton died either in 1213 or 1214. The date of the deed is therefore before 1214, but probably not much earlier.3

It is nowhere stated what these lands were, but from later evidence it seems clear that he had two carucates at Baildon, being the other moiety, one having been given to his sister Isolda (ante, p. 20). The deed of gift to William from his father has not been preserved, so so far as I am aware.

William occurs as a witness to his father's grant in frank-marriage to Isolda, his (William's) sister (No. vIII, ante), which seems to be the only time that his name is mentioned in these charters. In 1226

1 See Thoresby Society, Miscellanea, ix, p. 234, for some notes as to his Bramhope property.

2 Dodsworth MS., No. 148, fo. 196.

3 This charter may perhaps refer to the earlier William son of Hugh; it is almost impossible to decide with so few names of witnesses. Dodsworth, however, attributes it to the later William, as I have done in the text, and the subsequent history of the Baildon property seems almost imperative that it should be so.

he acted as attorney for Eva de Swillington in a fine relating to land in Stainburn (see post). This is all the information I can give about him, except that, according to Dodsworth's pedigree, he married, and had a son, also named William.

Hugh de Lelay, son of the first William de Lelay, had one daughter, named ISOLDA, to whom he gave half the ville of Baildon, and other property. The grant has already been set out, and it will be more convenient to postpone any account of her for the

moment.

There still remains one person who must be mentioned,—a somewhat mysterious person, whose exact relationship to the Lelays is very obscure. I refer to the lady who describes herself indifferently as Eva daughter of William the Palmer (palmarius) of Swillington, Eva daughter of William de Swillington, or Eva de Lelay.

Her parentage seems clear; she was the daughter of one William, probably one of the Swillingtons of Swillington near Leeds, who, having made some pilgrimage, was designated "the Palmer." She acquired land in Stainburn from William son of William the Clerk of Stainburn (charters XXVI and xxvii), and is probably the Eva mentioned in charter IX as having a house there. This property she granted to Fountains Abbey by charters XXVIII and xxix; in the former she is described as Eva daughter of William le Palmer of Swillington, in the latter as Eva de Lelay. She is there stated to convey in her lawful power, in legitima potestate, a term generally used in conveyances by widows, the reason being that a married woman could not dispose of her own property without her husband's consent. It would seem, then, that she married a Lelay, who was dead at the date of this second grant. In the Fountains Abbey Chartulary after the first of these two deeds, No. XXVIII, is copied a note of a fine levied in 1226, which is as follows:

In Michaelmas Term, 11 Henry III, 1226, a fine was levied between Eva de Swillington, plaintiff, by William de Lelay put in her place to win or lose, and John, Abbat of Fountains, defendant, touching four bovates and five acres three roods of land in Stainburn. Eva quit-claims for herself and her heirs all her right in the said land to the Abbat and his successors for ever, for which he gave her three marks of silver.1

1 Feet of Fines, York, 11 Henry III, No. 203.

If we may take the order of these documents as a guide, charter XXVIII was before Michaelmas, 1226, and charter XXIX was after that date. Now in this fine it will be noticed that Eva de Swillington, as she is there called, appears by William de Lelay, her attorney. I think he must have been her husband, notwithstanding the fact that she still uses her maiden name. In the next deed she calls herself "de Lelay," and uses words consistent with her being a widow; so that William, if my surmise is right, must have died soon after 1226.

Eva's grant to Fountains was confirmed by William son of Ralph (charter xxx). One of her grants to Fountains is in the possession of Mr. F. H. Fawkes of Farnley; she grants the land, together with her body to be buried at Fountains. Witnesses, Nigel de Plumpton, Hugh de Suinlington,' William de Lelai (who may have been her husband's son of that name), Henry de Castelleia, Simon de Pouele (Pool), and others. The seal is still remaining, and bears three flowers or branches, probably palm, as a canting device or rebus, with the legend + SIGILL EVE: FILIE: WILELMI.

It may here be noted that an Eva widow of John sued Hugh de Baildon for dower in a carucate of land in Castley in 1206–7. The Lelays had property in Castley (see charters XXXIII, LXVII and

LXX.

We must now return to ISOLDA, who, so far as is known, was the only daughter of Hugh and Christiana. She was twice married, first to Roger Pictavensis or Poitevin, and secondly to Adam de Nereford. She left issue by both husbands. The first marriage must have taken place before her father's grant of Baildon to S. Peter's, that is, before circa 1210. She would then be about twenty years of age. Her father's gifts to her of two carucates in Baildon and the ville of Stainburn have already been set out (ante, p. 20, and charter No. vIII). Soon after her first marriage, and presumably before the death of her first husband [cir. 1224], we find Isolda making a purchase of land on her own account.

Henry de Castellay has sold and confirmed to Isolda, wife of Roger Pictavensis, and her heirs, a bovate of land in Castellay, viz.: that which Robert son of Huckeman' held, lying between my

1 William son of Hugh de Swillington, who was contemporary with Eva, and may well have been her father, had a son Hugh, living in 1257. See pedigree, Pontefract Chartulary, Yorkshire Archæological Society, Record Series, vol. xxv, p. 276.

2 Of Plumpton.

demesne and the land of Hemery de Castellay, for 3 marks of silver, to hold of me and my heirs freely and quit of all services, save the forinsec service due from one bovate where eight carucates make a knight's fee. Witnesses: Ralph de Bramhop, Serlo de Pouele, Geoffrey de Ardyngton, Malger Vavasor, Hugh de Tohuse, Hugh de Creskelde, Hemery de Castellay, Nigel de Castellay, William de Castelley.1

Presumably about the same time, Roger purchased some land in Stainburn, no doubt in order to improve his wife's property there. As the charter is unprinted and in private hands, and moreover contains an interesting note of one of the early Baildons, it is here transcribed in full:

Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego, Willelmus filius Willelmi, vendidi et quietum clamavi de me et de heredibus meis Rogero Pictaviensi et heredibus suis totum tenementum quod Ricardus filius Thor de me tenuit in Stainburne, et totum servicium suum, et totam firmam eiusdem tenementi, sine retinemento; Et sciendum est quod idem Ricardus tenuerat de me unam bovatam terre cum omnibus pertinenciis suis. Et ego, Willelmus, et heredes mei gwarantizabimus prefatam vendicionem et quietam clamationem eidem Rogero Pictaviensi et heredibus suis pro duabus marcis argenti, quas idem Rogerus michi dedit in curia Hugonis de Baildon. Hiis testibus: Willelmo de Leley, Hugone filio eius, Serlone de Pouele, Geffrido Mansel, Hugone de Wieton, Hugone de Casteley, Henrico filio Holdewin', Henrico de Casteley, Alexandro fratre eius, Helia de Stainburn, Haimerico de Casteley, Nigello fratre eius, Normanno Clerico, et multis aliis."

Seal lost.

Translation.

Know present and to come that I, William son of William, have sold and quit-claimed, from me and my heirs to Roger Poitevin and his heirs, all that tenement which Richard son of Thor held of me in Stainburn, and all his service, and all the rent of the same tenement, without any reservation; and be it known that the same

1 Register of Fountains Abbey; Cotton. MS., Tiberius, C. XII, fo. 268.

2 The grantor of this charter is described as Willelmus clericus de Stainburne, filius Willelmi filii Thore de Ottelai in the Fountains Abbey Register (Cotton. MS., Tiberius, C. XII, fo. 269d). This Richard son of Thor was perhaps his uncle.

3 MSS. of F. H. Fawkes, of Farnley, Esq.

Richard held of me one bovate of land with all its appurtenances. And I, William, and my heirs will warrant the said sale and quitclaim to the same Roger Poitevin and his heirs for two marks of silver, which Roger gave me in the court of Hugh de Baildon. These being witnesses, etc.

Roger Poitevin appears to have died about 1224; at any rate, his widow was married again in 1225. During the period of her widowhood she, by an undated charter, gave the ville of Stainburn, containing five carucates, to Fountains Abbey.' This grant was confirmed by Hugh son of William de Lelay, her father, and by Roger Poitevin, her grandson.2

The confirmation of the grant by the donor's father was rendered necessary by the fact that Isolda's tenancy was in frank-marriage. By this tenure the land was given to the donee and her husband and the heirs of their two bodies, free from all manner of service to the donor or his heirs until the fourth degree of consanguinity from the donor was passed, the oath of fealty only excepted. But on failure of the heirs of the marriage, the property reverted to the donor or his heirs.

Isolda's second husband was one Adam de Nereford, and she was married to him sometime before Martinmas, 1225.

1225, Martinmas. Fine between Adam de Nerford and Isolda his wife, plaintiffs, and William de Coleby, deforciant, of one third of half a carucate of land in Scardingwell, which Isolda claims as dower of the inheritance of Roger Pictavensis, her late husband; Adam and Isolda release all their claim to William and his heirs, for which he gives them four marks of silver.*

Roger Poitevin and Isolda had two children, Thomas, and Hawisia, who married Robert de Stopham.

THOMAS POITEVIN seems to have been the only son of his parents; he was probably born not later than 1213, as he appears to have been of age in 1234, when he commenced the litigation respecting his property. Indeed it was no doubt on his coming of age that the various disputes first arose.

1 No. XI, ante.

2 Nos. XII, XIII, XIV, and xv, ante.

* Goodeve, Modern Law of Real Property.

Feet of Fines, Yorkshire, 10 Henry III, No. 39.

He and his son Roger had numerous lawsuits, but the greater part of them do not concern the subject of this paper.